In my previous blog post, I didn’t mean to suggest that anyone did anything wrong. The waitress wasn’t trying to cheat me or anything like that.
I was just trying to illustrate that details or accurate information are just not very important in this (Honduran) culture. For example, the other day I stopped at the nicest tourist plaza in Siguatepeque so a volunteer could use the restroom. The signs pointed to the right for the restrooms. After an unsuccessful search, Alice realized the restrooms were to the left… not to the right as the signs pointed.
In most Honduran towns and cities, many one-way streets are not marked. So, only the locals know which streets are one-way. And, many one-way signs point the wrong direction. Similarly, most gas stations have signs saying “Open 24 hours” while in fact most close at dark. Even in the airport, monitors will often say a flight is on time when it is already an hour or more late. One of the things that the WikiLeaks revealed was even the U.S. Embassy couldn’t get accurate legal info regarding the particulars of the coup during the political crises last year.
My point is… accurate information is glaringly missing in here in Honduras. It is a culture where attention to detail is not important and no one seems to care. So, if you are planning to visit here, just know that fact and be prepared to take it in stride as do all the locals. Honduras is a great place but just don’t expect it to “work” the way things do back home.