Copan

Despite our rough start, Copan was absolutely amazing. The ruins are incredible. We got up early to have some time to walk around them and decided to get a tour guide to show us around. Ethan and I didn't want to spend all the money for the guide, so we found another group to split it with. The group was 6 people, and they came from all over the world. There was a woman from Mexico, a man from San Salvador, a man from India, a woman from Finland and two men from the Ukraine. Such an odd group but it was fun. Our tour guide was very funny and did a great job about explaining in detail almost everything about the grounds. He had a very good laugh, and the other group found him absolutely hilarious and often began laughing at things that I must have missed the joke in, but hey. It was fun. What was supposed to be a two hour tour turned into four hours, but the time went by very quickly. We wandered through the ruins hearing the history, and it was so easy for me to imagine the king in his palace, the workers working on the intricate carvings that were in every area of the grounds, a market place in the center with people selling goods, a boy from the rural towns coming to the city for the first time, the sacrifices in the amphitheater area. Everything was so vivid. And then to imagine what it must have looked like when it was truly all built up, covered with stucco and painted. That would have been something to see. The day was beautiful and we couldn't have asked for anything prettier. There was a really nice breeze that when it ran through the trees, the leaves would come falling down like rain. I thought that was one of the prettiest things I have seen, almost like the old Mayan gods were whispering something to the people who came to visit. Copan was at the center of Mayan culture, and it was the city where the kings lived. We learned about the old dynasty's, the symbolism of their sculpture, and many more things. I enjoyed just sitting in the center of one of the old temples, soaking in the sun and feeling the breeze on my skin. It was so peaceful. They say that if you walk barefoot around the grass in the square, you can soak in some of the energy because it is a sacred place. I felt like I took in a little.

At about noon, we went to grab a little lunch and then went through the museum. I typically enjoy museums, but I think I was somewhat tired. After walking around a bit I laid down on a bench and fell asleep. It was quite nice. Soon after we took a cab back to the hotel and just rested. I read a good part of my book (which I love and highly recommend. It is called Mountains beyond Mountains by Tracee Kidder. It is about the life of a doctor who opened a medical complex in Haiti, and then expanded his organization to fight tuberculosis in areas such as Peru and Russia. It is extremely inspirational and has been making me think... a lot). We went out to wander around the city a bit more in the evening. You actually can't really call it a city. It is much more of a town. Copan is also completely different than La Ceiba. It is a tourist town if you ever saw one. It is clean, well put together, and their are almost as many tourists as Hondurans walking around. There are some more upscale restaurants, and shops are open until about 9:00, versus 5 which is when everything closes in Ceiba. It was kind of a nice change of pace. Definitely less active than what we are used to. We did some souvenir shopping and then grabbed some dinner at a delicious pizza place.

This morning we woke up late, I read for a bit more and then we went out for some brunch. We spent the afternoon in the central square, simply people watching and I hugely enjoyed that quite time of doing nothing. It is rare that I do nothing, but it did let me think. My mind wandered as I watched people. I wondered about their stories, the stories of the two little old ladies gossiping on the wall across for us, of the little boy selling ice cream, of the tourists that walked back and forth. I thought about the huge inequality that is everywhere, and the seeming impossibility of ever changing it. The unfairness of the ability I have of going to places like Copan for two days, flying home and then visiting Costa Rica before returning to La Ceiba, while most of the kids I work with and love might not ever have the opportunity to leave the country. I thought about the houses and conditions these people live in, and wondered how I would feel when I come back to my house. And then I wondered what I am going to do about it? No one would blame me if I go home, go to college, get a good job and help on my spare time. In fact I would be praised for it. But will I be able to live with that? In a way, will I be able to forget everything, and be okay with living my privileged american life? I honestly don't know. What bothers me is that I think I might be. Just things to think about and wonder and ponder. I came back to reality as it was time to head to the bus and catch a ride back to San Pedro Sula. Thankfully, the ride was uneventful and I was picked up by Lenner, the nicest man in the world, and am staying in the Hilton ready to catch my plane tomorrow. I shall see many of you shortly!