Mission Team Site Information for
El Paraíso United Methodist Church
(el pah-rah-EE-so)

Area of Honduras:  Located in a neighborhood of the town of El Paraíso, a 15-20 minute drive south of the town of Danlí (dahn-LEE), almost to the border of Nicaragua.  Danlí is located about two hours east of Tegucigalpa (teh-goo-see-GAHL-pah), the capital city of Honduras.

Maximum team size at this site:  14

Travel time from Tegucigalpa airport to El Paraíso :  2.5 hours

Preferred airport in Honduras (destination city): Tegucigalpa

Current construction needs:  Complete two-story sanctuary/classroom building.

Electricity on worksite:  Yes

 Accommodations:  (cost included in the per diem fee.)

Teams stay in a basic hotel in the downtown area of El Paraíso .

·          Distance from worksite— about a 10 minute drive 

·          Setting—Small town, downtown area.

·          Rooms—very simple hotel rooms with private bathroom

·          Showers—yes, with showerhead heaters

·          Toilets—yes

·          Bedding and towels—provided

·          Phone—available for emergencies

·          Electricity—yes

·          Laundry—hotel will do laundry for a fee

Meals:  (cost included in per diem fee)  Breakfast and dinner are served at a restaurant nearby.  The restaurant prepares lunches to go in the morning to take to the worksite.

Transportation:  UMVIM van from airport to El Paraiso.  Church van from the hotel to the worksite.

Other comments on this site: 
In the downtown area, there is an internet café (but with slow connection), and a small convenience store (pulpería) within walking distance to the hotel.  Across the street from the hotel is a park with pick-up basketball and soccer games.  As with all sites, we ask that teams not walk around town at night.

Cultural considerations:  See the general cultural awareness page on this website.

Sight-seeing from this site (Optional):  (team pays extra cost) 

(Not all teams take a sight-seeing day.  Some teams leave El Paraíso for Tegucigalpa the morning of their departure flight.)

·         Tegucigalpa—Some teams end their visit with a night at a Tegucigalpa hotel before flying out.  Teams pay for their meals during sight-seeing time, and the extra transportation cost, if any (contact UMVIM coordinator for costs).  Cost of hotel covered by per diem fee.  Teams who spend the last night in Tegucigalpa usually leave El Paraíso at 8am, travel to Teguc, check into a hotel there, then visit the town of Valle de Angeles, return to Teguc for dinner out, spend the night at the Teguc hotel, then leave for the airport in the morning. 

       (Valle de Angeles—A quaint artisan village about 45 min-1 hour away from Tegucigalpa in the mountains.  Teams can buy crafts in the many local shops, have a typical lunch, walk around town, enjoy live music that is offered in the plaza on most weekends.)

·       Around the area of Danlí—these can be done in a couple hours.  Please arrange these tours with the local pastor the day you arrive to allow time to make arrangements ahead of time.

o      Cigar Factory

o      Coffee Processing Plant

This page was last updated on Saturday April 19, 2008.

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