Macaws and Mayans, Together at Last in Copan
Written by Kyle on Saturday, April 19, 2008 in Honduras
Feelin' happy
Just over the southern Guatemalan border (about 10 km to be exact) are the Mayan ruins of Copan. Since this is our 5th ruined site (pun intended), we definately now have a barometer to measure the awesomness of various places.Feelin' happy
So, what makes Copan so compelling? Well, there's no huge structures like Palenque or Tikal and the setting is not dramatic like Monte Albán. What Copan has, though, are well preserved and restored reliefs and sculpures. While most of the other sites have lost their intricacies to the elements, Copan has retained them. These intricacies, combined with what we saw at other sites, gives us a pretty unique view as to what most of these Mayan cities must have looked like.
The other notable thing about Copan was the abundance of Macaws playing at the entrance. I've never really seen these birds in the wild (well, OK, it was semi-wild) and they are truly amazing and colorful to watch a streak of primary colors go flying by.
Overview of Copan
Playing / Fighting Macaws
An intricate stela.
A face on a stela.
My imitation of one of the sculptures.
Bessie imitating one of the sculptures
A lizard head, with fierce tongue wagging abilities.
Relief on a stairway.
Sculpture coming out of a wall....to attack you!
The head of a sculpture.
Comments on "Macaws and Mayans, Together at Last in Copan"
Gorgeous birds! And what pieces of history! Thanks for sharing! I can't help but imagine the artistry, patience and hopefully peaceful setting that were all part of the creation of those cultural expressions.
And I LOVE that pic of you and your buddy! Say, friends, do you think Gumby & Pokey dated back that far? (^@^)
OMIGOD! That IS Gumby!
Those ancient Mayans...not only are they math whizzes, they knew how to entertain their children.
Love the beautiful birds and detailed carvings! Glad you're still smiling in the heat.....
gumby...hmmmm....begs the question: Was Gumby and Pokey's creator a Mayan with an agenda? Just think of all those unsuspecting children playing with an ancient idol. lol
Awesome, keep the great pictures and commentary coming!
by Den Sue Czurylo at April 21, 2008 10:56 AM