Photo of the Day

Since my digital camera is still broken and in the only "legal" camera-fixing place in San Pedro Sula they want to fix it without a guarantee for $150 (I'm still debating this one...), my friend who is the owner of the only film developing place in town took pity on me and let me borrow one of his cameras.

At my house, there are 12 hens and roosters running around making lots of noise all day and all night. Lately, they've all been fattening up and my family has started to eat them.

This is a picture of 2 of them being proactive and trying to guard their lives by climbing to the top of our lime tree. It was a pretty funny picture, as the chickens climbed up to the very top of the tree (about 15 feet.) Poor chicken.

The photo of the day:

The Immense Capacity of the Honduran Motorcyle

Before I came to Honduras, I thought that motorcycles were basically efficient transportation for one or two people. Honduran motorcycles--you have proved me wrong. You have stretched the word efficiency to the max. You see, Honduran motorcycles can carry any quantity of people and unlimited cargo--it seems. Four people can ride on Honduran motorcycles. Two-year-old children can ride on motorcycles--just sandwich them in the middle or hold them in your lap with one hand and drive with the other.

Not only can Honduran motorcycles carry a number of passengers, but it has a broad cargo capacity. Here is just a small sampling of what I have seen motorcycles carry:

-Big Boxes. As in, boxes that might contain a TV or a microwave.
-Chairs. 3 to be exact. Just strap them down to the back and sides of the motorcycle with rope.
-Wooden table. Just balance it on your head.

I'll update you periodically on my motorcycle sightings. The moral of the story: As Americans, we are undeniably undermining the immense potential of motorcycles.

Other Mailing Address Option

So, my parents have informed me that it is very expensive to send stuff to me at my new address through UPS. So, I'm going to open up a post office box in the city of San Pedro Sula this weekend. Then you can send letters of packages by regular mail. But remember, you can always send things to me at my first address (I just might now get it for a while):

Beth Mayberry, PCV
Voluntario del Cuerpo de Paz
Apartado Postal 3158
Tegucigalpa, Honduras
America Central

But, for those of you who want to send stuff to the expensive UPS address, you still can.

My new mailing address

WARNING: Make sure you read the blog entry above. This address might be expensive to send to and you can only use UPS. You can use my old address for packages and letters while I am trying to open up a cheaper post office box in San Pedro Sula.

I have a new mailing address! After weeks of searching for a way to get mail in my town, I finally found a way! (There is a Honducor, the National Post Office, in my town, but it is just a little house and it is not very secure. Packages can be sent through Urgente Express and Gigante Express (sort of like Honduran FedEx and UPS), but there are none in the Kansas City area).

But, if you have recently sent a package, don't worry, my address in Tegucigalpa will be open for 2 years, it's just that I might not get the package immediately because I would have to go to Tegucigalpa (6 hours away) or someone passing through would have to bring it to me.

Here is my new mailing address. Packages and letters HAVE to be sent through UPS.

Urgente Express
Morazan, Yoro
Honduras, America Central
Tel. 691-0262
Rdo. a Ana Mayberry y Gloria Paz

That's right. Ana. That is my Honduran name. Beth is too hard to pronounce for many people because of the "th" sound. And "Bet" is just not very pretty. My middle name is Ann, so I decided to make my Honduran name Ana. (I used Ana in Mexico and it worked out much better than when I used Beth in Peru). Because, if people can't pronounce your name, they usually can't remember it and if they can't remember it, they're embarrassed to talk to you because they can't use your name.

I'd like to thank Juliane Shaw for her awesome package! I love the skirt! It is so cute and great for the weather here! Thanks for the Chicken Tikka Masala (my favorite food) mix! And the Reese's, of course.

Thanks Mom and Dad for all of the cool stuff! I really needed pens and sunscreen and I can always use playing cards and anti-bacterial hand gel! Also, it's nice to have some US news! And of course, thanks for the ton of Reese's!

