HONDURAS Feb, 2003

We crossed into Honduras from Nicaragua, and immediately went to stay with friends in Tegucigalpa. When we were in Cambodia in May 2000, Darrel and Susan were living in Phenom Penh, and were wonderful hosts then. They are still wonderful hosts, still involved in development work, but they've started a family and now have 2 kids!

Old Friends: Darrel & Susan, and little Dean

When we last stayed with them (in Cambodia), Dean was still in Susan's belly, bursting to get out

Grocery shopping at the Friday market in Tegucigalpa

Even the shopping carts are different

Per Darrel's recommendation, we took a different route towards Copan, stopping in the small and non-tourist town of Gracias

The streets of Gracias

Gracias was a real cowboy town -- many men wearing pistols, boots, and cowboy hats

A small church in Gracias

The cemetery, as viewed from up in the fort

Cannons protect the fort's entrance

Remnants of centuries past

The cannons remain silent, as the politicians make their "attack"

A few days later, we had our first encounter with the Mayan world: The Copan Ruins (on the border with Guatemala)

The Rosalila Temple -- A life-size replica of the original

Description of above

An artist's rendering of what the temple looked like when it was first discovered by archeologists

There are thousands of mounds around Copan, each containing a temple, pyramid, or other building

A print in the museum, depicting a typical sacrifice to the gods

One of the actual sacrificial tables -- the carvings around the sides represent each of the 16 kings

One of the original carved figures

Ornamental Figures

A Stelae -- This of one of the Great Kings: 18 Rabbits

A stelae records significant events in the King's history

Stone stairway of glyphs -- A massive set of stairs stretching up the side of a temple. The project was originally undertaken by the last king (#16) -- realizing their dynasty was failing, he wanted to produce a record/history. Unfortunately, the stones all collapsed, and archeologists are unable to understand and therefore unable to reconstruct in the proper order.

The site of the Copan Ruins

Hieroglyphic stairway is to the right, protected from sun/rain by a large tarp

Our guide, Andrea, in front of a re-constructed wall

The stones were found scattered on the ground, and re-assembled.

Macaws are relatively rare birds, but someone started feeding them near the entrance to the ruins, and they have remained "free" ever since.

After Copan, we travelled up to the Caribbean coast. Erin's brother Mike came to meet us and together we flew to the Bay Islands -- we decided to go to Utila to do some world-class (and cheap) diving.

Erin has not seen brother Mike in 4 years, and nothing's changed!