Central American countries don’t have any OSHA  oversight, so you have to use a little intelligence on your own.

In the town of Copan Ruinas, You need to watch where you walk.  There are some holes in the street grates, sidewalks, and some very poorly designed steps.    Some of the streets have inclines as illustrated by this photo:

tough sidewalks to navigate in Copan Ruinas, Honduras

My last day in Copan, I was hurrying back to the school to pick up something I had left behind.   I was trying to be really careful, but just before I got to the school, I slipped down some slick steps and twisted my ankle really bad.  I had not had anything hurt like that in a long time.

On the way home, I saw a store owner who recognized me and asked what had happened.  He said there was a clinic in town, but he would not recommend it.  I hobbled home and just fell into bed in pain.  I was supposed to leave on a bus the next morning at 4:45 a.m.

There was a small store across the street from my house and after I awoke I limped over to buy some Ibuprofen–the pharmacies were all closed.  The owner was very concerned about me when I told him I had to walk 4 blocks to the bus station with my suitcase early the next morning.  He cautioned me that it would dark and in my shape, I could easily fall.  He said he would get up at 4 a.m. and carry my bag for me and made sure I got there safe.  Needless to say I accepted.

When I got up the next a.m. I could barely walk.  Thank goodness, the store owner was sitting outside the door of my house waiting for me as promised.  He helped me to the station and made sure I got on the bus.

From Copan, I traveled 3 hours by bus back to the station in San Pedro Sula.  On the bus, I met another student who offered to help me get back to the airport.  I was glad for the assistance.

When I arrived in Oklahoma City, bruised, battered, and limping, my wife met me at the airport and just looked at me and said “when are you going to learn?”

In spite of everything, on the way home, I just smiled to myself and thought about the challenges of the trip and how I managed to survive everything and have such great memories.

P.S.-BTW-it was a bad ankle sprain and it took several months to heal.  It still gives me a little trouble from time to time.

Ok, I have some other trips to write about.  I will start those next week.

Steve Barrymore ssb11@prodigy.net

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You can see from the photo below, how sloped the streets are and believe me, water can run through them quite fast.

The sloped streets of Copan Ruinas

In any event, Jessina, my teacher at the school accompanied me to the pharmacy to buy anti-biotics.  In Honduras, you don’t need a prescription for many drugs.

It took a couple of days for me to recover, but once I did, I had time to reflect back on some of the errors I had made trying to navigate that brutal thunderstorm and it’s aftermath.  I should have carried my little travel umbrella, and I should not have waded through the dirty water in the streets.  Lesson learned!

Steve Barrymore ssb11@prodigy.net

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Trini, the maid that worked at the house where I was staying, was a very nice person.  She had a very cute little girl about 2 years old that stayed with her while she worked.    The little girl always seemed  to be curious about the stranger(me) that always came to the meals.

Here is a photo of Trini and her daughter:

Trini and her daughter in Copan Ruinas, Honduras

Trini had told me that she only had 4 photos of her little girl, so with Trini’s permission,  I spent some time taking photos of her daughter and took them to a little photo store to get developed.  Yes, even in the small town of Copan Ruinas, Honduras there is a way to get photos printed.

Here are some cute photos of her daughter.

Trini's daughter in Copan Ruinas, Honduras

Trini's daughter always like to look out the door to see what was going on

Ms. personality always had a cute smile for everyone

I gave Trini 12 different photos, so in the end she had a total of 16 photos of her daughter when I left Honduras.

Copan Ruinas Honduras-Jim's and I at Jim's Pizza

Jim is one of those guys that is your immediate friend.  He entertained us for two hours and told us everything we wanted to know about Honduras, and then some.  He had been here for around 5 years.  Turns out his family used to be from Tulsa, so we really hit it off.  I got the complete inside scoop about everything going on in town.  All the good dirt.

The pizza wasn’t bad, but the conversation was priceless.  You could not buy that type of chatter anyplace in the world.  It was a great two hours and I was asleep by 9 p.m.

Ok, one more thing:  remember what I said about the bi-lingual guides?  Even though I was enrolled in Spanish school, I asked for the tour to be in English.  I did that because the Mayan history is a little complicated and I didn’t want to miss anything.  Just don’t tell my teacher!!Here is a photo of the outside of the museum on the grounds.