My picture in the National Newspapers

I'm famous. My picture is in 3 national newspapers (that I know of). Here are the links:
http://www.elpatriotahn.com/v/Cuerpo+de+Paz+en+Honduras/Pictures+058.jpg.html
http://www.latribuna.hn/news/47/ARTICLE/18411/2007-09-28.html
http://www.proceso.hn/2007/09/28/Metrópoli/Embajador.de.EE/1258.html

The funny thing is that the articles talk more about corruption in Honduras than the Peace Corps.

Why do Honduran women wear stiletto heels on eroded dirt roads and cobblestone streets?

This question has puzzled me for months. I wear tennis shoes and flats and I have to say that I’ve had my share of walking wipeouts. The other night I tripped on a rut and did a sideways-type flip. It was pretty hilarious.

Here the definition of professional attire for many women includes stilettos and the shortest skirt you can find. And I was afraid that some of my shirts and Bermuda shorts would be too risqué for Honduras! I thought wrong. I look like one of the most modestly dressed people here most of the time. I feel bad for the girls in high school. The last year they have to do an internship and the students in accounting or computation have to wear a short skirt and high heels everyday. How uncomfortable!

That’s another thing. Everyone dresses up to go shopping or to the airport in Honduras. I went to City Mall with my friend in San Pedro Sula (the mall is an American island, I swear) and everyone came in their best clothes. My sitemate Nicole said that when she was going to the airport to go back to the states for vacation she was wearing jeans, a t-shirt and flipflops and my host family was shocked that she would wear that on an airplane.

Nicole and I have tried to explain to my family that people dress more casually and comfortably in the US (especially when they know that they will be on a plane for hours). I told them how I used to wear pajamas and sweatpants in the university a lot and they just couldn’t believe it. Practicality, comfort and functionality are not valued in clothing here.

Farmer Jose and his Razor cell phone

So Morazán is a funny place. It's definitely a land of contrasts. The most obvious example of this is the ubiquitous Motorola Razor cell phone. There's nothing more out of place than this device, but I'd say that 50% of the population has one or at least a similar phone.

This is a common scene:

So I’m walking down a dirt road and I hear a ringtone like “Born in the USA” or some Daddy Yankee reggaeton song. I look around and who pulls it out of their pocket? The old farmer man in the cowboy hat, boots and dusty clothes.

Everything is very appearance-based here. A family may have a house made out of dirt, cook over a fire and eat only beans and tortillas, but they have a nice cell phone.

Technology-wise, life here is probably a lot like the US in the 50s. However, with the influx of US dollars from remittances, there are lots of anachronisms. For example, cell phones, internet, laptops, plasma TVs, cable TV, playstations, SUVs, etc… Most of the money from the US does not seem to go towards basic needs or everyday life, but towards luxury items.

Everyone laughs at my cell phone because it is very bottom-of-the-line. They call it my ladrillo (rock). They say that if someone stole it they would give it back to me. But hey, that’s fine with me, as cell phone theft is extremely common in this country.

I was voted most likely to...

So I forgot to mention it before, but at the end of our Peace Corps training, all of the volunteers filled out surveys voting on which trainee was most likely to do what. I was voted "Most likely to live in Honduras forever" and "Most likely to contract the most tropical diseases." At least I wasn't voted "Most likely to have a donkey accident".

I'm from Mitsubishi

So the other night some of my host family´s friends were over at my house. They asked me where I was from in the states and my host mom answered, "She´s from Mitsubishi." She meant to say Missouri. It was really cute and everyone laughed. It's now a running joke that I am from Mitsubishi.

Soon I will change my mailing address

Sometime soon, I'm going to get a post office box in El Progreso (a city an hour away), as Morazan does not have a post office. My other box will still be open during the 2 years, but I will only be able to pick it up when I go to Teguz. But if you've already sent a package, don't worry. My program manager and trainer are coming to visit me in the middle of October, so they'll be able to bring my packages with them. Also, I will be in Teguz on November 26 for vaccines and I'll be able to pick up packages then.

I just wanted to thank everyone for the packages and letters they send me!

Thanks Loretta for all the awesome stuff you sent me! I am getting out of fried breakfasts here by telling my family that I need to eat the Smart Start (my favorite cereal) that you sent me before it ruins. My family loved the gifts that you sent me. My friends and I have devoured the Reese's peanut butter cups and skittles you sent me and I am going to have the Macaroni for dinner one of these nights. The frisbee was a bit hit with the grandchildren here.

