TDY Gouge - Honduras

San Pedro Sula, Honduras - Intercontinental hotel was a palace! A great place that no one talks about. We had to divert here but for guys transiting this AOR frequently is a perfect place to divert to, airport name is La Mesa Int'l. There is a Honduran Air force base there, HAF were very supportive, we needed an engine change and a MRT to fix us and they worked out of their way to have USAF planes come in to the ramp and work on our tail. Their pilots go to UPT!! So they know your needs... AMC station manager available on Pax Terminal. Downtown San Pedro Sula hotel to go is the Intercontinental look for the US embassy rate through the station manager make sure they let you use the business center with the embassy rate. For food-entertainment go out to Applebee's or TGI Fridays. Across the street from Applebee's is a place called Mantras. Great place especially on weekends. Be careful late at night this is a high crime area so check your six especially when traveling on a cab late at night, use the buddy system!!

Soto Cano AB, Honduras -We flew a C-5 into this garden spot. I don't recommend an RON. We were told we had to stay on base for security reasons. The crew hooches have no running water. They have a common area with cable TV. The 9 adjoining rooms have 1-3 pairs of bunk beds. There is a free shuttle into town--get your pass from base ops (your supposed to go through the local immigration on base first, but we didn't. The taxis are way cheap too. There are a couple decent places to go--one is a bar/restaurant owned by an American. It's named Hanneman's (spelling). All their drinks come from filtered water/ice. Talking with the local Americans who live there I learned it was safe to drink. They serve this wicked punch by the jug--it's loaded and tastes pretty good. The food was pretty good too. There's also an Argentenian restaurant that's supposed to be good--it's the first one you'll see on the right side of the street as you head in to town on the main highway. Now if you're going to be there awhile, the thing to do is rent a car and drive to Belize for fun (especially scuba/snorkeling)--don't forget this is the country where Temptation Island is located. ~RONed for two nights. Stayed on base in the hooches but they weren't too bad compared to what is in SWA. Chow hall on base is decent and there are several bars on base, most notably an Army bar called the Lizard Lounge which opens at 1900, stays open all night, and has dollar longnecks. Off base, ate at a great steak place called El Torito. It is at the first stop on the bus that runs into town. There's also an interesting old cathedral in the center of town if you're interested in the culture. Bring a flight lunch or buy something at the BX because the ones the chow hall makes are lousy.

Update Dec 09Just spent a year at Soto Cano. Even if just there for a few hours ask to go to Ron's cigar shop on base. Best prices/selection on cigars and accessories. There are several restaurants on base if you have limited time. Febe John's is Mexican style and is my favorite. The breakfast burritos are phenomenal. If your there overnight, I recommend going off-base in order to 1. El Toritos (steak house) ($10-15 incl drinks), 2. Tuna y Coyote (Honduran) ($10-15 incl drinks), 3. Ricardo's (steak, seafood, Honduran) ($15-20) (located in historic town square, good atmosphere). If you don’t want to take the bus, taxis Are available at the front gate. Negotiate the price before you get in; 100lps ($5) is a fair price to town. Any of the guys at base ops can help you get there. On-base there are four bars. The Army Forces bar (The Rally Point) is typically the most inviting and has the most action (fwiw). Overall, SCAB is not a resort but you can have a lot of fun if you can get over the lodging issues.

Tegucigalpa, Honduras - We stayed at the Inter-Continental (good place!), with billeting arranged by Ms. Acosta, the AMC Station Manager (USAF Major on-site, but you work with Ms Acosta). Great lady! The rooms cost $87, $97 if you get the breakfast included (it costs $10, but this way the gov't pays for it). Great stogies in the gift shop in the hotel, with the cheapest prices I've ever seen for Cubans (box of Montecristo #2s for $150!). There is a mall right across the street, with a TGI Friday's inside. Good food, runs you about $15-25, depending on how much beer you drink. Get the Imperial beer, best of the local brews. About a 20 min ride to/from hotel to base. File your flight plan the day prior, you'll get your squawk in the morning. ~If you want to go out, the better bars/clubs include Confetti's, Arena, Planeta Cipango, and Plaza Garibaldi's. If you want to taste some typical Honduran entrees, La Hacienda on Morazan Boulevard is very nice and inexpensive. The food was awesome, and nobody in the crew got sick from it!!! Cabs are very inexpensive, but make sure you agree on a price BEFORE getting in the cab.

Hacienda restaurant is closed. Try "El Patio" for good, yet inexpensive Honduran chow. A great Chinese restaurant, a stone's throw from the Intercontinental Hotel, is "Mongolia." "Casa Mexicana", across the street from the Clarion Hotel, is another good place to eat. Hailing cabs on the street is risky since many of the drivers are in cahoots with thugs who will bust your head open you for your money. If robbed, don't resist; the crooks are all armed and will not hesitate to kill you. The US Embassy recommends a cab company called Radio Taxi. They are trustworthy and reliable and only operate via a dispatcher (225-5563).