This month's chapel hike

We had the monthly chapel hike yesterday and 108 people participated this time -- the largest group yet. We hiked a total of about five miles, with the village where we dropped off the food about halfway through the trip. The weather couldn't have been better, and we had a chance to stop at a ruin site on the way in.

We walked on a dirt road most of the way, except for the trail we went down to the ruin, so it was a pretty easy walk.







I really don't know anything about the ruin. We heard it was originally a Mayan site, and if it was, it was poorly restored. The concrete in the stones was obvious.



In the end, some people in need at the village received a lot of food, mostly flour, rice, sugar and oil.

 

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Soggy

It's been raining for a few days, so I decided to go to Tegucigalpa for a Mental Health Weekend. It's not that I have been going crazy, but it's a good excuse to sleep in a big bed and have my own bathroom for a couple days. I'm easily entertained.

It hasn't been raining non-stop, but pretty close. We got a break this morning, but it's pretty overcast, so it'll probably start again soon. I guess that's why they call it the rainy season.



That's the view from the hotel a few minutes ago. The low clouds have been a constant companion for quite a few days. It does keep the heat down.

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Climb a mountain then eat fried food

We drove out to a national park near Lake Yojoa to climb a mountain in search for a waterfall. It was a beautiful trip up, although a little tiring because it was hot and humid -- and we were climbing a mountain. Here's a view from ridge we walked across.



We never found the waterfall, but we did find this pineapple growing in the wild.



After the climb we decided to get some lunch at a restaurant on the lake. I went for the fried chicken (in Spanish I mistakenly ordered chicken-fish -- I need to work on that) and my daughter ordered the fried fish. They fry Tilapia differently here than they do in most restaurants in the states. She said it was delicious.

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Copan Ruinas

The town next to the ruins at Copan is Copan Ruinas. It's a nice little town that is nearly impossible to drive through -- the streets are narrow cobblestone with cars parked everywhere. We stayed at the Hotel Posada Real de Copan on the other side of the ruins and took the free shuttle into town. There are also several hotels in town.



There are plenty of shops and restaurants in town to choose from. The shops sell the typical tourist stuff.



When you need to get back to the hotel and don't care to wait for the next shuttle, or if you just want a ride around town, they have these small, red taxis available. They are inexpensive, but I'm not sure how safe. I'm still alive.

 

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Copan

I just got back from my first trip to Copan and it was pretty amazing. I've always been interested in Maya, Inca and Aztec history, and this was my first time to a site, so I was impressed. I would highly encourage anyone to make the trip to Copan.

Of course I shot a few photos. One of the most recognizable, and most photographed, structure is the ball court. It's not as wide as you would think, but I assume Mayans were not very large people, considering modern Hondurans are not large at all.



And there are also some pyramids. I hear some other sites have taller structures, but Copan is best know for its well-preserved carvings. I thought the structures were quite impressive.



Below are some more smaller structures.



Copan is most known for the ornate stellae. The one below is the 13th ruler of Copan, 18 Rabbit.



I don't know the story of the carving below. My daughter said it reminds her of a Rock-em Sock-em Robot.

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The Cup comes to Hockeytown

The Detroit Red Wings won the Stanley Cup last night, which is good for me because I am a lifetime Red Wings fan. The bad part is now I have to wait until fall to see the Wings play again. To hold me over, for possibly a few days, I am also rooting for the Las Vegas Wranglers to win the Kelly Cup. Game 6 is tonight, and the Wranglers have to win tonight to force a game 7.

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Electrical options

One interesting thing to look at in Tegucigalpa is the way they have the utility poles strung. I am not an electrician. I am also not an electrical engineer. Even so, I've seen a lot of utility poles in my lifetime, and this style is new to me:



And this one isn't as extreme as others I have seen.

The same creativity has found it's way into outdoor advertising:



The best way for Clear Channel or Lamar to make money off of this is to buy a mountain. The Cafe Maya is pretty good coffee. I haven't dialed 8446 on my cell phone yet because my understanding of the Spanish language is still quite limited. I am learning slowly.

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