La Esperanza, Honduras

History

The area was originally occupied by Maya and Lenca people from pre-Columbian times who formed two settlements called Eramani and Lentercala. In 1647, Mayor Francisco de La Cerda was appointed by the Spanish throne to officially demarcate the territory of the indigenous population. He divided the land into two jurisdictions, not corresponding to the Eramani and Lentercala sites, and created boundaries and names for the surrounding small communities. Over time, the two jurisdictions developed a rivalry, especially over land. The cities grew in population especially in the 1800s and La Esperanza was named a villa on 22 September 1848. La Esperanza officially became a city in 1883 when the department of Intibucá was formed by separating from the neighbouring department of Lempira, then called Gracias.

In 2002, permits were obtained by the Consorcio de Inversiones SA de CV (CISA) to build a hydro electric dam on the Rio Intibucá over an abandoned hydro project. Called the La Esperanza Hydro Project after the city, the dam began producing electricity for the surrounding communities in 2003, but its phase two expansion was not completed until 2006. The project was the first in the world to generate Certified Emission Reductions (CERs) under the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM).

Geography

La Esperanza sits at an altitude of 1700 meters, making it the highest city in Honduras. It is bisected by the Rio Intibucá which runs from the municipality of Intibucá through the municipality of La Esperanza. La Esperanza is situated in a relatively flat mountain valley, bordered by two chains of mountains, the Sierra de Puca Opalaca to the north and Montaña Zapochoco to the Southeast. The area of the La Esperanza municipality is 138.8 km2 and Intibucá 531 km2.

La Esperanza Airport runs along the valley 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) south of the two cities.

Climate

La Esperanza experiences two distinct seasons: the rainy season/winter from May to October and the dry season/summer from November to April. The rainiest months are June and September, and the driest months February and March. During the winter, it rains primarily in the afternoon and the intense showers often make small dirt roads into the surrounding mountain communities impassable. La Esperanza receives average annual precipitation of 1400 mm. Due to its high altitude, La Esperanza has a cooler climate than most of Honduras, with an average annual temperature of 18.6 °C (65.5 °F). Temperatures in December and January often fall into the 40s at night. Hail has been reported on occasion, but it has never snowed. In the summer, high temperatures reach the 80s, but with low average humidity around 76%.

Population

La Esperanza has an estimated population of around 6,000 in the urban area and 4,000 in the rest of the municipality as of 2010. Additionally, neighbouring Intibucá has a population of 45,000 in the municipality including 15,000 in the urban area, meaning the effective urban area of La Esperanza/Intibucá is home to approximately 21,000 residents. The municipality of Intibucá has 20 aldeas (divisions) with 106 caserios (small villages), and La Esperanza has 5 aldeas with 32 caserios. Residents of La Esperanza are known collectively as Esperanzanos, and residents of the city or department of Intibucá as Intibucanos.

Culture

The predominant ethnic group is the Lenca people, who have existed in this region of Honduras since pre-Columbian times. The Lenca are the largest ethnic group in Honduras, numbering just over 100,000. The Lenca once had a distinct language which is now lost, however other traditional customs still exist such as the production of textiles and pottery, dances, and clothing. The Lenca people, particularly women, can be recognised by their unique style of dress including brightly coloured dresses and woven head scarves called pañuelos.

Life in La Esperanza and Intibucá is centred primarily on agriculture, which is the mainstay of most residents, especially the Lenca people. Due to its uniquely cool climate, the department is able to produce products that other departments cannot including potatoes, strawberries and apples. La Esperanza is famous for its daily farmers market which draws vendors and shoppers from around the department. Lenca farmers arrive from the surrounding communities and sell their fruits and vegetables in the street while some La Esperanza residents manage permanent wooden stalls. Produce available includes lettuce, spinach, carrots, cucumbers, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, potatoes, tomatoes, sweet and hot peppers, yuca, onions, cilantro, apples, blackberries, mangoes, pineapple, bananas, platanos, avocadoes, grapes, peaches and strawberries. The busiest market days are Saturday and Sunday.

