US State Department Issues Honduras Travel Advisory & Reality

[DandyDon]

Hehe, okay.

You did remind me of another "what are they hiding" issue, but I'll let it all go now.

 

[ncchuck]

I really don't think anyone on this board or involved in this discussion has anything against Honduras or Roatan. There is just more to these stories than the crusaders for Roatan want people to know in SOME CASES. I lived there. I dive there occasionally. I like it a lot. All that being said, most of us on the "be careful" side of this issue have just pointed out that it was a POTENTIALLY dangerous situation. We are all extremely glad it has all turned out okay so far.

Any time a country has a sudden and unexpected change in government, there are always some people in that country and surrounding countries that might take advantage of the situation and cause unexpected consequences. We can look to many examples around the world where this exact thing has happened and violence has occured and people have been injured or killed. Neither Honduras or Roatan is immume from these POTENTIAL problems. Regardless of what anyone has said, Roatan is still part of Honduras though it's obviously a relatively remote area. As in many parts of the world, some troublemakers like to use tourist areas to make a point. Honduras is having some political problems and some amount of danger exists. I would guess the danger is relatively low on Roatan but I certainly keep abreast of the situation and review observations from the island, from the state department and from as many other sources as I might trust. Yes the state department is always cautious and I've even gone against their recommendations as least once when traveling to Indonesia. They were just one source of information I used to make my decision but I weighed there recommendations carefully as I think everyone should.

 

[RTBDiver]

All that being said, most of us on the "be careful" side of this issue have just pointed out that it was a POTENTIALLY dangerous situation.

Can you name ANYTHING that is not potentially dangerous

 

[DandyDon]

Can you name ANYTHING that is not potentially dangerous

You see, cracks like that in the face of reasonable discussion are more of the smokescreening. He cut his statement short by not defining the apparent risks in extended detail, making an reasonable reference to them, and you make a crack! His post was lengthy enough and informative enough to add in a constructive manner, but you undermine a reasonable discussion. Such just makes a reasonable person wonder what you are trying to hid with the smoke...?

 

[RTBDiver]

You see, cracks like that in the face of reasonable discussion are more of the smokescreening. He cut his statement short by not defining the apparent risks in extended detail, making an reasonable reference to them, and you make a crack! His post was lengthy enough and informative enough to add in a constructive manner, but you undermine a reasonable discussion. Such just makes a reasonable person wonder what you are trying to hid with the smoke...?

Don,
I figured people would know the post i quoted is still there, some of it was a thoughtfull post but then talking about being a potentially dangerous situation? Come on, I have never said it wasn't but thats because like i said, pretty much everything is potentially dangerous to someone.
As far as me hiding something, You do not know me, you know nothing about me or what I do in Roatan so I cant imagine why you would consider I am a liar by hiding something. just come up a reason why I would do that. And before you get into the house thing lets me just fill yo in. I bought it because i liked it, the realtors did not want to even show it and did not talk good about it, I had to track the absentee homeowner who never rented it and buy direct from him through my Honduran Lawyer, the property managers i spoke with all told me not to expect to rent it, if i was in this for profit i would have sold it when I could have easilly tripled my money in just a few years but i chose not to, If I was here for profit i would have bought/invested in a gringo/tourist area, I do not own a business here. Most of my friends, aquaintences here are Honduran. I speak with them about this. So far this trip I have spoken to only one gringo and that was at Plaza Mar because he was looking for milk and did not realize it came in an unrefridgerated box so please, tell me why I would hide anything?
A few have come here (Roatan) to profit and some have been succesful, often at the expense of others or the environment but i, like many others listened to the advise given to us and that was never invest more in roatan that your willing to lose and if your goal is to just be a millionaire then that can happen very quickly as long as you start with two million.

 

[Robertcrockett]

Personally I cant wait. Ten days till Utila for the month! Ill report to the boards so that people can see exactly how it is in the islands. I do not however have any reason to doubt RTB when he says its fine and dandy. RTB cannot HIDE things or throw up a tourism smokescreen like some Utilian Svengali, it is what it is. Initially i was worried about the situation in the islands, I posted a thread and was directed to research for myself the current blogs and such so that I could piece together a picture of the truth from Hondurans rather than CNN. I did exactly that and the picture was dramatically different than what was reported by the mainstream media here in the US. Personally I find it hilarious that there are some who start decrying the removal (removal NOT COUP) of zelaya and start spouting how real democracy would do this or involve that and so on and so on when the US has supported/ financed/backed many (ACTUAL) coups throughout history, tried to assasinate Fidel Castro (around 8 times) and screwed up so bad in the Bay of Pigs invasion that we embarrassed ourselves beyond belief. Yet here we go telling the Honduran Gov that they cant legally depose of a president with some obvious power and perhaps mental issues. The same guy who they say is organising a resistance and prepared to TAKE back his power and "no one can stop him" Sounds to me he doesnt care to much about what happens to Honduran people as long as he gets his power back. In fact if any real issue to tourism or safety comes up.. it looks as if it will be Zalaya who causes the disruption not the current goverment. All in all I hope the people of Honduras get the goverment they desire without being subjected to more danger or bloodshed. Seems to me that our own great country was founded on a actual coup in 1775, we didnt overthrow the kingdom of great britain but we sure as hell overthrew their rights to govern us in the colonies. Im glad CNN wasnt there!
Regardless i will now bow out of this discussion as there is really no further point in speculation on the situation in the Bay Islands.
Facts:
I am a 41 year old father of four from a small rural community in West Virginia (not Honduras)
I have never been to Honduras before nor am i connected in any way to their tourism industry
I am flying overland from San Pedro Sula to Utila via Houston
I will be staying a month at Cross Creek which is located in the town proper, (well i may splurge and spend a few days at Laguna Beach)
I go stir crazy, which means i will be at the restaurants/bars/town when not diving
I will report what i see as far as conditions, mood of the climate etc... as much as I am able to without taking the fun out of my trip.
I have a feeling it will be a boring report. Lots of beer, lots of sun, lots of in/out of water...great for dive vacations, crappy for interesting reading.

