Be Careful in big Honduran Cities

[Henryville]

I don't know a lot about Honduras but I do know a lot of people go there to dive. This article really shocked me; for those of you going do be careful if you venture out of the diving areas into the big cities, it sounds like gangs are rampant.

http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/americas/07/31/honduras.shot.ap/index.html

 

[tboxcar]

I was in La Ceiba, almost two years ago before going to Roatan, I wanted to get a 'feel' for the country before diving. I stayed along the 'zone viva', you could feel tension in the air, nothing ever happend to me, and I did not see anything to strange, but I always had that feeling that trouble was not too far away.
I am headed back to Honduras and Utila this October 2005, I might go back to La Ceiba for a few days, can anyone 'clew' me in to what is going on now?

 

[Doc]

Just as an aside to anyone reading this who is now worried....

Most divers fly directly from the US to Roatan, bypassing the mainland altogether.

The few that actualy do get routed through LaCeiba, Tegucigalpa, etc.? They never leave the airports in transit.

If you leave the path and go trekking and touring in Central America, you are no longer a SCUBA diver, you're a soft Norteamericano walking about in a jungle.

 

[Rick Murchison]

The folks I travel with in Honduras have these guidelines...
1. Do not travel the highways at night, even in a bus.
2. Do not walk in unlit areas at night, regardless of group size.
3. In lit areas, travel in groups of five minimum; man in front, man in rear.
4. In the daytime, travel in groups of two minimum; always have a man in the group.
5. If not in the shopping area, up the group size to five even in the daytime; man in front, man in rear.
I felt these rules were a bit overkill, but they come from the folks who live there, so those are the rules I went by on my visit last month.
---
On Roatan we just had the "buddy" rule and stayed in the lit touristy areas.
Rick

 

[Cudabait]

I knew this man personally. He had years of experience working in foreign enviornments. He was an experienced scuba diver and have dove with him in South America. Early indications are that he resisted a robbery attempt, was shot in the upper leg, apparently severing an artery and expired in the cab from blood loss on the way to a hospital. Tim was single...my condolences to his family.

Regards,

 

[DiversMom]

The folks I travel with in Honduras have these guidelines...
1. Do not travel the highways at night, even in a bus.
2. Do not walk in unlit areas at night, regardless of group size.
3. In lit areas, travel in groups of five minimum; man in front, man in rear.
4. In the daytime, travel in groups of two minimum; always have a man in the group.
5. If not in the shopping area, up the group size to five even in the daytime; man in front, man in rear.
I felt these rules were a bit overkill, but they come from the folks who live there, so those are the rules I went by on my visit last month.
---
On Roatan we just had the "buddy" rule and stayed in the lit touristy areas.
Rick

I live here, year round. I have lived here for 3 years and yes, for the average tourist your rules are great.
Additional rules -
6. If traveling on the mainland, use the first class bus system - Hedman Alas. The chicken buses and even some of the second class bus lines are targets of armed robbers. Most of the busses stop running by 9:30p.m. Last buses out of Tegucigalpa or San Pedro Sula are at 5:30p.m and you arrive at your destination at 9:30p.m After about that time of night safety is a major consideration.
7. At night, use taxi cabs to get around the major cities. Don't walk - even if it is only 4 blocks. A lot can happen in 4 blocks.

I see so many tourists behaving in a manner that spotlights them as a target. It seems they leave their common sense in an airport waiting area when they board the plane for their tropical paradise vacation.

I frequently travel to SPS and Tegucigalpa on my own or with my teenage daughter but we live here, we know what's cool and what's not. We also have phone numbers for reliable cab drivers who meet us at the bus terminals.

One additional comment - act like a vicitm and you'll be a victim.

 

[DiversMom]

I don't know a lot about Honduras but I do know a lot of people go there to dive. This article really shocked me; for those of you going do be careful if you venture out of the diving areas into the big cities, it sounds like gangs are rampant.

http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/americas/07/31/honduras.shot.ap/index.html

The current state of conditions in Honduras: the gangs are literally in open warfare with everyone including the cops. 30 Policia Nacional have been assassinated since the first of the year. These weren't line of duty deaths in the sense of a bullet in a gunfight or injuries sustained in a high speed chase. These were hits. Assassinations of merchants are routine - generally for failure to pay protection money. There are I think a lot of similarities to the early history of US organized crime - the type of start up rackets used to gain money.

