Good ol' Copan

Upon returning to Copan, Honduras, last Saturday evening, it mostly seems as if I haven't left. GVI has me in the same family-operated hotel, in the same room actually. I'm being fed the same rice, chicken, and over-cooked beef. The tortillas at the house have significantly improved however, as they now have a girl working for them who makes them everyday instead of buying them from a vendor. It is good to see the family here again, and they are certainly nice enough. But not nearly as personable as my family in Antigua! I'm sitting in my normal afternoon cafe drinking a liquado con agua. I can again walk alone at night without being conscious of the money and camera I might be carrying. There is a comfort in this little town that draws people back and entices many travelers to call Copan home (at least for a year or two!).

Though Copan is tiny, thanks to the near by Mayan Ruins it is a very touristy town. Much like Antigua, only lots smaller. You see the same people around town, and the guy at the cafe today asked me where i'd been all month! Both cities are great to meet travelers from all over the world. Last night, living in a strange world where not everyone I know has a cell phone, I waited alone at a bar for friends who didn't show up b/c of a miscommunication. Ended up chatting for a while with a guy from Sicily also sitting alone. The travelers you meet is one cool thing about living in such a touristy place.

The volunteers I'm with are all brand new to me, and the school in San Rafael looks completely different as it recently underwent a paint job from GVI. Today was my first day at school, and for the first two weeks it is just small group tutoring for the incoming 1st and 2nd graders until the regular school year starts in February. Last year I had 2nd and 3rd graders, so I'm not too familiar with these kids. The volunteers have it all under control and I'm just floating, monitoring, and trying to figure out the schedule for the next three weeks!

So it's 2-3 weeks here in Honduras, then back to Guatemala. Marty is coming down to Antigua for a visit at the end of February:) And hopefully I'm going to make to Nicaragua with GVI, even if only for a week or so, sometime this spring. Time is flying!