tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-82114061866218132482024-02-20T12:37:48.484-06:00travelthe • world • and • the • seven • seasAdalberto H. Vegahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17751860984094400670noreply@blogger.comBlogger48125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8211406186621813248.post-70803074969261290942021-08-22T13:40:00.000-06:002021-08-22T13:40:10.476-06:00Carpets of Copan, Honduras<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://live.staticflickr.com/5116/6906325528_80a1fb7cbd_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="534" data-original-width="800" height="267" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/5116/6906325528_80a1fb7cbd_b.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><h4 class="article-title" style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://gadling.com/2011/05/19/photo-of-the-day-carpets-of-copan-honduras/" title="Photo of the day – Carpets of Copan, Honduras">Photo of the day May 19, 2011 <br /></a></h4><p></p><p>If the street above looks a little more colorful than the average road, it’s because the carpet has been rolled out for <a href="http://www.moon.com/destinations/honduras/western-honduras/santa-rosa-de-copan/entertainment-and-events/holy-week-santa-rosa-de-copan">Semana Santa</a>, or holy week leading up to <a href="http://www.gadling.com/tag/easter">Easter</a>.
The “carpets” are made from colored sawdust and flowers and illustrate
the Stations of the Cross. </p><p>There are many reasons to visit <a href="http://www.gadling.com/tag/copan">Copan</a> in the western region of <a href="http://www.gadling.com/category/honduras">Honduras</a>,
but the procession that will march down this street on Good Friday
morning <i>(April 6 in 2012)</i>, if you want to start planning) is a big draw;
arrive early to admire the “carpets”. Thanks to Flickr user
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ahvega/">Adalberto H Vega</a> for capturing them before they got trampled! </p>Adalberto H. Vegahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17751860984094400670noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8211406186621813248.post-56344439655126956112021-08-22T13:27:00.005-06:002021-08-22T13:32:44.528-06:00Lancetilla Botanical Garden, Tela, Honduras<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://live.staticflickr.com/5163/5210614510_046929ba34_b.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Lancetilla Botanical Garden, Tela, Honduras" border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="300" src="https://live.staticflickr.com/5163/5210614510_046929ba34_b.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://gadling.com/2010/12/10/photo-of-the-day-12-10-10/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Photo of the Day GADLING.COM Dec 10, 2010</a> <br /></h4><p>Today’s Photo of the Day is a snapshot of the wonderfully green <a href="http://www.telahonduras.com/html/lancetilla.htm" target="_blank">Lancetilla Botanical Garden</a> near Tela, Honduras. It was taken by Flickr user <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ahvega/" target="_blank">Adalberto.H.Vega</a>. The Lancetilla Botanical Garden is a massive park founded back in the 1920s by the United Fruit Company as a kind of plant cultivation laboratory. This particular section of the park appears beautifully still and peaceful, a green oasis set apart from life beyond.</p>Adalberto H. Vegahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17751860984094400670noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8211406186621813248.post-91023412481158987482014-04-24T00:25:00.000-06:002016-05-03T10:00:49.812-06:00That is a brave cat<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/DBNYwxDZ_pA" width="480"></iframe>
Adalberto H. Vegahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17751860984094400670noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8211406186621813248.post-4588948022318918642013-04-20T16:13:00.003-06:002016-05-03T10:01:48.851-06:00Living in the Most Dangerous Country in the World<div style="text-align: right;">
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">By: <a href="http://www.blogger.com/profile/16861147737101486587">Carin Steen</a></span></i></div>
Every day I wake up, shivering with fear, hoping I’ll make it to see the light of another day here in Honduras. I live behind doors enforced with triple bolt locks and I barely dare to go out on the street. I trust no one, I never go out at night, instead I lock myself up, turning up the volume of my TV to drown out the sound of gunshots.<br />
If that’s what you want to hear, there you have it.<br />
But the truth is quite different.<br />
I don’t deny there is a serious problem with violence in Honduras. A huge problem. A problem so big, it is hard to imagine there is a solution to it, and even if the situation would better, it will take generations to get over the trauma of it.<br />
The problem with the violence in Honduras, as in many other countries, is that there is not just one cause for it. Violence is deeply rooted in Honduran society, caused by corruption, lawlessness, lack of justice, lack of education for that matter, poverty, narco traffic, gangs, hopelessness, all of which lead to a vicious circle of more resentfulness, hate, vengeance, frustration and loss of morals. And the fact that Honduras is constantly in the news as being the most violent country in the world doesn’t help at all. Quite the contrary.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Artisans' Street - Copan Ruinas, Honduras</td></tr>
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I live in Copán Ruinas, a quiet town in the west of Honduras that heavily depends on tourism. Since a year or so, we’ve all seen a gigantic drop in the number of visitors and when you ask tour operators or tourists, the answer is that Honduras is considered too dangerous to visit. The fact that nearby Antigua Guatemala and even neighbouring countries as Nicaragua and El Salvador are doing blooming business, proves it. But is Honduras really that dangerous for tourists?<br />
I say it’s not.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Church of El Calvario - Copan Ruinas, Honduras</td></tr>
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<p>First of all, let’s look at the numbers. It is now common knowledge that Honduras has the highest murder rate per capita in the world. But, just as in Mexico, that number is closely connected to gang activity, drug trafficking and mostly takes place in certain areas in the big cities. Places that tourists never visit. If you’d discount the number of deaths in certain neighbourhoods, the national average would be much lower.</p>
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I won’t deny that there haven’t been incidents in the past, but overall, the violence is not directed to tourists and the main tourist destinations are considered to be pretty quiet and safe. I can’t find any data on it, but if I hear from tourists that they were assaulted in their hotel or on the street, pick-pocketed or molested, it usually happened in Guatemala.<br />
I can’t guarantee a tourist a risk free trip through Honduras, but I think that the dangers are highly overrated. You know a dangerous city for tourists??? Amsterdam! I recently visited my hometown, and talk out dangers! Not so much violent assaults, but deathly incidents nonetheless. Every year an astounding number of tourists die because they ride a bicycle (often for the first time in their lives) in the centre of town without understanding the unwritten rules of survival. They take the silent but oh so big and hard trams for granted while crossing the street without looking left or right. Each year, about thirty people drown in the famous canals, many of them (drunken) tourists who fall in when urinating, unable to climb back up the steep walls. And not to mention the number of people (I think it was three last year) of tourists who underestimate the power of Dutch <i>marihuana </i>and think they can fly out of a window, just like that. But those victims never show up in lists with numbers that show how dangerous Amsterdam can be.<br />
The “Honduras = dangerous” slogan has become a bit of a hype and is being repeated time after time for no apparent reason, and without any effort on behalf of the Honduran ministry of tourism to prove the opposite. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">West Bay Beach, Roatan Honduras</td></tr>
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And that’s a pity, because Honduras is a country of an incredible natural beauty with great archaeological sites and terrific tropical islands, just to name a few attractions. Yes, Honduras has its problems, but so do other countries in Central America, as well as the rest of the world. The world we live in is not becoming a safer place, and Honduras is no exception.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Easter Week (Semana Santa) carpets, Copan Ruinas</td></tr>
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To wrap things up, what I mean to say is that numbers are relative and that you shouldn't believe everything you hear. My roommate is from Chicago and says she hears more gun shots outside her apartment there, than in Copán. I can tell you from personal experience that Copán is a great place to live or to visit and, relatively safe. Relatively, because a lot depends on your own behaviour.<br />
And just to speak for this beloved town I’m luckily enough to live in: please come and visit Copán Ruinas! <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Ball Court, Copan Archaeological Park - Copan Ruinas, Honduras</td></tr>
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And not just because we need you! The archaeological site is breathtaking, the town itself is charming and fun and there’s tons to do: hiking, horseback riding, visiting the bird park or coffee farms. And yes, I do feel completely safe here. I go out at night, I hike through the mountains, I do whatever I like. Heck, with this heat I even sleep with my windows and doors wide open. But that’s something I maybe shouldn’t share on the internet.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Copan Coffee Tour - Copan Ruinas, Honduras</td></tr>
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Bottom line, come and visit Honduras. It’s worth it!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Keel-billed Toucan - Macaw Mountain Bird Park - Copan Ruinas, Honduras</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Punta Izopo National Park - Tela, Honduras</td></tr>
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Adalberto H. Vegahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17751860984094400670noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8211406186621813248.post-52031655424675025362013-02-11T19:06:00.002-06:002016-05-04T07:55:53.415-06:00Harpy eagle nest spotted in Honduras!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://www.latribuna.hn/2013/02/10/en-parque-nacional-patuca-por-primera-vez-en-honduras-se-observo-un-aguila-harpia-con-crias/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Originally published by Diario La Tribuna - Honduras [Spanish]</span></i></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Harpy eagle juvenile - Photo by: David Medina</td></tr>
