Honduras's Nature and Eco Systems

Honduras is one among several countries in Central America which are worth visiting and off course, photographing. There are several towns, eco systems, rural views, mountain tops, plantations and volcanoes.

"Honduras is a republic in Central America. It was at times referred to as Spanish Honduras to differentiate it from British Honduras, which became the modern-day state of Belize. The country is bordered to the west by Guatemala, to the southwest by El Salvador, to the southeast by Nicaragua, to the south by the Pacific Ocean at the Gulf of Fonseca, and to the north by the gulf of Honduras, a large inlet of the Caribbean Sea.

Honduras was home to several important indigenous cultures, most notably the Maya. Much of the country was conquered by Spain who introduced its now predominant language and many of its customs in the sixteenth century. It became independent in 1821 and has been a republic since the end of Spanish rule.

The area of Honduras is about 112,492 km² and the population exceeds eight million. Its northern portions are part of the Western Caribbean Zone. Honduras is most notable for production of minerals, coffee, tropical fruit, sugar cane and recently for export of clothing in the international market. Comayagua (Spanish pronunciation, is a city in Honduras, some 50 miles (80 km) northwest of Tegucigalpa on the highway to San Pedro Sula at an elevation of 1,949 feet (594 m) above sea level. In 2003 the estimated population was 60,000 people. It is the capital of the Comayagua Department of Honduras. The city is noted for its wealth of Spanish Colonial architecture. The central square has a cathedral with the oldest clock in the Americas.In recent years Comayagua has become one of the most important tourist attractions in Honduras. This is due to the Cooperation Técnica Española and the Honduran Institute of Anthropology and History, both of which have cooperated in maintaining the city’s historical sites." Wikipedia

Like most major cities in most Central American Countries, the capital is very congested and can be disorienting to most travelers and please forget about doing your own driving. Good shopping opportunities abound due to the exchange rate which at the time of this writing was about 20 Lempiras for every US dollar.

Most travelers at first find some of the customs rather odd like the ability to walk anywhere with beer in hand, the speed of cars and their almost unbeliever ability of taxi drivers to evade each other by the smallest of margins.

However, if you venture outside of the capital there are many excellent smaller towns such as Comayagua which can offer a visitor many opportunities to enjoy a country and photographed it to their heart's content.

In the town of Comayagua, downtown area is the Central Plaza. From this point one can appreciate the cathedral of Comayagua and City Hall. Surrounded by beautiful gardens, the Central Plaza serves as point of reference of the city. The cathedral also features the oldest working clock to be found in all of South and Central America.

One dining establishment called Plaza Colonial is definitively worth looking into. It is situated next to the cathedral in a locale which used to serve as the residences for the cathedral's monks. It has exquisite location, has been visited by world renown celebrities and features the personal services of its founder and owner Mr.Ricardo Rios which by the way speaks fluent English and you may even end up having your photograph posted on their picture wall.

The owner, has created a very nice environment by filling the restaurant with interesting art, crafts, and antiques from Honduras as well. Forms of payment include Lempiras, US dollars as well as US. credit cards.. Outside seating on the park is also available and recommended. A typical dinner, including drinks, runs about $50.00 for a party of five.

His business mantra is "This is like Burger King , have it your way", you won't leave disappointed. Menu includes; seafood, steaks, salads, chicken and plato tipico.

There are also several nice looking restaurants with good food and not so modest prices but worth the visit. Because Comayagua is close to one of the biggest US military bases in the region, almost all commercial entities and most civilians will take dollars as payment.

Some of the best known eco systems in the region are the Moskito Rivers system, Pico Bonito forest and river system, Salado Forest Reserve, Agalta Forest, Tawahka Preserve and others.

Here you can river raft, do bird watching, photograph nature at its fullest, and some sites allow for overnight camping.

if you like snorkeling or scuba diving Honduras features some of the most beautiful islands in the world which have pristine beaches, well stoked hotels, and good nature trips always close to the sites and accommodations. Also notable is that scuba divers can explore a barrier reef rich in marine life and second only to Australia's Great Barrier Reef just yards form the main hotels in Roatan.

Especially noteworthy is the local Ocean life as well as fishing.. Some better known beaches and resorts can be found at Utila Island Guanaja Island and not to miss Roatan Island.

The largest Bay Island, Roatan, has many gorgeous and secluded beaches on its northern shores. The beach at West Bay is one of the scenic of all Honduras beaches. There are several resorts and hotels along the West Bay beach, great places for a beach vacation and for getting in touch with nature.

There is really no bad time to visit Honduras but you should check the exchange rates as they can sometimes vary more in favor of anyone carrying US dollars.

Temperatures do not vary widely at different times of year. But like other Central American countries, Honduras experiences a rainy season and a dry season. In the mainland , rainy season lasts from about May until November. On the coast and in the islands, the rains come around September and can run through January.

Your photogrpahic gear should include a good zoom lens in the range of about 300mm, a wide angle prime lens, a macro, tripod and flash unit. There are many options for each lens but use the zoom for nature shots, the wide for landscapes, the macro for insects and flora.

Make sure to carry with you plenty of film or digital memory as these can be more expensive there than in the states and some film was found to be outdated.

Like in any country ,including the states, please be mindful of your gear and never leave it unattended or photograph any person without their permission. It is not customary to monetarily reward people but sharing your photos with them, as in copies, may be expected.

Do not photograph any military figure or location without asking and obtaining permission and make doubly sure that they allow you to record their photos. Better yet don't.

Before I forget, it is best not to drink the water unless it is bottled. Sodas and natural juices are plentiful and quite delicious. The food is safe and equally tasty. Specialty dishes include tamales de elote (corn), fried tortillas with re-fried bean paste and grated cheese, sopa de caracol (conch chowder), fried fish and more. They are plentiful alongside road side cafes and in most restaurants. Most US national and international beers are available and the local beers are not bad either.

If you hunger for more home style food most US franchises have locations throughout the country including Burger King, Pizza Hut, Domino's as well as others, although the taste of their meats is stronger due to less processing , they still rival their US counterparts.