Copan

I'm in Honduras in the most charming town called Copan Runias. I seriously love this town...it's just little but beautiful/really clean with cobblestone roads. It sits in a valley with a river flowing through and hills surrounding it. It's about 6km past the Guatemalan border and right outside the Mayan Copan ruins.

While a tourist destination, it doesn't feel tousity...no rows of stores selling the same crap. Lots of locals just going about their day. In the evenings everyone is out on the streets just hanging out/chatting. It feels very safe here too.

It's amazing how by driving just 5 hours from Guatemala the weather can be so different! Guatemala was warm in the day but really cool at night (I was bundling up to leave for dinner every night and sleeping in my winter toque and every pair of socks I own on my feet) but last night here I was still in shorts and a tank top all evening and it was gorgeous out.



My hotel, what a view!



My hotel



Hammocks for each room!

The Mayan site of Copan, discovered in 1570, is one of the most important sites of the Mayan civilization.

Inside the site they have a breeding program for the scarlet macaw, the countries official bird. There are dozens of gorgeous macaws soaring over/dive bombing your head and making a cacophony of noise in the trees. It was amazing site to walk into.

The Maya leader Yax Kuk Mo, coming from the area of Tikal, arrived in the Copan Valley in 427 A.D., and started a dynasty of 16 rulers that transformed Copan into one of the greatest Maya cities during the Classic Maya Period.
 

The great period of Copán, paralleling that of other major Mayan cities, occurred from AD 300-900. 

 

Major cultural developments took place with significant achievements in mathematics, astronomy and hieroglyphic writing.

The archaeological remains and public squares reveal the three main stages of development, during which evolved the temples, plazas, altar complexes and ball courts that can be seen today, before the city was abandoned in the early 10th century.

My guide at the Tikal ruins told me that the game they played at the ball courts involve a sacrificial killing of the loser!
 

On the risers on a 100 m wide stairway on one of the large temples are more than 1,800 individual heiroglyphs which are the longest known Mayan inscription. They are still working on translating the whole thing as it's a bit of a jigsaw puzzle and some pieces are missing.

Hieroglyphic stairway.

Hieroglyphic stairway.

Hieroglyphic stairway.

During the period when Mayan civilization spread across Central America, Copán was the largest and most influential city in the south-eastern sector.

After a few hours in the park, I went back to my hotel, ordered a papaya smoothie and sat in the sun on my hammock.

The sun sets right behind the hills in front of my hotel so I got a great view. The staff here are super sweet...they speak about as much English as I speak Spanish but are really patient and speak slowly so I can understand....they also don't laugh at my abysmal Spanish!

When I went into town for dinner, I ran into a couple from New Zealand that were on my morning shuttle into Copan.  I joined then for happy hours drinks and a really nice dinner in a nice little rooftop restaurant.

We both had plans to go to the macaw bird sanctuary today so are going to meet up at 10am and share a tuk tuk.