Tela, North Coast, Honduras

I traveled to Tela the weekend before I came back to the United States. I wanted to go somewhere 'beachy' and Roatan was out of the question because of expense and limited time, so I decided on Tela.

The best parts of Tela seem to be found outside of the town itself. You can go on boat tours to Punta Sal, lagoons, Punta Isopo, or Garífuna villages (and more that I'm not going to list). The beaches are much nicer when you get outside of Tela. A woman I met at my hotel spent the day at the Jardín Botánico Lancetilla and loved it. Apparently you can sample fruit from the many tropical trees.

I went on a boat ride to Punta Sal and enjoyed it, we had a guided hike through a tropical forest where we saw lots of monster sized poisonous spiders and monkeys.Lunch was excellent! It was the first time I'd eaten a whole fish plucked fresh from the sea! You could also buy a coconut for $1 and drink the coconut water. Afterward they would chop the coconut in half so we could eat the meat on the inside. The downside? The return boat ride was rough and long. Water sprayed us constantly and it was very bumpy. If you are prone to seasickness, it would not be fun.

I wished I could have stayed longer to visit the botanic garden and more of the national parks.

Enchanted Wings Butterfly House

The Enchanted Wings Butterfly House (EWBH) is just outside Copan Ruinas on the road to El Florido. The hours can vary--you have to check the sign. I think they are generally open from 8-4 and the entrance fee is 100 lempiras (about $5). First, the guide will show you the various caterpillars and cocoons in cages where they are waiting to hatch. Then, they'll turn you loose into a screened in garden area with a laminated butterfly identification card. It was a pleasant experience, and since the garden is not very big, I sat on the steps and just watched the butterflies flitting around. Once I got bored of that I followed the wooden pathways outside the garden which led up the hill. On the top of the hill are a bunch of wood cabins that the owner is renting out.

I liked Macaw Mountain much better than EWBH but it made for a relaxing experience. More than anything I was impressed by the owner who is building the cabins himself with only two other Honduran workers. Generally I assume wealthier Americans come down to places like Honduras so they can hire workers to do the work they don't want to do themselves. Not this guy.

The cabins are called La Chorcha Lodge (http://www.lachorchalodge.com/lodge.html) and are lovely. They would be a great alternative to staying in Copan Ruinas, especially for those who want to be surrounded by nature. The prices are reasonable and you have unlimited access to the butterfly park. There are also packages available that include visits to touristy places such as the Ruins and a nature reserve. Transportation is available from San Pedro Sula.

Aguas termales (hot springs)

Each week my language school in Copan took an excursion, and in my second week we went to the hot springs. I have to say I was a little skeptical about going. Sometimes some tourist destinations are overrated and I figured the hot springs would be one of them. I've been to some amazing hot springs in Guatemala and I didn't figure these would be anywhere nearly as good.

The springs are located about one hour's drive from Copan on a windy, rough dirt road. There is a public pool (really just a small pool with greenish looking water) on one side which costs $3 though none of us could figure out why anyone would drive all that way to go to those. To get to the 'private' hot springs it costs $10 and you need to cross the river on a wooden suspension type bridge. Despite reading in the MOON guidebook that the private springs had received mixed reviews, everyone I talked to raved about the hot springs and said you MUST cross the bridge to get to the good stuff.

I happen to agree with those who raved about the hot springs. In fact, I wish we'd had more time to spend there. You first cross the bridge with a guide who shows your the various areas you can spend your time. There's a natural 'sauna' area, a spiritual area, a footbath, a small waterfall serving as a shower and neck and shoulder massager, and one area where you slather mud all over your body like at a fancy spa only for free. There's a stone path that takes you to the different areas and apparently you can also schedule massages as there's a massage room directly over the river. The springs are differently temperatures, all pleasant, but there are some areas that are off limits because the water is scaldingly hot. I could see if you had kids you might be concerned about them ignoring the warnings or falling in. In fact, I did hear a story about a Honduran guy who brought two American girls out to the springs at night and fell into the part with the scalding water.

The facilities were lovely and you can tell they are working to improve/add on because there were workers nearby while we were there. It was the raining season, so we could hear thunder while we soaked but because we were so deep in the rain forest, even though it did rain a bit not a drop touched us. Because the hot springs are clearly intended to appeal to tourists, I do wish there'd been some sort of restaurant or cafe on the grounds like the one I'd visited outside of Xela, Guatemala. If that'd been the case, it'd been tough to leave.

