Like foreign women, male travelers can expect plenty of attention from the opposite sex. Many Honduran women see foreign men with a combination of idealization of the gringo and a mercenary attitude about the possibilities of marrying one or getting some of their money.

Most of this attention comes in the form of giggling from groups of women you happen to pass by. But often a single woman will catch your eye, or even boldly walk up to you and introduce herself, something women rarely do with Honduran men. If you stop to chat with a woman, even if she’s a complete stranger, asking her out for a date is perfectly acceptable. And in the uncomplicated sexual culture of the Caribbean, if you go out on a date, it’s just a small step to go to bed together. What you wish to do about this state of affairs is of course entirely personal, but should you end up in bed with a hondureña, be sure to bring your own protection and use it, as AIDS is rife in Honduras. Honduran women rarely insist on a condom.

It’s not uncommon, especially in north coast beach towns, to see an older foreign man escorting around a young Honduran woman. While this may seem distasteful to some, it’s also true that many of these women are fully aware of their situation and what they are doing, at times a lot more than the men.

This assumes, of course, that both individuals are of consenting age—a much more sinister phenomenon is when an older foreign man goes for an underage Honduran girl. Despite the fact that this is illegal, the dire poverty and lack of opportunity in Honduras, along with a sickeningly large number of willing rich foreign clients, have made child prostitution a growing social problem in Honduras, as in Cuba and Thailand.