UPDATE: The United Nations unanimously adopted a resolution stating that deposed Honduran President Manual Zelaya should be restored to power. (CNN)

As of Tuesday, the U.S. Department of State has placed a Travel Alert on Honduras. American citizens should defer all non-essential travel to Honduras until further notice, because of "the current unstable political and security situation."

On Sunday, Honduras President Manuel Zelaya was removed by the Honduran military and sent to Costa Rica. President Obama has called the action a coup, "not legal", and has pledged the United States will "stand on the side of Democracy". (USA Today) Zelaya will address the United Nations in New York Tuesday (BBC News).

If you're presently in Honduras, check the Consulate's frequently updated Public Announcements on Honduras travel for safety information. The Honduras government has imposed a curfew from 9pm until 6am -- please abide by it for your own safety. There have been a number of demonstrations in the Tegucigalpa area, though "calm prevails" in the rest of the country. As always, steer clear of demonstrations or public gatherings of people.

On a personal note, I would be in Honduras right now if my travel plans hadn't fallen through a couple weeks ago. Honduras is a remarkable nation, and I hope with all my heart these issues can be resolved calmly and without altercation.

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras -- The Honduras president Jose Manuel Zelaya was arrested by the Honduran military Sunday morning, says CNN. He had vowed to move forward with a referendum Honduras's Supreme Court ruled illegal.

Zelaya's four-year term as Honduran president ends January 2010, and he can't be up for re-election under Honduran law. According to CNN, the referendum "would ask voters to place a measure on November's ballot allowing the formation of a constitutional assembly that could modify the nation's charter to allow the president to run for another term."

What does this mean for Honduras travelers? As always, stay far away from demonstrations large gatherings of people; there is always the possibility they might turn violent. At the time of this post, there has been no reported unrest. Keep an eye on local Honduras news, just in case.

Volunteering with sea turtles is something I haven't yet done, but have wanted to ever since I was a kid. Discovery Channel documentaries of the lumbering mothers laying eggs and the hatchlings scampering for the sea intrigued me. I always mourned for the babies snatched by gulls and other animals, and of course, the eggs gathered by illegal poachers.

Costa Rica is home to 5 of the 7 varieties of sea turtle -- including giant leatherback and hawksbill turtles -- and there are numerous turtle nesting sites where travelers can volunteer. Endangered sea turtles really do need help. Volunteers take part in a range of activities, like collecting data on the nesting behavior of female turtles, monitoring nest sites, and spreading sea turtle awareness in local communities. Here's a selection of some top programs for volunteering with sea turtles:

• Volunteer Visions Turtle Conservation - Playa Buenavista, Guanacaste (Pacific Coast). $650 US for two weeks, including room & board.
• BaseCamp Centers Sea Turtle Project - Gandoca-Manzanillo in Limon (Caribbean Coast). $1520 US for 4 weeks, including room & board. Other BaseCamp locations include the Osa Peninsula and Playa Matalpo on the Pacific Coast.
• i-to-i Turtle Conservation & Surf Lessons - Playa Samara on the Nicoya Peninsula or Playa Matalpo (both Pacific Coast). Learn to surf while you help save endangered sea turtles! $1425 for 1 week, $220 each week thereafter. iIncludes room & board.

Photo by Marcio Scatrut

Approximately 850,000 visitors enjoy Belize vacations every year. Considering the population of the entire country is 300,000, that's pretty impressive! Many Belize travelers opt for all-inclusive packages or cruises, and there's nothing wrong with that.

But other travelers prefer the flexibility that comes with planning their own Belize vacation. We've put together some of the best Belize vacations and travel itineraries to simplify your preparation process. From the white beaches of the Belize Cayes to the meandering rivers of Cayo District, these travel routes are perfect for mixing and matching, or for combining into one extraordinary trip.

