Stelae and cowboys

After three luxurious nights in San Salvador, we came to the realization that we either had to move on or begin cutting days off our trip. Not wanting to be rash and shorten our lovely holiday, we continued onward to Copan Ruinas, Honduras, known for the Mayan ruins.

Copan

Copan Ruinas is a quaint town settled on a mountainside overlooking the Copan Valley. Cobblestone streets littered with small casas, splashed with spanish pastels, make it easy to get lost here for a few days. Surprisingly, wealth was abundant for such a small  Honduran town and at first we concluded this to be the result of the booming tourism industry (which obviously has its impact), but were later informed by a local that due to the close double-border crossing the cocaine trade plays a major role in the town's economy. It seems that as the kilos cross each new border the value seems to escalate dramatically (i.e. a value of a kilo in Honduras would double upon entering Guatemala and then triple once across the Mexican border, and of course sky-rocket at its final destination...the giant to the north). Obviously, it's a tempting proposition for the impoverished locals.

Tuk Tuks

Of course we had to visit the famous Copan Ruins. One of the great Mayan ruins, not as large as Tikal or as grand as Chichen Itza, Copan is known for the best preservation of stelae in the Mayan world (see pictures).

Akropolis

Stella

Hieroglyphic Staircase