In the 1970s, if my memory is correct, we saw a TV documentary that featured the late Linda Schele sitting on bottom steps of  Copan's stairway of "Inscriptions" It was this that first piqued our interest in Maya and similar cultures.

Click thumbnails for larger versions

We waited by the bus while our driver took our passports for a hassle-free border crossing from Guatemala to Honduras.

Start the visit with the ever-present mock-up of Copan as it was when it was an active Maya community.

And, another adventure begins.

Several Scarlet Macaws, kept in the area with regular feedings, greeted us as we entered.

And in Latin America, where you find food, you'll likely to find an Agouti or two.

View entering archeological site

One of Copan's most famous kings was 18 Rabbit. There is a large space below his stele, here a duplicate.

Some of the stelae have extensive historic and lineage messages, here explained by Dr. Michael Grofe.

A stele and altar

Another altar

Another detailed stele

Ross found this stele off the beaten path.

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An early stele

Small temple

The Maya weren't the ones with their constructions on display. This Paper Wasp nest was over 3 feet long and hung high in a tree.

Ed, Grace, Kyle and Michael in discussion.

The ball court at Copan

Macaw detail from ball court

The impressive "Temple of the Inscriptions" with its hieroglyphic stairway, considered to be a key to decoding Maya glyphs.

Stele in front of the stairway with the inscriptions

The altar in front of the stairway. The entire stairway is now under cover to protect it.

Loved this jaguar. Wasn't sure if he was running for a touchdown or cheerleading.

Maya glyphs are found in many spot

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Some of the areas remain rubble

Views of the "royal residences"

For an extra fee, we were entitled to go into one of the tunnels.

It had been much enlarged since Ed worked here in his earlier days. Because new temples were built over old ones, the earlier versions can be discovered through this method.

In the tunnel, were several large "masks" of macaws on the older temple

An exit to the tunnel is here, but we needed to retrace our steps.

At the door shown left, we found the "Anciano" (Old Man). Click here to see the original, in the on-site museum

And there was a living example, that sometimes the old ways work just fine.

In the center of the museum is a reconstruction to full scale of a temple, called Rosalila, discovered in 1989. Another view

The Murcielago (Bat), the symbol of Copan. Obviously a male bat, and may refer to the bat in the Popol Vuh, the Maya creation story.

The original altar that shows the succession of kings of Copan.

The original 18 Rabbit stele

Note the basket-weave design.

The grounds of the Hotel Marina Copan were nicely landscaped and enclosed with a lovely pool. This is the entrance to the dining room.

On the way to my room.

The hotel was right off the simple main square of the tiny village of Copan.

Flowers helped liven square.