Articles

It’s been almost a decade since Honduras released one of its most beautiful and meaningful stamp collections: the Kaha Kamasa series of 2016. If you’re not familiar with it, “Kaha Kamasa” is the Pech name for La Ciudad Blanca, the legendary “White City of the Monkey God” long woven into the mythology of eastern Honduras. Back in 2016, "Marca Pais" issued a commemorative set of stamps celebrating the archaeological discoveries tied to this region, discoveries that captivated t

Let’s talk about something that comes up a lot in Utila. Many families on the island say they descend from pirates. It’s a story people repeat with pride, and I understand why — it’s colorful, it’s dramatic, and it ties the island to a part of Caribbean history that captures everyone’s imagination. But when you start comparing the dates, the migrations, and the actual historical timelines, the pieces don’t quite line up. On one of my recent visits to Utila, I spent time in th

Hoy quiero hablarles de un libro en español que me pareció especial: Historias de mujeres, voces de niñas. Es uno de los títulos que regaló la Secretaría de las Culturas, Artes y los Patrimonios . Su primera edición salió en octubre de 2024, publicada por la SECAPPH e impresa por la Editorial Nacional Eva Thais. Desde la primera página, el libro deja clara su intención: en Honduras, ser niña significa enfrentarse a una vida de lucha, pero también significa tener una enorme fu

When I started reading Las Islas de la Bahía: una síntesis histórica, I expected dates, timelines, maybe a summary of who arrived and when. What many people are now realizing is how incomplete most of the stories we’ve been told about the Bay Islands really are. As I kept reading, one idea kept repeating itself in different ways: the Bay Islands were not isolated. We already know that here. The islands were positioned inside what researchers describe as an intermediate cultur

A few days ago, I was given a small stack of books from Partners in Education Roatan - PIER  to read, and I have to say… it felt like receiving a stack of little treasures. These aren’t just any books. They’re the very same books they use to help teach teachers. They’re used with students. And even more special, many of them were created in collaboration with talented island artists — people whose work is deeply rooted in our culture and our traditional island life. One boo

I spent some time at the National Archive yesterday afternoon, and like always, I walked out having learned something new. That place is full of quiet little treasures. This time, what I found was a handwritten letter dated August 17, 1861, written in Roatan by Franco Bernández, who at the time was the appointed authority of the Bay Islands. The letter was addressed to the Minister of the Treasury of Honduras, based in Comayagua. At first glance, the letter is just administra

In 1809, while most of the Caribbean was known through sugar, slavery, and war, a lesser-known travel log offered an unexpected window into the serene yet strategic Bay Islands of Honduras. That log belonged to Captain George Henderson, a British officer stationed in the region, who documented his journey aboard His Majesty’s schooner Monkey, under the command of Lieutenant Smith. Their route through the islands—Ruatan (Roatan), Morat, Barbarette, and Bonacca (Guanaja)—reads

Before the bright colors, the parades, and the fireworks, the Utila Carnival started with something much simpler: a group of islanders trying to help their neighbors after disaster hit. It was after a late 90’s hurricane swept across the island, leaving some families without homes and others with roofs and walls barely standing. Communities organized themselves to respond. There was no big outside aid. What there was, though, was a whole lot of heart. Each community committee

Just under two kilometers from Pumpkin Hill and only about 300 feet from Ironbound Beach, there's a place on the North Side of Utila that feels like something out of a storybook, or maybe like something our ancestors left behind. That’s exactly the goal of True Utila  a botanical garden and conservation project dreamed up by Trey and Marichi, the same couple behind The Safe Spot. Trey is originally from the U.S., Marichi from Guatemala, but their love for the island is deep a

Growing up, I always thought some of the things my grandfather said were just island slang, funny phrases that didn’t quite match the English I was learning in school. As someone who’s half islander and half foreigner, my English leaned more American, so hearing things like “ova yanda” instead of “over there” always stood out to me. I’d smile, repeat it in my head, and wonder, “Where did that even come from?” It wasn’t until I was in 4th grade at ESBIR (Roatan Bilingual Schoo

