Friday, April 3, 2009, was our last day in Guatemala and there were no scheduled events for this day. Earlier in the week, however, we were given some options of additional trips that could be taken. When I got ahold of the list of available trips, my eyes immediately focused on a trip just over the border into Honduras to visit the Copán Mayan ruins located there. Mostly this was the opportunity to step foot into another country. The price was quite high for Bob and I to do this, but once a good portion of our tour group jumped on the bandwagon, the price came drastically down.
It was a lengthy bus ride so we had to leave by 6am. A couple of the guys in our group worked with our hotel personnel to see if they could open up the breakfast buffet 30 minutes earlier than normal so that we could eat at 5:30. Bob and I were all poised to go on our one last adventure…but then a rumble in Bob’s belly intervened. That morning, he was feeling quite ill and nauseous with an upset stomach which seemed to turn him into a ‘helium tank’ (his words, not mine). He decided that he didn’t want to risk being stuck on the long bus ride when nature could play an unwelcome visit at any time. Therefore I went alone.
Well, not quite alone. There were six other people from our group who went along on the trip as well. We had a different tour guide named Walter and a different driver named Cosme than we had had all week. Walter was a younger guy, but also exceptionally knowledgeable and friendly. We all felt comfortable right away. The bus ride was about four hours long. A gal named Julie, who had traveled with Bob in the past, was fun to chat with as we exchanged stories of our travels.
We took a break about midway through the trip, stopping at a nice resort called the Hotel Longarone, where we sat by the pool for a bit and some enjoyed a morning coffee. After about 20 minutes, we were on our way again. We crossed the Honduras border at about 10:15. There were no problems at the border. Walter merely gathered our passports and took them into the border patrol to have them stamped.
Relaxing at the Hotel Longarone – with Charles, Charles, Ingrid, Sid, Monika, Julie, and me
Welcome to Honduras
But 15 minutes later when we arrived at our destination, the so-called Maya Site of Copán, we were greeted with a bit of a disappointing surprise. Outside the gates of the ruins was a massive demonstration of Mayan people trying to claim this land that had once belonged to their people. They didn’t look too terribly violent, despite carrying large wooden planks – and despite the armed police that were standing by, ostensibly ready to jump to action. Walter disappeared in the melee and came back with our Copán tour guide.
Demonstrating softly but carrying big sticks
A Honduras guard, there for the likes of people like me
Our guide’s name was Antonio Rios (American name according to him: Tony Rivers), and according to Mr. Rios, he had been inducted into the 1988 Guinness Book of World Records for giving the most tours in the most languages. Regardless of whether this was true, he was a most excellent and knowledgeable guide. But because of the demonstration that was going on, we only were able to access a small portion of the park, not even getting to see the dynamic temples that would more closely parallel the ruins we had seen in Tikal. Instead we saw more of what was left of the acropolis area and homes of some of the Mayan royalty. Nothing too exciting, but the detail in some of the building details was rather amazing.
With our guide Antonio, in front of the Copán River
Inside an ancient Mayan grave, beginning to get a bit warm
Intricate detail in the home of one of the ancient Mayan scribes
Our group and guide on the ruins. Ingrid and Monika display their local papers in hopes of getting their picture in it for bringing it somewhere unusual
We only walked around the ruins in Copán for less than an hour before moving onto the nearby Museo Regional de Arqueologica Maya, which wasn’t all that dynamic either – featuring mostly steles that had been discovered among the ruins. After about 20 minutes of browsing this, I headed outside to scope out a gift shop to pick up a couple magnets and some Honduras currency (centavos) for my friend Missy.
Outside the Mayan Archaeological Museum
With Stele #11 – from 795 B.C.
With our guide – and fellow movie buff – Walter
Two local gals selling cornhusk dolls for one dollar. I brought one home and bought one for Bob
In a Copán plaza with a monument placed by the Copan Ruinas Corporacion Municipal
As we neared lunchtime, I made the adamant suggestion that we eat in Honduras – since we had come all that way to be here – and had seen very little. Fortunately, everyone in our party agreed so we dined in the Gilfos Restaurante inside the Hotel Marina Copán. The lunch was probably the best part about what I saw of the country. For less than ten bucks, I enjoyed a couple delicious chicken chilaquiles and a local beer called Salva Vida. I had a nice time chatting with our hosts Walter and Cosme, as well as Monika from our group. After lunch, we headed out for our long journey back to the Barcelo.
