Thursday, December 28, 2006

Copán Ruinas - Honduras


This town saved me. Just one more hour on a bus, in a truck, or on a boat would have plunged me into that ever-feared "deep end." During the 24-hours of actual travel and 36-hours of down time it took me to get from Tulum to Copán, with nothing but my thoughts to keep me company, I could actually feel myself going insane. Like flipping through the television channels in a foreign country, I saw thoughts come and go from my brain, pausing there just long enough for me to think, What the hell? One minute it was I wonder why Santa keeps his suit on here, even though it's 85-degrees outside, then I was pondering the idea of creating miniature elephants, and then How can the universe go on forever? It has to stop somewhere. But if it stops, what's past the edge? Nothing? There has to be something.... And on and on and on until I wished my head would just explode. Sleep did not come easy.

I reached Copán Ruinas tired, hungry, sore, and really, really sick of being one of 29 people stuffed into a 16-seat minivan for the past two and a half hours. When I found a hostel and discovered that it had hot water showers, I almost fell to my knees and cried with joy. And when I laid on my bed after showering and found that the mattress was actually comfortable and there was a blanket for me, I didn't want to leave. Ever. And for most of the time during my three days in Copán I didn't. Sure, I ventured from my sanctuary a few times to walk through the sloping, cobblestone streets and to sit in the plant-filled central square, but these jaunts usually coincided with my meal times and were always used as an excuse to take another hot shower or lay on my bed some more.

I didn't do any of the things you're "supposed" to do in Copán. I didn't see the ruins (I hear they're nice), go to the museum (people tell me it's very interesting), or take a walk along the nature trail (lovely, they say), and I don't care. What I needed was a place to gather up the remaining pieces of my sanity and put them back together, and that's exactly what I was able to do in Copán Ruinas. It's a charming town I won't soon forget.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

dude, just getting back to the office here in eugene, orEgon, and the sun is shining. and holy shit, how bout them travels. so the plan is no plan?? hop on a bus and see where it takes you?? interesante. i like. belize city sounded like a real jem. and now you're in honduras. it sounds like the trip is working out just like you wanted it to. your description of the bus ride to copan was hilarious. i've seen that thought process, and watched you forget what you were saying mid sentence. drugs are bad, mkay. welp, better get back to work....

besos,

scott