Trip to Honduras

Last week of January and first week of February a bunch of us got together and headed to Central America for the trip of a lifetime.
The Mission: visit a number of cigar factories, get some sunshine and a dose of historical learning.


We had opted for an all inclusive at the Palma Real Resort just outside of La Ceiba, Honduras. A lush area on the Caribean coast, with the rain forests mountains of La Pico Bonito as a back drop.



After settling in, our group of 16 in total split in two, with the brave (or should we say well lubricated) loading themselves on a micro bus and heading through the mountains on a 9 hour drive to Danli. Near the Pacific coast and just north of Nicaragua, it is the center of Honduran Cigar making. On the agenda the factories of J.R. Cigars, Comacho, Padron, Agro and Hoyo De Habanos.
Our intrepids, bright and early the next morning start out at the first factory. Steve, Paul, Karl, Francis, Rodney, Wayne and Joe...(he's in the out house around back!) No one knows where Johnny disappeared to.
Three factories were visited, and a trip out to the fields made up most of the day, broken up by lots of beer consumption and the occasional freshly rolled cigar.
As the day continues, visits to the curring barn and an opportunity to roll some cigars were in order.



Meanwhile those of us left behind at the resort, were making sure we drank more than the trip cost in booze, and googly eyed went out on some of the local tours and sights.


Afternoon dance lessons at the poolside bar, a boat trip out to the Cayos Cochinos for some snorkeling and fish lunch. The Cayos, a small group of islands left over from an exploded volcano are inhabited by Garafunas, a unique culture of escaped African slaves that retained much of their original language and culture.


The fisherman's wives prepared a nice lunch while the kids entertained us with a school song teaching the Garifuna vowels! Various episodes of the TV show Survivor are filmed here and we we not allowed in areas were the bigger coral reefs are,...a little disappointing, but hey a claim to fame...we were there when........!

Other local outings such as a horse ride up the mountain on slick trails to the hot springs and a

high wire canopy tour. Ron needed the bath in the hot springs as his horse, revengeful of the heavy load kept pushing him up against the next horse's ass end! (The horses are small and Ron is a big guy...nothing implied there!) Some of us ventured out to the mangrove swamps wild life refuge. We took an old Standard Fruit Co. pineapple express on a 6 km rickety track through the area that received the direct hit from Hurricane Mitch 11 years ago. It's still wet and very little has grown back. The swamp area recovered nicely, and although it was too late in the day, we did still see one big Crock, a couple of large Cayman, a howler Monkey and Toucans.


Back in the South West the others have set out for the border of Nicaragua. This really is frontier country, duelling is still legal here.
5 kilometer long lineups of trucks are checked on each side of the border for contraband. Gauchos herd cattle, and every manor of scam artist, peddler or other "entrepreneurs" walk the line looking for a fast buck! Our Intrepids had a few shall we say "moments" at the crossing. It was getting dark as they waited to cross, and at one point phony police had set up a road block. Johnny, speaking a little Spanish and quick to react, shoves one back, pulls the door and shouts to the driver,"move move".

After a night of painting the decidedly more civilized town of Esteli, Joe meets the daughter of one of the factory Padron's for a tour of their new renovated facilities. Thoroughly modern and impressive, the staff were all supplied with uniforms, and it was obvious they took pride in their workmanship.



Not enough space for all the photos, (see other post for video clips)
They are not on daylight savings time here so it would get dark soon, but the guys visited another factory and still had time to get in one more plantation tour as well, before a late lunch. Very tender steak, good beer all offered up by one of the factory owners!

Exhausted they load back in the micro bus, pockets and back packs full with cigars, and coax their driver to make the arduous 14 hour drive back to La Ceiba Honduras. Arriving back at the resort they had just enough time for two rounds at the pool bar, with stories to tell! ......Joe some how did not have his passport stamped when we first arrived. When the guys cross back into Honduras from Nicaragua, a Noriega type border officer held them up for and hour. Negotiating the fine of $50 U.S. the border guards let them in. As Joe looked back he saw the 50 go straight into the "boss's" pocket!

Meanwhile, quite concerned about our friends returning safely, Ron & Mary, Mike & Karen, the other Steve, Helen, Pamela and I decide a few bottles of wine and a nice dinner at the Ala Carte restaurant were the best thing we could do while we waited.



The morning after they got back, it was our turn to hit the dusty trails.
Our destination: The Copan Ruins in the north and a side trip to Santa Rosa to visit the Flor D' Copan Tobacco Factory.