Here is the museum building

Now, here are some photos of the inside:

Inside the museum of Copan Ruinas

Another view of inside the museum

some copies of famous works uncovered at the Copan Ruinas

some of my ancestors from Copan Ruinas

lots of displays inside the museum of Copan Ruinas

All in all, the museum is a great place to escape the intense sun and heat.  Everything on display is well documented with explanations.   Don’t worry if it is a replica or not.  The idea is to educate you about the Maya.

When it comes time to go back to town, don’t cop out by grabbing one of the tuk-tuk taxis.  Copan Ruinas is not the place for whiners!! Take the time to stroll the mile or so back to town along the tree lined path.  You will meet a few vendors along the way that are selling dolls, etc.  If you see something interesting that you like, you should buy it.

You might want to take an umbrella if there is any chance of rain.  The day I walked back, I did not have an umbrella and got absolutely soaked in a big time downpour.  By the time I got back to town, the streets were flooded with calf deep water.  It was just like you see on the international news!!   I had to dry out while sitting in front of a coffee shop.  Good thing I was wearing “quick-dry” travel clothing.  I paid a price though and I will mention it in a subsequent post where I will have more comments about Honduras.

The big attraction to the town of Copan Ruinas, Honduras is the Mayan Ruins located only one (1) mile outside of town.  It is an easy stroll.  Part of it being a tree lined walk.  Suggest you go in the morning, because of what can be sometimes be intense heat.  Make sure you wear a hat!  If your walking partner starts to complain about the heat or the distance, just remind them of all the work the Mayans did while on a corn diet!

The tree lined walk to the Mayan ruins of Copan Ruinas, Honduras

I have visited the ruins on two (2) different trips to Copan Ruinas.  The second time was like being there for the first time, because there is so much to study.  I have visited a number of sites in Central America and Mexico.  Each time I learn a lot more about the Mayan civilization.

You will need to pay an admission charge to enter the park.  Plus, I strongly suggest you get a guide. They can add so many details to the tour that you would never get on your own.  There is a little office on your left as you enter the park where the guides hang out.  You can make arrangements there.  If you are going to spend all the time and money to get to Copan Ruinas, Honduras then let go of a few bucks to do the ruins in the best possible way.  The cost of a guide for 2 hours was around $25.

The entrance to the Mayan ruins of Copan Ruinas, Honduras

There is an open air museum that is very interesting where you will actually buy your tickets to the park.  In addition to the open air visitor’s center, there is an enclosed museum building with some very interesting examples of the Mayan work.

The musuem center of the Mayan Ruins of Copan Ruinas, Honduras

Don’t try to take the easy way out by only visiting the museum.  You HAVE TO visit the actual ruins to get the full effect of the Mayan life.  Don’t let the Mayans think they did all that work for nothing!

Next-we will go visit the actual ruins!

Steve Barrymore ssb11@prodigy.net

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My last trip to Copan Ruinas, Honduras was where I found the colored lassos.  It was the first time I had seen them in a market.  It certainly makes for some interesting photography.

Need a plastic container or a lasso? Take your pick

Hammocks, lassos, or mangos

You can buy any type of hat in the street markets of Copan Ruinas, Honduras

As you can see, there is no end to what you can buy in the steet markets of Copan Ruinas, Honduras.  It is an interesting way to spend the day.

 In addition to the markets where the local people shop, there are also plenty of street vendors selling a collection of crafts, jewelry, etc. to the tourists.  Some of the vendors seem to be backpackers that are just trying to get enough money to continue traveling on. 

Next-we will take a look at the Mayan ruins of Copan Ruinas, Honduras-

Steve Barrymore ssb11@prodigy.net

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I stopped doing everything except studying for these classes. The sad part is my travel adventures have also been stacking up. Have I felt guilty for not blogging? Yes, everyday, especially since people have been sending me e-mails asking for information.

I also recently did a product trial on a travel security product called “Grab Guard” which is a really nifty travel product. I am going to write a review on it in just a few days, so you will want to stay tuned.

Ok, back to Honduras.

As you read in my previous post about the markets I visited in San Pedro Sula before arriving in Copan Ruinas; you could tell that I thoroughly enjoy the street markets of Latin America.

For me, there is no better education than seeing new things that you would never see otherwise. Not only, do you see different fruits, vegetables, crafts, art, but you also get a chance to talk with people who are just as intrigued with you as you are with them.