Thanks Mom and Dad for all of the cool stuff that you send me! The card games all get used and the sidewalk chalk too. I've eaten all the food. It was yummy. The newsweeks have been nice. I think that I got your last package with pens and stuff, but it is in Teguz and I'll probably get it in mid-October.

Thanks Beckers for the nice card! It was so nice for you to think of me! Tell Matt hi! It sounds like everything is going well for him at TCU!

Just in case anyone wants to send something, but doesn't know what to send, here are some ideas:

-Recipes (you can email these)
-Spices (black pepper (doesn't exist here), italian spices, indian recipes
-Crayons
-Markers
-Card games or board games
-Children's books in Spanish or bilingual
-Teaching English as a Foreign Language materials
-Reese's Peanut Butter Cups
-Seeds that I could plant in a garden (ex: green beans, broccoli, sweet corn, basil, anything really. I'm not a big lettuce or green pepper fan.)

My first day at the Colegio = Riding the Mechanical Bull

So on my first day at the colegio (middle school/high school) there was a big fiesta because it was the 33rd anniversary of the school. The party lasted all day and included a mechanical bull. (The first time that a mechanical bull had come to Morazan.) So what else could I do but ride it? So I borrowed a cowboy hat and rode the bull. And what other song would they put besides La Chica Sexy (The Sexy Girl). The songs goes (in spanish): The girl moves sexy. The girl moves sexy. The girl moves rico. The girl moves rico... Etc... So, it was awkward/ridiculous/hilarious all at the same time. I didn't have my camera, but Nicole, the other volunteer took a picture of me on my disposable camera. So whenever I get the photos developed and find a scanner in Morazan (should be interesting task...) I'll put those up. But it definitely made an impression because now all the colegio kids say, "Hola Ana!" (my name in Honduras)in the street.

Things I take for granted in the US

Air-Conditioning - My room averages between 87 and 89 degrees. I know this from my alarm clock with thermometer. My family recently put a fan in there. Then I turn the fan on, it is a cool 84-85 degrees. (And this is the colder season! I've been warned about May, June and July.) I'm becoming a little bit accustomed to the heat. For example, when I first arrived I laid on my bed dying of head. Now at night, I have to turn off the fan and cover up. I've seen my room get down to 79 degrees on cooler nights. That's really cold for me. Then I have to put on pants and a long-sleeved shirt and use a heavier blanket.

Warm/Lukewarm Water- I take a freezing shower here. Most of the time from a bucket. In Santa Lucia, I had semi-warm running electric-shower water. In Cantarranas, I had a lukewarm bucket shower (because my host mom would add a bit of boiled water to the bucket). But here, I have a bucket of very cold water (sometimes I have cold running (better described as dripping)water). I'm starting to get used to it, but it's definitely not something I look forward to.

Not getting eaten alive by mosquitoes - So there is one window in my room without a screen. Why? I have no idea. I asked my host family if I could put a screen in it. We'll see... Also, some of the other screens have holes in them. So here is what I do every night. So I'm in my bed reading and about to go to bed when they come... Bzzzz...Bzzzz...Bzzz... Just a mosquito, right? No we're talking about a mosquito herd. There are always between 5 and 15 mosquitoes in my room at night. So I spend about an hour a night mosquito hunting. I used to chase them with my bugzooka, but that's just too hard and inefficient as there are always so many. So I've resorted to using my Peace Corps folder to smash them against and wall or floor. The thing that sucks is that my ceiling is very high and they hang out there where I can't reach them. So I wait sneakily and sometimes I throw stuff at them to make them scatter so I can't reach them better. When they're high on my wall, I have to stand on my bed and jump to hit them. I'm sure this must be humorous-looking. Then when I think that I've killed them all I lay down to go to sleep. Then, Bzzz... there's one that I didn't get. So I turn on the light and start hunting again. Hopefully this weekend I can put up my mosquito net up. The problem is that with such a high ceiling, putting the net up is logistically complicated.

