O Ma R's Report
Thursday - December 31, 1998.
The following story hints of an unbridled vivid imagination, but even if some of it may be fiction, I still enjoyed it enough to retell it.
One of our acquaintances is originally from Tocoa, Colón and just happened to be visiting his family there when Mitch struck. This area was one of the hardest hit by the hurricane, having been flooded by the mighty Aguan river.
This reporter heard the statement made by the congressional representative ("diputado") from this area via telephone on national radio in which he clamored for support since the area was incommunicado from the rest of the country and lacked electricity. He also claimed that the area's residents had been evacuated in an orderly fashion to schools and other shelters by the local authorities. At that time, I really did not give much more thought to the matter.
Though later my Tocoa contact provided me with the inside scoop. He asserted that the statement that the local populace had been evacuated in an orderly fashion was pure hogwash and which almost resulted in a riot. His version was that the authorities had not evacuated the local area residents at all, but rather they had forcefully invaded the schools and other buildings on higher ground. The Aguan River has a history of flooding the Tocoa area, and the local populace already knows where to seek shelter.
One of the most common complaints heard throughout the country during Mitch was that the diputados were hiding out and not helping their constituents at all. Tocoa was no exception. The diputado who made the alleged false statements on national radio supposedly also was invisible to the area's residents during Mitch. My contact claims that when the "Tocoans" heard their representative's radio statements, they got very angry and agitated. The people immediately took to the streets and the word quickly spread throughout the city that it was time to show these abusive pseudo-leaders a lesson, by rioting and ransacking stores that had inflated their prices during the crisis.
The story has a happy ending, though, because supposedly local union leaders (F.U.T.H.) pleaded to the enraged crowd to calm down. Their message of peace apparently worked, for the crowd quietly dispersed without causing any damages.
=================================================
Another story he told me concerned the conservation of the local bridge in Tocoa that spans the Aguan River. Considering that it was one of the few in this region that survived the catastrophe intact, the authorities should learn from this example and incorporate their perilous procedures in future disaster contingency plans.
Apparently he was a member of an eight-person team that braved the torrential waters to protect the bridge's pilings. They divided themselves into groups of two per piling, one on each side. Their mission was to ensure that logs and other debris floating down the river did not strike the pilings too hard or obstruct the water flow by getting entangled.
Their commendable efforts were entirely voluntary and reportedly the local army base refused to follow their example and did not bother to send any reinforcements even though they were fully aware of their efforts.
Although this story also sounds like fiction, the individual who told it to me has promised to provide me with copies of photographs that were supposedly taken...time will tell whether or not they are actually produced, though one thing is verifiable...the bridge is still intact!
O Ma R's Report
Sunday - December 27, 1998.
Now that Hurricane Mitch has gone, we have a chance to tell some of the individual stories of events during the catastrophe.
One of the most amusing anecdotes was told to O Ma R by Honduran air force Captain Portillo, and concerns the evacuation of his father from the banana fields near El Progreso, Yoro. Apparently old man Portillo behaved liked many other citizens during the threat, in that he refused to evacuate his home during Mitch, despite repeated warnings by the authorities. He is a supervisor of one of the fields, and also raises a few head of cattle. His excuse to his son was that he is a leader of the community and would not leave until all of the people under him were safe (a "Mitchian" variant of a captain going down with the ship).
Subsequent efforts to evacuate him also proved fruitless, he is a stubborn old goat who now argued that if he left, his unscrupulous neighbors would eat his cattle and ransack his home. Finally, the rising flood waters of Mitch had the old man trapped on the roof of his home, and his son was finally able to take control of the situation. Captain Portillo immediately dispatched one of the helicopters under his command with specific orders to get the old man out of there no matter what.
The old man still refused to get into the chopper, so the air force officers did the next best thing to complete their mission; they forcefully strapped the old man into a rescue harness. They then had the old man lifted up into the air and flew him out of danger back to the air force base, hanging below the helicopter, screaming, cursing and kicking in the air the whole way J
=================================================
Yet another story told to O Ma R by Captain Portillo concerns the delivering of aid to people stuck on rooftops during Mitch. If the helicopter would get too low, then the wind generated by the propeller blades would stir up the flood waters and splash onto the people, possibly endangering them.
