Diario las Américas., 1958-02-08
Know thy
Neighbori
BY OHIO RUIZ

nONDUpAS - SdH JudnclLO,
site of the famous Rosario Silver
Mines, is about twenty miles north
east of Tegucigalpa, the capital of
the Republic, and the visitor goes
there through a thrilling and tor
tuouS mountain road in a trip of
two hours of the most glorious
scenery that a road like that can
afford.
The mine, as the visitors ap-
proacheS it, appears ready to slip
at any moment from its %precarious
hold in the mountainside. The visit
or car stay and watch the mining
operations, and can have lunch at
the clubhouse. For those who like
horseback riding, there are beauti-
full bride trails through the mount
ain forest.
At Zamorano, about "a miles
from the capital, is the Pan Amsri-
can School of Agriculture, which
was opened in 1943 with a North
American as Director, DR.. Wilson
Popenoe, who recently retired
from the post. The boys are all
scholarship students chosen from
different Spanish speaking Ameri-
can Republics. Farther east is the
branch road to Yucaran, once a
colonial mining center of great
importance. Farther still is Danli,
in a farming district near the Dor
der with Nicaragua.
Driving through some of the most
beautiful sections of the Hondur-
an mountains, the visitor can de-
scend to the hot banana lands
of the northeast. 1t takes about
three hours to drive the seventy
five miles of winding, curving road
from Tegucigalpa to Comayagua.
This town, set in a rich %agricultur-
al valley, was in earlier days a riv-
al of Tegucigalpa, and for a time
the capital of the country. 1t is
now a small, quiet, provincial town
which preserves its colonial atmo-
sphere and its elaborate churches,
as well as its low houses. With
their thick walls and iron-barred
windows the houses present a for
bidding aspect to the street, but
their flower-filled patios inside are
the very essense of graciousness
and hospitality.
The observation-disclosures old Ca
thedral contains priceless relics of
bygone days. Its clock once stood
in the Alhambra of Granada, Spain
its tabernacle and candelabra were
a gifts of Philip w of Spain, and
are made of solid silver, and among
its many fine paintings is the
"Martyrdom of Saint Bartholo-
new" painted by Murillo.
San Pedro Sula, second largest
city of Honduras, is a thriving me-
tropolis in the heart of the bana-
ma country. The town, with a popu-
lation of 10000 is modern and
active, with good hotels and re-
s~taurants. Eight miles to the east
is La Lima, where the United
Fruit Company has its Honduran
and Central American headquart-
erw. A short distance from La Ii
ma are the ruins of the pre-Span-
iSh city of Travesia.
Progreso is another banana town
a few miles from La Lima. A
good road was built to the south
west, leading to Santa Rosa de Co.
pan. However, it is still necessary
to fly from Santa Rosa de Copan
to the ruins Railroads connect San
Pedro Sula and these banana towns
with the ports of Puerto Cortes,
Tela de la Ceiba.
From Tegucigalpa, a road goes
north and east into de cattle-rais-
ing Department of blanche. So
rich is the department in natural
resources, that it has been called
the reservoir for the economic fu-
ture of the country. The climate is
wholesome, and the soil amazing
ly fertile. Mineral wealth is abund-
ant. 1t is not uncommon for house
wives to have a small income from
the gold which they find while
washing their clothes in the river.
Juticalpa and Catacamas are the
principal cities of this vast area.
Spanish Version Page 3