HONDURAS 12/28/2010: Americans in Honduras – Dia 8

Americanos en Honduras Dia Ocho

San Pedro Sula –

Last night’s dinner turned out to be a fiasco. We taxied (after dark no one is on the streets, and taxi seemed way smarter than our car) to a restaurant we had read about in a guidebook and also on line. We made reservations. Got there around 8:30 and we were the only guests. We sat in the “non-smoking” section, although I doubt it would have mattered.

We were told it was a bit pricey for Honduras, but the books also raved about the food and service. Well… not for us. Other than a fairly decent flan for dessert the meal was really awful, and it was about double or triple what we’ve been paying for dinners. Service was fine, until the check came.

The waiter explained — as we looked shocked — that there were all sorts of “taxes” which seemed to pile up one on top of the other, including a liquor tax of 17% which somehow got applied to the whole tab. We were annoyed and felt really “taken,” but the issues were too complex for my vocabulary, except for me to be able to express outrage in Spanish. Then the waiter told us that the 10% tip that showed up clearly on the tab was for the chef, not for him, and so he requested a separate tip. To make things really annoying, when we took out a credit card, they professed that their machine doesn’t work and he needed cash. Not having enough lempiras, we rather sheepishly, paid in cash and left quite annoyed. When he called for the taxi, he told us it would cost $5 for the cab.. but it cost $3 coming to the restaurant. When we go in the taxi, we asked the driver the amount and he easily said the equivalent of $3! without any bargaining whatsoever.

So, should you find yourself in San Pedro Sula — avoid Chef Mariano and/or Restaurante Arte Mariano or Marino (it’s spelled differently in different books, but same address).  OK.. enough complaining.

We began today in San Pedro Sula, by somehow missing the breakfast at the hotel (it ends before 9, and we really didn’t get to bed until about 1 am. So we meandered to Parque Central which is basically the center of San Pedro — which is close to the hotel (about 4 blocks away) and rather deserted. As we understand it, the core of San Pedro, the second largest city in Honduras and the industrial hub and transportation center… went the way  of American cities, with sprawling suburbs for the middle class and wealthy and the abandonment of the core. So downtown is considered “dangerous” and doesn’t have much residential. On the whole the city is pretty dreary, but everyone has been friendly.

We found a little cafe and had liquados… and then walked to the bank for Mike to cash some travelers checks (big mistake to have brought them instead of cash, which I did) which requires a lot of paper work. We waited on several lines at the bank and eventually got cash.. The ATMs are pretty much all over, but Mike decided to rid himself of the checks. Like elsewhere, we passed through numerous armed guards, where the men are swiped with metal detectors (not women).

We then headed to Mercado Guamalito — a sprawling indoor market with hundreds of stalls selling everything from crafts to fruits and vegetable to spices to everyday necessities. We meandered for a few hours, taking it all in.. watching dozens of women at separate stalls make fresh tortillas, and just checking out the scene. In the center of the market is a “cafe” and along many of the edges are little cubicles with about four stools each where women serve specialty foods.

From there we headed to the archaeological museum, and then found our way to a little hole in the wall place for some almuerzo tipico (chicken fillet, rice, frijoles, and tortillas).. run by what looked like a Caribbean couple with a very cute kid (about 18 months) named Carlos.

Wherever you walk, you spot political graffiti (not quite rivaling the proliferation of Coca Cola messages) — mostly in support of the ousted president Zelaya (referred to as “Mel”)… He was first a conservative and then became a liberal (son of wealthy family involved in logging and timber) and forged an alliance with other Latin American countries, most notably Venezuela’s Chavez. In Parque Central there are many banners supporting equity and justice and a plaque dedicating the park to Zelaya who was ousted in a coup about 18 months ago. So now the country is run by the military. There seems to be a lot of difference of opinion as to how much Zelaya accomplished. He attempted to do major land reforms (in a country where about 90% of the land is owned by about 1% of the population and where unemployment is recorded at about 25% and poverty rate is more than 50%). Apparently he even wanted to reveal the salaries of the wealthy, etc.

Prior to the coup of 2009, Zelaya ran afoul of the press and some of his own supporters and attempted to extend his term of office, prior to a change to the constitution (or so I think)… Anyway, most of the graffiti is tied to support for the National Front for Popular Resistance (FRNP) which is a group farther left than Zelaya. We can’t get too much of a handle on the impact of the military power (other than seeing so many armed soldiers everywhere); in between Zelaya and the current regime there was an interim president, who I gather, was from the very wealthy class. His role was to hold things together for 6 months…

Under Zelaya, small farmers got government subsidies, interest rates were lowered, minimum wage was increased, schoosl served meals for children from poor families, free education was introduced, and free electricity was supplied to very poor Hondurans.

It’s difficult to get a read on what’s really going on, or on what role the US plays or Catholic church plays or has played. Our Spanish is not good enough for those coversations, and whatever small conversations we attempt on the topic don’t really go anywhere.. People are probably a bit nervous to enter these kind of discussions with foreigners and strangers.

Eventually we headed out to dinner.. to a steak restaurant. My stomach was a tiny bit queasy and the thought of the same Honduran food that we’ve had almost every day was more than I could bear. Steak was probably not the best remedy, but I’m feeling better so maybe it was just that I was tired.

Anyway, we leave San Pedro tomorrow.. head to Gracias for one night.. and then off to Copan for three nights and then head home.

More from Gracias.