PICACHO.....BUT NOT PICACHO PEAK!!

The statue at Picacho
(Not to be confused with Picacho Peak in Arizona!)

One of the most famous sights in Tegucigalpa is a statue of Christ similar to the one in Rio de Janiero, Brazil. It is on top of one of the highest areas of the city known as Picacho. It oversees the entire city and is a place that everyone who visits here has to go. The saying is that the airport is open if you can see Picacho. When we wonder if our missionaries will be coming or going, we look and see if we can see the statue of Jesucristo.


Last weekend we went to visit Picacho. (Our days of sightseeing in Honduras are quickly coming to a close). We went with the Adams' who have already been there and served as our guides. It was absolutely breathtaking to look over the entire valley. We could see everything from there and the statue of Christ was amazing. There were beautiful gardens, families and youth groups up there. It was surrounded by pine trees and was cooler than in the valley.

Tomkinsons and Adams at Picacho

One of the sights that we could see from the mountain was an area of green on the side of one of the hills in the city. It was surrounded by two densely populated areas. But this area was totally green. We have found out that this is an area of the city that slid down the hill when Hurricane Mitch hit in 1998. Hurricane Mitch was one of the most destructive hurricanes to ever hit the western hemisphere. It was in Honduras for two full days. It was sobering to think of the people who lost their homes and their lives when this mountain slid down the hill. There was no place for them to go.

The side of the hill that slid off into the river

We were able to see the airport, where we lived, the Bascilica and most every landmark in the city. It was an enjoyable day....something that we are glad that we did before we left Honduras.

The church in central Tegucigalpa
This is where we saw the sawdust pictures at Easter