As the WHO declares swine flu a global pandemic (CNN.com), it's advisable to know which countries have suffered outbreaks, and how many. At the time I write this on June 11, 2009, confirmed swine flu cases in Central America are as follows:

• Panama swine flu: 229 cases
• Costa Rica swine flu: 104 cases, 1 death
• Honduras swine flu: 89 cases
• El Salvador swine flu: 69 cases
• Guatemala swine flu: 60 cases
• Nicaragua swine flu: 45 cases

There have been no confirmed cases of swine flu in Belize. As a basis for comparison, there have been 13,217 confirmed cases of swine flu in the US (and 27 deaths), and 6,241 in Mexico (and 108 deaths).You can keep tabs on swine flu in Central America and the rest of the world via the frequent updates on the World Health Organization website.

The recession might be hurting the travel industry itself, but it's resulting in some pretty sweet deals for travelers. During my regular perusals of Kayak, I found a number of absurdly cheap Central America flights for summer. Seriously, I've never seen fares this low. Some include:

• New York (LGA) to Guatemala City as low as $259 round-trip, or $287 from Los Angeles
• Miami to Belize City as low as $409 round-trip, or $414 from Dallas
• Los Angeles to San Salvador for $357 round-trip
• Miami to Panama City for $224 round-trip
• And the lowest flight of all, Phoenix to San Jose, Costa Rica for $199 round-trip. Wow!!

So what are you waiting for? Now's the time to take that Central America vacation.

In our Central America food series, we told you all about popular cuisine in every Central America country, from Sopa de Pata in El Salvador to Johnny Cakes in Belize. Now it's your turn. What Central America dishes are your favorite? Where did you try them? Have you made them at home?

Help us gather a database of the very best Central America food (and drink) by giving us your input at the links below!

• What's your favorite Costa Rica food?
• What El Salvador dish do you adore?
• Which Guatemalan food is your fave?
• What's the best Panama meal?
• What's your favorite Nicaragua food?
• Which dish do you love in Honduras?

As more destinations in Central America (and worldwide) become accessible to travelers, environmentally sustainable "green" travel grows more and more important. Travel might be the best way to appreciate the world's wonders, but there's no denying the ecological impact of crisscrossing the globe.

That's why organizations like GreenSpot are truly a breath of fresh air. GreenSpot offers all kinds of information for eco-savvy travelers, such as green travel news, noteworthy initiatives, travel tips and green travel gear. GreenSpot also specializes in organizing low-impact Central America adventures in Costa Rica, Panama, El Salvador and Nicaragua, and was granted Condé Nast Traveler's Top Travel Specialist designation from 2006 to 2008. What's more, profits from GreenSpot’s travel program are invested in Central America communities and programs, such as the organization's landmark community development projects in Costa Rica.

Even if you can't take a eco-trip or volunteer vacation anytime soon, keep updated on the sustainable travel industry via the informative GreenSpot weblog.

Photo by Arthur Anker, Licensed to About.com

When it comes to stress, heartbreak and other life-altering woes, Travel Therapy author Karen Schaler says, "Take two vacations, then call me in the morning."

We can't argue with that. Whether you're recuperating from a medical condition, attempting to reconnect with loved ones, or overcoming stress from work, author and world traveler Karen Schaler's new book, Travel Therapy, presents an ideal (and idyllic) vacation tailored for your situation.

Several Central America travel spots are represented in Travel Therapy. Going through a tough breakup? Go cave-tubing in Belize. Feel like something's missing in your life? Pay it forward by volunteering with Ambassadors for Children in the La Esquintla region of Guatemala, or by taking a Belizean volunteer vacation with GoAbroad.com. Other destinations span the globe, from Montana to Mongolia. Your cure is covered -- take a look at our review.

Like many internet memes, it all began with a post on Cute Overload. Now, photos of these "Rainforest Fluffballs" -- aka, the Honduran white bat -- are bouncing from site to site, melting the hearts of everybody who views them. (Click on the photo for a larger image.)

The Honduran white bat is endemic to Central America, and ranges between 37 and 47 millimeters in size. As pictured, the tiny bats create tents from the leaves of the Heliconia plant, and cuddle there in small colonies of one male and five or six females. If you're lucky enough to spy some in the rainforests of Central America, be careful not to disturb them (as much as you want to cuddle a handful!).

Photo via Wikipedia Commons