If the hot springs seems appealing to you, and you want to extend your trip, the folks who gave the hot springs rave reviews actually visited the hot springs from horseback while staying at Finca El Cisne . More than one person described their stay at Finca El Cisne as the best part of their time in Honduras. Finca El Cisne is a coffee where you will tour around on horseback guided by the the owner's son (I think that's who he is). The meals are supposed to be awesome. A highly recommended experience. I didn't get to do it but I wish I had...

One more thing--on the way back to Copan we encountered a large truck whose wheel had sunk into wet, muddy road stopping traffic from both directions. We ended up walking the rest of the way. No one was hurt, but I guess this is the hazards of the rainy season, I guess.

The Mayan Ruins of Copan

The most popular tourist attraction in Copan are the ruins, a major Mayan archaeological site (a UNESCO World Heritage Site), which are located just east of the town on the road to San Pedro Sula. It is any easy walk from town--after you cross the bridge just follow the stone path until it ends and it will take you right there. Otherwise, just take a mototaxi.

I went to the ruins early in the morning--they open at 8 and I was there right away. It gets busy by late morning and it was great to walk around before it got hot and before the crowds. I didn't get a guide because I was by myself and was trying not to spend money, but I would say a guide would be worth it to gain a better understanding of the history. An entrance ticket is $15 and if you want to enter the archaeological tunnels it's an additional $15. The Museo de Escultura Maya costs $7 to enter. I didn't go to this either--by the time I'd spent a few hours walking the grounds I was tired and starving and ready to heat back into town. There is a gift shop and cafeteria located near the entrance to the ruins.

Copan apparently had a population of 24,000 at its height. Much smaller than Tikal but it was considered the principal Mayan cultural center at the height of it's development. You are allowed to climb some of the structures and there is also a nature path, though not very clearly marked once you're on it, it's nice to get into the jungle/rain forest and listen to the almost mystical sounds of strange birds as you go. Beware of armies of ants with a ferocious bite. When you enter the gates to the actual ruins, you'll be greeted by groups of Macaws that were once living in Macaw Mountain but have now been released. They do set out food for the birds so apparently they like to stick around. Also near the macaws, I saw a family of Aguti snuffling around.

**The only picture I'm going to explain is the bottom one--this is the stone path you follow til its end from town.

A typical Honduran breakfast

I love breakfast and so I was disappointed in Honduras when my host family kept serving me what I considered an American-type breakfast (corn flakes, oatmeal or pancakes) rather than what is considered to be the 'typical' Honduran breakfast. The typical Honduras breakfast is a hearty affair and generally consists of eggs, refried beans, bits of a salty, feta like cheese, fried plantains, tortillas, accompanied with a cup of coffee. My host family actually served this meal every night for dinner, so maybe it's just a matter of personal preference. Either way, it's a good meal.

Baleadas-A Honduran favorite

Baleadas, a tortilla folded in half and filled with beans, eggs, crumbly cheese, and crema, are probably the most popular food item in Honduras. The family I was staying with first served them for dinner a few nights into my stay. Most restaurants also serve them, although they tend to be quite a bit more expensive than those you will get in the market (50 cents!/baleada!).

My personal opinion is that food tends to get a bit blander and less complex as you travel south from Mexico in Central America. However, in every country I find dishes that I love. Baleadas are simple, cheap and delicious.

The pictures:
**The monster sized baleada I got in a restaurant across the street from Jim's pizza. I actually wasn't that impressed with the baleada itself--I was the only person in the restaurant, it took forever to come, and when it did come it was only lukewarm. In addition, as far as baleadas are concerned, it was ridiculously expensive. I do like the picture though.

**The plate with three baleadas was made by the mother of my host-family.

**The picture with the medium sized baleada is one I got at the market for about 50 cents.

Iguana Azul hostel

This hostel, the Iguana Azul, http://www.iguanaazulcopan.com/ was right around the corner from where I was staying and I loved the outside of the building. A friend of mine who was passing through Copan into Guatemala stayed there two nights so I also got to see the inside. For $6 a night, this is about as good as it gets. Very clean, tile floors, garden area out back, nicely decorated and clean, easy walk into town.

Or, if you are not a budget traveler, you could stay at the Bed and Breakfast Casa de Cafe http://www.casadecafecopan.com/ which is owned by the same owners as the Blue Iguana and is located next door. The owners must live across the street because sometimes I saw them carrying food over for the guests. I think they might prepare the meals at their house and then walk them next door to serve guests. The Casa de Cafe has a beautiful garden area, and in fact, whenever I walked by I wished I was staying there.

