Copan Ruinas: A Mystical Mayan Journey: Return to Roatan

Beautiful Roatan

After our tour of the Macaw Mountain Avian Rescue Park, our guide Walter returned us to the city of Copan where we were expected for lunch at Hotel Marina Copan.

Hotel Marina Copan

This hotel is very lovely and we enjoyed our lunch. MCTours had planned everthing on this trip just perfectly. Beverly decided to relax there as it was so cool and inviting after our busy morning. The rest of the "Copan Five" decided to explore the market and plaza in search of sweet pineapples, papayas, and shoes! We wandered the streets and markets. The plaza was setting up for a musical concert as a big festival celebrating the patron saint of the city, Saint Joseph, was beginning. We found the fruits, but our search for shoes was "fruitless".

The Market in Copan

The Church on the Plaza in Copan

We returned to the hotel to relax and cool off before Walter returned to take us to the Copan airport for a direct flight back to Roatan on CMAirlines.

This is a fairly new service and it enables you to fly into and out of Copan without going for the three hour bus ride. Now for the rest of the story.
Walter loaded us up and we left for what we assumed would be an uneventful twenty minute ride to the airport. We continued down the road we had taken last evening to Hacienda San Lucas where we had seen the handpainted sign pointing to the airport road and off we went. We soon left Copan behind us and were enjoying the scenery when we noticed several things. First, we had been traveling for more than twenty minutes. Next, the road was heading up into the mountains. Finally the "road" could hardly be called a road more of a dirt, rock track where our minivan kept bottoming out.

A Village

Bouncing and crossing small streams, we climbed up into the mountains, past small Mayan villages, little farms and nothing that looked anything like an airport.  Even our intrepid guide Walter seemed nervous.  He tried unsuccessfully to distract us by pointing out interesting plants, trees, and animals.

An Interesting Animal?

 We all began to worry that we had somehow missed an important turn.  The mountains continued to rise and there was little or no way to turn around. We came to a fork- one way went up the other went somewhat down. No signs, no people, and very little road.  Hmm... what to do.We took the low road away from the looming mountains and Walter tried his cell phone unsuccessfully. He even attempted to stop at a shack by the road hoping to ask someone if we were on the correct path. Now we were seriously concerned that we would miss our plane, and be lost in a tropical dry forrest. Just before the anxiety reached panic mode, we spotted a plane...in the middle of nowhere....sitting in an open pasture.

The Copan "International" Airport

We had arrived....but just where were we.  No signs, no people...just an airplane.  Slowly people began to appear....soldiers, with guns!

Guatemala...Welcome Committee

They were the border soldiers....we were in Guatemala....a mile in! We didn't get a passport stamp....or pay any entrance fee. The pilot appeared and said it was too hot to take off we would have to wait a bit and we should move to the waiting area.

Airport Lounge

Really? You're kidding, right? Nope...no joke. But what a delightful waiting area in the middle of nowhere!

We lounged about, relaxed and joked about our exciting adventures in Copan and this trip to the airport was the icing on the cake!  A grass airstrip in Guatemala....who knew?Another bus arrived, this time with loads of tourists complete with large amounts of luggage. I was now beginning to wonder if this now full airplane would be able to make it up into the air! The grass strip ended at a drop off of the mountain- we would go till the ground disappeared beneath us and we were airborne-I hoped!

Our Pilot Waits with us in the Lounge.

The Runway

 I was praying that the plane had cooled down and the runway was long enough. As the soldiers watched the pilots load the luggage and we boarded the plane, small children appeared along the fence.

The Children Gathered for the Takeoff

Apparently we were an exciting occasion for their Saturday entertainment.
The pilot assured us this plane was made for nontraditional runways......Good News!!

The Boarding Process

Since I'm writing this, you know the plane took off successfully...

Take Off!

I'm sure my prayers helped but Michael said they had to bank the plane back and forth through the mountains, following the river valley until we gained enough height to pass over the mountains. The views were spectacular and we arrived back in Roatan as the sun was setting on the second day.  It was a trip of a lifetime, full of friendship and fun, mysticism and adventure.

Lovely Roatan Waits

The "Copan Five"

More Pictures below