We believe that El Carbon has great potential as an eco/ethnic tourism site. It has a great number of attractions to offer the eco/ethnic tourist. The greatest attraction is the Pech culture itself. Due to 10 to 15 years of heavy migration into this region, the Pech are acculturated. But they maintain many aspects of their culture. With Spanish they continue to speak their own language, which is of the Macrochibcha language family from northern South America. While it's not know when they migrated north (Macrochibcha peoples) it is speculated that they were here in Honduras in 1,000 B.C. or earlier (info. From George Hasseman of the Instituto de Antropologia y Historia). Perhaps most interesting is the manner in which the Pech use their natural resources. For the Pech, the forest is their supermarket, pharmacy, and hardware store. The forest supplies snakebite medicine, bark to make hammocks and bags, medicine for fevers and diarrhea, additives for their chicha or hooch, bark to use as rope, specific woods for specific uses, fruits, herbs, meat, skins for instruments, resins to sell, wood for fishing harpoons, leaves for cooking their traditional yuca cha ah, and many other uses. The Pech do not keep cattle or horses, nor do they grow fruit trees and vegetables, but what they lack in domesticated amenities the forest provides. Because they do not keep cattle, 90% of their 7000 hectares of territory is forest. The Pech also maintain their legends and myths which mix with their catholicism to give them a unique outlook on the world which surrounds them. While their food doesn't differ a great deal from ladino cooking, it does depend heavily on yuca from which they make everything from a wet gummy tortilla called CHA AH, to a customary alcoholic beverage called MUNYAH. Their traditional crafts are very unique and interesting. They make hammocks and woven tote bags from the bark of chumeco and baboso, two trees that grow in the tropical rainforest surrounding the village. Also there is an artisan who makes traditional Pech drums and maracas.
Connected to the Pech territory are Las Montanas del Carbon, an area covering approximately 40,000 hectares. It is currently designated as national forest but is waiting declaration as an anthropological reserve. The mix of tropical forest habitats contained within will be an attraction to the ecotourist. El Carbon is located in a frontier zone where pine savanna changes to rainforest. And as one ascends the mountains, the rainforest changes to cloud forest and eventually dwarf cloud forest. This unique mosaic of forest habitats makes El Carbon a unique site for those interested in birding and observing other wildlife. The last volunteer and myself have compiled a bird list of 230 species which we have observed. The mountains are said to contain all of Honduras' mammals, although no formal studies have been conducted. From personal experience I can account that the mountains contain jaguars, ocelotes, pumas, tapir, quequeos, river otters, kinkajous, howler, white-faced, and spider monkeys, pisotes, deer, and aguanas. To see these forest habitats there are a number of trails that are used by the Pech for hunting, crossing the mountains, or for collecting resources. Trips from one day to a week can be arranged depending on the tourists interests and schedule. One particular trail WUATAH is developing for ecotourism takes the visitor to a spectacular waterfall that plummets approximently 80 meters to a large pool surrounded by pristine rainforest. The waterfall and site are unmatched in beauty anywhere in Honduras. The trail leads the visitor through both savanna and rainforest where the visitor can learn both natural history and about the Pech culture's dependence on these forests.
Another attraction recently discovered during a visit from Derek Perent is the ruins site of what's speculated to be an acropolis or ancient pueblo center. As to who constructed it or when it was built is impossible to say at this time, but we have begun working with the Instituto Hondureno de Antropologia y Historia to make a survey of the site this year. The site is covered with forest but WUATAH eventually intends to clear some of the undergrowth to make site more visible. Any work done to the site will be done with the supervision of IHAH and in the interests of preserving the site. Until present the site has been protected by Pech legend and respect for the ancestors. Legend has it that a woman once dug up some ceramics from the site and took them to her house to use. That night she was ravaged by a fever and died in the morning. The same thing later happened to a man who removed a stone with drawings on it. Whether the curse is real or not it has deterred the Pech from digging up artifacts from the site. Also it is said that in the evening as the sun sets the people that live nearby can hear the sound of drums, people chanting, and children laughing and crying. While this site will not be developed until IHAH has thoroughly examined the site, which will likely yield other sites of interest, the site can be visited. It is interesting to examine the structure which overlooks a small valley, study the large cut and smoothed rocks, examine the old rock stairways that lead up to the highest point where a large cracked alter stone sits, and to imagine the lives of the people who lived their long ago before the forest reclaimed their pueblo.
El Carbon is easily accessible to the tourist traveling the north coast. From Trujillo or Tocoa it is a 3 hour bus trip. El Carbon is located on the road connecting Trujillo to Juticalpa. It is about an hour and a half south of the pueblo Bonito Oriental and about an hour and a half north of San Esteban. It is a much longer trip from Tegucigalpa but to the traveler already headed to the north coast , El Carbon is on the way. To arrive in El Carbon the traveler can take the following buses at the following hours:
Tocoa: 5:00 am; 7:00 am; 9:00 am; 2:00 pm
Corocito: (the small group of champas that sits at the junction between Trujillo, Tacoa, and Bonito Oriental) 6:00 am; 8:00 am; 10:00 am; 3:00 pm
Trujillo: (from centeral park): 4:30 AM
Tegucigalpa: (bus line Transportes Olancho, leaves from Comayaguela where Trujillo buses leave from) 6:30 AM
San Esteban : 4:00 am; 5:00 am; 8:30 am; 9:30 am; 11:00 am; 12:30 am; 3:00 pm
Juticalpa: 3:00 am; 6:00 am; 10:00 am (with the 10:00 bus traveler must change buses in San Esteban)
The hospedajes and visitor center in El Carbon is located about BD km. north of the central pueblo of El Carbon. It is along the road and not difficult to find. Just tell the bus assistant to drop you off at the colegio (a large cement block building, everything else is little mud huts) which sits along the east side of the road. The hospedajes are located right behind the colegio, just ask people for the hospedajes del comite ambiental WUATAH. It is very easy to find and the people are helpful.
