Winter Term in Roatan: Part 1

I think I can now say I’ve had almost the full Eckerd experience: A semester abroad, a spring break service trip, and now a winter term abroad over the last 4 years, I can’t help but feel a sense of closure after coming back from Honduras this week. 

That said, it was an amazing trip. 

We landed in San Pedro Sula Airport in the early afternoon, and after waiting in the customs line forever, we were greeted by our guide, an enthusiastic and friendly looking man named Eli (pronounced “eh-LEE”). Our luggage was stowed on top of the bus, covered by a tarp in case it rained, and we were off. 

I didn’t really have many expectations about Honduras before I arrived, but I was nonetheless a little surprised by the levels of poverty we encountered on the 3 hour bus trip to Copan. This was the first developing country I have ever been to, and I now understand what that means. As we were leaving the airport, Eli told us that many of the country’s problems stem from corruption in the government, and their dependence on foreign aid. He said that the government ends up benefiting from foreign aid more than the people who need it. That said though, he also noted that the standard of living is much different than ours; a family that seems poor to us in Honduras may actually be middle-class.

The worst poverty was in the city; at toll booths and stop lights, our bus would be rushed by men and children trying to wash our windows or sell us fruit. Dogs, cats, and chickens darted across the streets. It should also be pointed out that very few of the streets had actual lanes — it was mostly a wide swath of pavement (or dirt in some parts) and cars, pedicabs, buses, and trucks would careen around each other into oncoming traffic. 

And while this is not at all unusual for most parts of the world, it was the first time I’ve experienced anything like it. 

We arrived in Copan, close to the Guatemalan border, in late afternoon. There were armed guards everywhere wielding heavy machine guns. We were told this is normal, especially since the coups they had a couple years ago, but we were not to go out alone and not to leave the city center after dark. 

Ironically after traveling through some of the poorest parts of Honduras, our Eckerd group was staying in the fanciest hotel in Copan. My room was in a tower overlooking a beautiful courtyard and the red tile roofs of the hotel and neighboring buildings; the sun set over the distant mountains, casting an orange glow on the town. 

For dinner, Eli took us to a local restaurant that served us a “traditional” Honduran meal — thick corn tortillas, refried beans, grilled meats, a square of white crumbly cheese, a cheesy sour cream sauce, tomatoes, fresh avocado, vegetables, and tortilla chips. I think it was the best food I have ever tasted.

And so ended our first day in Honduras. The next day, we would be visiting Copan Ruinas, the local Mayan ruins, which I will post about later this weekend.