Honduras Macaws
Honduras | Country 27 | 3 day |
Despite Honduras’s challenging reputation in the media, I discovered a country rich in history, natural beauty, and wonderful people. Like many Latin American nations, it offers unique experiences that go far beyond the headlines.
Some aspects of my Honduras trip that I find really unique:
- Baleadas is a delicious combination of tortilla, beans and fillings; the locals call taquitos “tacos” here.
- Rain storm took out the power at my hostel, and we had no lights nor internet for a night.
- HN has a Caribbean climate with pouring rain during the non-summer seasons. I saw quite a bit of lightnings. And of course, hurricanes are common.
- A small portion of Honduras has the Mayan ruins, located near the border with Guatemala.
- The 5 stars in the Hondurean flags represent the nations of Central America - the middle being Honduras, as it touches all others.
San Pedro Sula
San Pedro Sula, the “murder capital”, is not as dangerous as the media says. The city is full of modern brands, with KFC and Expresso Americano drive-throughs and big modern malls.
The downtown is typical; there is the church, the city hall and a big market.
The macaw has been a symbol of the Sun God since Mayan times.
I spent about a whole day exploring SPS. Like any capital, it has affluent gated areas as well as ghettos.
Journey to the Mayan World: Copan Ruinas Roadtrip
My guide Kerim and I left bright and early at 5 am to visit Copan, the famed Mayan ruin.
Kerim has been guiding folks to Copan since 2012, along with a variety of other Hondurian attractions.
He gushed over how the road trip used to take an additional 3 hours. However, because of the new female president Xiomara Castro, new roads have been built starting in May 2023.
The roads are actively being built in July 2024, with many 15-minute stops where cars pass one-way.
We avoided the rushhours, where workers are taken via many and many school buses (bought 2nd hand from US schools) to the factories.
After stopping for a while for breakfast, at around 10am, we arrived at our first stop, El Puente, a smaller Mayan ruin.
El Puente
El Puente has approximately 5 pieces of ruins. It reminds me so much of Xunantunich from my Belize trip.
Kerim and I went into the museum and walked down this beautiful green path to the ruins. Surrounding the runes, there are farms, cows and small mountains (which are Mayan runes that are not excavated).
The ruins were originally painted in red. However, after approximately 1500 years, this trading post has eroded.
There are two large structures like stadium bleachers. People can sit and trade. And surprisingly, you can go inside the structures, where there are corridors shielded from the heat and downpour.
Copan Ruinas
Kerim and I then set our sights on Copan. The altitude went up as we traversed the spiraling mountains, even reaching 1000m above sea level.
In the town, because there are no taxis, the red tuk-tuks run everywhere, allowing 2 passengers in the back.
As we passed a country side of farms, Kerim explained to me that the ex-president of Honduras is in a US jail because he allowed Colombian powders to arrive in Honduras and get inside the United States.
The macaws, the Mayan symbol of the Sun God, are flying everywhere in the Copan park. They communicate loudly and fly beautifully in the sky. Macaws used to be popular pets, but have since been banned - many are rehabilitated into the wild at the Copan park.
Cocoa fruits are also everywhere, an agriculture staple since the Mayan times.
Copan is much larger than Xunantunich and El Puente. The structure is built in 9 layers, one over the other.
Many statues depict the 13th Copan king (there were 16 in total in the dynasty) as a piece of propaganda. My guide Kerim said something quite interesting, “nothing’s changed, our president Xiomara has her posters everywhere too”.
A painting of how Copan Ruinas used to be - with a ball-based sport and a big arena
These faces symbolize death - a warning to those who defy the ruler.
And of course, the hieroglyphics, the main attraction, stand 63 steps tall. Each level tells the tale of rulers of Copan.
Japanese archaeologists have led the excavation, where broken pieces of stone amidst trees and erosion have to be put back together.
Excavation in action
A Taste of Honduras
No trip to Honduras would be complete without experiencing its incredible cuisine. The star of Honduran food culture is undoubtedly the baleada - a dish that won me over despite initial hesitation. Introduced by German and Palestinian immigrants after WWII, it has become the country’s beloved national dish.
Note: the baleadas are made popular by the German / Palestine immigrants after WWII who came - although not native, it is quite popular here
Perhaps the second most popular dish is Pollo con Tajadas.
What a beautiful combination of salsas and flavors.
Tajadas are the thinly sliced crispy plantains.
Why tajadas instead of rice? Well, because US companies have long had a presence with banana exports in Honduras. The bananas that don’t make the cut become plantains.
Here are some other fun facts:
- tacos here are not Mexican tacos, but more like taquitos
- tamarind, cocoa, maize are all local and main exports
The food here is amazing - I figure that I will end this post with Kerim and me eating the typical breakfast meal.
Looking Ahead: Future Adventures
Honduras has so much more to offer than I could experience in just three days. For future visits, I’ve noted several promising destinations:
- Yoro - famous for its mysterious “fish rain” phenomenon
- Omoa - home to an impressive Spanish colonial fort
- Utila - a local-favorite island paradise
- Tela - gateway to beautiful Caribbean beaches
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