Our first border crossing and how not to do it again!

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First I want to apologise for the frequent updates in the past few days. We are finally in a place where the internet is workign fine and we have to take this chance to get the blog up to date. Apologies already if you don't hear from us for a few weeks again.

We left Livingston on the 11am boat and were hoping to get to Honduras early enough. We were actually planning to stay in a place called Chiquimula for one night because we thought we won't make it in time. After a 5 hour bus ride we arrived in Chiquimula to hear that there is indeed one last bus to the border El Florido. On the bus we hopped with another 20 or more people crammed in. Around 30 minutes before we got to El Florido everyone hopped out of the bus and Ed and I were the only ones left. The bus driver turned around and said we had to pay an extra 50Q on top of the 10 we already had payed if we wanted to get to the border. So we agreed and off they went. The other guy on the bus was quite seedy and kept "dropping" his hand on my thigh by "accident". I was trying to push him away discreetly but it didn't work out. I was a bit uncomfortable because we were driving around in the dark and I didn't have a clue where we are. Finally we arrived at the border and I was just glad to get out of the bus. We had our passports checked payed our "border tax" and off we went only to be told that there's no transport into Copan anymore at this time of the day. Finally one guy offered to bring us in his pickup for the price of 250 Lempiras.
The hotel we wanted was booked out but luckily we found a room in a hotel across the road for 300 Lempiras a night. and the best of all, it had a hot shower!!!

The next day we got up fairly early to go to the ruins of Copan and they are stunning. Entrance to the park is $15 and another $15 if you want to go into the tunnels. We only payed for the park. Inside the park they actually try and get you to go to the tunnels too and offer to take 2 for $15. We still refused though.
The site itself is fairly small and you can cover the whole ground in say 1 hour. It's totally different to Tikal, a lot more ornate and artful. I was very impressed and I kind of regret now that I didn't go and see the museum. It is a really cool place and the hieroglyphic staircase is amazing. The detail is so impressive and it's great that so much of the site is still in such a great shape.

Well, after the site we went to buy a bus ticket and to go on to San Pedro Sula to change our flight from Panama to Caracas. I'm telling you, Hedman Alas busses are the way to travel in Honduras. Luxury pure and very safe. I want one of those busses.

PS: Did I forget to mention that you can get your hair braided in Livingston? After weeks of looking like Diana Ross, this situation was fixed in a flash or should I say in 2 hours 😊

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Photos

My lovely braids
white people just can't pull off the braids...

Comments

[Mark Shiels]

hows the spanish
Hey folks, love the blog - amazing fotos ....stuck at home with a broken ankle at mo, so keep the updates coming. btw how is the spanish coming on?

[Around the world in 2 years]

broken ankle?
how'd you manage that?? the spanish isn't really coming along. sine we left guatemala we haven't had much chance to use it. most people speak english on the tourist trail. oh well.