Privacy- What's that? There is no lock on my bedroom door, so people just come and go as they like. The grandchildren are always in my room and that's probably why I haven't had a chance to write blogs. My windows do not shut, so if I am talking on my phone everyone listens in. I spend all day with other people. Good thing I like people, because in Honduras, there is honestly no way to avoid people or get a small bit of privacy. Everyone wants to know exactly what you are doing at all times. Gossiping is huge here. If you are walking down the street with someone on one side of town, within 24 hours everyone on the other side of town will know.

Silence- That doesn't exist here. Here are just a few sounds in the 5 am -9 am range. Roosters going crazy, chickens pio-pioing, pigs whining in a high-pitched voice, dogs barking, children screaming, people welding and sawing in the metal workshop, the neighbors reggaeton music on full blast, guy chopping firewood in our backyard. Lady singing while she's cooking, car honking, doors slamming, TV blasting, people eating breakfast and talking loudly on the back patio (right outside my open window that doesn't close. So let's just say that sleeping in on Saturdays is not an option. I might invest in some earplugs.

Fruits and Vegetables - They are just not really eaten here. The food is good but very bad for you and very fried and greasy. The only fruit that I've had in the last 2 weeks: grapes and apples that my friemd Luis gave me because he felt bad for me. Here is what I have almost EVERY meal, minus 1 or 2. Tortillas, beans, rice, hard stinky cheese, fried or scrambled eggs, avocado, mantequilla (that sour cream and butter mixture) and fried plantains. Everything is also fried in manteca (lard). So the avocado is the highlight of my meal, as it is the only thing that hasn't been fried. However, when I live in my own house or apartment, I will be able to cook. They do have broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, green beans, tomatoes, apples, grapes, pineapple, bananas and watermelon here.

My work in Morazan

In Morazan I have been assigned to work with 3 organizations:

Vision Mundial Regional (World Vision Regional)

Here, I will be helping develop the HIV/AIDs Education Program. I will be giving training of training workshops on a variety of HIV/AIDs related topics to teachers, community extensionists and students and helping start up microbusinesses for people with HIV/AIDs. The office is really excited to have me here. Everyone is very nice at the office. There is actually air conditioning at the office (What?!) My counterpart is very nice.

Vision Mundial PDA Morazan(Programa del Desarrollo de la Area)= World Vision Area Development Program Morazan

Here, I will be helping out with the Jovenes Emprendadores- Youth Entrepreneur Program. I will be helping youth start and manage microbusinesses. I will teach them how to do market studies, set prices and market their products. Right now there are 2 food and 1 smoothie microbusiness. I am helping a group of 10 youth ages 10-14 start a food microbusiness in an aldea. I will probably also work in some of the other programs. And in the aldeas (villages) where they work I will try to start programs for youth.

and

Instituto Polivalente Francisco Morazan = Francisco Morazan Vocational Middle School/High School

Here, I will give charlas/workshops and trainings on a variety of subjects. I also would like to start up a sports program, as there is not one now. I'd like to start soccer, basketball and volleyball programs (and maybe baseball as Peace Corps may be able to help us get equipment for that). Also, I'd like to start a Latin Dance club, as everyone here wants to know how to dance salsa, merengue, bachata and cumbia. I will also probably be teaching economics and business-type classes from time to time.
My counterpart, the school counselor is very nice. I go to her apartment a lot and drink cuban coffee. Her husband is from Cuba and she wants me to teach her salsa.

BUT, I don't have to work just with these organizations. I can work with anyone I want. I'd like to work with the kinder and primary schools. There is no English program in the primary schools and I have a Peace Corps program that I could get funds to implement there. Also, there is a library that I could get Rieken Foundation sponsorship for so that they could get new books and internet. Also, there are other organizations in the community that I could work with such as a women's microfinance business and a Pico Pijol tourism development business.

I'm excited!

Pictures of Morazan

Since my camera is still broken, here are some pictures of Morazan that I found on the internet. The first picture is of the National Park Pico Pijol from Morazan. The next is a picture of Pico Pijol. The next is of la Piratas, the nearby waterfall which I will use as a swimming hole. The last one is a map of Honduras, with the departamento (sort of like a state) of Yoro highlighted. I live in the Northwest part of Yoro.