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Those who have seen a harpy eagle in the wild can consider themselves extremely lucky. The harpy eagle, <i><b>the second-largest bird in the planet</b></i>, hides within the more dense forests of Central and South America, procreate only once every four or five years, and they build their nests hidden in trees above <b>25-30 meters</b><i> (80-100 feet),</i> so seeing them is nearly impossible.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDBcQQgNH891If2pT1WefKy5aE6ihv49ZPpoWTZOm5_bYBKiQzS-kJ7kYcQHFBrA3p1WkA8_v6UyRP-Ct-evYwLajeZkyvslqCr40E6rPMs_wWKBY1YS3r9eX1Z6eQoQAMGV2askr8oTKh/s1600/harpy-eagle-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDBcQQgNH891If2pT1WefKy5aE6ihv49ZPpoWTZOm5_bYBKiQzS-kJ7kYcQHFBrA3p1WkA8_v6UyRP-Ct-evYwLajeZkyvslqCr40E6rPMs_wWKBY1YS3r9eX1Z6eQoQAMGV2askr8oTKh/s1600/harpy-eagle-1.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Harpy eagle - Photo by: David Medina</td></tr>
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This is why the news of finding an active <b>Harpy Eagle </b>nest with a chick is just stunning. This is the first nest found in Honduras, and the third documented throughout Central and North of Panama. Other places where these nests have been seen are Guatemala and Belize.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Harpy eagle - Photo by: David Medina</td></tr>
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<b>Patuca National Park</b> in <b>Eastern Honduras</b>, the largest protected area in the country (<b>375,584</b> hectares : <b>928,088</b> acres), created in december 1999, is one of many tropical protected areas where intense preservation projects are taking place, and despite the lack of adequate funding, a handful of scientists conscious and nature enthusiasts, who are part of both Honduran and foreign entities have been conducting important conservation and reforestation efforts which are worthy of praise.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Harpy eagle - Photo by: David Medina</td></tr>
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<p>The sighting of this harpy eagle and her newborn has risen the villagers<i> 'pride',</i> increasing conservation awareness among the residents of the surrounding area as well. This important event is a gratifying sign that the continuing efforts of the agencies responsible for the preservation of the area are being productive, since it is well known by experts that the harpy eagle needs at least <b>150Km2</b> <i>(58 square miles)</i> of lush forest free of human contact in order to survive.</p>
Adalberto H. Vegahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17751860984094400670noreply@blogger.com0Parque Nacional Patuca, Honduras14.338895219419909 -85.5139789531249913.84683971941991 -86.159425953125 14.830950719419908 -84.868531953124986tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8211406186621813248.post-62437513341616885472013-01-19T21:13:00.001-06:002016-05-03T10:01:48.862-06:00Cine Hispano - Santa Rosa de Copan<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ahvega/3667029198/#comment72157632556833752">Cine Hispano - Santa Rosa de Copan | Flickr - Photo Sharing!</a></td></tr>
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<b>Santa Rosa</b> has a rich cultural heritage and is an appealing stop for tourists. The historical center of the city has been declared a Honduran national monument. Visitors can enjoy the colonial architecture, cobblestone streets and colonial-style houses that demonstrate the preservation of Santa Rosa's culture and history, with its origins in tobacco farming. While visiting the city center you will notice several different architectural styles of the historical buildings.<br />
Adalberto H. Vegahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17751860984094400670noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8211406186621813248.post-11704100202606358792012-10-18T14:07:00.000-06:002013-01-19T21:21:47.332-06:00 TRAVELLING IN CENTRAL AMERICA Safe or Dangerous<div>
A truly enlightening article on the current situation of Central America, and the unfortunate misconceptions from traditional media which can lead to unfair treatment to some destinations, such as San Pedro Sula, Honduras. You can read all the article <a href="http://travelindustrytoday.com/web/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=14921:travelling-in-central-america-safe-or-dangerous&Itemid=64"><b>HERE</b></a>.<br />
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"Drugs and guns are a deadly mix. They can have
devastating and lethal consequences not only for the unfortunate victims
of violence and their friends and families but also for the city or
country’s reputation. I recently returned from almost two weeks
travelling around two of the supposedly most violent and deadliest
countries in the world. This also included what the United Nations
Office on Drugs and Crime has named the most dangerous city on earth in
2011 – San Pedro Sula, Honduras." <a href="http://travelindustrytoday.com/web/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=14921:travelling-in-central-america-safe-or-dangerous&Itemid=64"><i>Chris Ryall</i></a></blockquote>
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5169/5210587458_f7a15575b7_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5169/5210587458_f7a15575b7_z.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pulhapanzak waterfall - Photo by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ahvega/5210587458/">Adalberto H. Vega</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
...<br />
<br />
Just quoting a few lines from Canada’s
travel advisory on Honduras: “A large percentage of the population is
armed. Guns and weapons as machetes and knives are frequently used in
robberies. Perpetrators often use violence if the victim resists.” It
goes on, “Travellers have been followed and assaulted. Use discretion
when discussing travel plans in public.”<br />
<br />
Well, sounds pretty
scary to me. It details various areas including San Pedro Sula and
along the coastal highway and other towns as well as islands where crime
occurs. <br />
<br />
I travelled in all of these areas both in a group as
well as wandered about on my own. Now did I go down dark alleys in the
middle of the night in some residential or gang infested districts? No.
Why would I?
... <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
I went on the Government of Canada’s travel
advisory for the United States. It rates barely a mention about any
crime compared to the pages it details with Honduras and El Salvador.
Yet in 2011 there were four American cities listed in the top 50 cities
for the murders in 2011 – at number 21 was New Orleans (a city I adore
and have visited a couple of times), number 30 was Detroit, number 43
was St. Louis, and number 48 was Baltimore. <br />
<br />
Americans have one
of the highest gun ownerships in the world yet no mention of that in
the travel advisory. I love the United States and travel there
frequently for business and pleasure but it is interesting (and perhaps
political since they are our biggest trading partner) how it is
downplayed. <br />
<br />
Yet it seems hypocritical with the high murder rate
in many American cities Canadians and people from other nations don’t
give it a moment’s hesitation in visiting. But at the same time we get
up in arms and are afraid to visit other destinations when we hear about
any incidents. <br />
<br />
I travelled by foot, boat, minivan, air and an
old open train car. I went on hikes just with a guide, snorkelling on
islands, went to local bars and restaurants and strolled through street
markets in many areas the travel warning said don’t go.</blockquote>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3307/3546930128_420ef70abb_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3307/3546930128_420ef70abb_z.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Copan Ball Court - Photo by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ahvega/3546930128/">Adalberto H. Vega</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
I
never felt threatened or feared for my safety. And talking with many
others at the conference and on the post tours nor did they feel
unsafe. At night-time functions we would travel past various
neighbourhoods back to the hotel. I never saw anyone with a gun other
than some army guy or from the police. I never got a sense the city or
the country was under siege. <br />
<br />
It’s
ironic – the heavy police and military presence from their perspective
is to help make tourists feel secure. Unfortunately it can have the
opposite effect and the tourist thinks the country is so crime ridden
they need all this protection.</blockquote>
... <br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Central America is really a hidden gem of the
world – Mayan ruins, vibrant green countryside, friendly locals,
colourful Colonial towns, beautiful beaches, lush rainforests, cultural
attractions and it is very affordable. <br />
<br />
Don’t be deterred by
travel warnings. Be alert, cautious and exercise common sense – it’s no
guarantee but driving a car or crossing a street in Toronto is far more
dangerous. </blockquote>
Adalberto H. Vegahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17751860984094400670noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8211406186621813248.post-20699619968342557282012-10-08T14:42:00.001-06:002013-01-19T21:23:18.268-06:00Belize Zoo in the "Top 10 zoos around the world"<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ahvega/3295681741/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Jaguar, Belize Zoo by Adalberto.H.Vega, on Flickr"><img alt="Jaguar, Belize Zoo" height="375" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3592/3295681741_3dfcb7deaa.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Junior, the young jaguar at Belize Zoo, an amazing creature! ~Photo by Adalberto H. Vega</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<a href="http://news.cheapflights.co.uk/top-10-zoos-around-the-world/"><b>The Belize Zoo and Tropical Education Centre, Belize </b></a><br />
