Photo Gallery

School is out. The little girl Yola from Puerto Cortés in Honduras is on her way home. His umbrella protects against both the rain and the sun. - 1977

On the beach of Travesía near Puerto Cortés in Honduras, on the Caribbean coast. This is where Christopher Columbus set foot on the continent on his fourth and last voyage in 1502. - 1977

Remains of the castillo (castle) of San Fernando de Omoa, Honduras. There are many ruins from the colonial period in Central America. The Spanish conquerors were often forced to build real fortresses in order to protect themselves from the repeated and courageous attacks of the Indian populations who tried, by all possible means, to defend and safeguard the integrity of their territory. These fortresses comprise a complex of buildings and were designed to be able to withstand a siege of a certain duration. They were built mainly in the vicinity of the Caribbean coastline and were also used during the 16th and 17th centuries to repel attempts by French and English pirates and freebooters to land. The latter, encouraged by their respective rulers, became more and more daring and enterprising, posing a permanent and growing threat to the possessions that the Spanish conquerors had on American soil. - 1977

Partial view of the interior of the castillo of San Fernando de Omoa, Honduras. This is one of the ammunition shops in which hundreds of cannonballs of all sizes abound. Many of these fortresses, built on American soil by the Spanish conquerors, were used as arsenals in which the troops could obtain supplies. These fortresses also provided some protection for the captains whose galleons were loaded with precious metal objects taken from the Indian populations of South America. These ships, filled with priceless treasures, then headed for Spain on a long and dangerous journey. The permanent state of insecurity that reigned throughout the colony was maintained by the hostility of the Indian populations towards the Western invaders and by the threats posed by French and English pirates and freebooters on the Atlantic coast. To this must be added the bloody struggles for power and for the possession of gold that the Spanish conquerors established in the different regions of Central America waged among themselves. - 1977

Cannon barrels lie in the courtyard of the castle of San Fernando de Omoa in Honduras. A large part of these Spanish fortresses were used as weapons magazines to supply the troops. The Spanish conquerors often felt compelled to build actual fortresses to protect themselves against the spirited attacks of the Indians, who tried to defend their country's independence by any means necessary. - 1977

Remains of the castillo (castle) of San Fernando de Omoa, Honduras. There are many ruins from the colonial period in Central America. The Spanish conquerors were often forced to build real fortresses in order to protect themselves from the repeated and courageous attacks of the Indian populations who tried, by all possible means, to defend and safeguard the integrity of their territory. These fortresses comprise a complex of buildings and were designed to be able to withstand a siege of a certain duration. They were built mainly in the vicinity of the Caribbean coastline and were also used during the 16th and 17th centuries to repel attempts by French and English pirates and freebooters to land. The latter, encouraged by their respective rulers, became more and more daring and enterprising, posing a permanent and growing threat to the possessions that the Spanish conquerors had on American soil. - 1977

School is out. These girls from Puerto Cortés in Honduras are on their way home. Their umbrellas protect against both the rain and the sun. - 1977

Travesía beach near Puerto Cortés, Honduras, on the Caribbean coast. This is probably the same landscape that Christopher Columbus saw when he landed on the mainland in 1502 during his fourth and final voyage. This coast is exposed to the Atlantic trade winds. The temperature is very high and rainfall is abundant throughout the year. These two factors allow an exuberant and varied vegetation to develop. All the species typical of tropical regions are represented here. The sea is full of fish, and the beach is home to many animals such as turtles, which frequent the area especially when they lay their eggs. In the thick forest nearby, criss-crossed by numerous rivers, wild animals abound, including jaguars, ocelots, tapirs, agoutis, deer, marsupials, reptiles, as well as a multitude of monkeys and birds that are a delight to naturalists. - 1977