Celebrations

As in the rest of Honduras, the majority of the population is Roman Catholic, with a growing percentage of Evangelicals. As such, Christmastime or Navidad and Holy Week preceding Easter, called Semana Santa, are major times of celebration. Christmas Eve, known as Nochebuena, is celebrated with a late-night dinner with family and friends followed by lighting off fireworks at midnight. For Holy Week, there is generally a series of processions and activities, with Good Friday, Viernes Santo having the largest procession and alfombras, designed carpets on the street made of coloured sawdust. Most businesses are closed Thursday and Friday of Holy Week since they are national holidays. In addition to Christmas and Easter, several other annual festivals and holidays are celebrated including:

Festivals may include parades, processions, marching bands, food tents, artisan demonstrations, traditional dancing, live music and fireworks.

Artisan products

Local people make a variety of interesting handicrafts. Many women's groups use hand constructed wooden looms to produce traditional Lenca woven textiles such as ponchos, scarves, shawls, head scarves, table runners and tablecloths in bright colours. A growing number of groups have begun to take advantage of the ample number of fallen pine needles from the surrounding forests which they weave into sturdy and decorative baskets, pot holders, and vases. White clay local to the region is used to produce a variety of unique ceramic items. La Esperanza is well known for the production of sweet, liqueur-like wines from fruits such as strawberries, pears, peaches, blackberries, and apples as well as the local favourite, potatoes. Visitors to La Esperanza can purchase these items and many other artisan products from around Honduras at one of the three primary souvenir stores in town, UMMIL (Union de Mujeres Microempresarias Lencas de Intibuca), Opalacas, and El Rincon del Turista.

National Capital of Honduran Folklore

On 23 July 2013 La Esperanza was declared the national capital of Honduran folklore, in tribute to the folklorist and native son of La Esperanza, Rafael Manzanares Aguilar. Rafael Manzanares was a Honduran folklorist, author and musical composer. He created the Cuadro Nacional De Danzas Folklóricas de Honduras and was instrumental in the revival of folklore traditions in Honduras. The designation of the capital of Honduran folklore is realised in La Esperanza each year by the folklore festival El Grande de Grandes. Folk dance groups, in 2015 comprising 1,425 dancers, from all parts of Honduras present their regional dances and costumes while competing in this festival. In November 2015, the national congress of Honduras also designated the resident Ballet Folklórico Oro Lenca a patrimonio cultural de la nación (a cultural heritage of the nation). This dance troupe, beside hosting the annual festival El Grande de Grandes, represents Honduran culture internationally and mentors nascent dance groups in other villages, towns, and cities of Honduras.

Tourism

The location of La Esperanza on the route between Tegucigalpa and Western Honduras makes it an ideal point for a stop-over while travelling. It's also a great place to absorb traditional Lenca culture, so visit on a festival day or take a trip to the Lenca farmer's market. La Esperanza/Intibucá has plenty of hotels, restaurant and shops in every price range. Some sites of interest in and around La Esperanza include:

Transportation

La Esperanza can be most easily reached by car or bus from Siguatepeque via Highway 22 which is paved and in good condition. From La Esperanza, one can take the road to Yamaranguila and connect with Highway CA 11-A to reach San Juan, Intibucá; Gracias, Lempira; and Santa Rosa de Copán, Copan. Parts of the road between La Esperanza and San Juan are unpaved making them sometimes impassable during the rainy season, but the road is currently being paved. Transportes Carolina operates a fleet of Pullman buses which run hourly to/from Tegucigalpa and San Pedro Sula making stops at major cities along the way. There is also regular mini bus service to Marcala, Yamaranguila, San Juan, Erandique, Gracias and Santa Rosa de Copan all leaving from the main bus terminal near the entrance to town. Chicken buses run to smaller surrounding communities.

The nearby village of San Juan is known for its coffee production and for its proximity to Erandique home to the ancient fortress of Lempira, an indigenous Honduran hero who fought against the Spanish.