So the choppers would have to hover up high, which created another problem…dropping the aid bags down to the recipients from a high altitude was also dangerous since it would hit the ground with such force that it could easily hurt someone or sink if it landed in water.
The makeshift solution that they came up with was to fill the aid bags with air exhaled through their mouths, and tie the bag's top, thereby effectively creating an aid balloon bag. They were then able to drop the aid in the surrounding water and it would float. Hopefully then the stranded victims would be able to reach the aid intended to help them.
O Ma R's Report
Thursday - December 24, 1998.
Just before the arrival of Hurricane Mitch to Honduras, a humanitarian brigade of seventeen Episcopalians representing ten churches from the Diocese of Louisiana began to help the inhabitants of Trinidad, Santa Barbara. Trinidad is a very historic, beautifully quaint two hundred year old town with cobblestone streets that was originally founded by Jewish people from Spain. This was the first time that this particular brigade ever visited Honduras, and we certainly hope they will return again next year.
|
 |
One of the brigade's leaders was Keith Milligan, and the local church they assisted is under the guidance of John Parr and Juan Jose Diaz. This church has operated in Trinidad for the past four years and presently has a congregation of about sixty members. One of the goals of the brigade was to assist inhabitants of the surrounding communities and hopefully some of them would be later incorporated into the church's congregation.
The brigade was open for business between Monday, October 26th and Thursday, October 29th. The brigade was comprised of five medical doctors, four nurses and nine trade and crafts professionals. One of the projects undertaken by the professionals, was the construction of a wall and ditch next to the church. We visited the church the week after Mitch's visit, and are happy to report that the partially finished wall is still there, and we did not detect any visible damage to the church.
 |
The doctors during their brief stay saw hundreds of people from Trinidad and the surrounding mountain villages. Since this was the first year of the brigade in this area, local village participation was minimal. However, we did see the mayor's wife registering patients for the medical clinic. |
Other established brigades have a higher turnout, and actively incorporate the local folk into its organization and daily activities. We expect the same sort of results once both the locals and the brigaders get to know each other and develop a trusting relationship.
Unfortunately, the brigaders survived a harrowing experience, since the hurricane struck with all its fury during their visit. Even though they came from Louisiana, an area used to withstanding hurricanes, Mitch turned out to be "the father of all hurricanes" and is considered by experts to be the worst one in the past two hundred years.
Their trek back from the Santa Barbara hills to the Sula valley apparently was quite a frightening journey. Although we have not had the opportunity to see it, the New Orleans Times Picayune has published an article in which they graphically describe their odyssey. Supposedly, they describe how the road shook, and how they had to dodge landslides. Official Honduran statistics do list ninety landslides reported in that area, and many bridges that they crossed were severely damaged or completely washed away by the hurricane, including the one just outside of Colinas. This particular crossing has now become such a lucrative boat taxi business that local entrepreneurs are hotly disputing the rights for it.
We were too busy at that time trying to assist the local authorities in damage control operations, to personally interview the brigaders. Nonetheless, we did find out later that some of them wandered out into San Pedro Sula's streets where one had their pocket picked and lost a passport, and another had earrings removed by the local riff raff. Although we consider these risks to be common nefarious activities prevalent in any major city (such as New Orleans), it was just too much for some of them, who decided not to venture outside of their hotel anymore.
|
Their situation was further complicated when they were unable to return to the United States on the originally planned date, due to the closing of the local San Pedro Sula airport after it was flooded by the copious rain that Mitch dumped in the area. This infuriated and frustrated them, so one began to telephone the embassy and reportedly even their United States Senator to devise a way to get out of Honduras ASAP.
|
 |
Apparently, this squeaky wheel was quickly greased since they did leave somehow even though the airports and roads were officially closed.
Now more than ever, Honduras needs assistance from kind hearted, hard working individuals such as these brigaders, and we look forward to their return next year to continue their humanitarian mission. After all, they are from Louisiana, and a hurricane should not permanently scare them away...of course, they could always reschedule their visit for a time that is not during the peak hurricane season.
Saturday - December 19, 1998.