 

[ncchuck]

You are correct RTBDiver. We have no idea who you are or what motives you might have for saying the things you do. Your credibility seems to come into question however when you seem to indicate that all things are potentially dangerous. I just don't understand that statement. What are you trying to say? I guess someone could say walking in ones home is dangerous but I doubt most reasonable people would compare that danger to driving a car in Roatan. When this discussion is about the sudden and unexpected change in Honduran government, are you trying to indicate that danger is the same to tourists as the sharks in Roatan, or the lion fish that are appearing? Certainly these things have a level of danger but they are not in any way similar to the unrest created by governmental changes in Honduras. There are no facts to support that lion fish or sharks are dangerous to tourists in any meaningful way.
I for one am not saying the world is coming to an end or Roatan is in imminant danger. I only said this sitution created a potentially dangerous situation. There is proof beyond a doubt in many parts of the world now and in the past. As RobertCrocket has indicated, even our great country has had problems almost always when the government has been in tourmoil. There was once this little problem called the civil war. You seem to think Roatan is impervious to these dangers or the danger can be compared to other mundane things in life. I'm sure you are an eternal optomist but that shouldn't stop anyone from considering the real life facts, situation and potential consequences.

 

[Byte Me]

You are correct RTBDiver. We have no idea who you are or what motives you might have for saying the things you do. Your credibility seems to come into question however when you seem to indicate that all things are potentially dangerous. I just don't understand that statement. What are you trying to say? I guess someone could say walking in ones home is dangerous but I doubt most reasonable people would compare that danger to driving a car in Roatan. When this discussion is about the sudden and unexpected change in Honduran government, are you trying to indicate that danger is the same to tourists as the sharks in Roatan, or the lion fish that are appearing? Certainly these things have a level of danger but they are not in any way similar to the unrest created by governmental changes in Honduras. There are no facts to support that lion fish or sharks are dangerous to tourists in any meaningful way.
I for one am not saying the world is coming to an end or Roatan is in imminant danger. I only said this sitution created a potentially dangerous situation. There is proof beyond a doubt in many parts of the world now and in the past. As RobertCrocket has indicated, even our great country has had problems almost always when the government has been in tourmoil. There was once this little problem called the civil war. You seem to think Roatan is impervious to these dangers or the danger can be compared to other mundane things in life. I'm sure you are an eternal optomist but that shouldn't stop anyone from considering the real life facts, situation and potential consequences.

Wow, lots of fun assumptions but little actual help - other than muddying the waters further!!

Of course this turmoil presents "a potentially dangerous situation". So does diving! Or driving to work, or walking across the street to get the mail, or eating at the all you can swallow Chinese buffet.

You can come out and say that lion fish or sharks aren't dangerous to tourists / divers in any meaningful way. Why is that? Because you don't believe the hype? You don't buy into SHARK WEEK on Discover? You have done some of your own research to prove to yourself that they aren't dangerous. And you were able to come to that conclusion in spite of the fact the news outlets makes headlines out of every shark attack from anywhere in the world!

Yet you won't do the same thing (the same thing that Mr. Crocket did) with regard to traveling to Roatan. Between you and Don all that seems to be happening here is you guys professing how dangerous the situation is based entirely on the fact that news outlets have overblown this with sensationalism and our government has issued a travel warning. Any real research or reports from PEOPLE WHO ARE THERE are discounted as either being puppets saying that so people can make money or "eternal optimists" who think that nothing bad can happen to the Bay Islands.

Interesting...

My point is perhaps you should clean your finger before you point so assuredly at someone with "an agenda".

 

[RTBDiver]

Yep,
He said it before i could type it. I have NEVER said this could not be a potentially dangerous situation, I have said it sure doesn't seem like that now. I am here, Honduras, Where do you get your info? It may actually be safer with a few less tourists and less taxis. Let me know when you have anything other than what you read. I sleep peacfully at my home. Are there potential problems? of course, but I see nothing new due to this political issue. I have had watchdogs for years, and they don't just bark. I have employed a watchman/caretaker for years, he lives in the house accross the road we built for him on land we gave him.
Hell, look at my posts on SB to CaujunDiva after she told people planning a trip should have no concern, I was honest and chastized her for that, saying i did not think there was concern now but they need to be aware. Get your stuff straight before suggesting someone is not being honest. What i have posted are honest hands on observations.
In all honesty I think Roatans biggest issue is still development faster than it could handle. If I were not being honest I could really blow this out the way some news has in the hopes no one ever develops again. Its not like I bought here because I needed or expected any money unlike some who may come to Roatan with dreams of running a dive shop or having a little beach bar, I came here becaue i like the place and I don't think there is a better place than Flowers Bay on the island. Maybe some who visit or fall for the dream of an easy job in some tropical Island cannot fathom that.

Well, Time to get ready for todays afternoon dive.

 

[RTBDiver]

RTBDiver,

We all appreciate your Honduras constitutional acumen but, unfortunately, every government on the face of the earth disagrees with your interpretation.

Actually it seems many Goverments are starting to see what is going on here and your own government, which you should certainly have utmost respect for, has delayed on Tuesday a committee vote to confirm the nominee to head the State Department's bureau of western hemisphere affairs due to this situation in which 17 senators so far do not agree. here is the link washingtonpost.com

On another note, You may find it interesting that Ortega, another Chavez pawn, is trying to have a referendum that Nica should hold off on elections and keep him as head of office due to the situation in Honduras.