It’s not often you can say with certainty that you’re walking exactly where an explorer did over a hundred years ago. But this was one of those rare moments. With a book in hand, we followed one of the oldest and most detailed documents ever written about the archaeology of the Bay Islands: Archaeological Explorations in the Bay Islands of Honduras, authored by American archaeologist William Duncan Strong and published by the Smithsonian Institution in 1935. Strong wasn’t jus

St. Helene has always held its secrets well, 29 documented caves and counting, each with its own story carved into stone. But the island still has more to give. This cave, found recently by our local guide Amilcar, isn’t on any map. It’s one of two new caves he’s come across, and this one in particular feels like a quiet revelation. From the outside, it’s easy to miss. At first glance, the opening doesn’t look like much, just a split in the ground. But when you take a closer

There’s a cave in St. Helene that just about everyone on the island knows. It’s not marked, there’s no sign pointing to it, but ask around and someone will show you the way. Over the years, it’s become the place people go when a hurricane’s coming. Locals have been using it for decades, maybe longer. It’s one of the most common shelters here, especially before people had concrete houses or access to warnings ahead of time. The cave’s big enough to hold a crowd and feel protec

The Royal Readers were once standard classroom material across much of the British Empire, from England and Scotland to far-off colonial outposts, including the Caribbean colonies. In fact, it’s rare to find physical copies these days, which is why the small collection housed at Brian Bush’s place in Utila is such a treasure. He finds these little gems online and purchases them to add to his very valuable collection. These books didn’t just teach reading; they carried with th

When Reverend F.J. Bomford sat down to type the account of what happened aboard the schooner Olympia in 1905, he wasn’t just recording a tragedy, he was preserving the testimony of a survivor, and with it, a profound act of faith. His writing, titled Elsie Morgan’s Heroism, documents one of the most horrifying events in the history of the Bay Islands. But more than that, it reveals the unseen emotional and spiritual labor of a man who had to bear witness to a story few could

Back in 2022, in a bid to find historical sites, I had one of those unexpected little adventures that stick with you for years. It wasn’t planned, just one of those moments where weather, timing, and a little bit of luck come together to lead you somewhere completely new. James Bodden and I were heading out on his small boat from Sandy Bay, just behind Hotel Utila. It was the four of us: James, his younger sister Aleah, and my daughter, who was only a year and a half at the t

In 1917, the world was at war, but not all soldiers carried rifles. Some carried notebooks. Sylvanus Griswold Morley (1883–1948) was a Harvard-trained archaeologist, famous for decoding ancient Maya inscriptions. But during World War I, he had another job, one the public wouldn’t know about for decades. He was a spy for the U.S. Office of Naval Intelligence. Morley’s official cover was his work for the Carnegie Institution of Washington, mapping Maya ruins. His real mission:

As many of you know, I’ve been visiting different churches around the island to learn more about our religious traditions, especially the Protestant ones that have shaped so much of our culture. This is the first of several articles I’ll be writing about the Church of God, starting with my experience in Coxen Hole. Before attending, I met with Kimberly Raymond, who grew up in the Church of God in French Harbour and later, when she married someone from the western side, transf

If you’ve ever stepped into a Church of God (Evening Light) service, chances are you’ve seen a well-worn copy of Evening Light Songs sitting in a pew or clutched in someone’s hands. It’s not just a hymnal, for this community, it’s part of their identity, a way of keeping their history and faith alive through music. This book was created specifically for the Church of God (Evening Light), a branch of the holiness movement based in Guthrie, Oklahoma. If you’re outside that circ

If you spend enough time in Utila, you’ll hear people talking about the “Cays”, pronounced “keys” by the locals. This little collection of islets sits just off the southwest corner of the main island, and while each one has its own character, together they tell a story that blends natural beauty, rich history, and everyday island life. Water Cay is probably the most famous of the bunch, and for good reason. Picture a stretch of soft sand surrounded by blue water so clear you