A Peace Corps Journey in Central America

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The Peace Corps recruiter visited our advanced entomology course at Michigan State University in the Fall of 1983. He was young, nervous, but gave a good talk about his recent service in Mali, complete with plenty of photographs. His presentation caught my attention. The fact that anyone would even focus on entomology students already put him in my good graces. What intrigued me most were his agricultural projects, laced with funny stories.

I followed up with a visit to his graduate student apartment, where he and his wife, also a former volunteer, served coffee and cookies while showing more slides. I was hooked and saw it as an ideal adventure before grad school. After a few months of interviews and processes—and just ten days after graduating with my B.S.—I landed in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, alongside about twenty others and our “trainer” from Miami, who seemed poised to weed out anyone not ready for the challenge.

Arrival and Training: A Grueling Start

My first impression in-country was at the baggage claim, where the Country Director greeted us. His steely blue eyes and analytical demeanor suggested a man with a wealth of experience—perhaps a veteran, diplomat, or both. From there, we were transported like the naïve children we were to the Peace Corps training center in Valle de Angeles, a beautiful location nestled in pine forests near the mountains.

Assigned one volunteer per host family, I quickly met my family for the next three months. My room overlooked the Catholic church with its tall steeples and offered a breathtaking view of the valley leading to Tegucigalpa. That view became the subject of the first photograph I sent home.

Training was intense, with 80% of our time dedicated to language learning. The teachers were excellent, the pace relentless, and the experiences memorable—like witnessing my first pig slaughter. Two other events stood out: a soap-opera-worthy scandal involving the school director, which led to his dismissal, and a visit from U.S. Ambassador John Negroponte. During a Q&A session, a volunteer asked an awkward yet profound question about human rights violations, catching everyone, including the ambassador, off guard.

Life in La Entrada, Copan: Challenges and Growth

Twelve weeks later, I was assigned to La Entrada, Copan, near the Mayan ruins and the Guatemalan border. Finding a place to live was relatively easy, and I settled in with essentials: books, a boiling pot, a shortwave radio, malaria pills, and water sanitation tablets. The latter left a terrible taste, and soon I was battling chronic illnesses like amoebas and giardia. Bottled water seemed too extravagant for my budget.

Initially, I received an icy reception at the USAID-funded agricultural cooperative. As a 22-year-old struggling with the language, I must have seemed comical. However, persistence paid off. I gradually improved my Spanish, devouring classic literature, crossword puzzles, and newspapers like Diario El Tiempo and La Prensa. Evenings were often spent with a Nicaraguan exile family who shared my love for chess and Voice of America broadcasts. Their patriarch, Filemón, frequently asked when Reagan would bomb the Sandinistas, reflecting the tense regional politics.

A Region Steeped in Conflict and Controversy

Honduras, with its large U.S. military base at Palmerola, was deeply entangled in the Cold War. Anonymous taunts of “aguastara” (soldier) occasionally reminded me of the local tensions. Books like Dark Alliance and films like American Made later shed light on the covert activities of the era, including the CIA’s involvement with the Contras.

I recall being invited to a meet-and-greet with Vice President George H.W. Bush during his 1985 visit but declined. Months after my Peace Corps service ended, the Iran-Contra scandal erupted, exposing the U.S. government’s clandestine operations. The downing of Eugene Hasenfus’s plane became a pivotal moment, linking Honduras to the broader geopolitical conflicts.

A Fascinating Connection to Costa Rica

One of my favorite places in Costa Rica is El Avión restaurant in Manuel Antonio. Its sister Fairchild C-123 aircraft, converted into a bar, serves as a historical reminder of those turbulent times. Sitting on the cliffside with a stunning view of the Pacific, I never tire of taking friends there and recounting the captivating stories that connect Central America’s history to my own Peace Corps experience.

Article Written by John R. Washington

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A Peace Corps Journey in Central America

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