Whispers of Honduras: A Peace Corps Experience

By James Murren

Whispers of Honduras: A Peace Corps Experience is a Peace Corps Volunteer (PCV) account of living in Olancho, Honduras from September 1997-December 1999. Manto was a quiet, little mountain town surrounded by pine-forested hills then. As a PCV, I was treated well, laughed a lot, learned to slow down, and developed a deeper understanding of international relations, environmental protection, poverty, and friendship, among countless other words that could be listed here.

The pages of the book depict small parts of me that serve as experiences not only of my life in Olancho, but also other areas of Honduras during my time as a PCV. The sections before “Return to Hondo” were written while as a PCV and the chapters after it were written during a return trip in December 2007/January 2008. With that, I give you words and photos that may illuminate my understanding of Honduras.

• Language: English
• Publisher: James Murren
• Release date: Nov 4, 2015
• ISBN: 9780997004205

James Murren

James Murren is an independent writer, with numerous publications in print and online media. His experience includes more than fifteen years of international “development” and environmental work. He holds degrees from Penn State University and the University of Pennsylvania, and teaches at San Diego State University.

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Whispers of Honduras

A Peace Corps Experience

James Murren

Copyright © 2015 James Murren

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Table of Contents

Introduction

A Walk Around Tegucigalpa

Drinking in Honduras

Deforestation

Life in Olancho, Honduras—3 Poems

Whispers of Life in Honduras

Hitchhiking in Honduras

Beers of Hondo

Post-Hurricane Mitch

Learning to Dive in Utila

Eating in Honduras: A Menu

Friendship Defined

Celaque—Climbing Honduras’ Highest Peak

Return to Hondo: No Woman, No Cry

Return to Hondo: Going Home to Visit Friends

Return to Hondo: We Want Our Water

Return to Hondo: The Boys

Return to Hondo: New Year’s with the Garifuna

Santa Fe

La Mosquitia, Honduras

Dugout Canoe: La Mosquitia, Honduras

Logging versus Water in Honduras

Acknowledgements

Introduction

I served as a USA Peace Corps Volunteer (PCV) in Honduras from September 1997-December 1999. Upon arrival, I was placed into the Natural Resources sector, which meant that my tasks included work along the lines of: environmental education, watershed management and protection, agroforestry, school gardening, and whatever else I may get involved in with the people of my site. My site was Manto, Olancho, Honduras, in the wild, wild, East of Honduras. Entre si quiere, Salga si puede was the slogan during that time. Enter if you want, Leave if you can was all about the lawlessness and the killing and crime that went along with roadside robberies, cattle rustling, and illegal logging in Olancho.

Looking back, I like to think that maybe it could mean something else. Perhaps it could mean more about going there (entering) if you want to, and leaving if you can, meaning that maybe you’ll never quite leave Olancho, or rather, that Olancho never leaves you. Possibly, for those that have lived in Olancho, there is a piece of them that still lives there, or in their hearts, unable to leave.

Manto was a quiet, little mountain town surrounded by pine-forested hills. I was treated well, laughed a lot, learned to slow down, and developed a deeper understanding of international relations, environmental protection, poverty, and friendship, among countless other words I could list here. When people ask about my experience there, I always say that it was positive and that I am grateful and thankful for my life in Manto. Some days, I still dream of being there and playing basketball with the boys, more than anything else from my memories.

The following pages are small parts of me that serve as experiences not only of my life in Olancho, but also other areas of Honduras during my time as a PCV. The sections before Return to Hondo were written on paper with a pen and sent via air mail to my hometown newspaper where they were printed as a monthly column that appeared on Sunday morning. There was no internet at that time; the only communication available in Manto with the outside world was a telegraph machine!

With that, I give you words and photos that may illuminate my understanding of Honduras.

*Some of the writings in this book first appeared from 1997-99 as a monthly column (Letters from Honduras) in my hometown newspaper, The Evening Sun, Hanover, PA.

Cover photo: I took this looking out from the house where

Reviews for Whispers of Honduras

[Juan Mayén · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Great perspective on Honduran life in the late 90s and early 2009. I felt i travelled to Manto with James. Good read for anyone in Honduras and for any U.S person considering taking part in the peace corps.