While many people feel that San Pedro Sula is the unsafest place in Honduras, living here, I tend to feel that Tegucigalpa is more dangerous than SPS. In Tegucigalpa, criminals seem have no qualms about commiting crimes in front of witnesses including newspaper photographers - two murderers were captured that way becaue the news photographers were snapping photos of events and caught the action. SigOther was mugged for a cell phone in front of city hall in tegucigalpa with a cop standing right there. Happened so fast - a snatch and grab - that no one had time to react. Yell stop, thief in Spanish and everyone is trying to figure out which juvenile male they need to tackle.

I can't comment about LaCeiba because the only places I've been in that city are the airport, the ferry terminal and the hedman Alas bus station. I don't particularly like the climate so it is not a place I would want to visit.

If you do plan on visiting the mainland, be very aware of your surroundings. Rick's Rules below are very good and I added an additional comment to them about the bus systems. You can have a good time and be safe on the mainland, you just need to not leave your common sense home. I would also add that you should use taxis after dark in the larger cities if you need to be out and about.

Condolences to his family.

http://www.laprensahn.com/nacionales.php?d=1437&tabla=July_2005&fecha=20050730

http://www.laprensahn.com/nacionales.php?d=1473&tabla=July_2005&fecha=20050731

http://www.laprensahn.com/nacionales.php?id=57&tabla=August_2005&fecha=20050801

One of the little delinquents, Herlan Fabricio Colindres Ramírez - El Siniestro II - has 16 murders under his belt (not including this one), trafficking in drugs, armed assaults, rapes, and some kidnappings. He's 13, leads a gang, escaped from the juvenile detention facilities three times.

 

[DiversMom]

I was in La Ceiba, almost two years ago before going to Roatan, I wanted to get a 'feel' for the country before diving. I stayed along the 'zone viva', you could feel tension in the air, nothing ever happend to me, and I did not see anything to strange, but I always had that feeling that trouble was not too far away.
I am headed back to Honduras and Utila this October 2005, I might go back to La Ceiba for a few days, can anyone 'clew' me in to what is going on now?

I'd go to Copan Ruinas for a few days, then take Hedman Alas to SPS for the flight out to the islands or into LaCeiba in time to catch the afternoon ferry or flight to the islands. Do something different.

 

[bikefox]

One other obvious tip is to leave your expensive valuables at home. Last month I was in San Jose Costa Rica with a friend who had never been to Central America. The first day in San Jose I watched him load a $3000 digital camera into his backpack. He then put on a $300 dive watch and a wedding ring that would make Mr. T jealous. He was decked out in Columbia gear from head to toe. I refused to walk with him unless he left some of it at the hotel. Don't put a target on your back!!!

 

[DiversMom]

One other obvious tip is to leave your expensive valuables at home. Last month I was in San Jose Costa Rica with a friend who had never been to Central America. The first day in San Jose I watched him load a $3000 digital camera into his backpack. He then put on a $300 dive watch and a wedding ring that would make Mr. T jealous. He was decked out in Columbia gear from head to toe. I refused to walk with him unless he left some of it at the hotel. Don't put a target on your back!!!

I live here in Honduras full time. I own two Nikon SLR cameras, one is an older N6006 and the other is a D70 digital and a small Sony Cybershot digital. I routinely carry one of those cameras with me when I travel through the country - usually the D70. However, I wear a nondescript watch, no other jewelry, dress in plain twill pants (made locally so there are no tell tale labels) and T shirts. I carry the camera slung cross wise across the chest and if it is cool enough to wear a jacket, like it is in the winter months here in the highlands, it is under the jacket. Leave the expensive jewelry and designer outdoor wear at home. Never put anything that you don't mind parting with in your backpack.