Tegucigalpa, Honduras Report of what it's like to live there - 08/11/15
Personal Experiences from Tegucigalpa, Honduras
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
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.
3. How long have you lived here?
One year
4. What brought you to this city (e.g. diplomatic mission, business, NGO, military, teaching, retirement, etc.)?
Foreign service
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.
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.
3. What household or grocery items do you wish you had shipped to post?
More summer clothes.
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.
5. Are there any unusual problems with insects or other infestations in housing?
Ants, mosquitoes, cockroaches.
Daily Life:
1. How do you send and receive your letters and package mail? Are local postal facilities adequate?
DPO
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.
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.
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.
5. What English-language religious services are available locally?
None that I know of.
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.
7. Would someone with physical disabilities have difficulties living in this city?
Yes, roads are uneven and unsafe.
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.
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.
Phone & Internet:
1. Is high-speed home Internet access available? How long does it typically take to install it after arrival?
Yes.
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.
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.
2. What volunteer opportunities are available locally?
Many. Lots of orphanages, hospital donations, school donations.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
7. What are the particular advantages of living in this city?
Weather is nice.
8. Can you save money?
Maybe, if you buy local foods only and don't travel.
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.
2. Knowing what you know now, would you still move to this city?
No.
3. If you move here, you can leave behind your:
Winter clothes. It gets a little chilly in December, maybe down to 50 degrees.
4. But don't forget your:
Bug spray
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.