Update on Roatan and Copan by Chris Mendez:
My wife and I recently returned from our vacation in Honduras. It was
amazing to say the least. We began with an 8-day stay on Roatan at The Inn
of Last Resort. The diving was spectacular, the food was fantastic (even by
San Francisco standards), and there was plenty of water at The Inn. The
hurricane seems to have helped the health of the reef according to our hosts
at The Inn. We encountered absolutely no problems on our trip related to
Mitch. I wish the same could be said for American Airlines, but that's
another story. Roatan is in very good shape and the resorts are in need of
guests. We were able to rent a car and survey the island on our own and
found very little damage relative to the images broadcast on CNN and others.
We also (on the spur of the moment) drove to Copan Ruinas on the mainland.
The road was very good except for a washed out bridge right at the entrance
to the town of Copan Ruinas. I've seen highway 1 here in California in worse
shape. The people of Copan were very friendly and surprised to see tourists
from the direction of San Pedro Sula. Most tourists of late had been coming
from the Guatemalan border. Our news of Roatan was well received as they
seemed to be under the impression that it was as devastated as Guanaja. We stayed at the Casa de Cafe and had a wonderful time. The Ruins were
incredible.
My point in this posting is to encourage anyone out there considering a
vacation to this wonderful country to go through with those plans. The
hotels and resorts are in need of visitors. They have many employees that
cannot afford to lose their jobs due to tourist fears of lack of food and
water. We encountered no problems in those areas...
Thanks to everyone in Honduras and the Bay Islands that may be reading this and made our vacation so wonderful.
Friday - December 18, 1998.
Update from John Dupuis, Editor of Honduras Tips:
After Hurricane Mitch, the world has one big question: How much damage really happened to Honduras? Although damage was considerable, the forces of nature spared our most valuable cultural heritage sites, as well as National Parks and Caribbean Islands. With the exception of the Bay Island of Guanaja, which took the brunt of the hurricane with force 5 winds of 200 miles per hour, the rest of our tourist popular sites and destinations suffered minimal to no damage at all. Such is the case of the Maya Ruins of Copan, as well as the islands of Roatan and Utila. As such, Honduras is up and ready for your. Come and experience our magnificent Caribbean Islands, the majestic Mayan Ruins of Copan and our tropical National Parks. The Honduran population awaits you with our arms open, ready to provide you with the best hospitality and make of your stay a memorable vacation. Honduras...still more than you ever imagined!
Despite Mitch, 1998 will become a landmark year in the development of the tourism industry in Honduras. One of the first actions that President Flores did upon taking office in January was to transform the Honduras Institute of Tourism to a ministry level, giving it the importance it deserves in the development of the country. In addition, the creation of the 4% tourism tax, although heavily criticized by many, will in effect insure that the new ministry actually has the income necessary to promote Honduras as a destination.
Previous agreements have insured that the income generated by this tax will go directly to the Ministry of Tourism and a majority of it will be spent on advertising and marketing of Honduras. With it, the budget for marketing and advertising of Honduras as a destination will finally do justice to the natural and cultural diversity of our country. It now depends on the different associations that represent us in the Consejo Nacional de Tourism to make sure that the budget is spent wisely.
Because of this, it is important to have an active participation in the different travel organizations that represent us, such as the Honduras Chamber of Tourism (CAMTURH), the Mundo Maya Foundation, The Hotel Association of Honduras and OPTURH, among others.
Unity is important in order to achieve the development of our industry and solve the problems that we have. One of the biggest problems is the lack of air connections into the country, as well as the exorbitant rates that the carriers who do serve Honduras are charging. Unfortunately, a lot of this is due to the fact that we are in the hands of an airline monopoly that controls the whole Central American region with a tight grip. Efforts, such as that made late last year by the Bay Islanders through Honduras AirTours, would have had a better chance of survival if there would have been a better integration with the rest of Honduras.
However, I'm convinced that despite all the difficulties that still lay ahead, the tourism industry of Honduras will enjoy an unprecedented growth during the coming years. It is up to us to participate actively in developing the diverse natural and cultural potential of Honduras.
Let's get to work!
Thursday - December 17, 1998.