We checked into the Hotel Copan in the town of Copan. Nestled up a step mountain side with cobblestone streets, it was very much like a 16th century Portuguese or Italian town. Helen relaxes in the center courtyard open to the sky 4 stories up, while the rest unpack.

The Ruins are just a mile back down the road. We make hay while the sun shines. Our guide is a claimed directed descendant of the Mayan kings with a very odd sense of humour. Colourful Parrots greet us at the gate.


This was the empire of 18 Rabbit, the last of the great Mayan Kings and the best ball player known.



It was thought the game was to the death, being a great honour to pass into the underworld as a God. Recently in remote areas of Guatemala it was discovered the game is still played to this day. Studies of 18 Rabbit's bones show many injuries from the game that healed, as he was thought also to be the best ball player,...the death thing is questionable!


Food in all these countries is also questionable at times.....every one caught a little bug someplace or other. I got one, I think from some fresh pineapple at the road side an hour before we reached Copan. Cut with a machete, no running water to wash and bagged there, sold to travellers on the highway.


Atop the highest point of the ruins, I get a painful sudden urge! Steve goes in to one of the inner chambers to ask the "underworlds" forgiveness, as I find a private spot at the root of a giant Ceiba tree, still covering an un-excavated pyramid, to relieve the explosive devil in me! The tree is so massive that 50 feet below a root comes out of the ground that's still a foot in diameter and was probably appreciative of the fertilizer!

That evening we head back to the town of Copan to do a little shopping in the market and grab a bite at a local eatery.
Oscar #2, our driver for both expeditions (in the hammock) was at this point in need of some serious R & R. These little 3 wheel taxis somehow actually made it up the steep hills in town.

The next morning we head back down the hill to a coffee plantation. Owned by a Gringo that has a passion for birds, it's a sanctuary for rescued parrots. Nestled in a deep gorge shade grown coffee was carefully planted between native trees up both sides of the steep slopes. (more photos to come)

We had time to sample fresh roasted coffee and purchase green beans for home, before heading to Santa Rosa.
The Cigar factory there was not quite as hospitable, they charge for tours and hustled us through pretty fast. We were not allowed to take pictures, or buy anything there. They are in a duty free zone, so we'd have to go into town and buy at their retail shop. For anyone who has not seen it before, it is still very interesting.

I asked about their process for maduro wrappers. One style they "cook" in pressure steamers, adding a touch of apple cider vinegar to it. Joe says this is normally a trade secret and most cigar factories would never let visitors in there. (I guest because of our trade knowledge our guide made an exception)

We had planned on getting to Lake Yajoa (inland and the only large lake in the country) for a sunset dinner. We had shown up in Santa Rosa around 1pm, but they insisted we come back at 2;30 for the cigar tour so we lost time.

We finally made it to the lake by 7pm, and had a very bad dinner. There's a row of about 20 continuos cantinas at one end of the lake, obviosly we chose the wrong one, but I'd go there again during the day to get a better look around.

Tired, sore butts and aching lower backs, we, like those before, return to the resort with just enough time for last call at the pool bar. Little Steve orders 4, the rest of us 2 each, just enough to dull the senses.


The last few days were spent just relaxing and enjoying the sun and warmth.The resort puts on some cheesey shows at night, it's fun & kills time.

A few things to point out: The Palma Real Resort is in it's own is not bad, but the owners took over management last year from professional management company........maintainance has suffered, the gym was non existant, food was sloppy and a few people got sick......they seem to be more interested in selling their condo bungalows and new planned hi-rise. We booked through Conquest Vacations, to whom I complained....to date all they've done is say "we'll investigate".

I've heard nothing from them since!

We do need to thank Oscar, Francis, and Oscar # 2 (our driver) from http://www.hondurastouristoptions.com/ for the hard work and all inland travel arrangements.......Good job Guys!

Copan is worth the trip, you really need 3 or 4 days to do the area right: http://www.cafemiramundo.com/index.htm

Honduras info try; http://www.letsgohonduras.com/

On a last note, the other day one of the cigar club members asked me if I'd ever arrange and organize something like this again, I quickly said NO, but then I added " I'm an idiot...you know I probably will.....after all it's been an amazing 13 years and at least 200 events, trips, parties and functions....there must be something about it I enjoy!"

Thanks too, all the people who made the trip, it was a slice! Please add a few of your own personal accounts or foot note in our "comments".


(This thing is painfully slow, uploading photo's and all with dial up) I'll be back every few days to add more...there's 30 photos and lots more adventure...stay tuned! It'll all go on another page look for it.

If you want to down load photos, "right click" and "open in new window" for larger sizes suitable to print.