Honduras & Copan

Flush with excitement and brimming with Mayan enthusiasm from my recent Tikal experiences, I talked my remaining friends in San Salvador, Nic & Sharmila, to accompany me on a one-day mission to visit the sprawling ruin complex of Copan, in Southern Honduras. Not to be unduly unfair to Honduras (especially in comparison with the tourist Mecca of San Salvador), but there really didn’t seem to be much else interesting there to soak up a few more days.


So at 5.30 in the morning, we clambered into a minibuses with our trusty guides and headed to Honduras via Guatemala (no, we’re not sure why either).

Four hours later, we are strolling amongst the ruins of another of the great Mayan civilizations who vanished without a trace in the mid-900’s (although our guide in this instance had an Al Gore "environmental apocalypse" thing going on, which was quite inspired).

Compared to Tikal, Copan doesn’t have the scale, towering temples, the all-encompassing jungle or bird & animal life, but what it does have are many more inscriptions which help bring the whole complex and Mayan story to life. It also has some really huge giant red parrots (Macau’s?), which I thought were really cool.

After an invigorating Honduran (Mexican/Central American) lunch, it was another long drive back home. A long day, but worth it.

Photos are here.