Day 3 A.M. Visit the Copan Ruins

Day 3:
The meals at Hacienda San Lucas blew us away.  It is all traditional Central American flavors with a bit of a gourmet presentation.  The menu was set for each meal but we were happy with everything we had.  After a delicious traditional Honduran breakfast of black beans and eggs wrapped in freshly made tortillas, we headed down to the Copan Ruins. 

Located near the Guatemala border, the ruins are a UNESCO world heritage site and are famous for their hieroglyphic staircase and 3D statue carvings.  It is considered one of the most preserved sites of the Mayan civilization.  This area was the capital city of the kingdom during the  Classical period, AD 300-900.  The city has been incredibly reconstructed it doesn't take a lot of imagination to imagine what it would have looked like.   The most interesting parts were the staircase and the ballcourt.  The hard natural rubber ball was hit with knees or elbows and the object of the game was to hit one of four Mackaw shaped stone markers that were lined up along the top of a wall.
 

Hieroglyphic Stairway

Ball court where the last version of the markers can still be seen

Lempira in foreground has picture of ball court in the background

The original sculptues can be seen at the nearby museum, but really the replicas look so good you really don't have to go see the originals.  The main point in going to the museum would be to see the replica of the Rosalila temple which was discovered when archaeologists were tunneling under the top temple.  The buried temple is actually on top of five other temples.   It is perfectly preserved from the floor to the roof and has perfectly preserved painted stucco.  You can only see a portion of the original if you pay an extra fee to see the tunnels. A life-size replica was built at the museum.



a drawing of the Rosalila Temple

These are the best preserved Mayan ruins thanks in part to the Andrew Carnegie foundation who restored much of the site in the early 1900s.  Much of the ruins had been washed away by the river but the Carnegie Foundation built a towering wall to preserve the rest of the ruins.  Huge preservation efforts were made in the 80s and 90s and most of the original sculptures have been moved into a museum nearby.

The most amazing part for me was that this entire site would have been coated in white stucco from the ground up.  What is now a beautiful grassy courtyard was once brilliant white.  It was once thought that activities around these temples happened during the day, but now they think that perhaps the white helped illuminate the grounds for night time rituals.

After a long morning, the kids were hot and ready for lunch.  We ended the day at the ruins and headed back into Copan for a refreshing break at Via Via Café.

 

Day 2 We arrive in Copan, Honduras

Day 2 - We left Miami Marriott at 10 a.m. and got to the airport terminal with plenty of time to spare.  The flight is international but only two hours short hours to San Pedro Sula, Honduras.  There was food for purchase but thankfully we grabbed a salad from the nearby café before boarding.  We arrived into San Pedro Sula early, around 12 local time.  We got through customs and immigration quickly, and immediately spotted the sign for Hacienda San Lucas.  Our driver, Miguel Marteal with Honduras Real Expeditions was tall and had kind eyes, we liked him right away and knew we were in good hands.  This arrangement had been made through the hotel and arranged for him to be our tour guide for the next day through Copan as well.  When traveling with young kids we knew we needed to put their safety first and hiring a driver seemed like the best way to travel through a country with an international reputation for crime.

Miguel pulled his van (affectionately named Juanita) to the front door, showed us to the car, and told us to lock the doors and windows while he left with Steve to get money exchanged.  I asked him if it was safe for me to get an ice cream for the kids at the Baskin Robbins just inside the airport.  Maybe this was risky, but he assured me the kids would be safe.  So off I went to buy five cones.  It was my first foreign transaction where I tested out my Spanish speaking skills and money conversion in my head.  I ended up with five cones of strawberry ice cream and three excited children. Baskin Robbins ice cream in Honduras tasted like a piece of heaven.

Small US bills can be exchanged at the airport for Honduran money called the Lempira.  We used cash mostly for tipping.  Anyone accepts US dollars as long as the bill is under $20.  Everyone is too nervous to use $20 bills since that is what drug gangs use and it brings unwanted attention.

We had to tackle a three hour drive first skirting the city of San Pedro Sula then the rest through the country side.  I was feeling a bit on edge each time we passed a police check point, but we easily passed through with the big "Tourisimo" sign on the front of the van and registration sticker in the front window.  This point alone made me glad we didn't drive ourselves.

