A Day of Shopping in La Ceiba (The CoastWatcher: Caribbean West)
News from the Honduras Bay Islands and North Coast
17 March 2001
By Pierre Renaldo, The Coastwatcher©

Every few weeks we begin to run out of everything at my house and office. When I say everything I really mean the staples, like paper products, canned goods, coffee, flour, rice, etc. Not that these items aren't available on Roatan, but they are much more likely to have expiration dates far into the future on the mainland.

I do not mean to indicate that we never shop at our local stores. But it becomes a good excuse to get away from the 'rock' for an afternoon of shopping and an evening of relaxation at one of my favorite mainland restaurants in La Ceiba. There is an additional motivation for me to spend an evening in La Ceiba. I'll tell you about that a little later in this issue.

I have never taken the M/V Galaxy to the mainland, first because it is too slow for a native New Yorker to travel by boat, and secondly because I have heard enough tales about the return crossings usually being very rough most of the time. They don't call the M/V Galaxy the "vomit comet" just for fun, and I have always taken that nickname seriously.

Besides, the air fare isn't much more than the sea voyage, and fifteen minutes of bouncing around in a small airliner is much more tolerable than an hour and a half to two hours on the sea.

I arrive at Goloson International and having carried my bag, I immediately head out to the main highway. My reasoning is this: Why pay LPS 100 ($6.60 U.S.) to the limo/taxi at the terminal, when I can get a taxi outside the airport gate for 1/5th the price. They are always waiting out there and going into town. This "collectivo" is rarely more time consuming than the limo/taxi service just outside the terminal building. It is only a five minute walk to the main road, and I save enough money to treat myself to a very good lunch someplace during my shopping sojourn.

I usually stay at the Gran Hotel Paris, located directly overlooking Park Centro, in the heart of town. It is an easy walk to most of the better shopping and restaurants, but when necessary, just a few Lempiras (commonly referred to as "Limps") ride to other less convenient of my favorite stops. The Colonial Hotel is another favorite with Americans, and although not quite as centrally located, it is only three blocks off Park Centro. Both hotels are clean and modestly priced.

Good supermarkets are within a few minutes walk, as is the central market place, where you can find almost anything in the way of fresh fruit and produce that is in season. There are vendors selling just about anything you can imagine, so it is really like a flea market and farmers market combined. You have to walk around a little but it is quite interesting.

The new Mega Plaza (mall) is a 10 Lempira taxi ride away. (approximately $ .66 U.S.)

Note: Whenever you negotiate the price for a taxi ride be sure you understand how many people the quoted fare includes. If there are two of you make sure ten Limps is for both people and not a per person quotation. If you are riding "collectivo" the fare will be per person. From Park Centro to Mega Plaza it will be for the ride, not per person. Always ask!

"Quanto para dos personas a Mega Plaza?" = "How much for two people to Mega Plaza?"

Make sure you take your handy-dandy pocket calculator along. It speaks a universal language and you are less apt to get "Gringoed" if you are an astute shopper who knows the current exchange rate and has a sense of the going price for your purchases.

Leave your valuables at home or in the hotel safe. That includes the fancy wristwatch, ear rings and necklaces you are accustomed to wearing. This is 'Third World' all the way my friends, so don't tempt fate.

(I tell you the facts, the way things are, and I do not pretend that our world here is just peaches and cream. I'm here because I choose to be, because I like it, and I want to make sure you are aware of the circumstances that may cause you to be concerned with your surroundings and to instill some caution into your everyday habits among these disadvantaged people. It is a very poor country, but not really any more dangerous than going into a big city in the U.S.A.)

You will find the supermarket employees most accommodating when packing your groceries. They will happily place everything in cardboard cartons, lace it up with twine, and wheel it back to your hotel for free. I usually give the carrier boy twenty "Limps" for the service.

I fly with Aerolineas Sosa because they are very liberal about excess baggage charges for groceries, especially once you become a regular customer.

If you can spare the time for a little side trip while you are on Roatan on your holiday, try an excursion to La Ceiba, just to get in practice for when you live here. It's a great place to explore with very good restaurants and fast food representation, if you are so addicted.

Now, back to one of the main reasons I like to stay overnight when I visit La Ceiba. I have a friend there who is an outstanding individual. He is a Catholic Priest, from Nigeria, who is one of the most dynamic persons I have ever met, anyplace. He stands out among the Honduran populace not only because he is a priest, but because he has captured the hearts of all who know him. Truly charismatic, the local people gravitate to him, because he is a walking example of what you would expect a true humanitarian to be; a teacher, a councilor, a person with heart, who ministers to these backward people, truly a friend to mankind.

Himself, from a life in third world squalor, this parish priest is a most humble and compassionate servant of God, teaching the Golden Rule to a hand to mouth society.

We have become good friends resultant from a most unlikely chance meeting. I am not Catholic but that has not interfered with our relationship or our discussions about the failings of man and church and a variety of other subjects. We have dinner together on almost every overnight I spend in La Ceiba.

Priests are paid nothing in Honduras, and since the people have almost nothing to give, Padre Ambrose Madu lives on whatever his congregations and outside donors can spare. He has built two new churches and a church school for his parishioners in spite of having no financial help nor moral support whatsoever from the central church or his local "superiors."

Needless to say, the hierarchy of his church are baffled and envious even angry at his great success in circumstances they were sure would cause an ordinary person to fare poorly. He is always giving what little he has to his flock. The people of La Ceiba gather around this outstanding individual wherever they see him.

I made mention of Padre Madu in my book about Hurricane Mitch. You can preview this e-book at
http://www.eroatan.com/cgi-bin/pierre.cgi?books The title is "Felix Prince of Cats, and Mitch, the Great Storm of the Century." It is the story of true life survival of my wife, myself and our family of kittens, just prior to and during the "Storm of the Century." A story for animal lovers of all ages.

I am always happy to hear from my readers, so if you have questions or comments just drop me a line at: elouis@globalnet.hn. I will do my best to supply you with honest, accurate answers.

Ciao, Pierre

By Pierre Renaldo, Mountain Coastal S.A,. General Contractors, Construction Management and Construction Consultants.