“The Best Little Zoo in the World” was founded nearly 30 years ago to provide sanctuary for wild animals used in a documentary about tropical forests. Today the zoo, located 47km (29 miles) west of Belize City, exhibits more than 150 animals native to Belize. A major draw are the wildcats found in the Central American country: jaguar, puma, ocelot, margay and jacuarundi. The Problem Jaguar Rehabilitation Programme is just one of the zoo’s initiatives that help to promote conservation and awareness, and to protect Belize’s natural resources. <b>Search and compare:</b> <a href="http://www.cheapflights.co.uk/flights/Belize/" target="_blank">cheap flights to Belize City</a>.Adalberto H. Vegahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17751860984094400670noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8211406186621813248.post-50461012971800469332012-07-16T14:13:00.001-06:002016-05-03T10:01:48.853-06:00Copan - Luna Jaguar Hotsprings & Spa<div style="margin: 0 0 10px 0; padding: 0; font-size: 0.8em; line-height: 1.6em;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ahvega/3972243788/" title="Copan - Luna Jaguar Hotsprings & Spa"><img src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2620/3972243788_fdcf4dfa4d.jpg" alt="Copan - Luna Jaguar Hotsprings & Spa by Adalberto.H.Vega" /></a><br/><span style="margin: 0;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ahvega/3972243788/">Copan - Luna Jaguar Hotsprings & Spa</a>, a photo by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ahvega/">Adalberto.H.Vega</a> on Flickr.</span></div><p>Located 45 minutes North of Copán, this ‘Maya theme’ venue, with natural streams of hot and cold water, has 13 strategic spots along the trails aiming to replicate the Maya rulers and elite health–rituals performed in ancient times, within a perfectly blended natural environment. The thirteen numbers on the symbolic wave represent the energy of the universe, that is present at any place, on every thought, on the growing of the living being, a new project or a newly conceived idea.<br /><br />The perfectly mixed temperature –warm water– of its ponds invite you to soothe yourself into the most relaxing ambiance, ideal for a late afternoon time after a busy and active day.</p>Adalberto H. Vegahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17751860984094400670noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8211406186621813248.post-60201409272531135752012-04-23T17:35:00.003-06:002016-05-03T10:01:48.859-06:00Fresh exotic fruits, Copan Ruinas, Honduras<div style="margin: 0 0 10px 0; padding: 0; font-size: 0.8em; line-height: 1.6em;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ahvega/7052440475/" title="Copan Ruinas"><img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5119/7052440475_9f949a6083.jpg" alt="Copan Ruinas by Adalberto.H.Vega" /></a><br /><span style="margin: 0;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ahvega/7052440475/">Copan Ruinas</a>, a photo by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ahvega/">Adalberto.H.Vega</a> on Flickr.</span></div><p>Check out these nances, jocotes, sandía (watermelon), mangoes, ...just to give you a taste of those delightful delicacies of the season.</p>Adalberto H. Vegahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17751860984094400670noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8211406186621813248.post-38278468062985643432012-04-09T16:10:00.001-06:002016-05-03T10:01:48.845-06:00Alfombras Copan | Copan Carpets<div style="margin: 0 0 10px 0; padding: 0; font-size: 0.8em; line-height: 1.6em;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ahvega/7052344993/" title="Alfombras Copan | Copan Carpets"><img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5324/7052344993_ab61832093.jpg" alt="Alfombras Copan | Copan Carpets by Adalberto.H.Vega" /></a><br/><span style="margin: 0;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ahvega/7052344993/">Alfombras Copan | Copan Carpets</a>, a photo by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ahvega/">Adalberto.H.Vega</a> on Flickr.</span></div><p>Thanks to our fellows at Gadling.com for using this one as Photo of the Day 2012/04/08 <br /><br /><i>Via Flickr:</i><br /> "This Sunday marks the Easter Holiday in much of the world, and worshippers everywhere are marking the day with uniquely local traditions. As evidence check out this photo taken by Flickr user Aldaberto.H.Vega in Honduras. As part of Semana Santa locals lay out brilliant "carpets" on the streets composed of colorful sawdust and flowers documenting the Stations of the Cross. The Gadling team liked the eye-catching visuals of the scene so much that fellow blogger Meg Nesterov used almost exactly the <a href="http://www.gadling.com/2011/05/19/photo-of-the-day-carpets-of-copan-honduras/" rel="nofollow">same image</a> in a photo during Easter 2011. Seems like quite a sight to see, whether you're a practicing Christian or simply curious about the world." ~Gadling.com</p>Adalberto H. Vegahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17751860984094400670noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8211406186621813248.post-22145551945634585192012-03-27T18:37:00.002-06:002012-03-27T18:48:05.862-06:00Sunset during spring equinox in Copan<div style="margin: 0 0 10px 0; padding: 0; font-size: 0.8em; line-height: 1.6em;"><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ahvega/6876356558/" title="Stelas "F", "C" and "B" Spring equinox Copan"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7120/6876356558_050e310211.jpg" alt="Stelas "F", "C" and "B" Spring equinox Copan by Adalberto.H.Vega" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="margin: 0;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ahvega/6876356558/">Stelas "F", "C" and "B" Spring equinox Copan</a>, a photo by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ahvega/">Adalberto.H.Vega</a> on Flickr.</span></div></div><p>In Copan Archeological Park there is a Ceremonial Court just north of the Temple 4 and the Main Plaza. During the spring equinox, the stelas "F" and "C" in that court, --properly called now "Plaza del Sol" (Plaza of the Sun)-- look pretty much aligned with the sun at sunset, around 5:45pm. You need to make special arrangements with the Archeological Park authorities though, because the Park officially closes at 4pm. Quite an impressive view!</p><p><a href="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6228/7022455655_0e1bc0dff5_z_d.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 427px; height: 640px;" src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6228/7022455655_0e1bc0dff5_z_d.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="margin: 0;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ahvega/7022455655/in/photostream/">Stela "A" Copan</a>, a photo by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ahvega/">Adalberto.H.Vega</a> on Flickr.</span></p><a href="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6109/7022449065_c0c88f12d5_z_d.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 427px; height: 640px;" src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6109/7022449065_c0c88f12d5_z_d.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="margin: 0pt;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ahvega/6876356558/">Stelas "F", "C" and "B" Spring equinox Copan</a>, a photo by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ahvega/">Adalberto.H.Vega</a> on Flickr.</span><br /></div>Adalberto H. Vegahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17751860984094400670noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8211406186621813248.post-59451453464994374562012-03-27T18:00:00.001-06:002016-05-03T10:01:48.856-06:00Pulhapanzak waterfall<div style="margin: 0 0 10px 0; padding: 0; font-size: 0.8em; line-height: 1.6em;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ahvega/5210587458/" title="Pulhapanzak waterfall"><img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5169/5210587458_f7a15575b7.jpg" alt="Pulhapanzak waterfall by Adalberto.H.Vega" /></a><br/><span style="margin: 0;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ahvega/5210587458/">Pulhapanzak waterfall</a>, a photo by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ahvega/">Adalberto.H.Vega</a> on Flickr.</span></div><p>A corta distancia de San Pedro Sula se encuentra la espectacular <b>Catarata de Pulhapanzak</b>, con 43 metros de altura por unos 30 metros de ancho. Se puede bajar al lado de la catarata por un sendero para apreciar la vista de la catarata desde abajo. También puede uno nadar en la piscina natural de arriba de la catarata, (si se atreve) la corriente es bastante fuerte, así que hay que tener cuidado, además de que el agua es muy fría, pero al final lo disfrutará.<br /><br /><i>After a short drive from San Pedro Sula, the <b>Catarata de Pulhapanzak</b>; this is a very spectacular 43 meter high waterfall with a width of some 30 meters. There is a walkway beside the falls so you are able to walk down and see the view and swim in the pool at the top. Have to be a little careful in the pool since the current is quite strong. After the initial shock of the cold water you will find it very pleasant. </i></p>Adalberto H. Vegahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17751860984094400670noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8211406186621813248.post-86967314820472666092012-02-17T23:50:00.001-06:002012-02-18T00:19:54.027-06:00Castillo de San Felipe, Rio Dulce, Guatemala<div style="font-size: 0.8em; line-height: 1.6em; margin: 0 0 10px 0; padding: 0;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ahvega/6894681933/" title="Castillo de San Felipe, Rio Dulce, Guatemala"><img alt="Castillo de San Felipe, Rio Dulce, Guatemala by Adalberto.H.Vega" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7187/6894681933_6eff811235.jpg" /></a><br />
<span style="margin: 0pt;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ahvega/6894681933/">Castillo de San Felipe, Rio Dulce, Guatemala</a>, a photo by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ahvega/">Adalberto.H.Vega</a> on Flickr.</span></div>
An amazing colonial structure rises in the Lake Izabal, Guatemala, near Rio Dulce, one of the nicest spots in eastern Guatemala, where you can spend a couple of days exploring the surroundings and having a most exciting boat ride downstream <b>Rio Dulce</b> through the gulf ending in the quaint little Garifuna village of <b>Livingston</b>.<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
The Castillo de San Felipe de Lara is a Spanish colonial fort located at the entrance to Lake Izabal in eastern Guatemala. Lake Izabal is connected with the Caribbean Sea via the Dulce River and El Golfete lake. King Philip II of Spain ordered the fort to be erected in an attempt to reduce pirate activity in the area.<br />
<br />
This site was added to the <b><a href="http://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/1761/">UNESCO World Heritage Tentative List</a></b> on September 23, 2002 in the Cultural category. (via <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castillo_de_San_Felipe">Wikipedia</a>)</blockquote>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7054/6894666655_fc1489d85f_d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7054/6894666655_fc1489d85f_d.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Overlooking the Lake Izabal</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"Castle of San Felipe de Lara, it is composed for defensive strength that watched over the entrance to the old Kingdom of Guatemala from the Caribbean sea, built during the time of Spanish dominance (1524-1821). This construction has served from protection to important cultural goods for the reconstruction of the history of this type of monuments. It is connected in a natural, simply impressive landscape." ~via <a href="http://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/1761/">UNESCO</a></blockquote>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7204/6894632357_0c52735cd6_z_d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7204/6894632357_0c52735cd6_z_d.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Interior passage</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Adalberto H. Vegahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17751860984094400670noreply@blogger.com0Izabal, Guatemala15.637155641109322 -88.99402141571044915.636677641109323 -88.994638415710455 15.637633641109321 -88.993404415710444tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8211406186621813248.post-90444652270723992592011-09-07T11:26:00.001-06:002011-09-07T13:53:16.095-06:00Garifuna fishermen, Punta Izopo, Tela<div style="font-size: 0.8em; line-height: 1.6em; margin: 0 0 10px 0; padding: 0;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ahvega/5210629804/" title="Garifuna fishermen, Punta Izopo, Tela"><img alt="Garifuna fishermen, Punta Izopo, Tela by Adalberto.H.Vega" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5290/5210629804_2a20c43a50.jpg" /></a><br />
