The Truth About Honduras

International Living Postcards--your daily escape

Friday, Sept. 1, 2006
La Ceiba, Honduras

My boss and IL publisher, Kathleen Peddicord, visited Honduras a few weeks ago, and was impressed with our mainland beaches and Caribbean coast. But not so much with the bustling coastal city of La Ceiba, suffering from, as Kathleen reported to you, poverty, congestion, filth, and pollution.

I couldn't disagree more. I look around my little adopted hometown and I see an emerging economy and happy people.

I don't wear rose-colored glasses. La Ceiba is not Miami or Cancún or even Belize City. (For one thing, La Ceiba has prettier beaches.)

Let me tell you about the La Ceiba where I live.

This little city is quickly growing. There are lots of reasons for that, but population growth is commonly spurred by economic opportunity. And La Ceiba is a land of opportunity. Where once were orange groves, now stand houses and shopping centers mid-construction. But growth doesn't come without growing pains.

During the past year, Hondutel (the national telephone company) has installed fiber optic lines, vastly improving the quality and reliability of the telephone service here, and also reducing the need for so many overhead lines. But, in true Central American fashion, Hondutel has not yet removed all the old lines. (In this part of the world, it's important to give clear instructions when you get work done; I imagine the area supervisor told his crew to "install the new lines" but omitted the important "and remove the old ones." So it goes…)

And the roads? Yep, they're bad. But you can't have a growing number of motorbikes, cars, trucks, and construction vehicles (remember what I said about growing pains?) wreaking havoc on the same roads every day without a considerable amount of wear and tear. And remember, taxes here are low…real low. Where does the money come from to fix the roads? Usually from businesses and companies who use those roads…and as you can imagine, they aren't about to fix them until their projects are nearer to completion.

I look at it this way: This is a Third-World country (though I would rate it higher than many other Third World countries) and you shouldn't expect the things you are used to in the U.S. I don't like the state of the roads, either, but the raw beauty of this country is what brought me here in the first place…and if it takes me a bit longer to get to where I want to go because the road is a little rough, so be it.

That's not to say that La Ceiba is without charm. There is a pretty park in the main center of town…and another, even nicer park, a few blocks away (most people who visit here miss this one--on the former grounds of the Standard Fruit Company, it's a beautiful shaded park with walking paths and benches from which to enjoy the many tropical plants and admire the old railroad cars that are on exhibit here.)

You'll find frequent cultural events here, too. At a recent art exhibit, complete with wine and cheese, I felt as if I was at a gallery opening in the U.S. We met artists from all over the country and discussed with them the emotion and story of their art. Many different styles exhibited, but all distinctly Central American.

We have classical music concerts, opera, and ballet. These latter events usually feature visiting artists, like the one that took place a few weeks ago--a classical concert of Bach and Mozart pieces preformed by musicians from Leipzig, Germany.

The culture here is largely based on the heritage of the people--many are of Mayan or Garifuna descent. The nearby town of Copan was originally the center of the Maya civilization, and today it is one of the most visited and studied Maya sites in the world. The Garifuna originate from West Africa by way of the Caribbean. Their indigenous status is officially recognized here, and they have many settlements in many areas. They are always happy to share their song, dance, and language--their history is told in their distinctive music, which consists mainly of a blown conch shell and drums. The rhythm of their dance, as it escalates to a crescendo, chronicles their journey as slaves from Africa to their home in Central America.

That's the independent review out of the way…now on to my favorite activity: golf. The golf course is where I get away from it all. (There, and on the beautiful island of Roatan, just a short ferry ride away.) The vista from my favorite golf course here (there are several) is about as grand as it gets. Never have "greens" been so aptly named. Like green velvet, the fairways stretch ahead, the thickly jungled rough on either side. And the cost for a round of golf? Just $12…less than I paid my caddy back home in Colorado.

There's something happening here in La Ceiba. Something just beyond the bad roads and the tangled webs of wires overhead. A few of us see it, this land of opportunity in the making. How long will this city take to fulfill its potential, and reward those who of us who staked a claim early? Five years…10…a lifetime? I can't answer that. But when I sit in my shorts and T-shirt and watch the sunset after a full day of activity…drums beating in the distance…there is no place else I would rather be.

Ron Goben
For International Living in Honduras