I wished I was posting this as a link to an unknown Central American January transfer target, but sadly not. Today this Honduran International & recent ( left in January ) Glasgow Rangers footballer was gunned down in a shopping centre car-park in Honduras. He was shot eighteen times! I was going to post this on Pils's bucket list thread, but thought it might get lost on there. My point is, is that there are so many beautiful places & countries I'd like to visit in this world, but human beings just **** it all up. You would think that a country like Honduras that sits on that slither of land between North and South America with a Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean coastline would be a wonderful destination wouldn't you? Arnold Peralta: Honduras footballer shot dead 4 hours ago From the sectionLatin America & Caribbean please log in to view this image Image copyrightAP Image captionPeralta won 24 caps for his country Honduran international footballer Arnold Peralta has been shot dead while on holiday in his hometown. He was killed in the car park of a shopping centre in La Ceiba, on the country's Caribbean coast. The motive for the attack is unclear. The 26-year-old midfielder for Olimpia, in the capital Tegucigalpa, played for Scottish giants Rangers until January. Honduras is plagued by gang violence and has one of the highest murder rates in the world. Peralta had complained about violence in his homeland in a tweet late last year. He wrote: "How difficult it is for our country with so many criminals killing every so often, as though killing was in fashion! These types of people don't deserve to be alive." please log in to view this image Image copyrightTwitter Honduras: World's murder capital "This is terrible," his father Carlos told a news conference. "They killed my exemplary son. I can't say more because of the pain I feel." His Honduras team-mate Boniek Garcia tweeted (in Spanish): "Rest in peace brother, God receive you in Heaven, you will stay in our hearts. Support and strength to the family." There will be a minute's silence held before Rangers' game against Morton on Saturday, Peralta's former club said in a statement on its website. "The players will also wear black armbands in his honour", it added. Officials from the public ministry told the local El Heraldo newspaper that Peralta had been hit by 18 bullets. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-35068362 They even murdered their Miss World contestant ... http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...led-throwing-body-sister-try-protect-her.html http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sponsored/lifestyle/honduras-gangs/11701324/honduras-murder-rate.html
Very sad Mr Nines.....I was living in Belize back in the 90's and flew to La Ceiba for a weekend of partying (it used to be that sort of place, bit like a poor mans' Cancun)......was great place, but very rough, with a lot of guns evident and not only from the police and local military. Heard recently from a pal who'd been that it had turned really bad, but this is a bad day for the area. Obviously a targetted killing, and not just a drive by.
Sad, sad stuff. Mexico was the most fantastic place I've ever been to when I spent a few weeks wandering around in 1987, travelling by local bus. I wouldn't go there for any money now (not interested in fenced off security guarded beach strips like Cancun). I recently declined the opportunity to go for work when I was told I'd have a bodyguard at all times outside the office and hotel (that was meant to encourage me). We have similar policies for Russia and Brazil (Sao Paolo). I think Costa Rica is the most gentle place round there if you want to see Central America, but there are a lot of American retirees living on the cheap. RIP Arnold
You've certainly travelled quite a bit Mr Monkey, fair play to you. Did you think Honduras had the potential to be a place of beauty despite or without the gangs and violence?
I've been to all those places plus a few more but the only place I've felt really uncomfortable was the capital of Colombia, Bogota. Scary place.
Another of our great travellers on this board. I agree about Mexico. I was there in Cancun in '99 and missed our 6-0 relegation saving match v Palace. It was during that holiday that I came to realise that it wasn't worth the ten hour flight to get some sunshine. The coral reef was nice for the diving, but other than that you may as well do a two hour flight down to Spain for a similar experience. I've been to Russia, Moscow, and was fine in the tourist areas. It was only when I rather stupidly tried to get back to my hotel which was based in northern Moscow near Sheremetyevo airport that I realised I'd put myself in danger. With no understanding of cyrillic I couldn't get home. I was attacked by dogs and confronted by vodka riddled despots who sensed I wasn't a local among the ubiquitous council estates that typify the eastern bloc.
The whole of Central America is generally beautiful - fantastic jungle for exploring, wonderful reefs for diving, but poverty is rife - when this is the culture, human lives appear to be meaningless to some people. Don't know if it's the Hispanic influence in some of these places, but some people I met could be very short tempered, whereas the indigineous people seemed to be a bit more friendly. Obviously the money to be made from drugs is astronomical compared to the normal wages the farmers are on, and it's the greed that takes over and gives life to these personal vendettas, which appear to have tragically happened with Peralta - although I imagine this sort of thing is a daily occurence and has only been bought to our attention due to a "celebrity" being gunned down - all very sad, and a symptom of the way our world is heading.
Isn't Bogota along with Medellin the murder capitals of the world? Apparently only Uruguay and as Stan said, Costa Rica are regarded as safe countries in South and Central America. Uruguay has the perfect climate too. Maybe if Peru Ranger was about he could enlighten us a little more about the region.
