One of the world's most notorious airfields, Toncontin International, was closed to flights Saturday after a Taca A320 skidded off a rain-drenched runway and onto a nearby road on Friday, killing four people on board and one on the ground. Honduran President Manuel Zelaya said a new international airport would be built to finally replace TGU.
Built in 1948, Toncontin has been dangerous since the day it opened, 3,300 feet above sea level. Normally, that altitude would call for more runway room than usual, but TGU gives pilots just 6,112 feet of asphalt to land on. The short runway was clearly a contributing factor in Friday's accident.
If it weren't already dangerous enough, the airport is situated in a valley surrounded by hills, meaning pilots have to execute some hair-raising turns just to line up for a difficult landing. On our last flight into TGU, the pilot made a quick announcement during our descent to put nervous fliers at ease before banking in for a landing.
All that said, Friday may have been the last day for Toncontin. Zelaya's proposed new passenger terminal at Soto Cano Air Base in Comayagua won't be ready for at least another two months, so flights are already being diverted to San Pedro Sula. Good thing, too: The runway at SAP is a comfortable 9,203 feet, sitting just 91 feet above sea level.
Jaunted contributing editor Paul Brady just returned from a tour through Honduras, the original Banana Republic. We'll be posting stories this week about his travels in the tropics. Have any burning questions?
Well, I'm sorry to say, I've written all I can for now about my trip to Honduras. There are more stories to be sure, but for now, I'm more interested in whether Nicky Hilton will ever get her hotels open. If there's something you need to know that I didn't cover, shoot an email on over.
In the meantime, check out my photos, in the Jaunted Flickr pool. (There are also some other great snaps as well as a bunch of screen caps from The Amazing Race 10.) To step up your viewing pleasure, you can also click over to Jaunted's YouTube channel where I've posted a couple shorts. Have your own travel pics or vids? Submit 'em!
Jaunted contributing editor Paul Brady just returned from a tour through Honduras, the original Banana Republic. We'll be posting stories this week about his travels in the tropics. Have any burning questions?
So after I saw all the sights in Comayagua, I was ready for some grub. Sure, I had my choice of dozens of baleada stands and shacks. But I'd been eating them for days. A visit to Comayagua means a stop at restaurant/bar/disco/karaoke club Villa Real.
Lots of people say it's the best restaurant in town, and they're probably right. But the food leaves a little to be desired for "best in town" and (relatively) high prices. Still, the overall experience is great, with some of the best service in the country.
Villa Real also gets bonus points for its lush interior, so don't let the facade fool you. I ate in the restaurant's open, central courtyard, and shared a bottle of wine with two friends. The fact that they had wine was a major plus--it's muy hard to find in Honduras. Late nights, you can settle your dinner check and move into the disco for some Spanglish karaoke if that's your thing. It wasn't mine, but, hey, I'm not judging.
Jaunted contributing editor Paul Brady just returned from a tour through Honduras, the original Banana Republic. We'll be posting stories this week about his travels in the tropics. Have any burning questions?
After running myself through a biblical rinse cycle, I changed into some dry clothes and hopped a bus south from Lago de Yojoa toward Comayagua. The former colonial capital of Honduras, it's a fairly large city right along the main highway between San Pedro Sula and Tegucigalpa. Having been the capital on-and-off for nearly 350 years, it has plenty of European-style cultural things to see.
Number one on that list would be the Cathedral of Saint Mary in the heart of town, which everyone will tell you has the western hemisphere's oldest clock. Honestly, it didn't look that old to me, but what do I know about clocks? (Anyway, the story goes that Philip III donated the clock to the cathedral in Comayagua, but the details change depending on who's telling the tale.) Another nice sight is the Church of Mercy (Iglesia de La Merced), just up the road from the Cathedral. It's not usually open, but the colonial architecture and the leafy park across from the building are nice.
When you're done with the sights, the Hotel America Inc. (actual name!) is a good bet for a clean bed.