Enjoying a beer with our driver Cosme. Wait, I guess he wasn’t drinking – thank God. He did say that he generally scared the hell out of his passengers the first few times they rode with him, but he had to drive recklessly or we’d be on the road all day long
Our group and guide, enjoying lunch in Honduras
La Calavera – skull rock – found on the trip back to Guatemala
We got back around 7pm that night and I began preparations for my entire weekend of travel to get back home. Bob was feeling somewhat better and I found him with our A.C.T. host Steve in the hotel restaurant. I picked up my boarding pass at the American Airlines agent in our hotel, got packed, and played for a bit on the internet. The computer mouse had been fixed thanks to my squeaky wheel.
On Saturday morning, Bob and I enjoyed our final mammoth breakfast of the week and prepared for our departure. But first I had some unfinished business at the McDonalds next door. I wanted to have a Guatemalan Egg McMuffin (which is exactly the same as an American Egg McMuffin), but most importantly get a picture of me eating it next to the Guatemalan Ronald McDonald.
An Egg McMuffin in Guatemala
Saying goodbye to my special friend who lived in the Crew Lounge
Bob demonstrating how that steak looked to him during his hours of illness – in colorful juxtaposition to the image found here
Sawdust carpet painting that had just been created in the hotel – to honor Holy Week
Farewell to our guide Antonio, A.C.T. host Steve, and driver Ricardo
We boarded our bus for La Aurora airport at 11am, and had plenty of time to go through customs and check our baggage for our flight that left at 1:55pm. Antonio said his goodbyes to our group, professing that it usually brings him to tears to leave us. While in line for customs, I met a couple of folks who were in Guatemala as medical missionaries, Liz, a dental assistant from Minneapolis, Minnesota and Ed from Middletown, Connecticut. I also chatted on the plane with a very nice couple from Guatemala who were taking their adorable little girl to Disney World. When we arrived at 6:25 (although only a two and a half hour flight), I met up with Liz and Ed at the bar in Miami for a beer before moving on to our next destination. I later became friends with Liz on Facebook. Incidentally, I was also randomly chosen in Miami to have my bag searched by airport security. I was clean.
With Ed and Liz in Miami
Bob with Sharon and Randy on the plane to L.A. I graciously gave Bob my seat so he could spread out when I found that I had no one next to me
The six-hour flight from Miami left at 8:35 and arrived in Los Angeles at local time 11:35. By this time, I really didn’t know what time it was, or what time my body thought it was. All I know is that I wearily said goodbye to Bob and got picked up by Jimmy and we headed back to his house in San Pedro. Tired as I was, we still found time to watch some Newhart, including the episode The Senator’s Wife Was Indiscreet, while chomping on some more Goldfish crackers.
Full circle – back to San Pedro and the Goldfish
The next morning Jimmy and I met up with his girlfriend Ellen, his parents Big Jimmy and Kris, and our mutual pal David for breakfast at the Omelette and Waffle Shop where David treated me to a great crab, avocado, and cheese omelette. It was nice to be able to meet up with my L.A. pals one last time before heading out for my final leg of the trip, and my ninth and tenth flight of the week.
Breakfast with my pals
Dave settles up the bill. Gosh how I had missed that look.
The Jimmys dropped me off at LAX in time to catch my 12:20 flight, which laid over in Houston from 5:30 to 7:45. My track record of meeting nice people on planes continued when on this flight I sat next to Tonia Vaughn, who was heading to Alexandria for a teaching job interview. We too later became friends on Facebook. My final flight arrived in Dayton at 11:12. and I made no new friends on this final flight. Dad picked me up, took me to his house where I met my car – and finally drove home. Naturally I was simply raring to go back to work when I got up that Monday morning after the 90 minutes of sleep that I would get.
The trip had obviously been very fun and rewarding, but thoroughly exhausting and at times harrowing after an entire weekend of flights to get back home.
Return to the beginning of the trip here…
Continue with 2009 here…
Tony Rivers was our guide for the Mayn ruins today. He is 82 years old. I enjoyed him very much!
Kelly Jensen
July 12th, 2019