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Tawahkas-Ahuas/Wampusirpe
Ahuas is along
the Patuca River in the savannah. It is connected by direct flights to La Ceiba
and has a hotel. People who want to visit the Tawahka Indians can fly here, then
take a motorized canoe to Wampusirpe, a Miskito town along the River. There is
small hospedaje or hotel there. From here motorized canoes continue down
to Krautara and Krausirpe where the Tawahkas live. While the Tawahkas have no
hotels, they are organized to receive visitors, provide them with food, tour
guides ,etc.
There is a radio in Wampusirpe, so you can perhaps call ahead to
tell the Tawahkas you are coming.
If you love Indian crafts, Wampusirpe and the Tawahka area are the places to go.
Here you can see the process of making tunu bark cloth, used to make decorative
collage style wall hangings, such as pictures of macaws and tucans. In these
areas, the Indians still weave a twine made of tree bark to make carrying bags,
hammocks, and hanging baskets. Some people make bows and arrows to hunt fish.
These areas provide the best opportunities to try traditional rainforest foods,
which include a lot of fish. All the rainforest animals that you want to see
such as monkeys, macaws, tapirs, peccaries, etc. are in this region.
Traditional dances are still done in this region and the Tawahkas have their own
dance troupe. The Miskitos and Tawahkas here mostly speak enough Spanish so that
a tourist can get around. The people can tell many stories, both traditional
folk stories and the stories of modern struggles such as the titling of the
Tawahka Biosphere Reserve Asagni.
It is possible to continue your trip upriver to Patuca in Olancho where you can
connect to bus transportation in Olancho. Warning, there are no banks or
telephones for credit card use in this part of Honduras, so you must bring cash
from La Ceiba.
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