In and around Tegucigalpa!

We spent 4 days in Tegucigalpa (in reality, a few more, but the purpose of the trip was mostly to do some immigration paperwork. This means we spent lots of days doing paperwork and waiting in lines). 

Tegucigalpa isn't very safe, it's true. But you can find some beautiful things to do in the city and around it. Just use your common sense. Do some research about where NOT to go (there are a few neighborhoods to stay away from). Don't wear flashy clothing or jewelry, and keep a low profile. Go out only at night when you need to or when you're accompanied by someone who knows the area. We felt safe during our stay, and I think it's because we took normal precautions. 

We stayed not too far from the US embassy since we knew we would need to be there for appointments. Generally, the colonia (neighborhood) where this is located was pretty safe in 2017. Do your own research, however, to see what has changed!! 

We stayed at the hotel Otoch Balam, which seems difficult to find its website currently, but we did a lot of communicating through Facebook messenger and Whatsapp. The woman working at the hotel not only changed money for us to have the first night we arrived, but she also picked us up from the airport. 

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g292026-d10273638-Reviews-Bed_Breakfast_Otoch_Balam-Tegucigalpa_Francisco_Morazan_Department.html

Wherever you choose to stay, if you get a good feeling from the hotel, let them set things up for you. We were lucky to find a really good taxi driver on the first day of our immigration appointments and he stuck with us the whole week. I truly believe that our trip was different because of him. 

If you stay at Otoch Balam, there is a grocery store, a convenience store, a Burger King (please, don't) and a Chinese food place all within walking distance. 

We also stayed down the street at the Honduras Maya hotel, which has since closed. However, it's important to note that the whole zona or colonia felt pretty tranquil. 

We went to the centro with our taxi driver. Personally, I LOVE markets. These markets were a little grittier than what I'm used to doing alone. It felt comfortable to know our taxi driver was right around the corner, even if I still chose to walk through some of the stalls alone. (My fluency in Spanish felt invaluable here).

Eat some good food. Including garrobo. Lizard. Yep. My husband (at the time) used to talk about this ALL THE TIME and how he ate it as a kid. We were lucky to get some sopa de garrobo in one of the main markets. Tasted a little like fish and chicken together in a coconut curry type soup. Yum. I was sold. 

We went to the museo de identidad nacional and to the main square with the Cathedral that day. All during the day. Our driver recommended we not come to the center of town at night, especially not without him. 

Later in the trip we stayed at the Tegucigalpa Marriott. There were a few restaurants within walking distance, and they offered a shuttle to the mall as well. We did actually go into a McDonald's (my ex-husband's request, not mine) and enjoyed some beans, rice, and huevos picados with some tortillas. 

Some AMAZING day trips we took were just an hour or two away to two towns: Valle de Angeles and Santa Lucia. They were sleepy little towns with safer streets to walk down, lots of chicken to eat, markets to see, and little lakes in the center of town to take canoe rides through. 

We stayed at the Texas Guest House in Santa Lucia -- intimate and adorable, you can even write on the walls to document your stay. 

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g1025658-d6200555-Reviews-Texas_Guest_House-Santa_Lucia_Francisco_Morazan_Department.html

Valle de Angeles was a day trip, so I can't recommend any hotels there. 

Finally, in Tegucigalpa you'll want to spend some time at El Picacho. This is a park on a hill that allows you to see much of the city. There is a Jesus statue there, like the one you'll see in Rio and other parts of the world. We were told that this is a place to avoid at night, as many people have been robbed there. But during the day, it was a beautiful place to walk and to grill! We spent the day with our taxi driver and his wife barbecuing, eating, and talking. It was a beautiful trip. 

You should also eat baleadas (tortilla filled with beans, cheese (but Honduran cheese), avocado, eggs, and maybe meat) and pollo con tajadas (fried chicken with a cole slaw type cabbage salad on top of fried plantains)