Central America #3

From: 11/29/07

Last night was salsa night at Via Via.

A salsa teacher from Antigua teaches salsa and leads a salsa party every Wednesday. So we danced and danced and danced while drinking (You alcoholics will love this) <$1 cocktails. During the party, I danced with a girl named Audrey. Unlike me, she really knew what she was doing and we ended up talking for quite a while about salsa dancing. Turns out, she's a local (lives in Copan) who grew up in Nebraska then moved with her mom back to Honduras, so she spoke perfect English. I learned a lot about the history and culture of Copan and Honduras. Copan as it turns out, is not just a tourist destination, but also social hot spot for locals. It was a very fun night full of drinks, dancing, and celebration. I learned a lot about myself and Honduras. A life experience, if you will.

On a different note, today was our trip to the Copan Ruinas. Mayan ruins that date back thousands of years. Grouped with our our British friend Katie, we opted to guide ourselves through the breathtaking ruins surrounded by endless rolling green hills. I have many pictures to show everyone. Rocks piled high, crazy plants, a grasshopper with red legs and a spider that looks like it could kill you with laser eyes.

*Nerd alert* I've always known that the troll ruins in World of Warcraft were modeled from Mayan and Incan ruins, but I didn't know to what degree. They're not only modeled after the ruins physically, but culturally. The Mayans portrayed death and animal worship & metaphor in most of the carvings. They sculpted human skulls and animal representations, especially cats and monkeys, on many temples. There was an arena designed for human sacrifice and many tombs and underground networks... Oh and the ruins would make a BITCHIN' paint ball arena.

Tomorrow morning, We're leaving for San Pedro. From what Audrey and guide books told me, San Pedro is simply a financial importing hub with nearly nothing to see. It's dangerous, crowded, and (according to Audrey) devoid of culture. With this in mind, I'm very glad we stayed here in Copan an extra night and will only spend one full day in San Pedro. I'm very sad to leave this paradise, not only because this is an amazing city, but because I know we won't find anything like this again once we start dashing around taking in as many tourist destinations as possible. Leaving Copan also marks the beginning of the expensive part of our trip. We anticipate about $100 in travel expenses alone before we get back to Guatemala City to fly home.

Fritz

*Note: It's funny to reread this entry because we ended up missing a ferry and having to charter a plane for $150. My $100 estimate is hilarious to me now.