The kids and I fell asleep on the bumpy road to Copan.  When we woke the landscape began to change and we started our ascent into the cooler coffee country.  As we got closer to Copan the roads got smoother and a sidewalk suddenly appeared, a few people were actually out jogging.  Tourist were gathered in small groups on the side of the cow pastures taking pictures of tall ancient Mayan statues randomly spotted throughout the landscape.

We entered a charming village with the original cobblestone streets and colonial style buildings.  I almost felt like we had stepped back in time.   Tuk Tuks weaved in and out of small streets, tourists and locals all mingled in the market square, and tropical plants peeked out of iron gated courtyards. 

Our driver drove us through the main town of Copan before driving us the last fifteen minutes to Hacienda San Lucas.  We followed a picturesque winding river and passed people on horseback then began our ascent up a steep dirt road to the Hacienda.  The drive up was nerve wracking as the bald tires spun in the gravel but the views waiting for us at the top were well worth the trip.

The moment we arrived we felt like important guests.  Our family was greeted at the van by two labs and friendly staff.  I felt myself unwind the moment we started walking to our rooms.  Hacienda San Lucas has rustic charm and a secluded nature which melts away the day's stress.  The rooms are thoughtfully and intentionally rustic, and spotlessly clean.  Cold purified water and fresh tropical flowers sat on a small table in our room.  Just outside our room on the veranda are spots to sit or recline in a hammock.  Every corner beckoned me to sit and rest.  

We settled in and ordered a margarita from the small bar and walked to the end of the lawn to watch the evening views overlooking the town of Copan.  From there I could see the winding river and a bit of the ruins peeking out from the tree canopy below.  Two nights weren't long enough.  I knew the moment I arrived we should've stayed longer.  This place is the perfect get away for romance, adventure, and dreaming.

Steps leading up to our room

The view

Dinner by candle light

The best view is from the yoga pavilion

 

Honduras Day 1: Fly to Miami

Day 1… After months of planning and preparing for our trip to Honduras we are finally on the plane, covering the first leg of our trip to Miami, staying overnight, then fly out at noon the next day to San Pedro Sula, Honduras… The whole purpose of this trip is to work with Children’s Impact Network (cinonline.org) in Pena Blanca, but we decided to turn this into a big family vacation since this is the year Steve gets to take a sabbatical leave (an extra three week’s of vacation).  We will be spending 24 days traveling around to different parts of Honduras.  Despite the travel advisories, we decided to visit Honduras after discovering that it really has a lot to offer - delicious food, great coffee, Mayan ruins, exotic bird watching, rain forest, and snorkeling in the blue Caribbean water.  Sounds perfect for a three week adventure.

So tomorrow, after a two hour flight to Honduras, hopefully a driver will be waiting for us on the other side with a sign that says “Hacienda San Lucas”- that’s where we’ll be staying at our first stop in Honduras.  We plan to drive to the small town of Copan- a three hour drive from San Pedro Sula where there are well preserved Mayan temples and the hieroglyphic steps.

We really have no idea what to expect so hiring a driver seemed like the safest option when traveling to a new country that has a travel advisory, and with three kids in tow.   One thing I know, it will be a wonderful adventure.

My 42nd Birthday

On my 42nd birthday, I was recalling all my great memories, but there were too many to hold on too and they were overflowing my memory bank. I've been so blessed.

It was a breathtaking moment when I felt the love God had poured out on me. My heart started to swell and tears began to flow . But Why have I been given all this, I asked Him.  I don’t deserve any of it. 

I truly feel like Ephesians 3:20 describes my life; He has blessed me beyond measure and He has done immeasurably more than I could have ever asked or expected. I see what I've been given, His love, peace, and joy, security, and a wonderful family to top it all off. I want to throw my arms up in praises to my Father in heaven who gave all this to me. I want to do my best to honor Him and make Him proud of me.

Then God reminded me that He has blessed me with so much for a reason. I’ve been given all this and God expects me to do something about it. Jesus said to his disciples in Luke, to whom much is given, much is expected. I want to do something in return for the favor He has shown me.