Update from Steve and Cindie Foster:
A hurricane relief effort has been working out of Dalton, Georgia since late October to send relief supplies and
medicine to the hurricane ravaged country of Honduras. Under the label of Corazon a Corazon (Heart to Heart), a small
team delivered food and treated many hungry and sick Hondurans.
At the moment, the United States Army Corps of Engineers has a team and forty-two Bailey bridges sitting idle in
Puerto Cortes. When a Corazon team member (also from the US) attempted to borrow one of these bridges to deliver
food and medical supplies to an isolated village (Santa Rosa de Aguan) they were quickly told that it was not policy to
lend out bridges. I was under the impression that we were all in Honduras to help. The Corazon team is trying to
improvise, but access of this bridge would greatly expedite the deliveries until a permanent fixture is constructed.
The entire relief effort came about with absolutely no help from the State or Federal government. Requests for air
transportation have been pushed aside. Requests for the Denton program have been submitted five times, without any
response and all contact with governmental agencies have been fruitless. With the exception of Senator Paul Coverdell,
all officials seem unwilling to help. I suppose the fact that starving and injured Hondurans represent no threat to their
political futures is reason enough to discard them in favor of lobbyist dinners and corporate pac money.
Tuesday - December 15, 1998
Friday - December 10, 1998
Click here for the new edition of Fantasy Politics.
Monday - December 7, 1998
Update on Guanaja from Mary Pat Ziolkowski:
According to the reports, yes, Roatan and Utila may be in pretty good shape,
but I have had direct contact with a crew from Bonacca. They came up to Pt.
Isabel, Texas to take a second boatload of supplies to Guanaja. They were
still in shock from having their town and their island destroyed. Also, a
friend just returned from Bonacca after trying to put a temporary roof on her
mostly destroyed house. She confirmed the crews' story of homeless people,
lack of water, lack of food. They described the area as looking like the
aftermath of an atomic blast. I saw pictures. It's bad. It looks like a
forest fire burned the island to the ground, with only sticks left. I saw
pictures of sticks in the mud - what was left of Savannah Bite and Mangrove
Bite. The same in parts of Bonacca. People are still crammed into the few
houses that survived. They still need our help desperately. And they need
someone to help distribute the aid justly. People are getting desperate - my
friend left because she almost got shot standing and talking to a friend.
Guanaja needs more than ever our help, our prayers, and just distribution of
aid.
Update on Conditions from Don Brady:
A good friend of mine, Ana Miranda, just came back from El Salvador and
Honduras and she told me that she and her husband drove from El Salvador
to
Honduras to find her brother. When they got to the border the bridge was
washed out and a makeshift bridge of old lumber had been put up but they
were afraid
to drive their truck across it so her husband walked about eight hours
to find her brother. By a small miracle they found her brother, his wife
and four children.
They were starving and had no help except for a very small amount of
food from a very small (approx. six people) Red Cross unit. Other than
this Red Cross
unit the people in this area have received no help whatsoever for a
month. Whatever help and supplies that are being delivered are going to
the cities.
All the people in the rural areas are getting nothing at all! This is
the area between Chilandega, El Salvador and Tegusigalpa, Honduras. This
is normally a four
hour trip before the hurricane but an almost impossible trip now.
The media has forgotten this problem now and the people in this area are
starving and living under plastic tarps with the winter still ahead of
them. Our fear is
everyone thinks this has been taken care of.
When Ana went down there 3 weeks ago we gave her some money, blankets
and clothes but they didn't go very far. When she got her brother and
his family
back to El Salvador one of his children was very ill and the doctor said
it was from starvation and dehydration. He is much better now.
These people need help now! Anything anybody can do will help.
Thursday - December 3, 1998
Update on Guanaja from Kay Sarina:
I was reading the latest news about the Bay Islands being ready for tourist, and I am very appalled. I have a lot of family in Guanaja, and they have been completely devastated by the storm. And to make things worse, they have not received much help. There is a small freighter from Tampa that has been bringing in the supplies that friends and family have collected, but this is not nearly enough. The land on the island has been stripped of the trees, it is an unbelievable sight. There has not been very much information on this site regarding Guanaja, and they seem to be forgotten.