Maya--a sad tale

I have three dogs at home in Portland, so it was difficult for me to see all the dogs on the street in Copan. The majority of dogs seemed relatively healthy, if flea-covered and filthy, but overall seemed to be doing okay. A few of the dogs I encountered, though, seemed to be clinging to life by a thread--skin and bones, very little fur, sometimes with sores. I couldn't stand seeing these dogs in such a condition, so I started buying dog food at the supermarkets and in the mornings and evenings I would wander around town feeding the dogs.

One extra pathetic looking dog (who I'd named Maya) who could barely walk it was so skinny tugged at the strings at my heart and I sort of 'adopted' her while I was there. I was so worried about Maya's welfare that I emailed an American woman, Pilar Thorn, who runs a dog shelter in Teguciculpa (who I found after doing a google search and reading this article: http://www.santafenewmexican.com/Scoop/Animal-advocate) sending the picture of the dog above and asked if she knew of anyone in Copan who might be able to help this miserable dog. Pilar sent my email on to Lloyd, the owner of Macaw Mountain, and I met with Lloyd to tell him about the plight of the dog and he promised that he'd keep feeding her after I left and try to get her some treatment.

For a few days I was so happy, feeling as if I'd really rescued this poor animal, hoping Lloyd or Pilar could send me pictures of her recovery process. Then, on my last morning in Copan I was worried because Maya didn't show up at parque central as she'd started doing as I started feeding her on a regular basis. Then, as I was walking to the bus station, I noticed two otherwise healthy dogs dead in the ditch. I'd heard that the tourism ministry of Copan sometimes poisoned the street dogs and I was afraid that's what had happened to the dogs in the ditch and was the reason Maya had not come to parque central. There was little I could do though since I was living Copan for good that day.

A week or so later I got an email from Pilar saying that Lloyd hadn't wanted to tell me but he'd inquired in one of the government offices in Copan after not seeing Maya for a few days and they confirmed that the ministry of tourism had poisoned about 70 street dogs the Thursday evening I'd left. I started crying as I read that email and it was hard for me to stop for quite awhile. When the tears stopped my sorrow turned to angry and later that day I got an email from Karen Menczer, who started Animal-Kind International (http://www.animal-kind.org/) an organization that supports animal welfare in developing countries. She'd heard about the story and wanted to help do something about it. We haven't made any plans so far, but I hope that someday countries like Honduras might find alternatives to their current treatment of animals.

Macaw Mountain Bird Park-Parque de aves

Macaw Mountain (http://www.macawmountain.com/) was probably my favorite place in Copan and I visited it three times during the two weeks I was there. Located outside of town on the road to the hotsprings, you can take a mototaxi (20-25 lempira) or walk (although it's quite a long walk). You can get a discount if you are at a language school and then the ticket is $6 ($10 regular price). Your ticket is good for 3 days, however, the owner, Lloyd, told me that language school students are welcome to come back as often as they'd like.

The first time I went I got a tour from a teenage boy who normally goes to school in Victoria, BC. He walked me from cage to cage (and by cage I mean something the size of an apartment) explaining where the birds (macaws, toucans, owls and various types of parrots) came from or how they got there. Many of the birds are reintroduced into the wild (you can see some of Lloyd's birds at the ruins in Copan) but a have Macaw Mountain as their home. There is an 'interaction area' where the birds are out of cages and sitting in a courtyard of a sort on large branches/tree limbs in the center of the courtyard. The guide brought a couple over as I posed for pictures with parrots on my arms and shoulders. Another cage free area is designated for 'depressed birds' where birds who are feeling depressed hang out together on tree branches eat nuts and tropical fruit until their feathers and behavior return to normal.

Macaw Mountain is huge and after you get done with the tour there is plenty more to do. The trail that takes you around the park also passes along a river. There's plenty of interesting floral and fauna as you go. The temperature is normally quite a bit cooler than the town of Copan so it's a great place to go in the afternoon to escape the heat. There are also dirt hiking trails that weave amongst the coffee trees and take you to a lookout point over the river. There is a restaurant run by the same woman who owns the popular restaurant, Twisted Tanya's, in Copan and a cafe where you can get various coffee drinks or purchase the coffee roasted onsite, Cafe Miramundo. Just beyond the restaurant and near the depressed birds is an area where you can relax in a hammock or wade into the river.