Now that I've share a bit of information with you, I'll tell you a bit about the project of WUATAH that OTAPS is funding. WUATAH is in the process of installing two hospedajes, a cultural visitor center, and improving the trail to the waterfall. The hospedajes and cultural visitor center are being constructed using traditional materials and techniques. The idea is to give visitors the opportunity to experiencially learn about Pech culture. While certain amenities will be provided in the form of mosquito nets, mattresses on beds, and locks on the doors, the houses will be typical. With four beds in each hospedajes, there will be space the for up to eight visitors at a time or more if they're willing to share beds. The cost will be approximately $1.60 per person a night. The hospedajes are currently in the process of construction and will be finished at the end of May of this year. The cultural visitor center will provide information through exhibits about Pech history and culture and the natural history of Las Montanas del Carbon. Here visitors will be able to hire one of the trained guides, find a house where a family will cook food for them, providing appetizing food and clean water, treated with chlorine. Also at the visitor center guests will be able to buy Pech handicrafts. The cost of the woven tote bags ranges from $2.30 to $4.00 depending on size. Hammocks cost $8.00. The drums cost $25.00. WUATAH expects to finish with this center by the end of July.
Following the termination of the hospedajes and cultural visitor center WUATAH will be improving the trail to the waterfall. Currently this trail is very difficult to travel and is only for those who are in very good shape and eager for ecoadventure. We will be putting in steps, switchbacks, ropes where rivers must be crossed, a cleared area in the forest for campers, and will be leveling the trail. Es muy feo ahorra. We plan to finish this part of the project by September before the rains come again.
In February we held a week long training course for the members of WUATAH, who are the future guides. Nine men ranging in age from 15 to 40 participated and one young woman of 16 years. While they all are aware of many of the basic concepts of ecotourism having participated in the four month process of writing the proposal (a valuable time spent analizing the project and its potential effects) this week offered an opportunity to more formally study eco/ethnic tourism. These concepts are being reinforced during the construction part of the process and further formal training classes will be taught by Kate, Linton, our counterpart, and myself. WUATAH has decided to keep itself small for the time being after observing some of the difficulties had by the Las Marias group in Rio Platano. With few tourists and many guides there is no incentative to improve one's interpretative skills. The guides we have are very good at sharing their cultural and ecological knowledge. Our eldest guide, Natividad Garcia, is a curandero or shaman, and will offer a medicinal plant hike where the visitor learns the plants used to cure a variety of illnesses including snakebites from the dreaded fer-de-lance (barba amarrilla) and coral snakes.
I hope this gives you an idea of what is going on in El Carbon and the attractions the site has to offer tourists. I hope to have the chance to talk with you in person perhaps during your next visit to Honduras. You're always welcome to visit us when your schedule permits. I think you'll find El Carbon to be a very interesting and exciting place. WUATAH is interested in doing quality ecotourism development and looks forward to many visitors in her future. I've included a list of Pech words for you with their English translations.
Sincerely Yours,
Kevin Postma y Kate Thomson
Bonito Oriental
Colon, Honduras
Central America
Ira gwa Hello, Good Morning, Good Afternoon, Good Evening
In Kerry sah How are you?
Pech People
Pech a cwa Latinos, literally "other people"
Pech cama sa Gringos, literally "white people"
Pech son cwa Garifunas or African Americans "black people"
Acha may good bye
Cirah food
ah so water
Ah so a tish tan who give me some water
cirah pica cha who sell me some food
ca par cawah thank you
in nish ki A what are you doing?
Gwa ha montain/forest
U say va Jaguar
cha who tapir
E cha deer
yane ca ca keel billed tucan
taschane Parrot
ca wa macaw
uru ska spider monkey
Ta O Otter
A whi Ki Paca
A sun
A na the sun is shining
ya whi moon
Peeri wa stars, literally eyes of the sky
ca o house
na pra lets go
corta woman
arwa man
yea ha child
yea corta teenage girl
yea arwa teenage boy
Cha ah yuca tortillas that come with every pech meal
ara woven bag
un wa hammock
tame pu ka drum
mees ca penis
mees camasa white penis (favorite joke with outsiders)
mees pan wa red penis (appropriate response)
ees para ha machete
oun (n pronounced through the nose) no
oun oun (same) yes
en ya good or beautiful
moon ya traditional alcoholic beverage made from yuca
0 ti ah chicha (hooch made from cane sugar and corn)
Contact the authors via mail at Bonito Oriental, Colon, Honduras Central America or via email: jsiebs@david.intertel.hn
Eco Travels in Honduras Exploring the Mundo Maya
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