ERP Update...Alfarerias (earthenware handicrafts) and Panaderias (bread makers)

We also worked with two womens groups – a group of women in La Paz who make breads and a group of women in Yarumela who make handicrafts with mud and earth. These projects consisted of organizing the women who have traditionally worked independently, so that they could pool their resources and be more effective in the production and sales of their crafts. In addition, they received funds that went directly to purchasing materials and improving conditions in their work areas. The Alfareria project included roughly 50 women and provided each woman with additional supplies of mud and paint for making their crafts. These women have travel costs of roughly 50 Lempiras roundtrip every time they travel to purchase the mud they use. Their other major cost is in the paint for finishing the figurines. In the photos you can see the oven for firing as well as the variety of figurines all made by hand - nativity scenes, bride/groom wedding figurines, animals, and small and large pots. Each figurine takes between 15 minutes and an hour to make, another two hours for baking, and then they are painted by hand. They cost between 50 and 100 Lempiras ($2.50 to $5.00)

The Pan Paceno project included roughly 30 women who received benefits in the form of improved ovens or a shed to cover their work space for protection from the heat and sun. These ovens are heated with firewood and are located in the patios behind their houses. Most of the types of bread they make are traditional Honduran biscuits - small hard breads for dipping in coffee. In the photos you can see some of the variety these women make - pan dulce, rosquillas, quesadillas, and torta. A bag of ne of these breads costs between 5 and 15 Lemiras ($0.25 - $0.75)

ERP Update...Centro Rehabilitacion Integral Paceno (CRIP)

As my main project of our Poverty Reduction Strategy work in La Paz, I was in charge of design, budgeting, and proposal submittal for the remodel of an existing physical rehabilitation center. We received 312,000.00 Lempiras ($16,500) from the national organization to complete this project. In March we selected a contractor and the demolition began just before Easter.








The work includes reorganization of interior spaces to allow for more patient privacy, the addition of a new bathroom and storage room, and the reconfiguration of the building entry. My favorite part of this project was the front entry redesign. The existing slope of the entry ramp was so steep that it was completely inaccessible to handicapped persons, the main clients of the center, so I redesigned the ramp to allow for patients to enter the center of their own ability. We unfortunately had to remove the existing Ficus trees to allow for the switchback ramp, but they were also damaging the sidewalk, so we will put back green plants and trees where these trees were removed.

The color plan is my proposed design. In the photos you can see the before photo with the Ficus trees, some of the interior partition walls, and workers putting up the perimeter fence.

Long overdue...Las Islas Bahia (BAy Islands of Honduras)

After Sarah and I traveled through Copan, Tela, and Ceiba, we were ready for some real relaxation, so the day after New Year’s we took off by boat from Ceiba to Roatan, on the BayIslands of Honduras. The Caribbean edge of Honduras is one of our best traits, as the bay islands together with Belize boasts the second largest reef in the world following Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. Although the premier attraction is as a divers paradise, the Islands have an interesting mix of Spanish, African, and English influence that make its culture quite fascinating. Much like the north coast of Honduras the people speak a mixture of Spanish and African dialects, though English is the native tongue.





Though some of the largest fish in the world have been spotted near the bay islands, Sarah and I played it safe and stuck to the surface of the water which was just as beautiful to peruse with our rented snorkeling masks and fins. We saw some beautiful fish including a barracuda, starfish, stingray, and other colorful Caribbean fish! It was beautiful. We got some sun and some fruity drinks on the beach and also some good seafood. We kept costs down with yogurt and granola for breakfasts, peanut butter sandwiches for lunch, and then enjoyed our dinners on island fare! So our hotel wasn’t the most fashionable of the accommodations available on the island, but the cockroaches got us a discount in the end!!!

We also spent some time with our new friends Sarah and Elliott and traveled back to San Pedro with them for Sarah’s flight home…Though I was ready to get back home it was hard to return to work after such relaxation….
This was probably one of the most enjoyable vacations I have had in a long time. It was perfect!

Thanks to Sarah for the great photos... my camera stopped working just before our trip...
And congrats to Sarah and Elliott on their recent engagement!!!

Long overdue...Macaw Mountain Bird Park

Me and Sarah at the Sapo Rojo (Red Frog Bar) in Copan!!!

During our stay in Copan we also explored the Macaw Mountain Bird park, owned by a U.S. “ex-pat,” who has rescued over 100 varieties of birds from Honduras and Central America and are on display in a beautiful environment of regional plants and coffee trees. You can see a variety of macaws, toucans, and parrots as well as the Honduran national bird, the Guacamaya. We all enjoyed the experience of holding these birds, though they enjoyed nibbling on our clothes, earrings, and hair. My favorite photo is of the Toucan...sporting some beautiful colors!!!

Long Overdue...Copan Ruinas

I’ve been so fortunate to have both friends and family visit me here in Honduras in the last few months…and when tourists come from the United States there are certain places they want to go. They say they want to “experience” what my life is like here on a day-to-day basis, but when it comes down to it, the cold bucket showers, intense heat, and dry dusty roads of Honduras is not how visitors want to spend valuable vacation days. But don’t get me wrong, I’m not discouraging visitors…in fact I long for the opportunity to be in a place where I can finally get clean, sleep in air conditioning, and have a good meal. It’s been great having both my parents and Sarah down to visit me, so please book your tickets now!!! Sarah was here in the end of December/Beginning of January on break from Columbia. Then my parents visited the week before Easter (Semana Santa). Both visits included a trip to Copan Ruinas, the farthest west of Honduras, to see the ancient Mayan Ruins.




Copan…the town itself is a really nice stopping point, for its cobblestone streets, beautiful central park, and surrounding lush green hills. My mom and I went for a horseback ride along the river the morning before we left. Sarah and I frequented some of the bars and met some travelers as well as other Peace Corps volunteers. We also made good friends with a couple, Sarah and Elliott, who we then spent time with later on the Bay Islands. The people are friendly, the food is great, and the ruins are a must see if you haven’t ever had an experience like this.




The Ruins…Known as the “Athens of the New World” Copan has one of the richest sets of preserved Mayan ruins. At it height there was a population of roughly 24,000 Mayans living at Copan, and was the Mayan cultural center for 400 years at its peak of development. Though there were settlers in the Copan valley believed from 1000 BC, the construction of the civilization is believed to have begun around the AD 100 and the royal dynasty began in 426. Some of the best preserved pieces of the civilization include the ball court which was a central social space for Mayans, the Great Plaza, and the hieroglyphic stairway which is the longest inscription in the Americas. The stairway has 72 steps containing 2500 glyphs that recount the story of Copan’s rulers., of whom include Smoke Monkey, 18 Rabbit, Moon Jaguar, and Yax K’uk Mo. Some of my favorite pieces are in the photos…the “Old Man” of Copan, La Rosalila with my parents, which is on display in the archeological museum, and the 16 Seated Men, which carved around a square cut stone depicts Copans first and the last ruler meeting face to face.