The owner, Lloyd, originally from Tennessee, really loves birds and clearly has a good heart. He has a dog that he took from the streets of Copan (one of the many dogs in bad shape) who now accompanies Lloyd everywhere.

I highly recommend Macaw Mountain as a city escape.

Hacienda San Lucas

Hacienda San Lucas (http://haciendasanlucas.com)is a fancy-pants hotel (by this I mean expensive and nice. It's look, as you can tell from the pictures is elegantly rustic) located in the mountains around Copan. For around $120 you can spend the night (breakfast included). If you're more budget conscious like me but would still like to spend some time on the grounds, you can come up for the day and eat lunch or dinner there.

Hacienda San Lucas is owned by a Honduran woman, Flavia, who speaks wonderful English. She has an office in town right near supermercado Victoria. Her staff drive out every day around 2, so we got a ride with them. The grounds are lovely and I've heard there are hiking trails and that horseback riding or massages can be arranged. There is also an outdoor yoga studio though I'm not sure if there are actual yoga classes or if you just use the yoga area on your own.

Unfortunately, it was raining the afternoon we spent the day, so we mostly lounged around the yoga room (pictured above) and porch area drinking jamaica tea until it was time for dinner.

Dinner is a 5 course meal for $35 (drinks not included) and although it was pricey compared to other restaurants, my friend and I felt it was worth it. While you make a reservation, you don't really order, they just bring you out the courses. I did see someone who received fish though, so perhaps they have a separate menu for non-red meat eaters and vegetarians. The food was excellent and it was kind of fun not knowing what food would show up for the next course. How often is food a surprise? We liked it because it forced us to try food we never would have ordered because we wouldn't have known what it was, and we loved it!

The other people eating that night with us were all hotel guests but the restaurant is open to anyone although they do suggest reservations. If you aren't a fan of taking a mototaxi home at night, you might want to go for breakfast or lunch. When we went back by mototaxi it was not only dark but also raining. Quite the adventure but not for everyone. Otherwise, just stay the night!

Licuados-my favorite drink in Honduras!

I don't know if licuados (smoothies) are as popular in other parts of central America as they are in Honduras, but while I was there I had one almost every day. Just about every restaurant has a licuados on the menu. You can also get a fastfood licuado from 'Superjugo' which is just off the square in Copan. The most common licuado flavors are pineapple, mango, papaya and strawberry, but I've seen them in lots of other flavors as well such as peanut, melon, vanilla and banana.

I prefer licuados made with milk, although a watermelon made with water would be good too. You can also get them with yogurt or juice at some places. Nothing better than a fruity licuado on a hot day in copan.

My favorite places for smoothies are the following:

Cafe Welches (http://www.cafehonduras.com/ just north of the square, and also has good desserts and coffee). I think you can take a tour at their farms outside Copan.

Casa de Todo (http://www.casadetodo.com/ smoothie is pictured above) which is down the hill east of the square kind near the school Guacamaya. They are a little expensive but their smoothies are good! They also have a nice garden setting, internet and gift shop.

Superjugo (good for a takeaway licuado)

Pupusas

It took me awhile to discover the mercado and the amazing pupusas you can find there. I'd walked through it once the first day I'd arrived and hadn't been all that impressed. It was small, with some fruit/veggie stands taking up the majority of the ground floor. There are tables in the middle of the ground floor where people sit and eat the food prepared from small restaurants within the market. The upper floor is mostly clothing, shoes and other gear.

I didn't actually eat in the market until the second week I was in Copan. I'd gotten up early and knew breakfast at my house wouldn't be ready for at least another hour, so I decided to head into town to see what was open. Nothing was open, unfortunately, until 7 am, except the market. Starving, I decided to give it a shot and was stunned at the awesome food that appeared on the table shortly after I ordered it. I'd ordered pupusas this time and as you can see they brought out pupusas, salsa, sea salt and the typical vinegared veggies. Not only was the food delicious, it was also beautiful! The cabbage next to the pupusa looks as if it has radish in it as well, making it a beautiful color. The price for this place was less than $1 by the way and I liked my pupusa here much more than the highly recommended (by MOON) Comedor Mary and various other places around town where I also sampled pupusas.

If you aren't familiar with them, pupusas are from El Salvador, and are a thick tortilla filled with various items. In Copan I tried pupusas with beans, cheese, chicken, chicharron, and other items I don't know the words for in English.