So, Morazan is really pretty. It's in this super hot valley, but is surrounded by beautiful mountains. It is basically what they would call a rural town. Although there are over 10,000 people living in the actual town, they are mostly from the country side, so it has a small town feel to it. There is only one paved street (the Calle Principal) and the rest are dirt roads which are eroding away like crazy. The roads are really bad here. There are some that you can't even drive down. The only way to get down the "paved" road that leads to Morazan is by zig-zagging.

There's a lot of business in Morazan. There are a million pulperias (small grocery stores), a small daily market, a million stalls selling everything from belts to ripped-off CDs to Coconuts. There are 3 gas stations. The shell has yogurt (not at all common here, which is probably why it costs 30 lempiras-like $1.50) and peanut butter (unheard of!) There are like 3 or 4 internet cafes. There a billion places that sell "Ropa Americana" = secondhand clothes from the states. So when you donate your clothing, there is a likelihood that they may end up in Morazan in "Ropa Americana Brenda."

I live in a pretty posh house. The poshest host family house that I have ever lived in. It could pretty much be a US house, until you go to the backyard and see the chickens running around.

My room is big, but mosquito-filled. I have a queen-sized bed. There is a washing machine (what?!) Sometimes, like twice a week, there is running water (ice cold). There is an electric shower, but no one uses it. I would be afraid to use it as the electric socket is about 1 foot from the shower head (safe...) So looks like cold bucket showers for me.

My family is really cool. My host mom, Doña Gloria,and host dad, Don Manuel, are really more like a host grandparents. They are in their 60s. My host mom has a little restaurant, but instead of going to the restaurant, most people end up eating at her, instead. My host dad is funny. He always wears a cowboy hat that says "Rodeo USA" and boots. Two of their grown children are in the states in North Carolina (it seems everyone I talk to here has relatives there or in Atlanta.) They have a grown son named Rey who owns a metalwork workshop behind our house. One of their other daughters, Amanda, spends most of the day at our house. She has two children, Amandita (3) and Franklin (6). Amandita is very cute, but quite a handful. Franklin is more calm and likes to play UNO and use Paint on my computer. My host parents have another daughter, who I don't know very well. She has 2 children Daniela (3) and Alan (14). There is another daughter that I don't really know and she has a son named Cristian (12). All of the grandchildren are always at my house. I also have a sister named Claudia (21) who actually lives in my house. She's very nice. She's in high school.

My Camera Broke :(

So my camera broke. Very sad. The last day I was in Cantarranas, my host mom was looking at pictures on my camera. Then she handed it to me, but somehow there was a disconnect, because before I grabbed it, it crashed to the ground, right on its lens. Now it says "Lens error" when I turn it on. I'm sure that it's fixable, but it might be a while before I fix it because I have to go to a big city to do that. I can't take it to Teguz because it is about 6 hours from Morazan. I'm going to have to take it to San Pedro Sula after I get to my site. It's only like 2 hours from my site.

Let's hope I can fix it, because if not, I'm going to have to buy a super expensive camera here, because all electronics are like twice as expensive here (unless you go to a sketchy market, it which case, they are stolen.)

Leaving Cantarranas

So, I finally had to leave Cantarranas and go to my site. It was really sad to leave, because I really loved it there and I really felt like part of the community. I was okay packing and everything on Thursday, but everything hit me on the way to classes on Friday. When I was walking to classes a lot of the people in the community came out of their houses to talk to me. They said things like, “All of the volunteers are leaving tomorrow, but you’re staying, right?” It just broke my heart. I had to explain to everyone that I would love to stay, but I that I couldn’t because the Peace Corps was sending me somewhere else. Everyone looked disappointed when I said that, but asked with a little hope, “Then who’s staying here?” It broke my heart to tell them that no one was staying there. The Peace Corps was not going to have a volunteer there this cycle, (although they could definitely use one). I told them that the Peace Corps was sending me to Morazan, Yoro and they gave me a look of disbelief and a comment about how far away it was. Then they would ask me when I would come back to Cantarranas. I would say maybe for Christmas and I would assure them that I would definitely come back sometime in the next year. And that’s when the tears would start coming and I’d get all choked up.

