Estoy en Copan Ruinas!

Flying from SA/Houston/San Pedro Sula I finally arrived in Honduras on Saturday night! After a scary taxi episode that included driving around a dark residential neighborhood for 20 minutes, but that happily ended up as just a misunderstanding, I stayed the first night at the Hilton Princessa compliments of a good friend (thanks, Osman!)

My first destination was Copan Ruinas, a beautiful and touristy town about 3 hours by bus. The town is known for being close to ancient Mayan ruins. I'm here for one week of intensive Spanish lessons, living with a host family along with another traveling student who is from New Zeland. For a very affordable price I have a private Spanish tutor for four hours a day. I'm happily surprised to find that I remember much more Spanish than I expected, and can easily have a conversation! (but please, no religion or politics...) I hope after one week that I'll retrieve much more from the dusty vault of my memory.

It's about 95 degree here, no AC, but there is a light breeze and people just get used to it. Although the town seems very attractive and quaint, there is a lot of poverty on the edge of the centro. Many people were displaced by Hurricane Mitch in the late 90s, poor to begin with, and have never recovered. This was a great place to start the trip though because although not a tourist spot, there are many extranjeros, or foreigners, here, primarily taking advantage of the Spanish schools and volunteer projects available.

Tonight a few of us are taking a moto-taxi about two miles to a nice hotel on the top of a small montana to watch the sunset. Other activities that are offered include horse back riding, hot springs, canopy tours, spelunking, and swimming holes, but I'm not sure yet what I'll have time to do in one week, as I'll be taking the bus to La Esperanza on Saturday to begin work with my cousin in the maternal health project. PLUS it's also important to spend some time in the internet cafe!

More pictures coming soon :)