Tegucigalpa, Honduras, Plaza Morazan

Tegucigalpa, Honduras
Plaza Morazan
September 1999

Strolling south from La Iglesia de los Dolores and the plaza, you approach 4 Calle, which is another peatonal. A wide variety of street vendors is present selling everything imaginable: clothing, food, household gadgets, and calculators are just some of the many items available for sale. You can change money at the banks or with the street money changers who frequent the peatonal. This is the central business district area complete with banks, fast food shops, panaderias, sit down restaurants, fabric shops, camera stores, appliance shops, and markets. For home sick Americans, the array of fast food places will look familiar: Pizza Hut, Burger King, Wendy's, Little Caesar's Pizza and DK'D (which is Dunkin Donuts).

The three of us would often breakfast at the Super Donut on the peatonal. Super Donut serves traditional Honduran breakfast foods in addition to an assortment of American style donuts and pastries. Also on the peatonal is a full service restaurant, Tres Arcos and several other bakeries.

Security is EVERYWHERE. Private security guards are posted outside every establishment that handles large volumes of cash: banks, fast food places, appliance stores, etc. All are heavily armed. Unlike bank security in the US who carry pistols, private security guards in Honduras often carry Remington 870 shotguns or semi automatic weapons like AK-47's. It often unsettles many Americans to see this amount of security, don't let it get to you. Enjoy yourself in Honduras, just follow the usual sensible tourist precautions about expensive items and large amounts of cash. As you head east along the peatonal, you approach Plaza Morazán, also known as the Parque Central

The plaza is a beehive of activity with street vendors selling newspapers, fruit, beverages, ice cream, candy, cookies, lottery tickets and cigarettes. There is also a shoe shine stand located near the stage. This is a permanent fixture and all of the shoe shine men wear a uniform of sorts (a golf shirt with the company name across the back). The bench is actually a locker of sorts where they can keep all their equipment and supplies. A shoe shine will run about 7 Lempira for a pair of "deck shoes." That is about $0.49 at the prevailing exchange rate in September 1999.

On the east side of the plaza is the Cathedral of San Miguel (the Cathedral of Tegucigalpa). Built in the middle 18th century, the cathedral has some interesting columns done in a pleated or accordion fold style. The church also houses a museum of religious art. Hours for the museum are weekday afternoons (2:30 p.m. to 6 p.m.) and Sundays (10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.). Like La Iglesia de los Dolores, the Cathedral has a gold altar indicative of the role mineral wealth played in the early history of Honduras. Other decorative and functional pieces are silver plated.

The evidence of the extremes is present here in the plaza. Ornate golden altars in the church, appliance stores, camera stores, high end clothing stores contrast with street vendors and beggars. Learn the phrase No molesta! (Don't bother me!) Said in a firm convincing voice, it will discourage the street people from asking for Lempira.

Entertainment also occurs on the plaza in a variety of forms ranging from street entertainers to more formal concerts. The clown act with the acrobat and fire eater was pretty impressive. One of the school bands gave a concert on the stage for Independence Day

Several statutes are located in the plaza, most prominent is the statue of Francisco Morazán. Morazán was a prominent liberal leader of the federation of Central American provinces in the 1830's. He made some effort to reform and promote education during his tenure in office. Several of the Independence Day activities were focused in the plaza at or near the Francisco Morazán statue. These included a military honor guard surrounding the statue, presentations of floral wreaths in honor of Independence Day, and the usual political speeches

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