Copan ruins
An early start would mean that we made it to the ruins before the crowds – and before the sun got too much. So we were up for breakfast for just after 7am.
Breakfast at the Casa de Cafe was superb. Included in the price was coffee, a huge plate of fresh fruit, fresh orange juice and waffles. And this was served in the pretty garden looking out to the fields and mountains.
The sun was up and the grass still slightly moist. What we didn’t realise was that the mozzies were still up and active. Eugene’s short-clad legs were covered in bites before he’d even started breakfast and he made a swift retreat inside for some Deet. I have still not dared to shock the world with my milk bottles and cellulite, so survived with just three bites on my arm. Not bad going.
The ruins aren’t far from Copan Ruinas town so being it early and cool enough, we walked there. The first thing that was entirely diffrent to all other sites we’ve visited across Central America was……the price! It was over 25 GBP for the two of us, which consisted of two tickets. And here’s the rub. Unlike any other site, the archaelogical tunnels built to investigate underneath the currently visible ruins (the Mayans were forever building on top of existing structures) are accessible to the public….for a fee. And what a waste of money thi turned ou to be, since the tunnels were little more than holes in the ground through which you went, viewing re-creations of the glyphs and other carvings ariginally found down there. Boo hoo!
The ruins themselves were okay, and perhaps we’ve been spoilt now that we’ve seen so many of these magnificient sites. The usual ball court was in evidence, along with the stelae we’ve come to recognise that were missing in the Yucatan. These are carved blocks of stone with glyphs on them recording notable dates from the civilisation’s history, and many are still legible, although sadly slowly disintegrating as the sun rises and sets each day.
Here there is also the largest ever set of glyphs recording history in the whole of the Americas. Sixty three stone steps march skyward up the side of a temple, with each block of stone in each row dressed with the memories and celebrations of the Mayans. These days it’s covered with a canvas, limiting photo opps, and it’s also closed the the wear and tear of thousands of footprints – thank goodness!
Having wandered over the whole site in jut over two hours, we turned back towards the main entrance and took the chance the follow a nature trail into the jungle. Again, with a little bit of stealth and quietness we managed to spot a fair few birds, including one very strange noisy bird that for all the world sounded as if it were struggling to drain a plug hole. A most bizarre noise in a jungle full of sounds in any case.
Tags: Honduras
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