Jaunted contributing editor Paul Brady just returned from a tour through Honduras, the original Banana Republic. We'll be posting stories this week about his travels in the tropics. Have any burning questions?
Now, I didn't want to spend my entire trip in Utila. So I eventually packed up the swim trunks and my new tan and took the ferry back to the mainland. After catching a bus in La Ceiba, on the northern coast, I rode south to Lago de Yojoa. The lake, between San Pedro Sula and Tegucigalpa, is a gem (though in recent years, it's shrunk in size because of environmental damage).
There are a couple of nature lodge/all-inclusives surrounding the lake, and I stayed at Agua Azul, on the road between La Guama and Pena Blanca. Why was I in the middle of nowhere? To swim beneath the tongue-twisting Pulhapanzak Waterfall that drops 140 feet (Niagara Falls is 170) near the town of San Buenaventura. What it's like, after the jump.
Jaunted contributing editor Paul Brady is on tour in Honduras, the original Banana Republic. We'll be posting stories this week about his travels in the tropics. Have any burning questions?
Even though there's a lot about the Bay Islands that's very different from things in the rest of Honduras, one constant remains. It's the baleada, a sort of unofficial national dish that works as breakfast, lunch and dinner. The basic model is simple: a freshly-made thick flour tortilla is smeared with refried beans, salty farmer's cheese and cream (which the Hondurans call mantequilla, or butter). That's it. Three of these can kill your biggest hunger pangs.
At Utila's Thompson's Cafe, they do have the regular old baleada. But why order that when you can get the Super Baleada (pictured above) packed with beans, cheese, cream, scrambled eggs, lettuce and tomato? It's about the size of a football but it sells for only 30 Lempiras ($1.50). Unlike lots of places in the Islands, and despite the English name, Thompson's is staffed by Spanish speakers, so be ready for that. Oh, and one warning I wish I'd had: Thompson's bathroom is an adventure even by Honduran standards.
Jaunted contributing editor Paul Brady is on tour in Honduras, the original Banana Republic. We'll be posting stories this week about his travels in the tropics. Have any burning questions?
After a couple days exploring Utila, I was ready to get out on the water myself. The thing to do is charter a boat out to Water Cay, an actual Caribbean deserted island. I sorted out my trip at Bandu Cafe, just east of the dock on Utila's main road. At the restaurant, you can hook up with Captain Hector, a salty Bay Islander whose rickety--but floating!--boat is about as old as he is. It took me about an hour to make the trip out to Water Cay where Hector dropped me off for a half day in blissful isolation.
Once we landed on the island, I saw a sign advertising the day use fee (40 Lempiras or about $2) but no one ever came to collect it. On one end of the island, a sandy beach slides into the water for optimal ocean lounging. After a couple hours watching pelicans dive for fish and swimming with them myself, I was happy to catch some shade on the other side of the cay under the almond and palm trees. Campfires are discouraged, so pack some sandwiches if you're the hungry type. A jug of water, a bucket of sunscreen and a bottle of rum might make your Crusoe fantasy complete. Just leave your Blackberry back on Utila, k?
Jaunted contributing editor Paul Brady is on tour in Honduras, the original Banana Republic. We'll be posting stories this week about his travels in the tropics. Have any burning questions?
On Utila, everything moves a bit slower than you're used to. But it only takes a day to fall right into step with everyone else. The island is famous for its diving, but I decided to give diving a pass this trip. Or so I thought. At Tranquila Bar, just west of the dock off the main road, you'll be talking about diving until your face turns blue. Tuesday's the night when everyone drops in.
It's staffed by divers and full of them, recounting tales of the deep to anyone who will listen. Drink specials--like two rum and cokes for 24 Lempiras (about $1.25)--keep the crowd lubricated. Once you've heard enough about Utila's whale sharks, head out onto Tranquila's overwater dock to count the stars while the music blasts inside. If you want to get info on which dive shops run the best trips, this is the place. Tranquila also has a bulletin board with info on trips to Water Cay, the Cayos Cochinos and elsewhere.