I've been to Ecuador, that seemed safe to me, but again it was a long time ago. I'd like to spend some time in South America, especially Chile, Argentina and Peru. So much time, so little to do. Never been to Russia, but a colleague told me of the time when one of our local colleagues was driving him somewhere in Moscow when a car drove along side them and the blokes inside gestured for them to pull over. He was firmly told not to make eye contact while the driver broke several laws taking evading action. Actually thinking back I'm struggling to think of anywhere I have have felt genuinely threatened in. Probably through naivity and ignorance on my part. There were parts of some cities in the US in the eighties where for budget reasons I had to stay, but I didn't linger.
I think you've probably hit the nail on the proverbial head there mate. There's probably more danger than crossing the road than either visiting foreign countries, fear of flying, fear of terrorism/Muslims or whatever phobia you allow to consume you. You've just got to get your head down and enjoy it while you can. One of my daughters is in Cologne as I type. She had reservations about going. There was an article in last Sunday's Observer about the danger of going to the German Christmas markets as they were a likely target of Islamic extremists. I said to her that she should still go. You regret the things in life that you don't do rather than those that you do or have done. Just do it! As the popular corporative saying goes. I've just had some feedback from her and she's having a fabulous time. Job done.
Good for her. I was working in Paris earlier this week and to my amazement some of my (American) colleagues didn't want to leave the hotel to go to a restaurant for dinner. I persuaded them it was a moral crime not to support the Parisians by eating their excellent food and drinking their delicious wine. I've been addicted to travel since my Dad drove us to Austria for our first foreign holiday in about 1970. I've engineered my career around it, as much as I could. Not stopping now.
Condolences to his family. Only recently, two Aussie surfers were shot & burnt as they travel through Mexico. Certainly not the place to visit or live nowadays, it would seem. Drug cartels poison anything & everything.
Maybe Magellan would be a more apt handle than sb_73 then? I have a similar inclination, but for some strange reason it drives me west. I'm not sure why, I'm yet to fathom it out? I've always been drawn to the Americas, the States, Canada and the Caribbean. The furthest east I've been is Dubai. I shan't be going back there mind. Awful place. I think I might need to do the east by way of a cruise ship and take it from there. I think I may have some form of Asian phobia, the proper name for this escapes me at the minute. Having said that, Mrs Nines has always wanted to go on a safari. I can't bear the thought of doing one of those either. I'm turning into Victor Meldrew.
The central and south American countries were supposed to be dangerous back in the early 70's. Apart from exceptional pickpockets I had no problems. There are places of great beauty and interest. Mexico with the Maya culture, Belise, C.America, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru with the Inca culture, are all well worth visiting if they are safe enough.
The three most wonderful places I have ever been to in the world are in Central America. Copan Ruinas in Honduras, Tikal in Guatemala and the Pacaya Volcano, also in Guatemala. Both countries are truly amazing and well worth a visit. I was a bit shocked in Honduras with the local custom of 'fly tipping' lorry loads of rubbish over the side of the most beautiful valleys but who am I to judge. I was seeing a Guatemalan girl at the time so I never felt in danger, although the bus station in Guatamala city seemed a bit moody. Had a great time at a party held in my honour, meeting her family and finding out that her aunt was a 'Commandante' in the Guatemalan civil war.....a lovely lady who you'd never of guessed her sad history.
Magellan died on the trip mate, I don't want to do that! I have a similar gap with Africa, only been once and no real urge to return, which is a very stupid attitude towards a massive, diverse continent. I would run amok within hours on a cruise or a safari, really react badly to organised trips. I like turning up somewhere, orienting myself around the big sights and glancing at them, but more wandering around aimlessly. Were you fairly dishevelled at the time Jock? It has struck me that for much of my more adventurous travelling I must have looked less well off, and certainly dirtier, than the locals. Probably not a tempting or lucrative looking target. Nice one. It's always better when you have local acquaintances. I regret not going to Guatemala when I got to the south of Mexico, especially Tikal. Some friendly Mexicans strongly advised me against it on safety grounds, and also claimed that Palenque in the Mexican jungle (fantastic) was just as good as Tikal.
Very sad about the Honduran player. Central America is particularly bad in terms of gangs, I have a number of colleagues and friends who live in Guatemala, Nicaragua and Costa Rica. They don't feel targeted in any way, you have to have your wits about you, know what the no go areas are, etc. Come to Peru, you'll be very welcome and have a great time here in a beautiful country full of contrasts. Yes, we have problems with crime, but again like anywhere it's more a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time than being targeted. In 10 years I've only had my mobile phone stolen and that was because I was stupid enough to be using it in a part of Lima I knew I shouldn't have it out! Seeing what happened in Paris actually makes me feel a lot safer living here.