In my travels abroad I’ve seen incredible poverty in India, Cambodia, Thailand, even in Australia.  Not just material poverty, but also great emotional poverty.  Too many innocent children without hope, lost and desperate for love. They didn’t do anything to deserve that life.  I didn’t do anything to deserve mine.  There’s no reason, it isn't fair.  I know that life will never be fair until Christ returns and the world is under his authority.  That’s my hope and joy which gives me great peace in this fallen, broken world.

I want to spend the next 42 years honoring the GOD whom has given so much, and whom I love so much.  I hope I can make Him proud, I don't want to disappoint Him.  

My new motto is: My labor for God is prompted by love, my work is produced by my faith, and my endurance is inspired by hope in the Lord Jesus Christ. (I Thess 1:3)

Being Nostalgic

A friend of mine was writing a book, compiling different stories from expats and she asked me to recall my initial account of my arrival to India. It got me so nastalgic I had to post it in my blog.
We went to India because my husband's dream was to bring his young family back to the country that had impacted him so deeply as a young college student. Steve had incredible stories of his time in India that had us laughing with tears. He loved the smell of sandlewood (which I hated) and introduced me to exotic foods. He got me so enchanted with India and gave me this huge desire to see it for myself. So we convinced his international company that they needed us in Bangalore for a short term project, at least five months.
I didn't feel we needed a "look-see" first. We decided to find a home once we arrived and depend on my my husband's recollection from when he was in Bangalore as a college student 25 years ago. 
I wanted to be prepared for what lay ahead so I watched documentaries and the movie hit Slum Dog Millionaire. We ate at local Indian restaurants, and read tour guide books. However, nothing can prepare you for the realities of the sensory overload or culture shock you experience once you are there.
I thought I had set low expectations, thought I knew what to be prepared for, but I distinctly remember my intial reaction the first night we arrived at Bangalore. We were sitting in our muggy hotel lobby at three in the morning waiting to be checked in to our room. I was feeling woozy from the thick smoke from sandalwood incense, wondering why the hotel had high "security", smacking away the onslaught of mosquitos and thinking "Forget getting sick from food poisoning, we're all going to get malaria! What in the world have I agreed to?".
India was a full on assault of my senses, exaggerated by the warm, heavy air, the noise and smells seemed almost too much to bear at times. I recall my husband saying with sadness and disappointment that Bangalore hadn't changed in the twenty-five years since he'd last been there, still the same corruption and chaos, only with more people and less trees. As a young man he'd thought for sure India was on the cusp of great changes when he was there over two decades ago.
I didn't want his disappointment to affect my perception, I wanted to make up my own mind. I could take Bangalore in small daily doses and often would retreat to the quiet confines of my bedroom or rooftop terrace where I could meditate and read (which I never did in the States). Friendships and strong sense of humor became essential to my survival in India. 
Despite the challenges we faced, we renewed our visa three times and 18 months later I couldn't imagine leaving India and returning back to my sterile, boring life in America. It was so hard to say good-bye to my beloved maid and driver who had become like family to me. I depended so much on them and had learned essential relationship truths from them, we visited their villages, and met their children.
Even after being separated over two years, India has become a dear friend of mine. Hardly a day goes by when I don't have something that sparks a fond memory. I often light a stick of sandalwood in her memory. I love that smell.

Jaisalmer (part 2)

 Our hotel in Jaisalmer was beautiful and designed to look like an old palace.  The "Saryah Garh" hotel had only one flaw.  It was too far outside of the city.  However, if you like the solitude and quiet of the desert then this place would be perfect.  It had a fantastic spa and wonderful excursions they would organize for us (camel trekk was organized this way).  We have great memories of our time spent here.

 The distance from the city did have one advantage since you got a fantastic view of the starts.  Here is an attempt to capture the brightness of the moon and stars at night.  The hotel was illuminated in a romantic glow but didn't detract from the magnificent night sky.

Here's some pictures from our time walking through the streets of Jaisalmer.

Now that's some good marketing.

The cow thought she'd do a little shopping too.

No airbrush, just freehand

architectural features astound me

beautiful, clean streets making shopping enjoyable

Check out the size of that entrance

looking for souveniers

jolly work around the windows is all hand carved

We ate upstairs for some nice views and fresh air

Fort that is still inhabited

On a roof top of a wonderful restaurant

She begged me to take a picture of her.