Newsgroups: wstd.travel.advisories
From: 76702.1202@CompuServe.COM (Wally Doerge)
Subject: NEW TRAVEL INFO -- Honduras
Organization: The World @ Software Tool & Die
Distribution: wstd
Date: Fri, 4 Jun 1993 16:56:16 GMT
STATE DEPARTMENT TRAVEL INFORMATION - Honduras
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Honduras - Consular Information Sheet
 May 27, 1993

Country Description:  Honduras has a developing economy.  Tourist 
facilities are generally adequate, but vary in quality.

Entry Requirements:  A passport is required for travel to Honduras. 
 For additional information concerning entry and customs 
requirements, travelers may contact the Embassy of Honduras at 3007 
Tilden Street N.W., Washington, D.C. 20008, tel. (202) 966-7702 or 
the nearest consulate in Los Angeles, Miami, Chicago, New Orleans, 
New York, or Houston.

Areas of Instability:  Cross-border bandit groups operate out of 
areas near the Honduran/Salvadoran border.  Travel by road, even on 
main highways, between Nicaragua and Honduras is potentially 
hazardous.  The presence of extensive minefields on both sides of 
the border, particularly along the Rio Coco and in the Atlantic 
coast region, poses a danger to anyone venturing close to the border 
at other than the El Espino, Las Manos, and Guasaule border 
crossings.  (The El Espino crossing is known by the name La 
Fraternidad.)  It can be hazardous to venture off main roads in the 
Honduran-Nicaraguan border area.  The Las Manos and El Espino border 
crossings between Honduras and Nicaragua, as well as the Agua 
Caliente border crossing between Honduras and Guatemala, are open 
only during daylight hours.  The Guasaule border crossing is open 
daily from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.  Travelers can expect a lengthy and 
meticulous search of their vehicles and belongings at all crossings.

Medical Facilities:  Medical care varies in quality.  Cholera is 
present in Honduras.  Visitors who follow proper precautions are not 
usually at risk.  Doctors and hospitals often expect immediate cash 
payment for health services.  U.S. medical insurance is not always 
valid outside the United States.  In some cases, supplemental 
medical insurance with specific overseas coverage has proved useful. 
 For additional health information, the traveler can contact the 
Centers for Disease Control's international travelers hotline at 
(404) 332-4559.

Crime Information:  There has been a significant increase in the 
number of reported street crime incidents (such as robberies and 
pickpocketings).  Valuables left unattended in automobiles, 
regardless of whether the vehicle is locked and/or in an apparently 
safe area, may be in jeopardy.  The loss or theft abroad of a U.S. 
passport should be reported immediately to the local police and the 
nearest U.S. embassy or consulate.  Useful information on guarding 
valuables and protecting personal security while traveling abroad is 
provided in the Department of State pamphlet "A Safe Trip Abroad."  
This publication, as well as others, such as "Tips for Travelers to 
Central and South America," are available from the Superintendent of 
Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington D.C. 20402.

Drug Penalties:  U.S. citizens are subject to the laws of the 
country in which they are traveling.  Penalties in Honduras for 
possession, use and trafficking in illegal drugs are strict, and 
convicted offenders can expect lengthy jail sentences and fines.

Currency Regulations:  It is impossible to cash personal checks in 
Honduras.  It is also extremely difficult to arrange for the 
transfer of funds from abroad to Honduras, and in particular to the 
Bay Islands, where banking facilities are limited.

Adoption:  Information on adoption in Honduras can be obtained by 
writing to the Office of Overseas Citizen Services, Room 4807, 
Department of State, Washington, D.C. 20520, or by telephoning (202) 
647-3712.

Registration:  Americans who register at the U.S. Embassy may 
obtain updated information on travel and security within Honduras.

Embassy Location:  The U.S. Embassy in Honduras is located on the 
Avenido La Paz in Tegucigalpa; telephone (504) 32-3120.
 
No. 93-143

This replaces the Consular Information Sheet dated October 27, 1992 
to add information on reporting the loss or theft abroad of a U.S. 
passport.