<span style="margin: 0pt;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ahvega/5210629804/">Garifuna fishermen, Punta Izopo, Tela</a>, a photo by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ahvega/">Adalberto.H.Vega</a> on Flickr.</span></div>
<i>Via Flickr:</i><br />
Around 10AM these <b>Garifuna</b> fishermen will pack their nets and head to their huts with today's lunch: a few fresh fish caught from the Río Platano canals in <b>Punta Izopo National Park</b> as they have been doing since over a couple centuries when they first arrived to Honduran Caribeban Coast after being sent away from Saint Vincent Island.<br />
<br />
<i>Alrededor de las 10am estos pescadores <b>Garífunas</b> recogerán sus atarrayas y retornarán a sus cabañas con el almuerzo del día: unos cuantos pescados recién obtenidos de la desembocadura del Río Plátano en el <b>Parque Nacional Punta Izopo</b> como lo han venido haciendo a diario desde su llegada a las Costas del Caribe Hondureño hace más de dos siglos luego de ser enviados lejos de su natal isla de San Vicente.</i><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5008/5210640864_bf3c0208c1_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5008/5210640864_bf3c0208c1_z.jpg" /> </a></div>
<br />
A few Km. from Tela, Atlántida in Honduras, Punta Izopo National Park main attraction is the Rio Platano, where you can kayak through a maze of mangroves admiring an impressive landscape and plenty of aquatic birds, howler, spider and cappuccino monkeys and some crocodiles. An exciting way of spending half day, and then enjoy a typical Garifuna lunch at the community of Triunfo de La Cruz.Adalberto H. Vegahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17751860984094400670noreply@blogger.com0Carretera Pavimentada Principal, Tela, Honduras15.822479616804232 -87.37787246704101615.807202616804233 -87.397613467041012 15.837756616804231 -87.358131467041019tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8211406186621813248.post-62580788584022094362011-09-07T11:16:00.001-06:002011-09-07T13:50:51.145-06:00Artisan's street, Copan Ruinas<div style="font-size: 0.8em; line-height: 1.6em; margin: 0 0 10px 0; padding: 0;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ahvega/5210670164/" title="Artisan's street, Copan Ruinas"><img alt="Artisan's street, Copan Ruinas by Adalberto.H.Vega" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5285/5210670164_39f892e2c4.jpg" /></a><br />
<span style="margin: 0pt;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ahvega/5210670164/">Artisan's street, Copan Ruinas</a>, a photo by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ahvega/">Adalberto.H.Vega</a> on Flickr.</span></div>
<i>Via Flickr:</i><br /><br />The artisans' street in Copan Ruinas. Every weekend, this street is blocked to vehicles, and turned into a pedestrians' way, where everybody can admire and buy at bargain prices some excellent artwork and crafts exhibited by local and regional artisans. One of the little details that make this acquainted charming little town a true gem for tourists, besides the majestic Copan Maya Ruins.<br /><br /><i>La calle de los artesanos en Copan Ruinas. Cada fin de semana, esta vía se cierra al tránsito vehicular convirtiéndose en una peatonal donde los artesanos locales e internacionales exponen sus magníficas obras, las cuales estána la venta a precios muy razonables. Es una de las cosas de las que pueden disfrutar los visitantes en este pacífico y encantador pueblecito del Oeste de Honduras, además de las magníficas Ruinas de Copán.</i>Adalberto H. Vegahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17751860984094400670noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8211406186621813248.post-81288643179396756192011-08-12T13:56:00.006-06:002011-08-12T14:07:51.601-06:00MC Tours Honduras Launches New Redesigned Website<blockquote><strong>MC Tours - Honduras</strong> redesigned website as a vital communication tool for its clients, business partners and for all the traveler community interested in Honduras.</blockquote>The result is an improved website which offers a fresh new look that technically provides its online visitors with significant improvements in navigation and resources to easily locate what they are looking for.
<br />
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://mctours-honduras.com/"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 303px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim7Cp-89uih7r0NL3gWYNmdxHL6s91aHEkx0nutjRp3u0D5lC7F0cbDA7Xrz47NiWoQLsG5nSaoYulS6muBst44vx95mQONBPqtRVdk27FSwEIuMszLealGbvRJ8o7bT2LgNNIoAvMX9Ch/s320/Website.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5640061541620028082" border="0" /></a>The Website located in <a target="_blank" style="color:#06f;" href="http://mctours-honduras.com/">http://mctours-honduras.com</a> includes a better structured navigation aimed for the visitor to easily find interesting information which will be a great help in selling <em>Honduras</em> destination. The products/services are grouped together in a logical way, according to type, including some specific sections that filter the content according to the travelers’ interest, providing a cross-reference throughout all the website content to quickly find wanted information. This combined with the powerful dynamic search feature, with all pages carefully indexed with keywords, will make it easy for visitors to find everything they may need with a just few clicks.<p></p><p>The website is also mobile ready, so users will be able to conveniently navigate it from their iPhone, iPad, Android, or other smartphone mobile device while on the road.We are sure visitors will find the Resources – Videos section particularly useful; this section contains 17 recently produced videos about <em>Honduras</em> highlights which are a valuable tool to show prospect visitors the wonders of this beautiful country.
<br /></p><h2><a href="http://mctours-honduras.com/" title="More Press Releases From MC Tours - Honduras">MC Tours - Honduras</a></h2>
<br /><div class="share_links"><div style="text-align: right;"><a href="http://mctours-honduras.com/" title="More Press Releases from MC Tours - Honduras"><img class="logo" src="http://www.widepr.com/images/4/8/4891e3b31ec5ff63f1932bb86aa388e1_t.jpg?mc_tours_honduras" alt="MC Tours - Honduras" title="MC Tours - Honduras" width="140" height="33" /></a>
<br /></div><a href="http://www.widepr.com/company_profile/7485/mc_tours_honduras.html" title="More Press Releases from MC Tours - Honduras"> </a> MC Tours – <em>Honduras</em> is a full services Tour Operator for <em>Honduras</em>, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Belize and El Salvador; specializing in handling planning and operations for accommodation's reservations, land transportation, domestic flights either scheduled or chartered, and attractions, activities and guided tours for all particular interests. MC Tours also has an extensive experience operating shore excursions for the most renowned cruise companies for their calls to <em>Roatan</em> Island and Puerto Cortes, Puerto Castilla and Amapala in mainland <em>Honduras</em>. </div> <div class="fn org">
<br />Contact:
<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">MC Tours - Honduras</span></div> <div>Adalberto Hernandez Vega</div> <div class="adr"> <div><span class="street-address">Av. Centroamerica</span></div> <div><span class="locality">Copan Ruinas</span>, <span class="region" title="Copan">Copan</span></div> <div><span class="country-name">Honduras</span></div> </div> <div class="geo"> <span class="latitude"><span class="value-title" title="14.8333330"></span></span> <span class="longitude"><span class="value-title" title="-89.1333330"></span></span> </div>
<br /> <div class="tel"><span class="type">Voice</span> +504-2651-4161</div> <div class="tel"><span class="type">Fax</span> +504-2651-4297</div> <div>Email: <span class="email">adalberto@mctours-honduras.com</span></div>
<br /> Website: <a class="url" target="_blank" href="http://mctours-honduras.com/" title="MC Tours - Honduras Website">MC Tours - Honduras</a>
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<br />XML feed: <a class="url" target="_blank" href="http://adal-berto.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default" title="MC Tours - Honduras Feed">MC Tours - Honduras feed</a>Adalberto H. Vegahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17751860984094400670noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8211406186621813248.post-78133228135257074032011-07-30T14:24:00.004-06:002011-08-09T22:34:58.777-06:00Carpets of Copan, Honduras<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.gadling.com/media/2011/05/5644855520ecd0f37824b.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 496px; height: 372px;" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.gadling.com/media/2011/05/5644855520ecd0f37824b.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>
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<br /><a href="http://www.gadling.com/2011/05/19/photo-of-the-day-carpets-of-copan-honduras/">Photo of the day - Carpets of Copan, Honduras | Gadling.com</a>
<br /><div class="posterous_quote_citation">via <a href="http://www.gadling.com/2011/05/19/photo-of-the-day-carpets-of-copan-honduras/" _mce_href="http://www.gadling.com/2011/05/19/photo-of-the-day-carpets-of-copan-honduras/">gadling.com</a>
<br /></div> <p>Thanks <a href="http://www.gadling.com/bloggers/meg-nesterov/" _mce_href="http://www.gadling.com/bloggers/meg-nesterov/">Meg Nesterov</a> for choosing our photo of Copan "Semana Santa" Carpets as Photo of the Day.</p> <blockquote> <p><em>If the street above looks a little more colorful than the average road, it's because the carpet has been rolled out for <a href="http://www.moon.com/destinations/honduras/western-honduras/santa-rosa-de-copan/entertainment-and-events/holy-week-santa-rosa-de-copan" _mce_href="http://www.moon.com/destinations/honduras/western-honduras/santa-rosa-de-copan/entertainment-and-events/holy-week-santa-rosa-de-copan">Semana Santa</a>, or holy week leading up to <a href="http://www.gadling.com/tag/easter" _mce_href="http://www.gadling.com/tag/easter">Easter</a>. The "carpets" are made from colored sawdust and flowers and illustrate the Stations of the Cross. There are many reasons to visit <a href="http://www.mctours-honduras.com/Day-Tours/Copan/" _mce_href="http://www.gadling.com/tag/copan">Copan</a> in the western region of <a href="http://www.gadling.com/category/honduras" _mce_href="http://www.gadling.com/category/honduras">Honduras</a>, but the procession that will march down this street on Good Friday morning (April 6 in 2012, if you want to start planning) is a big draw; arrive early to admire the "carpets". Thanks to Flickr user <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ahvega/" _mce_href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ahvega/">Adalberto H Vega</a> for capturing them before they got trampled!</em></p> </blockquote>
