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Honduras Lempira
Honduras, or to give it its former title, Spanish Honduras, which was used to differentiate it from the British Honduras, which is now known as Belize, uses the lempira as its currency.
Each lempira is then divided into 100 centavos, as per many Spanish influenced currencies.
The lempira is issued by the Central Bank of Honduras (Banco Central de Honduras) and as coins it is issued in denominations of 5, 10, 20 and 50 centavos and as notes in the form of 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100 and 500 lempiras. The currency is denoted internally by the letter L, so if something costs 10 lempiras, it will be signified as L10. On the international scene, the currency is identified by the letters HNL.
The name itself is derived from a former leader of the Lenca people, who was a resistance leader, against the Spanish invaders. He was known as Chief (or cacique) Lempira.
History of the Lempira
The lempira, despite its ancient name, was only brought into being in 1931, when it was introduced as a replacement for the Honduran peso which had been in use until that date. Since then the lempira has been in continuous use and is, by Central American standards, a relatively stable currency, with no major volatility. This is somewhat surprising given that Honduras is one of the poorest countries in the whole of the west, with many of its people living below the poverty line. Usually, when poverty is so widespread, there can be hikes in inflation and money can end up being shaky, but despite these circumstances, the lempira is usually worth around 18.5-19 lempiras.
Getting Hold of Lempiras
Despite the fact that it is such a poor country, there is a relatively good financial infrastructure in place in Honduras, which means that there are a number of ATM's in place. Most of these will accept European cards (but some may not) and they are all linked up to the US and Canadian networks. Debit cards seem to be rejected by the ATMs here, more than credit cards, so for safety's sake you are better to take a credit and debit card and keep them separate, just in case one gets lost or stolen.
Even if you can't find an ATM, most of the banks will give you cash on the strength of your credit card.
Traveller's cheques are also a good way of taking money into Honduras. They are readily accepted and you will find that they are preferred in dollars, but if you take euros or British sterling, then these will also be accepted.
Looking After Lempiras
Honduras is as stated earlier, a very poor country and there are problems with crime. However, it is not the worst country in the world for crime, but the grinding poverty that people live in, coupled with a police force who seem unable to apprehend any criminals, make Honduras a bit of a paradise for anyone who is into criminal activities.
There are a lot of murders in Honduras, but most of these seem to be gang related. Murder is seen as a way in which gang members can resolve any disputes. The ultimate conflict resolution in other words!
However, in 2005 10 US citizens were killed in Honduras, but since then the figure has been dropping, year on year. 6 were murdered in 2006 and only 4 in 2007. Whether this drop in the crime rate is simply a coincidence or the result of government/police action, it is too early to tell, but one thing remains certain, travellers should exercise a good deal of caution when in Honduras.
If you are planning to go only to the tourist areas, then you will find that these generally have a lower crime rate. Indeed special 'tourist police forces' have been set up in these areas. So, if you are travelling to San Pedro Sula, Tela, Tegucigalpa, Roatan or La Ceiba, then it really is much safer than the other areas. In the tourist spots, the main problem is with pickpockets, so it is simply a case of taking precautions to make sure that you do not have your purse or wallet stolen. Usually, if you use a money belt that is hidden from view, this will be sufficient to deter thieves, but you should also be careful not to wear a lot of jewellery.
If you do go into the non-tourist areas, then you should be mindful of the fact that kidnapping is a real problem and you should be on your guard at all times. When you are driving, make sure that you lock your doors and windows when you are in the car and try not to drive at night. Night time driving is considered to be particularly unsafe.
Be wary of motorcyclists in Honduras. Sometimes robbers use motorbikes as a way of slowing down as they go past you, stealing a bag or demanding your wallet etc then speeding off. If someone does attack you in any way, the advice is to simply hand over your goods. If you fight back, you will be more likely to be killed, particularly if the robbers are gang members. To them life is cheap, mainly because they will have seen many of their fellow gang members killed and they may not know when they too will be killed, so murder is not such a 'big deal' as it is to most other human beings. Almost 4,000 people in Honduras were killed last year. This may not seem too high a figure, until you realise that there are less than 7.5 million people in the country. So the risks are real.
But if you are careful, mindful of your surroundings, do not travel at night and do not wander into any particularly poor parts of town, or end up drunk and alone at night etc then you should be able to enjoy all that Honduras has to offer, without any real problems.
Spending Lempiras
Due to the fact that Honduras is such a poor country, it is actually a very cheap destination for other westerners. Cheap, in this sense, means really good value for money, because it certainly does that. The costs of food and drink and general items are more expensive in the tourist areas, as you would expect, but in the other areas, they are much lower.
Honduras is actually a very big country, being the second biggest in Central America and yet it does not have a huge population, which means that much of it is uninhabited. It is also a country of contrasts, with coastlines on both the Caribbean and Pacific Oceans as well as some fantastic Mayan archaeological sites and ruins as well as some remnants from the Spanish time in Honduras. It is also a country with big urban areas such as Tegucigalpa (the capital), which is quite modern and relatively developed. Then you have the tourist areas of the Bay islands, which are very much geared towards giving visitors a great holiday and the diving here is simply amazing, with some coral reefs which are amongst the best in the world. Then you have the older style 'colonial villages' which were part of the Spanish and European influence.
These contrasts and differences mean that there is no one single 'side' to Honduras. You could have 100 travellers going there and each seeing a different side of the country and its people, since there is literally so much to see and do.
Obviously if you simply want a beach holiday, then the Bay Islands are probably the best place to visit, or the town of Trujillo, which also has some great beaches and is the place where Christopher Columbus landed, when he first reached Central America. The US dollar can be used quite extensively on the Bay Islands and the tourist facilities are excellent.
Environmentalists will be blown away by the Rio Patano (Biosphere) Reserve, which is actually the biggest tropical rainforest in the whole of Central America.
Or if you are interested in archaeology or history, then you will be amazed by the ruins at Copan, which have some striking architecture.
One thing that you should be aware of is that in the Bay area or the more popular tourist spots, people will be able to speak English, but in less touristy areas, they will not and communication can be a real problem. Some people cannot even speak Spanish very well, speaking only native languages. But communication will generally be a lot easier if you can at least get by in Spanish, so before you make that trip, try to learn a little, if you do not speak it already. If you do have an encounter with a criminal or robber then you will probably find that even in tourist areas, the police speak little or no English, so you may have to find someone who can interpret for you, if your Spanish is not so good.
Overview
Undoubtedly the crime problem does act as a major deterrent for many people who would like to visit Honduras, but are afraid to do so because it is such a violent country. This is a shame because the country does have a real and significant problem with crime, but there is so much more to Honduras than just crime. There are beautiful beaches, ancient relics, wonderfully quaint villages, a relatively temperate climate that is not too hot or cold and then the biggest rainforest in Central America, as well as some lively cities. It really is a country that has a lot to offer travellers and people, particularly in the villages and smaller towns, have a very welcoming attitude and seem genuinely delighted that someone has taken the time and trouble to visit their country, which is a refreshing change for many travellers, used to more tourist orientated destinations.
Before you make any firm booking to go to Honduras, you should just check whether it is safe to do so and check out the current crime scene levels, so that you can make a reasoned, but more importantly, an informed choice about whether or not you feel it is right for you to go there. A website such as http://www.smartraveller.gov.au/zw-cgi/view/advice/honduras will be able to give you up to date information, so that you can know exactly what is going on there.
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