**The first photo is from the market. The second photo is from a small restaurant near Ixbalanque Language School.

Jim's Pizza

Don't get me wrong, I love me a pupusa or baleada, but sometimes you get the craving for good ol' American (or Italian, I guess) food.

Jim's Pizza (http://www.copanruinas.com/pizzajim.htm) is a block south of Parque Central and is directly across from another pizza restaurant. The MOON guidebook didn't exactly sing the praises of Jim's-- serves up 'acceptable pizzas' so I wasn't really expecting much when I went there the first time. They are a little bit pricey, (about 10/pizza although you can get cheaper than that) but Jim's pizzas are FANTASTIC! I'm a pizza person and am always trying new pizza places in Portland but so far I haven't found 'my' style of pizza in Portland. Jim's is better than anything I've had here. You can get tons of ingredients, but my favorite was with ham, mozzarella and blue cheese. Excellent sauce and crust, too! I went back a second time and ordered a whole pizza for myself and managed to eat about 3/4 of the pizza!

Jim is a Texan and if the restaurant is open, Jim is there. He's got various TV's showing sporting events, so if you want to catch a game and want great pizza, go to Jim's.

Cafe San Rafael

Copan has plenty of great cafes to where you can spend the afternoon studying, reading, or relaxing. Cafe San Rafael was my favorite. The cafe opens into a beautiful garden. The floors are tile and the tables a dark wood and you can sit with your food and drink and gaze out at the mountains or watch the hummingbirds flitting back and forth between the flowers. Because I ate lunch at home, I typically only got a coffee or licuado (a small latte costs only $1.50). They serve various sandwiches, licuados, frappucino-like drinks, desserts and a cheese platter.

The coffee they serve at the cafe is from their coffee farm nearby. You can also buy bags of coffee, green coffee beans (only 2.50/bag!), jalapeño sauce, and mango or strawberry preserves, all of which come from their farm.

Homestay

I've studied Spanish in five countries in central America now and this was my first homestay where I had my own bathroom. That certainly makes a difference in terms of comfort! My room was decent sized, I'd say maybe 10 by 12 and had a wardrobe, two nightstands and a double bed. Unlike Mexico and Nicaragua, I did not ever see a cucaracha, araña, or an alacrán in my room, thank goodness. The worst thing I saw was a baby gecko and a couple of ants. My room was located outside of the main house which was nice because I felt as if I had a little bit more freedom.

The family I stayed with was nice, or at least the mom was, and the young daughters. As is typical, the mom sat down to talk with me during meals and I never ate with anyone else in the family.

Meals seemed to vary per household. Mine were pretty basic. For breakfast it was cereal, pancakes or oatmeal on a regular rotation (with coffee). Lunch usually was some kind of meat, usually chicken (although one day she subbed potato salad) with steamed veggies. Dinner was almost always refried beans, fried plantains, a tortilla and scrambled eggs. This was by far my favorite meal, except for baleadas. I'll write a separate post about baleadas. I put hot sauce on everything, even the vegetables, to give it more flavor.

**The first picture is what I often saw when I left the house across the street from the Iguana Azul.
**The second picture is a view from the balcony above my room.

Getting around Copan-the mototaxi

Copan is a very small town so really you can walk just about anywhere, including the parque de aves if you don't mind a hike. However, if you're not up for a walk or are lugging backpacks around you can take one of these. Rumor has it that they came from Thailand and now are the only form of taxi used in Copan. They are cheap, $1 for pretty much anywhere around town, although if you are by yourself $25 lempiras (or about $1.25) seems to be the going rate for a destination on the outskirts of town. They seem quite safe and in fact, a friend and I took one down the mountain from Hacienda San Lucas in the dark and while it was raining. Although we were terrified, we made it just fine.

Spanish Schools, Copan Ruinas

Here are some photos of Ixbalanque Spanish school in Copan Ruinas, Honduras where I attended Spanish classes for four hours per day and classes were one on one. I was there for two weeks and had the same teacher, Maldia, for both weeks, although some of the students changed teachers occasionally. There was a large group of high school students attending classes in the afternoons and I had my classes in the mornings. There were generally 4-6 other students attending classes with me. Usually, the teachers spent the first half of the morning conversing with us and the second half on grammar. The garden court yard at the school is beautiful and it is only a short walk into town.

There is another Spanish school in town, Guacamaya, which got excellent reviews.