Frequently Asked Questions

Transcription

1 Frequently Asked Questions Getting to NPH Honduras (El Rancho Santa Fe or the Ranch) What time zone is Honduras in? Central time! No need to adjust to a different time zone. Which airport do we fly in to? Tegucigalpa (airport name: Toncontin), airport code TGU What do you suggest for purchasing my airline ticket? The group will need to arrive together from Minnesota. We will provide you with the preferred itinerary so you can buy your tickets. What if I want to arrive or leave on a different date? If you do not leave with the group, you are responsible for arranging your own transportation to and from the Ranch (and this will be at your expense - $25 for the trip to town). Money What is Honduras currency? Honduras currency is the Lempira. The symbol is L. It is about L to $1.00. Do I need to bring money with me? We encourage you to bring some US dollars with you to exchange when we arrive at the airport. You can also get Lempiras in the US before you go, however this is not recommended, as the exchange rate in the United States will leave you with fewer Lempiras. Having some Lempiras will allow you to buy snacks on the Ranch during the week, if you choose. There are also ATMs at the airport and in the town we will visit on our excursion day. Accommodations at NPH Where will I stay? The visitor house on the Ranch is called Casa San Cristobal (St. Christopher House, St. Christopher is the patron saint of travelers). It can house large groups and has two dorm rooms (for up to ten people) and smaller rooms that house two to three people. All rooms face into a central garden and have their own bathroom. The dorms have two bathrooms. San Cristobal has a kitchen, which the group will be responsible for cleaning twice each day. Visitors are asked to bring paper towels, Clorox wipes and fly paper to help keep the kitchen

2 clean and free of flies. You may bring your favorite snacks, and keep in mind that all food must be stored in the kitchen so you don t tempt unwanted visitors to inhabit your room. San Cristobal also has a large salon (room) where we will gather for reflection at the end of each day. San Cristobal is also the home of the Ranch s sponsorship office. The Ranch has a mixture of paved and dirt paths. Please pack accordingly. The paths will be muddy in the rain, so bring clothes and shoes that you don t mind getting dirty. Can I do laundry while on the Ranch? Yes, but it must be done by hand. There are sinks with running water and clotheslines in San Cristobal. Please bring your own detergent. Is there Internet access on the Ranch? Yes, there is an internet café on the Ranch. There is only one visitor login, which can only be used by one visitor at a time. The internet café also has an open wireless network. The sponsorship office in San Cristobal also has an open wireless network, though it does not have a wide range. Food What will I eat? Breakfast usually consists of some combination of beans, rice, eggs, avocado, banana, hard cheese and warm milk. It is served in the Ranch s kitchen or in the visitor house (two runners may be assigned each morning to bring breakfast from the kitchen to the visitor house for the group). We will eat breakfast around 7am. Lunch is the largest meal of the day and is served in the early afternoon after the kids are out of school (around 1:15pm). We will either eat lunch in the Ranch s kitchen or in San Cristobal. Lunch often includes a soup with vegetables, a starch like rice or potatoes, or maybe salad. Lunch is always served with fresh, homemade corn tortillas. Dinner is a light meal and is usually eaten in the hogares (sections where the kids live) around 6pm. Dinner often features foods similar to those served at breakfast. It might also include arroz con leche (rice cooked with milk and sweetened), oatmeal, corn flakes or bread. **DO NOT THROW FOOD AWAY The children of NPH come from backgrounds where they often went hungry and/or had to scavenge for food. It is extremely offensive to the children and staff to see food wasted. If you are unsure that you will like something, try a small bite before asking to be served. If you cannot finish your food, offer it to a pequeño or another member of the group. Do not, under any circumstances, throw it away. We suggest you try the foods listed above before the trip to get a better idea of your likes and dislikes. Eating dinner for breakfast (serving rice and beans for breakfast) is a great way to prepare kids for the dietary changes involved with the trip. When we arrive in Honduras we will make a trip to the grocery store to purchase some bulk food items (bread, milk, sliced cheese, peanut butter and cereal). Can I drink the tap water?