<br />Adalberto H. Vegahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17751860984094400670noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8211406186621813248.post-77436304069740523522011-03-13T20:50:00.009-06:002011-03-14T00:03:56.503-06:00Honduras's Top 5 Best Destinations<iframe src="http://www.facebook.com/plugins/like.php?href=http%3A%2F%2Fadal-berto.blogspot.com%2F2011%2F03%2Fhondurass-top-5-best-destinations.html&layout=standard&show_faces=true&width=500&action=recommend&font=trebuchet+ms&colorscheme=light&height=80" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="border:none; overflow:hidden; width:500px; height:80px;" allowTransparency="true"></iframe><br />
Located right in the middle of Central America, <b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honduras">Honduras</a></b> has plenty of different touristic sites for varied interests. From archaeological sites and towns with colonial buildings to almost a quarter of territory turned into protected areas for nature lovers, beautiful beaches spanning over 500 miles of its <b>Caribbean North coast</b> and crystal-clear warm water coupled with bleached sand beaches at the Bay Islands, a section of the <b>Mesoamerican barrier reef</b>, second largest of its kind in the world and first in biodiversity; living cultures that bear ancient traditions and authentic cultural heritage, and certainly the friendliest people in the region. <br />
<h2>1. Copan </h2><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Copan Ball Court" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3585/3666358181_f2d0f14d91.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Copan Ball Court" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ball Court and Main Plaza, Copan Ruinas</td></tr>
</tbody></table><b><a class="aptureEnhance" href="http://vimeo.com/7798842">Copán Ruinas</a></b> is the prime destination in Honduras mainland. A small town with cobblestone streets, a multicultural ambiance typical of a regularly visited destination, yet not too crowded so as to still be enjoyed. As opposed to many other archaeological destinations, the main archaeological site is a short walk from town, just about ten city blocks away and you will find yourself in the <a class="aptureEnhance" href="http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/129" target="_blank"><b>UNESCO World Heritage Site of Copan</b></a>, with a magnificent display of particularly unique sculpture works, even for general Maya art displays.<br />
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The southernmost <b>Maya</b> city–state of <b><a class="aptureEnhance" href="http://vimeo.com/6373103">Copan</a></b> flourished during a major Classic period from the 5th to 9th centuries AD, when Maya art and science development reached its peak just before mysteriously vanishing. You can enjoy a one-hour easy walk through the park, preferably with a local Tour Guide who will let you deep into the story of this fascinating place.<br />
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<b>The Maya Sculpture Museum</b> is one of the best in the region, holding the highest detail in original pieces found in the site protecting them from the elements as well as a full size replica of the <b><a class="aptureEnhance" href="http://adal-berto.blogspot.com/2009/06/museum-of-maya-sculpture-rosalila.html">Rosalila Temple</a></b>, discovered in the late 80s, one of the intact temples preserved underneath one of the structures in the main site.<br />
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Besides the archaeological park, Copan has plenty of activities to keep you busy for a couple more days. There is the <b><a class="aptureEnhance" href="http://adal-berto.blogspot.com/2010/06/welchez-coffee-and-copan-coffee-tour.html">Copan Coffee Tour</a></b>, a nice hike through shade grown coffee plantations under huge elderly trees inside an authentic primary rainforest just a 30-minute drive from town. Here you can learn about the harvesting and processing of this known bean variety that has become a key to most of our lifestyles.<br />
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At the <b><a class="aptureEnhance" href="http://adal-berto.blogspot.com/2010/01/keel-billed-toucan-macaw-mountain-bird.html">Macaw Mountain Bird Park Reserve</a></b> you will watch over 200 birds from different species such as macaws, parrots, toucans, owls, and hawks; some are flying freely in the park while others are kept inside spacious aviaries, and you can even have an encounter with some lucky ones at the interaction area. Most of these birds have been rescued from smugglers or donated from people who had them as pets, and since they were not able to survive alone in the wild, they are taken care of in the park.<br />
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The <b>Luna Jaguar Hot Springs</b> and Spa 50 minutes from town provides all necessary elements for a relaxing afternoon soothing your body, and for the more active people there is the <b>Los Sapos Canopy Tour</b> with 14 zip-lines <i>(one of them over half a mile long and 650 feet above the ground) </i>qualified by <a class="aptureEnhance" href="http://adal-berto.blogspot.com/2009/06/copan-canopy-tour-at-lonely-planet_6322.html" target="_blank">some people</a> as one of the best in Central America. <br />
<h2>2. Roatan and Utila </h2><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="West Bay Beach" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2479/3651750429_e5aa5ae4d4.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="West Bay Beach" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">West Bay Beach at Roatan, Bay Islands</td></tr>
</tbody></table>If you are more into enjoying sand and sea, <a class="aptureEnhance" href="http://vimeo.com/6926713"><b>Roatan</b></a> will be the best choice. Pristine water and sugar-white sand are waiting for you at some of the best beaches this side of America. And for divers and snorkelers, the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mesoamerican_Barrier_Reef_System"><b>Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System</b></a> is just a fin stroke away from the beach, as opposed to many other diving destinations where you are forced to take a boat ride to get to the good spots.<br />
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The <b>Gumbalimba Natural Park</b> has a zip-line, a jungle with a lagoon and an interaction area with monkeys and macaws, a nice hanging bridge and water sports, all available to spend a nice full day of fun and adventure. You can also visit a nice cameo factory, where you can see the ancient delicate art of carving mythical images in sea shells. There is also an iguana farm, glass bottom boat tours and dolphin encounters available for you.<br />
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<a class="aptureEnhance" href="http://adal-berto.blogspot.com/2009/07/utila-one-of-10-best-scuba-diving.html"><b>Utila</b></a>, the smallest of the Bay Islands is a true heaven for divers, it is the less expensive place in the planet to get PADI certification, a preferred spot for the impressively giant whale shark and plenty of marine life, still a truly enjoyable paradise not crowded at all. <br />
<h2>3. Tela</h2><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Lancetilla Botanical Garden" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5163/5210614510_046929ba34.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Lancetilla Botanical Garden" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lancetilla Botanical Garden, Tela</td></tr>
</tbody></table>One hour from San Pedro Sula, the main touristic gateway in the country is <b>Tela</b>, an old town that flourished during the banana boom of the 30s when Honduras was the main exporter of this exotic fruit, earning its popular title <i>“Banana Republic”</i>. Tela is located in the north Caribbean coast of Honduras.<br />
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There are nice fully appointed resorts to enjoy some sunny days, and there are also four different <a class="aptureEnhance" href="http://vimeo.com/7146633">protected areas</a> in the surroundings: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeanette_Kawas_National_Park"><b>Jeannette Kawas National Park</b>;</a> accessible only by water, this park has some of the nicest beaches around and totally off the beaten path to have them only for you, there is plenty of wildlife to be seen such as howler, white-faced, and spider monkeys, alligators, many aquatic birds and (if you are lucky) some dolphins along the boat on the way in. <b>Los Micos Lagoon</b> is a place to go on a motor boat right past the <b><a class="aptureEnhance" href="http://adal-berto.blogspot.com/2010/02/miami-garifuna-village-tela-coast-of.html">Garifuna village of Miami</a> </b>where you can visit a Garifuna Museum and interact with the ethnic locals during their daily life.<br />
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Tela is also home to the <b><a class="aptureEnhance" href="http://www.bgci.org/worldwide/article/125/">Lancetilla Botanical Garden</a></b>, the second largest botanical garden in the world, holding a wide variety of plants and trees from around the globe. This garden was built as a research facility by one of the banana companies and is now maintained by the government. The <b><a class="aptureEnhance" href="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5163/5210045181_a4256d25cf.jpg">Punta Izopo Wildlife Reserve</a></b> is an intricate maze of mangroves where you can kayak along to enjoy the peace of this remote area while watching some abundant wild life. <br />
<h2>4. La Ceiba</h2><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Cangrejal River Rafting" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1340/5108376212_d6949b614a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Cangrejal River Rafting" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cangrejal River Rafting, La Ceiba </td></tr>
</tbody></table>One hour east of Tela and you will stumble upon <a class="aptureEnhance" href="http://vimeo.com/7418770"><b>La Ceiba</b></a>, owner of the properly earned title: <i>“the Ecotourism Capital”</i> of Honduras. In La Ceiba you have the chance to visit <b>Pico Bonito National Park,</b> a true paradise for birdwatchers -one of the biggest most intact contiguous forest in this part of the world, with confirmed sightings of more than half of the nearly 800 birds known to Honduras. The highest elevation in the shortest distance from sea level, Pico Bonito has several nicely maintained nature trails for all levels of hiking and trekking, some canopy tours, and from <b>The Lodge at Pico Bonito</b> <i>-featured in the <a class="aptureEnhance" href="http://www.slh.com/destinations/americas/honduras/atlandtida/pico-bonito-lodge/">Small Luxury Hotels of the World</a> list-</i> you can find a few nice bird-watching towers to easily appreciate some of the over 400 species that wander freely in this cloud forest including the elusive <a class="aptureEnhance" href="http://adal.posterous.com/videos-lovely-cotinga-honduras-one-of-central">Lovely Cotinga</a>.<b> </b> <b> </b><br />
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<b>Cuero y Salado Wild Life Refuge</b> is a coastal manatee and wildlife refuge where the Cuero and Salado Rivers meet the ocean. The refuge contains over 13 square kilometers of tropical wet and mangrove forests. Monkeys, sloths, caimans, crocodiles, iguanas, and turtles are common sights together with over 350 species of birds. The refuge's most famous inhabitant is the elusive and endangered <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Indian_Manatee">West Indian Manatee</a> with an estimated population of 50 individuals. From the La Ceiba international airport you can fly to Roatan, Utila or Guanaja (the other two Bay Islands), although they can also be reached by a nice passenger’s speed-boat.<br />
