Making a Difference-One Tour at a Time

by Larinda Hessler (United States of America)

Making a local connection Honduras

The cruise industry is a multi-billion dollar business that ships millions of travelers to beautiful islands every year. Why then are the countries they visit still so poor? After speaking with locals while on tours, my husband and I discovered very little of the high price we paid to take tours actually went to the hard working people giving the tours. We decided we were no longer going to support those tours. Rather we set out to make sure our tourism dollars were going to the people who needed it most. I had reservations about venturing off into the unknown especially since we had our 2 young daughters with us. Our next stop was Roatan Honduras. Honduras isn't known as the safest destination, but we believed if we were smart we could leave the cruise port, experience the island, and return to the ship unharmed. When we docked in Honduras we headed away from the crowds. As we neared the gates and saw the heavily armed men, my husband and I exchanged a look of worry, but we walked on. As we started walking down the road we were excitedly talking with the kids about what they wanted to see. Monkeys was high on the list. Not too far into our trek we spotted at least 50 cars parked at the bottom of the hill. Drivers sitting on the hoods of their very used sedans talking and laughing with each other. I let out a sigh of relief and felt a little better. If there were this many cars waiting to give tours we must not be the only crazy ones leaving the safety of the cruise line to experience the real Honduras. As we approached the eager locals they held up signs claiming to be the best. They quickly approached us trying hard to win our business with candid tag lines on why we should ride with them. We walked past the first mob of drivers and noticed a bright sign with monkeys and bananas. We talked with the driver, Carlos. He had a beat up silver Toyota Corolla with tape holding in the headlight. I was nervous, but we negotiated a price and set off. As a mom, I was worried he was going to turn on a dirt road, kidnap my children and sell them on the black market, but I managed to push those worries aside and take in the beauty around me. As we drove to our destination, Carlos gave us a glimpse into life as a Honduran. The landscape was beautiful with scattered dilapidated homes. Hondurans sat out front watching their children play as the honking cars rolled by. Living in severe poverty didn't squash their happiness. Smiles abounded many faces and laughter filled the air. Carlos drove us past a large stadium where Cock Fights take place. I was surprised to learn how important the sport is to the locals and Carlos was shocked to discover it is illegal in the USA. Arriving at the zoo I was taken back at the run down grounds. We walked down a winding path covered with vegetation. We could hear the birds and other creatures getting louder. Soon the vegetation opened up and we saw animals in their enclosures. As we entered the cage with the monkeys they became very curious with us. It didn't take them long to jump onto our shoulders and into our arms. It was an experience that none of us had had before. After the zoo we were famished and asked Carlos if we could buy him lunch at his favorite restaurant. He agreed, but we had to stay in the car while he got the food as they don't like tourists coming into local places. We sent him in with money, he returned with tasty chicken and fixings. As Carlos drove us back to the pier he told us about the corruption in his country. He told us of his dreams of leaving the island and traveling. He gave our girls Honduran money as a souvenir and dropped us off at the cruise terminal safely. We learned so much more than the cookie cutter tours and helped support local Hondurans.