Plywood is in great demand. People are living on the soccer fields and in what they may have left of houses, which isn't much. Efforts have been made to get more help down there through Mac dill air force base in Tampa, Fl. These efforts were futile. PLEASE DON'T FORGET ABOUT GUANAJA! I understand that the other islands faired much better, and they may be ready for travelers, but the islanders of Guanaja are still in desperate need!
IF ANYONE HAS ACCESS TO SHIPPING BOATS OR PLYWOOD, PLEASE MAKE ALL EFFORTS TO HELP THESE PEOPLE!
Wednesday - December 2, 1998
Utila is Ready for You !
In October, Hurricane Mitch stalled for several days near the Bay Islands during its rampage through Central America. Miraculously Utila, the southwesternmost of the Bay Islands, was virtually spared. While our neighbors on the mainland, as well as the other Bay Islands, suffered significant and in some places devastating damage, we were very, very lucky.
On Utila there were no deaths, little loss of property, and no irreparable harm to the Island, the community, or the pristine coral reef which we hold so dear. Everything that made Utila a favorite vacation destination before the storm remains, and in fact we are now better than ever!
What little damage was done by Hurricane Mitch, has now been repaired, and the Island has been restored to her original, natural beauty. Now, more than ever, Utila is ready for you !
During and after the storm, there has been a lot of misinformation, and many travelers are understandably concerned about planning a trip to Utila. We have heard from and spoken to travelers worried about transportation, lodging, food, diving, fishing, martial law, and health.
Now, just over a month after Hurricane Mitch, life in our little piece of paradise has very much returned to normal. While we are all very concerned about the damage done to other parts of the country, and are working hard to assist in relief efforts, we are ready and anxious once again to welcome you to Utila, or welcome you back if you are lucky enough to have been here before, and treat you to our unique, friendly Island hospitality!
In planning your travels, rest assured that everything is fine, in this corner of the Caribbean. Getting here is as easy as ever, and once you are here we are ready and able to take care of you and show you a wonderful time, whatever you're here for.
Traveling to Utila has never been easier. International airports are open and in full swing, in Tegucigalpa, San Pedro Sula, La Ceiba, and Roatan. From any of these airports we are only a hop, skip, and jump away, with regular service on Sosa, Islena, and Rollins Airways connecting with all incoming flights.
Overland travel into and through Honduras has been a bit of an adventure, in the wake of the storm. Now, though, borders are open, and bus travel is back on course. Arriving by bus or car in La Ceiba, travelers once again have the choice of connecting to Utila by a short flight or by the daily, one hour ferry trip from the new pier.
Once on Utila, you will find that very little has changed. All planes and ferries are still met by taxis and friendly representatives of many hotels and dive shops, anxious to welcome you and help you begin your adventure. Whether you are on a strict budget or desire all the luxurious trappings of a full-service resort, we have something to suit your wallet as well as your fancy.
If you have a specific destination in mind, contact them and they will be happy to reserve space for you; if you'd rather travel more spontaneously, rest assured that you will find what you are looking for, and will very quickly be relaxing and enjoying Utila's unparalleled natural beauty.
In the wake of the Hurricane, many people have been concerned about getting enough to eat. On Utila there have not been and will not be any food shortages. Our supply boats made it through the storm unscathed, and arrive every other day laden with fine, fresh foods from the coast. While there are food shortages in some parts of Honduras, these result more from transportation problems than from lack of food; with roads open to Puerto Cortez and La Ceiba, we have no problem here.
You'll have no problem eating well and often on Utila, whether you choose to buy food in the shops; grab a quick baleada on the road; or enjoy one of the many restaurants, which range from small, inexpensive comedors to full service American and Continental establishments. And of course, if you like, you will also find a wide variety of healthy juices, soft drinks, and licuados, as well as local and imported beer and cocktails!
If your trip to the Islands is for nothing more than relaxation and a little beach-combing, then you're in luck! Our beaches suffered some minor erosion during the storm, but are now in good shape for walking, wandering, and hammock slinging. And who knows, you might get lucky and find an antique pirate bottle, washed up by the storm!
If you are here for more energetic forms of relaxation, expect to be blown away! There are great trails through the jungle, for hiking, horseback riding, and animal watching. Kayaking in the lagoons and around the Island are excellent, with a great variety of local and migratory birds roosting in the lush mangroves. Fishing, in the lagoons, flats, and deep sea, is as good as ever.
