Tegucigalpa, Honduras Report of what it's like to live there - 08/11/15

Personal Experiences from Tegucigalpa, Honduras

Tegucigalpa, Honduras 08/11/15

Background:

1. Was this post your first expatriate experience? If not, what other cities have you lived in as an expat?

Not my first expat experience

View All Answers


2. What is your home city/country? How long is the trip to post from there, with what connections? How easy/difficult is it to travel to this city/country?

Washington State.

View All Answers


3. How long have you lived here?

One year

View All Answers


4. What brought you to this city (e.g. diplomatic mission, business, NGO, military, teaching, retirement, etc.)?

Foreign service

View All Answers


Housing, Groceries & Food:

1. What is your housing like? What are typical housing sizes, locations, and commute times for expatriates?

Most houses are nice, but there are exceptions.

View All Answers


2. How would you describe the availability and cost of groceries and household supplies relative to your home country?

Most everything is available here, but imported foods are expensive, as are clothes and other consumer goods, electronics etc.

View All Answers


3. What household or grocery items do you wish you had shipped to post?

More summer clothes.

View All Answers


4. What typical restaurants, food delivery services, and/or takeout options are popular among expatriates?

Most fast food is available, and there are nice restaurants. U.S. prices.

View All Answers


5. Are there any unusual problems with insects or other infestations in housing?

Ants, mosquitoes, cockroaches.

View All Answers


Daily Life:

1. How do you send and receive your letters and package mail? Are local postal facilities adequate?

DPO

View All Answers


2. What is the availability and cost of household help, and what types of help are typically employed by expatriates?

Easily available, full time house keeper costs around US$300/mo (they customarily get two extra months pay each year, plus an extra months pay in the end for each year they worked.) Gardener costs US$25 each time, he does everything in the yard plus washes the car for that.

View All Answers


3. What kinds of gyms or other sports/workout facilities are available? Are they expensive?

Yes; the Embassy and US AID have nice gyms; there are some around town but I haven't visited them.

View All Answers


4. Are credit cards widely accepted and safe to use locally? Are ATMs common and do you recommend using them? Are they safe to use?

I don't use ATM outside the Embassy, but have used credit and debit cards without problems.

View All Answers


5. What English-language religious services are available locally?

None that I know of.

View All Answers


6. How much of the local language do you need for daily living? Are local language classes/tutors available and affordable?

It helps to know some, most people don't seem to know English.

View All Answers


7. Would someone with physical disabilities have difficulties living in this city?

Yes, roads are uneven and unsafe.

View All Answers


Transportation:

1. Are local buses, trams, trains or taxis safe and affordable?

No. You can use a vetted taxi, but no other form of public transportation in the city. Lots of violence and robberies on public buses, and white taxes are unsafe.

View All Answers


2. What kind of car do you recommend bringing to post, given the terrain, availability of parts, burglary/carjacking risks, etc.? What kind of car do you advise not to bring?

High clearance would help sometimes, but there are all kinds of cars and vans here. Windows need to be tinted for your safety.

View All Answers


Phone & Internet:

1. Is high-speed home Internet access available? How long does it typically take to install it after arrival?

Yes.

View All Answers


2. Do you have any recommendations regarding mobile phones? Did you keep your home-country plan or use a local provider?

Tigo is what we use, it works fine.

View All Answers


Employment & Volunteer Opportunities:

1. What types of jobs do most expatriate spouses/partners have? Locally based or telecommuting? Full-time or part-time? Can you comment on local salary scales?

No.

View All Answers


2. What volunteer opportunities are available locally?

Many. Lots of orphanages, hospital donations, school donations.

View All Answers


3. What is the typical dress code at work and in public places? Is formal dress ever required?

Dressy at work, nice casual in public.

View All Answers


Health & Safety:

1. Are there personal security concerns to be aware of at this post? Please describe.

Yes! You cannot walk outside, you have to drive your car with tinted windows and stay in certain safer areas.

View All Answers


2. Are there any particular health concerns? What is the quality of available medical care? What medical conditions typically require medical evacuation?

Mosquito born illnesses, chikunguya is going around as well as dengue. Food borne illness, you have to disinfect the produce and avoid salads when eating out.

View All Answers


3. What is the air quality like at post (good/moderate/bad)? Are there seasonal air quality issues? Does the air quality have an impact on health?

OK, except during the burn season when it's smoky.

View All Answers


4. What is the overall climate: is it extremely hot or cold, wet or dry, at any time of year, for example?

Tropical weather. There's rainy season, but it's been a dry year and it hasn't rained much.

View All Answers


Schools & Children:

1. What is the availability of international schools? What has been your general experience with them, if any?

There are several, American School, Del Campo, Discovery and Dowal all have embassy kids attending. We have experience with the American and Discovery schools. American school has a problem with bullying, and while Discovery is smaller, it happens there too. Most students are local elite, and social scene for teens revolves around alcohol.

View All Answers


2. Are preschools available? Day care? Are these expensive? What has been your experience with them, if any? Do the schools provide before- and/or after-school care?

Yes, Happy Faces was a good experience with caring teachers and somewhat large outdoor play area. Some people use Abejitas.

View All Answers


3. Are local sports classes and/or activities available for kids?

Soccer, for boys (in Spanish), gymnastics. Schools have some sports for middle and high school aged kids.

View All Answers


Expat Life:

1. What is the relative size of the expatriate community? How would you describe overall morale among expatriates?

Good sized community. People seem to handle it OK but are ready to leave when their time is up.

View All Answers


2. What are some typical ways to socialize, either with local people or with other expatriates? Are there groups or clubs that you can recommend?

Movies, restaurants.

View All Answers


3. Is this a good city for single people? For couples? For families? Why or why not?

Maybe families with very young children. I would not recommend it for families with teens.

View All Answers


4. What have been the highlights of your time in this country? Best trips or experiences?

Fresh tropical fruits, flowers blooming year round in my yard.

View All Answers


5. What are some interesting/fun things to do in the area? Can you recommend any “hidden gems"?

Travel to Roatan, El Salvador, Copan ruins.

View All Answers


6. Is this a "shopping post"? Are there interesting handicrafts, artwork, antiques, or other items that people typically buy there?

Lenca pottery, local wood work, locally made leather purses.

View All Answers


7. What are the particular advantages of living in this city?

Weather is nice.

View All Answers


8. Can you save money?

Maybe, if you buy local foods only and don't travel.

View All Answers


Words of Wisdom:

1. What do you wish you had known about this particular city/country before moving there?

I wish I would have known what the local teen culture is like; I don't think I would have brought a teen here had I known.

View All Answers


2. Knowing what you know now, would you still move to this city?

No.

View All Answers


3. If you move here, you can leave behind your:

Winter clothes. It gets a little chilly in December, maybe down to 50 degrees.

View All Answers


4. But don't forget your:

Bug spray

View All Answers


5. Do you have any other comments?

Honduras is a beautiful country, but it's so unsafe and corrupt that it makes it hard to enjoy all that it has to offer.

View All Answers


Subscribe to our newsletter


New book from Talesmag! Honest and courageous stories of life abroad with special needs.

Read More