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For those searching adrenaline kicks, the <b>Cangrejal River </b>offers class 4 and 5 rapids for one of the best white-water river rafting experiences. Last but not least from La Ceiba is <a class="aptureEnhance" href="http://vimeo.com/6390701"><b>Cayos Cochinos</b></a>, an archipelago of several small cays all part of a protected area which has guaranteed a truly secluded experience in one of the most paradisaical spots around. <br />
<h2>5. The Lenca Trail</h2><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Cathedral Santa Rosa de Copan" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2465/3666216635_ce2fce2003.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Cathedral Santa Rosa de Copan" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cathedral from Central Plaza, Santa Rosa de Copan</td></tr>
</tbody></table>If your interest is more into the cultural side, the <a class="aptureEnhance" href="http://vimeo.com/8076750"><b>Lenca Trail</b></a> offers a nice itinerary, covering some of the nicest old <a class="aptureEnhance" href="http://vimeo.com/7064097">colonial towns</a> including <b>Comayagua</b>, former capital city of Honduras. With some nice colonial churches and buildings, one of the Comayagua Cathedral towers holds the oldest clock in our continent; <b>La Esperanza</b>, a small town in the Honduran highlands where local Lenca people from the surrounding villages gather together on Sundays to exchange market goods; <b>Gracias</b>, former capital city in the days of the Central American Vice-royalty, home to some nice old churches, the San Cristobal fortress dating from colonial times and the Casa Galeano Museum; and <b>Santa Rosa de Copan</b>, a nice small city which flourished greatly during the republican period, right after independence days when the tobacco industry began to take off, the city tour includes a visit to some nice old buildings and a tobacco factory.<br />
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<i>Honduras is a little less than 3 hours from main gateways in the United States by flight, with four international airports receiving daily flights from major airlines, being San Pedro Sula the main aerial entry for tourism. Getting around is easy, there is deluxe transportation service available, and private services can easily be arranged as well. There are hotels for every budget, and the locals are very friendly. English is widely spoken in Copan and Roatan and also by the staff of important hotels throughout the country.</i>Adalberto H. Vegahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17751860984094400670noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8211406186621813248.post-29205901803528874472011-03-05T20:56:00.010-06:002011-03-13T02:08:48.359-06:00The Church and Central Plaza, Copan Ruinas<div style="padding: 3px; text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ahvega/5497870687/" title="photo sharing"><img alt="" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5011/5497870687_8dd00c98ed.jpg" /></a><br />
<span style="font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px;"><a class="aptureEnhance" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ahvega/5497870687/">Parque Central e Iglesia, Copán Ruinas</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/ahvega/">Adalberto.H.Vega</a>.</span></div>The Central Plaza in <b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cop%C3%A1n_Ruinas" class="aptureEnhance">Copan Ruinas</a></b>, Honduras is going through some radical transformations. Apparently the municipal authorities had finally come to their senses and realized that the Central Plaza in a small town like Copan Ruinas should not have that many ornaments and walls inside.<br />
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It is the same situation as any other town in Honduras<i> (or Latin America) </i>that has the typical layout of the Spanish cities, with the church opposite to the government building. The Central Plaza doesn't have any walls or tall edifications inside, because buildings around have even more historical value to be appreciated from the plaza itself.<br />
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Although a properly maintained—beautifully adorned Central Plaza contributes to the embellishment of the city, Central Plazas should not be crowded with vision-obstructive elements that impede the view of those historically valuable buildings.<br />
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The actual Plaza with all those decorations inside <i>(and an unnecessary wall in the south side)</i> was created by the same architect who designed the <a href="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1080/4599553009_7647358bb5.jpg" class="aptureEnhance">Central Plaza in Puerto Cortes</a>, but the difference in that city as compared to Copan <i>—no offense to the Porteños—</i> is that the only pretty element in the city is the Plaza itself. There are no historical buildings around worthy of singular appreciation.<br />
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Let's hope the remodeling process won't suffer the same interference as the so—called garden refurbishing.Adalberto H. Vegahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17751860984094400670noreply@blogger.com1Copán Ruinas, Honduras14.844254 -89.146425914.8235125 -89.1756084 14.8649955 -89.117243399999992tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8211406186621813248.post-91848618853670645612010-12-02T10:47:00.002-06:002016-05-03T10:01:48.869-06:00Check out these nice Honduras videos!<img border="0" height="0" src="http://counters.gigya.com/wildfire/IMP/CXNID=2000002.11NXC/bHQ9MTI5MTMwNzkwODk5MiZwdD*xMjkxMzA4NDQ2OTU2JnA9OTAyMDUxJmQ9Jm49YmxvZ2dlciZnPTEmb2Y9MA==.gif" style="height: 0px; visibility: hidden; width: 0px;" width="0" /><object classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" height="248" id="ci_87541_o" width="512"><param name="movie" value="http://apps.cooliris.com/embed/cooliris.swf"/><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"/><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"/><param name="bgColor" value="#121212" /><param name="flashvars" value="z=TmU2yFVE1UZy" /><param name="wmode" value="opaque" /><embed id="ci_87541_e" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://apps.cooliris.com/embed/cooliris.swf" width="512" height="310" allowFullScreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" bgColor="#121212" flashvars="z=TmU2yFVE1UZy" wmode="opaque"></embed></object>Adalberto H. Vegahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17751860984094400670noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8211406186621813248.post-9079843860018961502010-06-27T18:12:00.004-06:002010-08-06T18:13:35.356-06:00Welchez Coffee and Copan Coffee Tour ~via Lexus Magazine<iframe allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" src="http://www.facebook.com/plugins/like.php?href=http://adal-berto.blogspot.com/2010/06/welchez-coffee-and-copan-coffee-tour.html" style="height: 62px; width: 100%;"></iframe><br />
<br />
Learning the art of the bean at Honduras’ finest coffee plantation<br />
<br />
<small>Originally published in Lexus Magazine - by Mark Anders | Photography by Chris M. Rogers</small><br />
<br />
<div class="photo photo_none"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img class=" img" onload="var img = this; onloadRegister(function() { adjustImage(img);
});" src="http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash2/hs047.ash2/35692_439651875378_193160890378_6241638_713045_n.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 460px;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A perfect cup of cappuccino served up by Guillermo Calderón, the Barista Cowboy.</td></tr>
</tbody></table></div><b></b><br />
<blockquote><big>The finca’s Guamos, or shade trees, help to produce some of the most savory Arabica coffee on the planet.</big></blockquote><b></b><br />
I’m kneeling in the dirt, straddling a long line of tiny leafy coffee plants. There are 25,000 of them here, rows upon rows, planted inside small black plastic bags each the size of my fist. A low, black tent-like structure protects the seedlings from the strong Honduran sun, which is already blazing and it’s only eight in the morning.<br />
<br />
<div class="photo photo_none"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img class=" img" onload="var img = this; onloadRegister(function() { adjustImage(img);
});" src="http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs100.snc4/36356_439657645378_193160890378_6241837_6851596_n.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 460px;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The author rides off to survey coffee plants at Finca Santa Isabel. Removing weeds from young coffee plants.</td></tr>
</tbody></table></div>This is the plant nursery. Soon these <i>“small soldiers,”</i> as the workers call them, will be planted in some lush tropical plot on <b>Finca Santa Isabel</b>, the 375-acre <b>Café Welchez</b> coffee plantation in the northwest corner of the country, close to the Guatemalan border.<br />
<br />
This is where I’ll be working for the next few days. For now, it’s my job to remove the weeds hat are infiltrating these bags. They call it <i>“cleaning.”</i> Working alongside me is Gregorio Lopez, a 12-year veteran of the finca. He’s teaching me proper weeding technique. Meanwhile I chat him up in my marginal Spanish. I probably should have concentrated more on the task at hand because suddenly my translator, Edgar Carranza, approaches, looking concerned.<br />
<br />
Edgar, who is 19 years old, leads coffee tours on the plantation. <i>“You see,”</i> he says solemnly, <i>“there is quite a situation here.”</i> He nods towards Gregorio. <i>“He’s saying that you might have taken out some other good plants.”</i> <br />
<br />
<i>“I pulled the wrong ones?”</i> <br />
<br />
<i>“Yes, apparently you took out one that’s actually a small oak tree. They use it to build things on the farm.”</i><br />
<br />
<i>“Crap. I’m sorry. I’m already messing up.”</i><br />
<br />
<i>“That’s right,”</i> says my friend Chris, camera in hand. <i>“All of a sudden the coffee is going to be a hell of a lot more expensive.”</i> Still chuckling, I get back to my weeding, but now with more resolve. I want to prove to Memo that I’m ready to move on to the next job.<br />
<br />
Memo is short for Guillermo Calderon, but I call him Jefe Grande—Spanish for <i>“Big Boss.”</i> He’s 35, manager of the plantation, and though he seems like a serious, down-to-business kind of guy, the first time I called him Jefe Grande, he cracked a big smile. Memo is all cowboy. He’s six feet tall, 230 pounds, and carries himself with a confidence you’d expect from a man who operates a huge farm like this. But he’s also a gentleman farmer, an accountant turned classically trained barista. He can pour all sorts of elaborate designs in cappuccinos, and is highly knowledgeable about the coffee growing process. He’s a man of many names, so I add one more—I think of him as the Barista Cowboy. <br />
<br />