Most people either come to Utila to dive, or end up diving while they're here. And the diving, even in the wake of the storm, is outstanding! There has only been minor damage to the reef, and its recovery has already begun. At this very moment, the diver is aware of no damage, other than in very shallow water, and only in a few areas. Deepwater sponges and coral communities are for the most part very healthy (a group from Newcastle University in England called them the healthiest in the Caribbean this year!); the nutrients left in the water have attracted fish in great numbers; and the visibility, while not yet up to our very tough standards, is good and getting better day by day!
Utila boasts two world-class, full service dive resorts; several mid-priced hotels offering affordable, all-inclusive dive packages; and more than ten independent dive shops. All are, or very soon will be, in full operation, so whether you are looking for an openwater course, an unforgettable week-long vacation, or anything in between, we have what you are looking for—and more!
If you are concerned about martial law or your health, have no worries! Martial law is slated to be lifted on 1 December, and never really affected us here, anyway. There is no armed border patrol, and there are no additional government troops on the Island. There was a curfew, but it didn't really affect anybody, because by 11:00, we're in bed! We are not bothered by insect-borne disease in the Islands, and our water supply is not threatened in any way. There has been no incidence of the diseases we have heard mentioned, and we do not anticipate any!
Immediately after the Hurricane, there was a lot of misinformation being circulated, and many travelers got the mistaken impression that Honduras was not a good destination; while this is undoubtedly still true of some areas on the mainland; it is definitely not true of Utila!
Only a month after the Hurricane, Utila is once again easy to get to, and once you are here we are 100% ready to take care of you and show you the holiday of a lifetime. The weather is fine, the beaches are beautiful, and the diving is still truly world class!
Of course we are deeply concerned about our neighbors who aren't as lucky as we have been, and are doing what we can to help our less fortunate neighbors. But we are also concerned because we want the world to know that we were by no means annihilated by the storm; that everything is back to normal on the Flower of the Caribbean; and that once again, Utila is ready for you!
Tela awaits you all !
Tela - Bathed by the warm waters of the Caribbean Sea, we are overcome today by the pain of so
much destruction in Honduras. Tela is on one land, full of sadness but, the fact that Tela was spared
the ultimate disaster of loosing what we have always had, has renewed our desire to work at making
this North Coast town an even better tourist desti- nation than it ever was. With the Government
occupied elsewhere, we of Tela know that it is up to us, by our own forces and resources, to make
it so.
By these means, "we" the natives of Tela, the Garifuna, and all those who have made this beautiful
corner of the world our home, are screaming out to our countrymen, to all Central Americans, and
to the entire Foreign Community, to advise you that there is access to all that we have here. The
world must know that Tela did not suffer any grave or serious health related problems. Thankfully no
one has fallen ill or sick as no diseases attacked our population i. e. cholera, dysentery, malaria, etc.
Our rivers and waters were untouched by these horrors. Tela is on it’s feet as usual, ready to serve
you with the best and most healthy hospitality. By trails, roads, highways, waterways and sea, we
are even more anxious to show you the marvels that God and mother nature bestowed upon us.
Even the fury of Hurricane Mitch could not destroy this natural beauty.
We invite you to come and enjoy the most idyllic beaches on the Atlantic Coast of Central America.
Roads are ready to lead you to Tela. Our geographical location on the Bay of Tela is protected by
two of the most visited tourist attractions. The Janette Kawas National Park (Punta Sal) and the
Biosphere of Punta Izopo. They are ready to be re-visited and revered by Eco-tourist from around
the world for the wealth of natural riches that we of Tela would like to share with you. We are at
your disposition with an intact Hotels, Restaurants, Tour Operator, Infrastructure and, all Public
Service Facilities functioning, to assure you a most pleasant and very healthy stay.
Tela awaits you all !
Tela’s Chamber of Tourism
Carlos Molina President
Monday - November 30, 1998
Latest news can be found here!
Thank you for your support, please check back
with us often and be a part of HONDURAS.COM
Powered by:
© 1998-2005 HONDURAS.COM All rights reserved.
