Coyol

The pride and joy of Olancho, Coyol. I have been told it only exists in Olancho, I am not completely convinced. It is a type of palm that during the dry season ferments (by itself) the liquid that is inside it to create a alcoholic drink. True Olanchano style. The pictures I have included below are the nasty nasty spines on the palm, the coyol fruit (kind bland tasting to me) and the palms themselves. Coyol it self is one of the few things that smells much worst than it tastes. I am not a huge fan of it but esposo I think might start a fan club.
Coyol I have been told use to be prominent around Olancho but now only in the higher elevations can you find it due to a nasty beetle that kills the palm. So I have never seen a live Coyol palm...
The video I put below is Coyol the drink being taken out of the palm. I think it is pretty fascinating.

My Semana Santa in Photos

A few photos around olancho

Here is a few photos I took around Olancho this past week. enjoy!

The People of Mel

Today is a day that shows what the people of Mel are like.
This morning the husband of a Congress woman was kidnapped- she supports Micheletti. They just found the husbands car and blood in it.
Then just now at 8:15p.m. the news man of Olancho (anchor and the whole show) was shot. He supports Micheletti.
How do I know that it is Mel supporters? Because it is Olancho and in Olancho, and specifically Juticalpa everyone knows everyone.

La Sarca

The people here in Olancho have different ways of approaching me, or referring to me. The most obvious one of course is the gringa, or gringita. I do occasionally get asked if I am Honduran, which I think more because the accent of my Spanish- not so much the grammar.
The one that always gets a good laugh out of my husbands family and the employees here at the store is when people call me sarca. Sarca translates to clear eyes, mostly referring albinos. There is a lady that always comes by and when she leaves, she calls out to me "adios, sarca!" the employees always chuckle at her. By calling me sarca she is saying I am Honduran, the idea is just plain silly to them. I just smile back "adios!"

Olancho, Juticalpa, and Honduras

The question is often asked to me "what is it like?" Well it is first Olancho and second it is Juticalpa and thirdly it is Honduras.
Olancho can be best described as the wild west, the idea of Texas. People here generally speaking are very nice, and friendly- but don't mess with an Olanchano. My best example for this is here at the store people steal ALL the time, only once have we taken someone to the police station. Why? We don't know their family. We don't know if they come from a bad family. The one person we did take to the police was an employee that had work for three days and had already stolen a few pairs of shoes and pants, impressive really. So we don't take them to the police, but we charge them double and make a show, as they say in Spanish. In Olancho people say they are from "The Republic of Olancho" only half joking.
Juticalpa is the "metropolitan area" of Olancho. I say that in quotes because, yes it is the largest city in Olancho- but not a whole lot metropolitan about it. Juticalpa is full of people shopping but this is Olancho, most people are farmers they live in areas with out electricity, these people need only the basics. The stores are simple square cement, the streets are mostly dirt, the electricity and water are often absent with out reason. Danger generally comes from making one of the 'families' mad, having too much money, or being stupid.
Honduras is well Honduras, if we are doing the politically incorrect ranking it is third world. Living here is frustrating some days, and other days are simply wonderful. Sometimes these two seem to balance out, other times not even close. One good thing is you can bribe the police; one bad thing is you can bribe the police. As a foreigner I am often frustrated because of that- I am a foreigner. I cannot blend in and I will almost always be charged more, for anything. At the same time people remember who I am and are anxious to talk to me. I will not say Honduras and I have a love hate relationship. Honduras and I have a relationship, and that changes day by day.