Does it help to speak some Spanish? You bet, but don’t let that stop you! I have found that through hand gestures (the nice kind), it can be quite easy to communicate with people who don’t speak your language.

In Copan Ruinas, Honduras there is a small market, but yet has some great produce as well as colorful useful products. The market is located right off the town square, so you can’t miss it. Just look for vendors standing around on the street in front and you will easily find the entrance. Let’s take a look at some of what I saw.

The vendors are setting up shop outside the market entrance to appeal to the passerby

Some people like to just drive their truck and just park on the street at the town square or outside the market.

just sell it out of the back of your truck

Once you go inside the market, the array of colors is overwhelming

It is tight quarters inside the street market of Copan Ruinas, Honduras

No shortage of produce in these markets

These mangoes are ready to eat!

Great looking produce in the street markets of Copan Ruinas, Honduras

Take a look at this bowl of peppers

Man, don’t they do a great job on the display of fresh produce in these street markets of Honduras?  Often times, consumers buy produce everyday because they want it as fresh as they can get it.

I took a couple of photos of some other interesting stuff in the market.  I will post those shortly.

Steve Barrymore ssb11@prodigy.net

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a typical street in Copan Ruinas, Hondurfas

Unless you have a very long way to go in Copan Ruinas, Honduras, it is easier just to walk everyplace rather than take one of the little tuk-tuk taxis.   

The cobblestone streets of Copan Ruinas, Honduras

 One note of caution:  there are lots of inconsistencies in the sidewalk construction and cobblestone streets, so it is very easy to lose your footing unless you pay close attention to where you are walking.  A footnote here:  on my last day of this trip, I fell down a flight of concrete steps on the sidewalk, severely spraining my ankle. 

a popular tourist hangout in Copan Ruinas, Honduras

Every morning, I attended the Ixbalanque Spanish School.  I would return to my family stay for lunch, usually take a nap, and then explore the town.  There is always something interesting to see.

One of the hot dog vendors in Copan Ruinas, Honduras

 Occasionally you see some tourists that are visiting the ruins outside of town.  For the most part it is just fun to do a little souvenir shopping or visit some of the public markets.

Another popular tourist restauarant in Copan Ruinas

the narrow streets of Copan Ruinas are interesting to walk

Copan Ruinas, Honduras, one of the quaint buildings

sometimes the streets seem to lead to nowwhere in Copan Ruinas, Honduras

 I will show some photos of the public markets of Copan Ruinas in my next blog.

Steve Barrymore ssb11@prodigy.net

Read about the rest of my travels in Honduras

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One of the advantages of studying Spanish at the Ixbalanque language school is getting to live in Copan Ruinas while you are going to school. I really enjoy this little town that is nestled in the hills of the Copan Valley in northern Honduras. It is one of my favorite places in the world.

As I mentioned in one of my previous blogs, the taxi system here is the “Tuk-Tuk” which is a motorized golf cart. They are all over the town.

The Tuk-Tuk Taxi's of Copan Ruinas, Honduras

Most of the Tuk-Tuk taxis of Copan Ruinas, Honduras are red, but occasionally you will see a differnt color

 Many of the town’s activities are centered around the town square which was just a two block walk from the family with whom I was staying. There is also a very interesting museum on the square. I will have some photos of that in a subsequent blog.

typical street in Copan Ruinas, Honduras

Lots of activity around the square in Copan Ruinas, Honduras

Early Morning in the town square in Copan Ruinas, Honduras

The town square of Copan Ruinas, Honduras. Always a great place to sit quietly during certain parts of the day

one of the entrances to the town square in Copan Ruinas, Honduras

 Around the outside of the square are a couple of shops, a market, a few banks, and a coffee shop where I liked to hang in the a.m. and sip Honduran coffee. Sorry, I don’t have any photos of the retail surrounding the square, you will just have to visualize it—just don’t visualize Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills. This town is for the people who want a totally different experience!

 In my next blog, I will post some photos of the streets of Copan Ruinas, Honduras. You really don’t want to miss those, so don’t wander off and start reading some other traveler’s blogs!

Steve Barrymore ssb11@prodigy.net

Read about the rest of my travels in Honduras

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Comments?  Please post below or email me at ssb11@prodigy.net