N E X T J O U R N E Y . O R G

	Honduras is the same size as Pennsylvania. Yet, in one week, I could only see a fraction of the country. I will have to go back, some day, to admire the stunning cathedral in Comayagua, and revel in the wilderness of the Mosquitia (Mosquito Coast). A few hours after I left, the country was convulsed when President Manuel Zelaya - who had been planning to increase his powers in a Hugo Chavez like maneuver - was ousted by the military. The military put Zelaya on a plane to Costa Rica, and the Honduran Congress elected an interim president, Roberto Micheletti. The Honduran action “was no classic Latin America military coup,” says American University’s Robert Pastor, but a “much more complicated struggle among the legitimate branches of government.” All the Hondurans I talked to during my trip were looking forward to the end of Zelaya's presidency and dreading an upcoming term-renewing referendum, which was likely to be rigged. The position of the US is ironic, not to say disingenuous. Of course, we cannot openly endorse abrupt takeovers, but Manuel Zelaya is no Salvador Allende - and Roberto Micheletti even less an Augusto Pinochet.
Planning a Honduras vacation isn't all that straightforward. The "usual" guidebooks, such as Lonely Planet and Moon, are shallow and quickly outdated. I found more valuable information on line. Particularly useful were the following sites: Sidewalk Mystic, Honduras Tips, and Let's Go Honduras. What ultimately "set the deal" when I was hesitating between Honduras and another destination was Nancy Chuang's infinitely entertaining blog, Rolling down the Ruta Lenca. Continental Airlines offers comprehensive services to both of Honduras' international airports from its Newark and Houston hubs. Delta and American AIrlines have many flights as well. Tickets are rather inexpensive, considering the distance. All the flights from the US seem to land at the same time in San Pedro Sula, and the immigration process is slow and sweaty.
	Once you are in Honduras, you will depend on buses, which come in three categories. Top of the line is the company Hedman Alas, which serves only a few destinations. A Hedman Alas ticket is five times as expensive as a regular bus ticket, but the buses are very comfortable, speedy and reliable. One step below are various inter city buses, of the kind we call coaches in the US. The buses were plush once, but are unvariably shabby. A ride on such a bus is more interesting than on Hedman Alas: There will be children hopping on and off selling snacks, and even preachers delivering interminable sermons. For shorter distances, you will sweat aboard packed old US school buses, groaning uphill in first gear. Finding bus stations, determining which bus is the right one, and knowing where to get off can be tricky. The system is less clear than in Guatemala or in Ecuador. Don't even try if you can't speak elementary Spanish.
If you visit the Atlantic Coast, the tour agency Garifuna Tours, based in La Ceiba and in Tela, offers reasonably priced tours of the nature reserves and the Garifuna villages. The guides speak English if requested to do so, and the excursions are well organized without being overly processed. Near Copán Ruinas, another great excursion is the Welchez Coffee Tour. A pleasant walk downhill through a tract of cloud forest, more information than you ever will need about the culture of coffee, and a great snack to conclude: what more can you ask for? On a different plane altogether, you may want to visit an orphanage in Copán Ruinas: Los Angelitos Felices. (Ask for the Orfanato de Doña Delsy Paguada. You'll need help finding it, but you can walk back downtown easily.) This is a shelter for orphans and abused children, who range in age from 1 to 9. They were happy to see an unfamiliar face, and starved for contact. The children enjoyed taking photos of each other and seeing themselves on the camera screen. The visit is, of course, a very intense experience for the visitor too. If you intend to go, be sure to make a generous donation, as the orphanage is in constant need of the most basic supplies.
Finca Santa Isabel (Cafe Welchez)	Unripe coffee beans
Honduran food isn't bad, but it's remarkably unvaried. Even the breakfasts end up being the same as the dinners: fried plantain, refried beans, an avocado wedge, a chunk of salty cheese... However, on the Atlantic Coast, you can taste seafood delicacies such as the famous Sopa de Caracol (conch soup), which is more Caribbean than Honduran. In Copán Ruinas, you should try the Comedor y Pupuseria Mary, a  great place open all day that offers local food at attractive prices.
	Only two of the hotels I tried are worth recommending. In Tela, the Hotel Marsol was well situated, clean and quiet. In Gracias, the Hotel Guancascos was by far the nicest hotel I stayed at, yet very affordable. The Dutch owner can also be most helpful organizing a trip to the Celaque National Park for her guests.

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