Richard Harwood

Peace Corps 1989-1991

Peace Corps service from 1989 to 1991

In 1989 I joined the Peace Corps and was assigned to work in the Central American country of Honduras. The first three months of my Peace Corps service were spent living in the town of Valle de Angeles with a Honduran host family. This time was spent in training. Most of the training concentrated on learning Spanish and language skills. I went to Honduras without being able to speak Spanish, but 4-6 hours a day for three months helped to change that! I was never fluent in Spanish but knew enough to be able to communicate and travel comfortably in Spanish-speaking regions. Training also consisted of techical and cross-cultural sessions.

My first year as a Volunteer was spent in the town of Ojojona. I was geologically mapping the areas around Ojojona for the National Geographic Institute and the General Offices of Mines and Hydrocarbons. After completing the field work in Ojojona, I moved to Yuscaran and began working on another map.

My work also allowed me many opportunities to travel around the country and see some of the sites. Below are but a few of the photos from the many rolls of film that I took over the course of two years.

The last line is a link to the Peace Corps homepage, where you can learn more about the Peace Corps and get information on becoming a Peace Corps Volunteer.

Map of Honduras

Click on the link to view the image.

The house that I lived in for the first three months of training
The house in Ojojona where I lived my first year in Honduras
The main street in Ojojona
My landlord, Leonel Callejas
The main Catholic church in Ojojona
The San Isidro Market in Comayaguela, just across the river from the capital, Tegugucigalpa
Cargo plane crash that happened approximately 6 km from Ojojona on Cerro de Hule
One of the many streets in downtown Choluteca
The old pier at Amapala on Isla del Tigre - The mountain in the background is an extinct volcano
One of the many parks in downtown Tegucigalpa
Cow trails west of Ojojona. These were the types of trails I often followed while conducting field work
Field area west of Ojojona
A typical looking house in Lepaterique
Downtown Tela, located on the north coast
Miguel from Puerto Cortez on the north coast
Stone carving at the Mayan ruins of Copan
The Mayan ruins of Copan - the ball court is visible through the trees
The Mayan ruins of Copan
Macaws at the gate to the Mayan ruins
Downtown Tegucigalpa
Central district of Yuscaran - Yuscaran is famous for its old gold mining district, Spanish architecture and guaro (alcohol made from sugar cane)
Bridge over the Rio Choluteca, east of Yuscaran
View over the town of Danli
Spanish architecture in Yuscaran
Me and Jaime Herrera

Peace Corps People: Just a few of the many people with whom I shared my Peace Corps experience. Some were other Volunteers in my training group, some were other Volunteers I knew, and some were Peace Corps officials.

Spanish class with Dan Davis, Joe Rystrom, Rob Rogers and Instructor Miriam.
John Walker in Pespire.
Mike Kozuch, Rob Rogers, and Steve Ritz during Practicum Week.
Crystal Fielding and Frank Ionnone.
Melba Sheilds waiting for a ride on the roadside. Desvio to El Salvador.
Mike Grisham in a river in Lancetilla Botanical Park, Tela
Gary Thompson(?) and J. Michael Nehrbass
Tere Clancy
Herb Barber, RPCV who married a Honduran woman and was living in Yuscaran
Tere Clancy working in Comayagua
All PVC Conference 29 November 1991
Brenda Sims and Kelly Walsh
Peace Corps Nurses Ann, Jutta and Maggie
APCD Jorge Betancourt, Dan Davis and Steve Bovingdon
APCD Mark O'Donnell

Peace Corps - "The Toughest Job You'll Ever Love"