Memo deftly leads me through it all, spouting off stats about soil samples and nitrogen and potassium content of the dirt. He talks of optimum humidity levels and elevation and organic fertilizer. The salient points are that Finca Santa Isabel, a 50-year-old farm, is predominantly a shade-grown, organic plantation. Unlike clear-cut coffee farms that are harvested by machine, this finca has guamos, or shade trees, that shield the coffee trees from heavy sunlight and provide a flourishing insect and bird habitat <b><i>(with 80 species of birds)</i></b> that eliminates the need for chemical fertilizers and pesticides. The result: <i><b>an Earth-friendly process that produces some of the most savory Arabica coffee on the planet. </b></i><br />
<br />
<i>“Mark, come!”</i> booms Memo, gesturing for me to follow. I have to jog a little to catch up, while our small entourage—Edgar, Gregorio, and two other caporales (supervisors) from the farm—trails behind. <br />
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<div class="photo photo_none"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img class=" img" onload="var img = this; onloadRegister(function() { adjustImage(img);
});" src="http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs014.snc4/34065_439654750378_193160890378_6241723_2318676_n.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 460px;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Honduran wildlife, coffee tour bus, hand-crafted boots, traditional dress, Copan Ruins, and “Big Boss” Guillermo Calderon.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="caption"></div></div><br />
To the rest of the workers, I’m Gringo Loco— literally, <i>“Crazy White Guy.”</i> They think I’m crazy because I actually want to work on the plantation. This is tough, getting-your-hands-dirty kind of work, and most gringo tourists would rather cruise the finca on the tour bus and stroll around the plantation with Edgar. Meanwhile, I spray coffee plants with organic fertilizer, dig for worms in piles of rich, pungent compost made of coffee bean pulp, and clear brush and weeds from around mature coffee trees with a machete. This is serious labor and my triceps are burning. I also dig holes with a posthole digger. A skilled worker can do 300 in a day—but I do six and I’m ruined. Then I transplant the young coffee plants. Next, one of the caporales shows me how to use a machete to trim the tops off the coffee trees to keep them low enough for the pickers. They call this method <i>“rock and roll”</i> since experienced workers can quickly top a row of trees, one after another.<br />
<br />
By lunchtime each day, I’m starving. We gather at Las Cascades, the finca’s treehouse-like café secreted within a thick rainforest. One afternoon as I burst into the café with Memo, muddy and sweaty with my rubber boots and cowboy hat, I get quizzical looks from the tourists on the official coffee tour. I may look out of place, like I’m playing cowboy, but I feel proud—cool even—because I’m rolling with the Jefe.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img class=" img" onload="var img = this; onloadRegister(function() { adjustImage(img);
});" src="http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs088.snc4/35753_439655435378_193160890378_6241750_8272541_n.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; width: 460px;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Honduran coffee bean journey, from picking to roasting: Harvesting coffee, red beans, sun-drying process, and roasted beans.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><blockquote><big>“Este es Café de Mark,” the boss tells me as i scatter the beans.</big></blockquote><br />
Together we eat a brilliant plato típico, or typical Honduran food. There’s tender locally raised beef and Chicharones, homemade corn tortillas, green chiles, lightly fried plantains, and, of course, the coffee. Memo brings me a delicately poured cappuccino with an intricate spider web he’s drawn into the foam with chocolate syrup. And then he delivers me a rich, piping hot espresso. All perfect.<br />
<br />
<i>“Some testers say his coffee has a lot of spices other than chocolate, like a peach taste,”</i> Edgar says, translating for Memo. <i>“He’s saying it’s due to the work of the bees. They go around from flower to flower, like to citrus trees, lemons, other types of plants, and then back to the coffee plants, and that’s pretty much how these spices travel around in the coffee.”</i><br />
<br />
Later we tour the farm by horse, galloping up and down steep pitches of rainforest, through narrow streams, and alongside rows of mature trees being harvested by teams of workers. Ever the cowboy, Memo packs his black steel pistol in a holster on his hip—<i>“for security”</i> he says. <br />
<br />
In the late afternoon, as most of the workers pile into the beds of pickup trucks for their commute home, I join Memo and about a dozen other workers for a game of pelota, a fast-paced form of soccer played on the slick concrete pad where the farm’s coffee beans are sun dried. <br />
<br />
These are the first few days of the harvest season and I can tell Memo is excited. For the next three months he’ll work from dawn to dusk supervising more than 300 workers as they pluck the valuable berries from the trees. An experienced picker can harvest 200 pounds a day, and every season Santa Isabel produces up to 5,000 sacks—a total of between 400,000 and 500,000 pounds—of coffee beans. Honduras is only the 10th-largest producer of coffee in the world, but thanks to fincas like this one, the country has quickly become known for its rich, pure beans, which are snapped up mostly by Europe and Japan. They may not have the Juan Valdez–size advertising budget of the Colombian coffees, but in-the-know baristas and connoisseurs revere Honduran coffee.<br />
<br />
Not all of the berries at Santa Isabel have ripened into their characteristic red and yellow colors, but there’s still plenty of activity on the farm. Workers emerge from the thick green foliage, each with his own waist-mounted plastic bucket for carrying the berries he’s picking at the moment, plus a big yellow burlap-like sack for his entire day’s harvest. Using both hands simultaneously, each picker deftly twists the ripe berries and pops them into the bucket. In the afternoon, they all meet in an open-air pavilion where the daily weigh-in happens. Memo presides over it all, flanked by Alexa, a cocoa-eyed, 22-year-old woman who tallies each worker’s harvest, both by number of gallons and quality of the berries picked.<br />
<br />
One by one the workers proudly pour their sacks into the hopper. The beans look like marbles and I enjoy running my fingers through them. Memo asks me to hold my foot on the trapdoor as he judges each harvest. The workers hold their breath slightly and wait for his verdict. I can sympathize with them because I too have taken my turn harvesting and then presenting my meager haul to Memo, garnering a mixed review. Too many greens, he often scowls, but occasionally he offers praise. Then with a curt adios he tells me to lift my foot and send the berries tumbling down a chute to the holding tank below. Next, a machine groans to life and begins separating the good berries from the bad.<br />
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<div class="photo photo_none"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img class=" img" onload="var img = this; onloadRegister(function() { adjustImage(img);
});" src="http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash2/hs013.ash2/33998_439656390378_193160890378_6241789_2668319_n.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rancho Las Cascadas Cafe at the Finca Santa Isabel plantation.</td></tr>
</tbody></table></div>Each berry contains two coffee beans, and it takes extensive washing to remove the thick, fibrous husk. After the beans are washed, they are sent through a neatly tiled water canal system with a series of locks and dams that separate the husks and pulp from the beans. After that the beans are sent to another vat where they are left to ferment for 12 to 40 hours. Some plantations skip this process but Memo insists that it is the key to superior aroma and taste. Like a kid, I slop around in the vat with beans up to my knees before sending them down another chute where they’re staged for drying.<br />
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It takes five days to dry beans on the soccer field, three days on drying tables inside a greenhouse, or just 40 hours in the drying machine. Most are dried using a combination of all three methods before their 17 minutes of roasting, which brings the inner temperature of the beans to around 390 Fahrenheit, thereby producing their medium–dark brown color. <br />
<br />
Out on the concrete soccer pitch in the bright afternoon sun, I get a huge batch of beans ready for roasting. I’m pushing them gently back and forth with a handmade wooden rake, turning them over for more sun. The rhythmic flow to it becomes hypnotic—part meditation exercise, part hockey rink Zamboni duty. All the while I recall the people I’ve met on the farm, and the work I’ve done over the past couple days, and that’s when I start to truly appreciate the magnitude of work and sweat that goes into producing each cup of coffee. <i>“Este es café de Mark,”</i> Memo says as I scatter the beans.<br />
<br />
Even with my lackluster Spanish, little is lost in translation: This is Mark’s coffee. Funny, but true. I can’t help but smile as I realize that soon, somewhere, maybe at a tiny sidewalk café in Paris or in a Starbucks in the States, someone will indeed be enjoying the fruits of my labor<i>.<br />
</i><br />
<blockquote>IF YOU GO<br />
<br />
GETTING THERE<br />
The quaint cobblestone village of Copan Ruinas is about 2.5 hours from the airport in San Pedro Sula, Honduras. MC Tours - Honduras (<a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://mctours-honduras.com/" target="_blank" title="http://mctours-honduras.com">mctours-honduras.com</a>) can arrange for an escorted tour, accommodations and/or private transportation within the country.<br />
<br />
STAY<br />
Hotel Marina Copan is a warm, 51-room boutique hotel ideally situated beside the town’s main plaza, with plenty of good shopping and restaurants nearby. (<a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://hotelmarinacopan.com/" target="_blank" title="http://www.hotelmarinacopan.com">hotelmarinacopan.com</a>)<br />
<br />
EXPERIENCE<br />
Take the Copan Coffee Tour at Finca Santa Isabel, which includes a bilingual guide; breakfast, lunch, or brunch at Rancho Las Cascadas; and a shuttle to and from the Copan Ruinas. (<a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://www.cafehonduras.com%2fcopan_coffee_tour.html/" target="_blank" title="http://www.cafehonduras.com/copan_coffee_tour.html">cafehonduras.com</a>) Explore the Parque Arquelogico Ruinas de Copan, site of one of the most elaborate cities of the Mayan Empire.<br />
<br />
TASTE<br />
Try Welchez Copan Gourmet Coffee for yourself. The online store offers light and dark roast, whole bean or already ground. (<a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://www.cafehonduras.com/" target="_blank" title="http://www.cafehonduras.com">cafehonduras.com</a>)</blockquote>Adalberto H. Vegahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17751860984094400670noreply@blogger.com0Copán, Honduras14.9360838 -88.86469814.2726453 -89.798536 15.5995223 -87.93086000000001tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8211406186621813248.post-11768310140345689812010-06-04T17:18:00.003-06:002010-07-31T00:16:26.035-06:00A good opportunity to visit HondurasAs in many other cases regarding destinations, Honduras situation is mainly one of <i>wrong-perception</i> in sense of issues that may affect travelers.<br />
