A LITTLE JOURNEY IN HONDURAS 



179 



cost practically the same amount to reach 

 Tegucigalpa by either port of entry; but 

 the time taken and the inconveniences 

 met with on the two roads are vastly dif- 

 ferent. To reach Amapala, a steamer 

 may be taken at San Francisco. The 

 voyage, as a rule, occupies 22 days, not 

 because this length of time is necessary 

 to cover the distance, but because the 

 boats are slow, carry cargo, and stop for 

 a few hours, or it may be for a few days, 

 at ports in Mexico, Guatemala, and Sal- 

 vador. For the traveler who is in no 

 hurry, this voyage is extremely interest- 

 ing. Our ship touched at Mazatlan, Aca- 

 pulco, and Salina Cruz, in Mexico ; Ocos, 

 Champerico, and San Jose, in Guatemala ; 

 Acajutla, La Libertad, and La Union, in 

 Salvador. We anchored for three days 

 off San Jose, and many of the passengers 

 took advantage of the opportunity to visit 

 Guatemala City, almost a day's journey 

 inland. 



A PICTURE OF AMAPALA 



On arriving at Amapala, I received 

 courteous treatment everywhere ; in many 

 cases the natives of the country must 

 have gone to considerable trouble on my 

 account, and on one occasion the foreman 

 of. a hacienda where I had been stopping 

 swam his .horse across a river seven times 

 to assist a friend and myself with our 

 baggage ; yet we were "Gringos," whom 

 he would probably never see again. In 

 Amapala arrangements must be made to 

 continue the journey to Tegucigalpa by 

 mules. There are only a few miles of 

 railroad in Honduras, on the north coast, 

 and as transportation is primitive it is 

 best to understand that in crossing or 

 going through Honduras .conveniences 

 must be forgotten ; there are no particu- 

 lar hardships to be borne or dangers to be 

 faced, but the creature comforts of home 

 are missing. 



From Amapala a launch is taken to 

 San Lorenzo, where the necessary mules 

 should be arranged for in advance, since 

 they have to come from Perspire, a town 

 some miles away. If a light pack is all 

 the traveler has, it can be taken with him 

 on a mule; otherwise it is better and 

 cheaper to send heavy baggage forward 

 by ox-cart, and, naturally, this will take 



considerably longer. Tegucigalpa should 

 be reached in three days, there being a 

 fairly good road all the way. As it is a 

 constructed road and not a trail, 25 days 

 from San Francisco may be considered 

 the length of time required by this route. 



A PUZZLING FINANCIAL SYSTEM 



The monetary system of the country 

 should be studied immediately upon land- 

 ing. The standard is silver and the rate 

 of exchange is two and one-half to one; 

 in other words, the Honduran dollar 

 (peso or sol) is worth 40 cents gold. 

 Funds should be taken from the States in 

 gold coin only ; this will pass everywhere 

 and is eagerly sought for by the mer- 

 chants. The paper money of the country 

 is as good as the silver, but away from 

 the large towns and cities it is hard to get 

 small change for a bill; hence it is ad- 

 visable always to have a good supply of 

 silver to pay the charges met with here 

 and there on the road. 



A mozo or servant should also be hired 

 with the mules. He is an absolute neces- 

 sity to the stranger and is usually sent to 

 you by the owner from whom you have 

 hired the animals. The mozo practically 

 arranges your day's journey; he packs 

 and saddles your mules, shows the way, 

 does any odd thing you wish while on the 

 road, and may be depended on always to 

 get you a house for the night, for, except 

 in Amapala, Tegucigalpa, Puerto Cortes, 

 or the largest places, so-called hotels can- 

 not be found. 



HOSPITALITY AND CURIOSITY 



As a rule, the night will be spent in a 

 native house, sometimes little more than 

 a hut, built of mud, thatched or roofed 

 with tiles. One is apparently always wel- 

 come to the best the house affords ; but a 

 hammock as part of the traveler's outfit 

 is a necessity, for the beds of stretched 

 bull-hide or canvas are usually fully oc- 

 cupied, if not by those at whose home 

 you are a guest, then by other residents 

 greatly to be feared. 



Everybody sleeps in one room — men, 

 women, and children together. Your 

 hosts are curious, but politely so, watch- 

 ing you undress and get into your ham- 

 mock, with a calm stare that must not be 



