Safety in San Pedro Sula, Honduras What do other Racers need to know in order to be safe? Current safety protocols/precautions in place? Any relevant issues/concerns? Any precautionary suggestions?
People’s Opinions
We were not allowed to go anywhere by ourselves but our hosts were more than willing to take us wherever we wanted to go. We were allowed to walk a couple of miles to a mall nearby and took the bus because we had to get our visas extended. Taxi’s were also an option
We were constantly with our host in this area. Never a time to be alone or walk anywhere on our own. We couldn’t have dreamed of taking public transportation by ourselves.We never witnessed violence but it’s very common in the area and our host took extreme extra precautions.
Ministry Summary
Ministry Summary in San Pedro Sula, Honduras Breakthroughs? Suggestions? Concerns? On a scale of 1-4 (1 being not at all, 4 being absolutely) how strongly would you recommend another World Race team go to this ministry location & why?
People’s Opinions
We had a great time in Choloma. The pastor and his family were more than accomodating. We worked for a couple of hours each morning with the feeding program His Hands for Honduras and also worked with Compassion International. It was really eye opening and a new partnership for them which was cool!
We were with “His Hands for Honduras” with pastor Gregorio and his Wife and their two older daughters. We lived at their home and were constantly surrounded by their family. They quickly became our family and treated us like it. The food that Francisca cooked was outstanding and she was always willing to let us watch and to teach us. We worked with a feeding program in the neighborhood where the kids would hug on us and play with us each day. We performed “drama’s” of Bible stories for the kids everyday and hung out with them before they ate and after they ate.
Lodging
Lodging in San Pedro Sula, Honduras Where did you stay? What were the accommodations (sleeping arrangements, toilets, showers, etc.)? Cost (per person per night in USD), Contact info.
People’s Opinions
We stayed at the house with Pastor Gregorio and his family. We were allowed to go on walks with family members when we asked. We all slept in one room (7 people when our SQL was there with us) and we had a room to keep our bags in. There was outdoor space for us to eat and congregate in but it was not super clean. The space was also home to the family’s 3 ducks who were always underfoot.
We stayed at the pastors house outside of San Pedro Sula in Zolano. We did not have the option to ever leave the hosts house on our own. We did everything as a team but and really became part of the family. Anytime we left the house we were to be assisted by our host or an older family member.
Food / Meals
Food / Meals in San Pedro Sula, Honduras What did you eat? Where did you get the food? Cost (per person per day in USD)? Contact info (if applicable).
People’s Opinions
The family made all of our meals except for our ‘thankyou’ meal to them. There was lots of fried food which was delicious. They were willing to add fruits and veggies once we voiced that we wanted some more of those types of foods. There’s a grocery store in the mall a couple of miles away and we walked it a couple of times with Josue, (pastors son. There were also many Tienda’s nearby where they would walk with us when we asked to go!
The pastor’s wife, Francisca Medina, cooked almost all our meals and they were incredible– baleadas, pastelitos, and quesadillas! She loved when we helped her in the kitchen and is happy to share recipes and show you how to make everything.We paid the family $5 per person, per day for food.
Transportation
Transportation in San Pedro Sula, Honduras What transportation did you use to enter the country? Where were you coming from? What transportation was used to move throughout the country? Be sure to include the cost per person in USD and contact info if applicable.
People’s Opinions
We always traveled with Pastor Gregorio, so we mostly used the public bus to get to the grocery store, or the local mall. The bus was around 10 lempiras per person.For longer journeys, or whenever we had our packs, Pastor Gregorio called a taxi driver, which was more expensive, but necessary for longer travel or for the space for our packs. He is friends with the taxi drivers too so they are a trusted source as far as safety is concerned.
Medical
Medical in San Pedro Sula, Honduras Information on local hospitals / doctors / pharmacies. Where would someone go in a medical emergency? (addresses and contact info).
People’s Opinions
Beware of pink eye and foot-fungus. Our team experienced both here so just make sure you’re vigilant about your hygiene.
Hospital del ValleTelephone: +504-2527-8400The hospital was fantastic. Super clean and the staff was friendly and helpful. A problem we ran into was that none of the doctors spoke English, so we had our host translate for us the best he could (using the Google app).Another issue was the nurse didn’t place the IV in correctly, so our teammate who was at the hospital was swollen and bruised for about a week or two after visiting the hospital, but he was okay overall.
Communication
Communication in San Pedro Sula, Honduras Did you have cell reception / Internet service? Where? Carrier / Provider, where did you get phones / SIM cards, cost? Country code?
People’s Opinions
Country Code: +504 For Honduras we used Tigo as our local cellular service. The minutes were available virtually anywhere– the grocery store, the local pulperia, or the mall.
Financial
Financial in San Pedro Sula, Honduras Location of banks or ATMs, notes about transaction fees, best places to exchange money, and other money related advice.
People’s Opinions
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Translators
Translators in San Pedro Sula, Honduras List any local translators – name and contact information, languages spoken
People’s Opinions
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Off Days / Fun Activities
Off Days / Fun Activities in San Pedro Sula, Honduras What activities did your team experience? Recommendations? List locations/contact info. Any locations to be avoided? Any extra safety tips for off days?
People’s Opinions
We went to Omoa- the family has a friend with a beach house and we hung out there for a day. Around the corner from the house is a small resort type place with food and a cleaner beach. We also took a weekend to Tela and stayed at a hotel there for one night. It was really nice and was a beautiful/safe town. (Santiago Hotel) Josue helped us set everything up! It was probably $30ish a person for the night and the same amount for travel but it was an awesome weekend- 10/10 would recommend.
Due to the amount of crime in San Pedro Sula, we didn’t have much opportunity to leave, with the exception of two separate occasions.One day we went all the way into town to the large mall, which has a movie theater. We were able to sit in the a/c, eat popcorn, and take in a film!Another outing we drove to Omoa to see the historical fort, Castellio de Omoa. The tickets were $4 per person and the tour was pretty interesting. The fort itself was beautiful and definitely worth the trip just to get out and see something new!
Other Important Contacts
Other Important Contacts in San Pedro Sula, Honduras Additional ministry opportunities, local pastors, etc. Relationship & follow up suggestions
People’s Opinions
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Tips
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Additional Info
Additional Info in San Pedro Sula, Honduras Anything we’ve left out? Any additional suggestions to make travel easier for others?