<br />
<div class="photo photo_none"><div class="photo_img"><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=4725577&op=1&view=all&subj=412571157384&aid=-1&auser=0&oid=412571157384&id=85075102524"><img class=" img" onload="var img = this; onloadRegister(function() { adjustImage(img);
});" src="http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs658.snc3/32511_400010947524_85075102524_4725577_4389854_n.jpg" style="width: 460px;" /></a></div><div class="caption"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Central Park, Copan Ruinas</span></i></div></div><br />
We have a calm environment since even before the elections back in November 2009, and there has been no signs of safety and security threats along the country. <br />
<br />
<blockquote>The <b>US Embassy</b> had canceled the travel alert to Honduras: <i> “…Since the peaceful and transparent elections on November 29, 2009, political violence in the country has decreased considerably. The State Department canceled the travel alert for Honduras on December 8, 2009…”</i> ~<a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://www.facebook.com/note_redirect.php?note_id=412571157384&h=ba704f700f25ec6c820765a227620304&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftravel.state.gov%2Ftravel%2Fcis_pa_tw%2Fcis%2Fcis_1135.html" target="_blank" title="http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1135.html">http://travel.state.gov/tr<wbr></wbr><span class="word_break"></span>avel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_113<wbr></wbr><span class="word_break"></span>5.html</a><br />
<br />
And <b>Canada Foreign Affair's</b> website regarding Honduras shows that <i>“…There is no Official Warning for this country. …”</i> ~<a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://www.facebook.com/note_redirect.php?note_id=412571157384&h=d20c2728f8f3365127c88ca370f99eea&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.voyage.gc.ca%2Fcountries_pays%2Freport_rapport-eng.asp%3Fid%3D121000" target="_blank" title="http://www.voyage.gc.ca/countries_pays/report_rapport-eng.asp?id=121000">http://www.voyage.gc.ca/co<wbr></wbr><span class="word_break"></span>untries_pays/report_rappor<wbr></wbr><span class="word_break"></span>t-eng.asp?id=121000</a></blockquote>If anything, this low demand situation, has caused hotels in main touristic sites like Roatan and Copan to drop their prices down to <b>50% discounts</b>, which could be a good opportunity for <b>Adventure Travelers</b> to come and visit our country.<br />
<br />
<div class="photo photo_none"><div class="photo_img"><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=4725570&op=1&view=all&subj=412571157384&aid=-1&auser=0&oid=412571157384&id=85075102524"><img class=" img" onload="var img = this; onloadRegister(function() { adjustImage(img);
});" src="http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs618.snc3/32511_400010647524_85075102524_4725570_3815556_n.jpg" style="width: 460px;" /></a></div><div class="caption"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">West Bay Beach, Roatan</span></i></div></div><br />
A few samples of current promotional packages here: <a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://www.facebook.com/note_redirect.php?note_id=412571157384&h=36984a47998c65d1490a609371834306&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbit.ly%2Fanqeu1" target="_blank" title="http://bit.ly/anqeu1">http://bit.ly/anqeu1</a> and here: <a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://www.facebook.com/note_redirect.php?note_id=412571157384&h=3b96233c2feeb02430d20060ed716ff2&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbit.ly%2Fbs5aEi" target="_blank" title="http://bit.ly/bs5aEi">http://bit.ly/bs5aEi</a><br />
<br />
<div class="photo photo_none"><div class="photo_img"><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=4725579&op=1&view=all&subj=412571157384&aid=-1&auser=0&oid=412571157384&id=85075102524"><img class=" img" onload="var img = this; onloadRegister(function() { adjustImage(img);
});" src="http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs558.ash1/32511_400011157524_85075102524_4725579_2763807_n.jpg" style="width: 460px;" /></a></div><div class="caption"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Original Rosalila Temple, Tunnels - Copan Ruinas Maya Site</i></span></div><div class="caption"></div><div class="caption"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">Come and take advantage of these specials to visit this<i> 'off-the-beaten-path' </i>destination, You will truly enjoy it!</span></span></div></div><iframe allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" src="http://www.facebook.com/plugins/like.php?href=http://adal-berto.blogspot.com/2010/06/good-opportunity-to-visit-honduras.html" style="height: 62px; width: 100%;"></iframe>Adalberto H. Vegahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17751860984094400670noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8211406186621813248.post-9086111944427158962010-03-05T11:00:00.006-06:002016-05-03T09:50:08.699-06:00Museum of Anthropology and History - San Pedro Sula, Honduras<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://www.jadaliyya.com/content_images/3/PalestinianKattanFamily.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="252" src="http://www.jadaliyya.com/content_images/3/PalestinianKattanFamily.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Palestinian Kattan family in San Pedro Sula Honduras 1920.Courtesy of the Museum of Anthropology and History of San Pedro Sula, Honduras.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<blockquote>Middle Eastern migrants to Latin America traveled predominantly from the eastern Mediterranean region variously known as the Arab East, the Levant, or the Mashreq. Part of the Ottoman Empire until the early twentieth century, this area includes modern Lebanon, Syria, Israel, and Palestine. Considerable migrant populations have also come from Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, and Iraq. ~via <a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://www.international.ucla.edu/article.asp?parentid=92068" id="aptureLink_dqjclah5L5">international.ucla.edu</a> </blockquote><br />
They traveled with Turkish passport, therefore in some countries including Honduras they were know as 'Turcos' <br />
<br />
The <a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://maps.google.com/maps?om=0&iwloc=addr&f=q&ll=15.5036588%2C-88.0046804&hl=en&z=11&ie=UTF8" id="aptureLink_oYgdNInhDe"><b>Museum of Anthropology and History in San Pedro Sula</b></a> has a nice photo gallery of those early immigrants, as well as one of the most extensive collection of Lenca an other cultures' pottery artifacts and sculptures from pre-Columbian times way before Copan's Mayas glorious times.<br />
<br />
If you travel to <a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San%20Pedro%20Sula#History" id="aptureLink_aix09sob3r">San Pedro Sula</a>, Honduras don't forget to visit the Museum, open daily from 10am to 5pm (except on Tuesdays).<br />
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<blockquote>The Museo de Antropología e Historia is licensed by the Honduran Institute of Anthropology and History to house archaeological and historical collections, which by law belong to the people of Honduras. The ground floor of the museum is devoted to the history of Honduras, and San Pedro Sula in particular. The upper floor exhibits are about the prehistory of the valley where San Pedro is located. The Museum has a research library with information related to the history of Honduras. ~<a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Pedro_Sula">Wikipedia</a></blockquote><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/36426750@N07/3453786821/" id="aptureLink_61BEEfTuta" style="display: block; margin: 0pt auto; padding: 0px 6px; text-align: center;"><img height="375px" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3341/3453786821_954391d339.jpg" style="border: 0px none;" title="11 museo sps" width="500px" /></a><br />
<iframe src="http://www.facebook.com/plugins/like.php?href=http://adal-berto.blogspot.com/2010/03/museum-of-anthropology-and-history-san.html" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="height: 62px; width: 100%" allowTransparency="true"></iframe>Adalberto H. Vegahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17751860984094400670noreply@blogger.com0San Pedro Sula, Honduras15.507880375608321 -88.02388787269592315.506587875608322 -88.025711872695922 15.509172875608321 -88.022063872695924tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8211406186621813248.post-43448376545390131202010-02-17T10:54:00.003-06:002010-07-31T00:12:17.461-06:00Lake Suchitlan, Suchitoto, El SalvadorOur photo of Lake Suchitlan, Suchitoto, El Salvador was chosen as <a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://www.gadling.com/2010/02/05/photo-of-the-day-2-5-2010/">Photo of the Day on Feb 5th 2010</a> in Gadling.com, AOL's travel blog.<br />
<a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://www.gadling.com/2010/02/05/photo-of-the-day-2-5-2010/"><img alt="Lake Suchitlan" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2790/4128506176_32973f6583.jpg" /><br />
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Flickr user <i><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ahvega/4128506176/">Adal-Honduras</a> </i>took this shot of El Salvador's Lake Suchitlan, a popular weekend getaway for many Salvadorans. Located near the beautiful, colonial town of Suchitoto, Lake Suchitlan is one of the most gorgeous spots in perhaps the Western Hemisphere's most underrated country. ~ <b><a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://www.gadling.com/bloggers/aaron-hotfelder/">Aaron Hotfelder</a></b>.</blockquote>It is indeed a very beautiful place. The photo was taken from <b>La Fonda del Mirador</b>, a nice old house with a rustic but comfortable setting, while enjoying a delicious local-style prepared fish stuffed with shrimps:<br />
<a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ahvega/4127735851/" title="La Fonda del Mirador, Suchitoto - El Salvador by Adal-Honduras, on Flickr"><img alt="La Fonda del Mirador, Suchitoto - El Salvador" height="375" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2704/4127735851_2d2708514c.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
<a bitly="BITLY_PROCESSED" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ahvega/4128505650/" title="La Fonda del Mirador, Suchitoto - El Salvador by Adal-Honduras, on Flickr"><img alt="La Fonda del Mirador, Suchitoto - El Salvador" height="375" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2712/4128505650_67c55dc7e8.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
<iframe allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" src="http://www.facebook.com/plugins/like.php?href=http://adal-berto.blogspot.com/2010/02/lake-suchitlan-suchitoto-el-salvador.html" style="height: 62px; width: 100%;"></iframe>Adalberto H. Vegahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17751860984094400670noreply@blogger.com1Suchitoto, El Salvador13.93437 -89.02381913.851065 -89.140548500000008 14.017674999999999 -88.9070895