3 No. Purified water is provided for visitors to drink. As with food, do not throw away unconsumed, purified water. Bring a water bottle to refill while you are on the Ranch. The Ranch has a filtration system that makes the water drinkable for the kids and staff. However, it still has impurities that most travelers digestive systems can t handle. Can I buy food on the Ranch? Yes. There is a bodega (storeroom) next to the kitchen that sells soda and snacks. There is also a hut by the talleres (workshops) that is open in the mornings. at times. It sells fresh Honduran food. You are encouraged to eat what the children eat, to fully emerge into life on the Ranch. Activities Do I need to speak Spanish to go to NPH? No. However, visitors often wish they had studied up on their Spanish before going to NPH. It does help if you brush up on your Spanish before you go. The more you practice, the easier it will be to communicate. Though communication is easier with a common language, it is possible without one. You will be amazed at how much you and the children learn about each other. Many of the international volunteers at the home speak English and the administrators also speak English. Do the pequeños speak English? Some of the older pequeños speak some English, though most are shy to speak it. Most of them study and live in Tegucigalpa. Although the younger children study English, they are usually not conversant except for some basic phrases. Can I bring a gift for my Godchild? If you want to give your Godchild a gift, bring a gift that can be shared with his or her entire section, or bring enough of one item to give to all children in the section (up to 30 kids). Gifts CANNOT be expensive. DO NOT bring gifts such as ipods, digital cameras, laptop computers, gaming systems (like Wii, Xbox or PlayStation), expensive jewelry, etc. They will be confiscated because they cause jealousy and these items often get stolen. SUGGESTIONS: board games in Spanish (see the Milton Bradley website), books in Spanish, coloring books, hair accessories, inexpensive jewelry, matchbox cars, pens, etc. Gift ideas for your specific Godchild: a small photo album (with pictures of you and your family, along with blank pages for them to fill), a t-shirt, an inexpensive necklace (the kids at NPH are raised in the Catholic faith, so crosses or religious icons are nice). When in doubt about gifts, please check with your trip leader. I have medical (or other specialized) skills. Can I put them to use at NPH? While at times it is possible for visitors to put their medical skills to use at NPH, we will not be engaging in medical tasks while on this trip. How is the weather? Honduras has two seasons. Summer is March-May. It is extremely hot and dry, with little or no precipitation. The rains return in late May or early June. The rest of the year is Winter with the coolest months being November and December. In June, you should expect a mix of sun and rain. Temperatures will probably range from degrees, being cooler on the rainy days. The evenings are cool, so bring a sweater or light jacket.

4 Health Which vaccines do I need to visit Honduras? Do I need any special medications? Please visit a local travel health clinic or your primary care provider to prepare for your trip ahead of time. Visitors are solely responsible for their health care preparations for the trip. We encourage visitors to have both Hepatitis A and B and Typhoid vaccines. Make sure you have the necessary vaccines and that they are up to date. You may want to get a prescription for travelers diarrhea and thyphoid. Many public health clinics have travel clinics. What if I get sick on the Ranch? The Ranch has both internal and external clinics where you can receive care. Should I get travelers health insurance? It is up to each visitor to decide to purchase travelers health insurance. NPH and OLP do not provide health insurance for visitors, nor are they responsible for health expenses incurred by visitors. Check with your health insurance provider about your coverage. There are companies that offer short-term health insurance policies for travelers. Safety Is the Ranch safe? Yes. The Ranch is located near La Venta, a village that is about one hour north of Tegucigalpa. (You can see it on Google Earth.) It is in a rural area and access to it is restricted. Everyone who enters the Ranch must pass through the front gate, which is guarded 24 hours a day. Security personnel also patrol the Ranch at night. Please remember to lock your room and don t lend the kids your camera or any other valuables. Many of the children come from backgrounds where they had to steal or scavenge to live. These habits, and the fear of going without, take time to break. Many of them still live with a survivor s mentality and might be tempted to pick up unattended items. This is not to say that the kids are malicious or ill-intentioned. We simply want visitors to protect their belongings and eliminate temptation. For your own protection and that of the kids, please do not lend out your belongings or leave them unattended. Is Honduras safe? NPH USA does not take visitors to countries if they perceive that visitors or staff will be in danger. We cannot guarantee anyone s safety beyond factors that are within our own control. Visitors assume all risks associated with the trip. If you wish to learn more about traveling to any specific country, please visit to read more.

5 Suggested Packing List* Clothing Lightweight travel clothes you can hand wash laundry at NPH Jeans/shorts Nice outfit for Mass (attendance optional) Comfortable shoes for walking Flip-flops (for shower) Rain jacket Lightweight fleece or sweatshirt Bug off clothing (REI or Ex Officio) (if sensitive to mosquitoes) Bathing suit (there is a swimming hole) Food/Snacks Coffee/Tea Granola bars/snacks to share Gatorade/Tea To Go packets Items/Activities for Kids Stickers, cards, pick-up sticks, yarn for hand games Paper/pens/markers/crayons Spanish or bilingual books Flash cards/bubbles/silly Putty Personal Hygiene Hand sanitizer Toilet paper (travel pack for emergencies) Soap for washing clothes Washrag or loofah for shower Sunscreen Insect repellent Kitchen Sanitation Clorox wipes Paper towels Fly paper (rolls) Medicines Pepto Bismol/Immodium Advil/Tylenol Cipro/antibiotic for travelers diarrhea Benadryl/Hydrocortisone Personal needs/prescriptions Throat Drops Other Travel Alarm Clock Earplugs Water bottle Camera & Charger Flashlight (power outages are frequent) Small backpack Pictures of your family to show kids (great conversation starters) Spanish-English Dictionary Journal Small notebook & pen to carry around Passport & 2 copies (leave one copy at home) Credit card info (leave one copy at home) DO NOT bring: Expensive or irreplaceable items (jewelry, ipods, etc.) Expensive or flashy gifts *If you have questions about whether or not to bring a certain item, please contact Vicky Roers