Copán Ruinas
The biggest attraction in Copán is the Maya archeological site nearby. While Tulum mostly draws people because of its amazing location by the sea and Tikal is loved because it’s set in the jungle, Copán is somewhat more mysterious. Historian compare Tikal to New York and Copán to Paris: the first one has the buildings, the second focuses on the arts.
Indeed, Copán was occupied for more than 2,000 years and is famous for its elaborate sculptures. The most famous structure is probably the Hieroglyphic Stairway, whose 62 steps are made of 2200 glyphs that together form the longest known Maya hieroglyphic text. It is still being reconstructed today.
Little was said about the various glyphs so Feng and I tried to imagine what the site must have looked like at the height of the Maya empire.
Meanwhile, we enjoyed a good hike in the jungle, complete with huge spiders everywhere. We were also amazed by the huge trees, which trunks were several metres long in diameters. If only trees could talk… they must have seen a lot through the centuries!
 Copan Ruinas |
 Copan Ruinas |
Copan Ruinas
Copan Ruinas
Copan Ruinas
Copan Ruinas
 Copan Ruinas |
 Copan Ruinas |
Huge Spider Web
Copan Ruinas
Copan Ruinas
Copan Ruinas
Copan Ruinas
Copan Ruinas
Copan Ruinas
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Ruins in the jungle — a bit like Angkor Wat…
True!
Wow! A preview: I’ll be in Copan by the day after tomorrow!
Hope I didn’t spoil the suspense!
Hi Zhu and Feng,
Just incredible. What marvelous gifts that the ancient civilizations left to admire. The stonework is intricate and beautiful.
Enjoy!
The region is a great place for history buffs!
Love the pictures!
Isn’t it ironic that the very culture that was destroyed by the colonialists is now being preserved? This is seen all over Mexico, Central and South America.
The Maya empire actually fell before the Spanish got there. Of course, they didn’t make things better but the reason why the empire fell is still a bit of a mystery.