Gracias and Copan -- Part One

So much happened on our trip to the Lenca highlands and Copan that it's hard to fully summarize. Having said that, we'll try. The first part of Thursday was spent in the field excavating. But after a productive morning and a delicious lunch of arroz con pollo, we piled into the trucks and pulled out of town. Although it took the Gringo Parade about two-and-a-half hours on winding mountain roads to make it to Gracias, the spectacular views made it entirely worth it.


We pulled into Gracias a little before 5 p.m. and settled into our hotel, Guancascos. Though the accommodations and hot showers were amazing, the best part of the evening had to have been the pizza! It was a feeding frenzy of epic proportions followed by an impromptu game (or 10) of Texas Hold 'Em (macaroni instead of chips) in the hotel restaurant.


Gracias is a beautiful town that, in 1544 briefly served as the Audencia for Central America. Currently it's undergoing something of a cultural revival and there are numerous churches and parks that have been newly restored or are under renovation. Even the owner of the hotel was trying to get an international accreditation for environmental sustainability.

Friday morning, after a delicious breakfast (several students had pancakes), we stopped into the casa de cultura (cultural center) to look at the local artifacts and exhibits and then climbed up to El Castillo de San Cristobal, a hilltop fort that was built during the 19th century.

Though several of the students wanted to stay and explore the town, Copan was in our future and we had miles to go before we slept.

Tune in tomorrow for Part Deux of PADO's excellent adventure!