Then, when a couple families gave me names and numbers of family members in Morazan, I almost cried because they were just so nice. One guy even called his sister, who is a teacher in Morazan, to tell her that I was coming. This conversation continued from house to house.

So basically, since I had to stop and stay goodbye to ½ of the community on my way to Spanish class, I was ½ an hour late. But I definitely didn’t care. They shouldn’t have had Spanish classes that morning anyway, as we were leaving the town right after lunch. That lunch hour is definitely not enough time to eat and say goodbye to people.

Honestly, I don’t like Spanish classes, anyway. They take away from time I could be spending with community members. It doesn’t help that the rest of my Spanish class (including my teacher) hate Cantarranas and roll their eyes or at least act annoyed whenever I talk about how much I love it. It’s like I can’t say anything in class without sounding like I’m bragging or appearing to diminish their situation of all around suckiness.

So,after the teacher gave me an impossible assignment of writing my resume in Spanish for my Honduran counterparts in my site in 1 1/2 hours or less when I didn´t have access to my resume in English and I spent about 10 minutes and realized that that was just impossible (it took me a week to write the thing in English and there was really no reason for me to write a bad resume now when I could look at my English resume later and translate it.) After all, the only reason my teacher wanted it was so that she could correct it. So I got up and said, "This is my last day in Cantarranas. I'm not going to see my host family for at least 3 months. If you wanted me to turn in my resume today, you should have told me at least yesterday, if not a week ago. I'd rather turn in a resume with grammatical errors in it, than turn in a resume that is missing 1/2 of the stuff that it should contain and is badly written." And then I left and went home and spent time with my host family. On my last interview, I got a Spanish level of "Advanced-Medium Plus" which is only 2 levels down from "Superior" which means your a native speaker. So it's not like they can kick my out.

So I spent the last day playing with my sisters and brother, cousins, neighbors and pets. My host mom made me pupusas (really good El Salvadorean thick tortillas filled with cheese) and chismol (pico de gallo)to take with me on my trip. And then of course we all cried. My host mom and a group of 12 children went to the park with me to wait for the bus. We played games until they made me get on the bus.

And my site is...

MORAZAN, YORO! I will be working with World Vision Regional: World Vision Area Development Project and the Instituto Polivalente Francisco Morazán (the technical/vocational middle school/high school). According to the little info book that they gave me about my site, Morazán has a population of 10,433 people in the city limits and over 26,000 people living in the surrounding villages. Morazán is a “semi urban center with rapid growth.” Its economy is based on agriculture and cattle and it is located in the Valley of Cataguana (Cat-ta-WA-na), one of the most productive valleys in Honduras. It is located at 240 meters above sea level. The climate is “hot and very humid and there is rainfall throughout the year.” February, September and October are the rainiest times of the year. The average temperature is 86 degrees. Malaria and Leishmaniasis are present all year long. I am advised to use my mosquito net, insect repellent, Malaria Prophylaxis and sunblock. Chinche picuda, the insect that causes Chagas disease, is common in the rural and marginal urban parts of Morazán.

“The Morazán area is poor. Morazán has a lower Human Development Index than the department of Yoro and all of Honduras. One-third of households in Morazán live in extreme poverty.

Morazán has “running water,” but it is “hard to give an opinion on the quality of the water locally.”

Morazán has electricity, cell phone service and internet. There are 3 banks, several pulperias (small grocery stores) and pharmacies, 2 elementary schools, 2 high schools AND a “daily public market in midtown.”

Morazán is located in the North Cost Region of Honduras. It’s in the Northwestern part of the Department of Yoro. It is located 2 hours from the beach in Tela!!! It’s sort of in the north/central part of the country, but a little bit to the west. Also it is located right next to a national park called Pico Pijol.


I looked Morazán up in my Moon Travel Book. It is considered a “dusty cowboy town” and a “gateway to the little-explored cloud-forest reserve Pico Pijol”. There is a triple waterfall with an “excellent swimming spot surrounded by forest.” Sweet. Don’t worry, I’ll send pictures.

“Housing options are scarce in Yoro.” So we'll see how that works out. I have to live with a family for at least the first 2 months.