Welcome to Copan Ruinas, Honduras

On December 27, 2008 my group (me, Aaron, Aviv and Maya, along with GVI intern Sophie) drove 5 hours from Antigua, Guatemala to Copan Ruinas, Honduras for the next six weeks of our GVI volunteer trip.

About Copan Ruinas
Copan Ruinas (often called simply Copan) is just a few minutes' drive east of the Guatemalan border in mountainous western Honduras. Copan is just half mile from a nice collection of Maya ruins that give the town its name. Much smaller and less-frequently visited than Antigua, I find the town much more comfortable and welcoming in some ways. It is certainly safer to walk alone here, even at night.

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Like Antigua, the town surrounds a 1-block square Central Park with fountain. On one side is a cathedral, on another is small indoor farmers market, and the rest of the city an interspersing of little shops, hotels, restaurants and private homes. Like any other town, the ratio of homes vs shops increases as you get further from the central square.

I've found that just about anything you might need is available in the nearby shops. In fact little Copan seems to have more imported goods (shampoo, snack foods, etc.) than I found in Antigua. Copan has plenty of great little coffee shops, bars and restaurants. Some favorites are Cafe Villamil for liquados (fruit smoothies) and hot chocolate and free internet in the afternoons, Cafe ViaVia for drinks and music and the occasional brownie after dinner, and Barcito - a little hole-in-the-wall bar good for chilling out with a beer when Cafe ViaVia is just too crowded.

About the GVI Project
(Courtesy of the GVI website)
"We are working with the Indigenous Chorti community of San Rafael, which is a 20-minute drive up through lush mountain scenery from Copan Ruinas. Our aims are to improve the standard of living of the Indigenous families who live in extreme poverty by providing children with a better level of education at the local state school. We aim to achieve this through working alongside the two resident teachers to improve the basic facilities at the school, supplement the learning materials required and offer enhanced levels of teaching through the presence of volunteers. GVI works in the community with the full support of the Indigenous leaders of the community."

As there are only two resident teachers for a school with nearly a hundred students in six grades, volunteers often take responsibility for a specific grade. I believe I'll be teaching 2nd graders the entire time, with lesson plans and class materials provided by a local teacher.

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The state school is still on holiday, so we've spent the past two weeks painting the school and working on a water collection and storage system with a local craftsmen. On Monday we begin two weeks of GVI-hosted pre-school warm-up for the two youngest grades. After two weeks we'll be joined by grades 3 to 6 and the two "real" teachers to begin the regular state school curriculum of Spanish, math, and natural and social sciences.

In addition to the regular 1st to 6th grade classes in the mornings, GVI hosts optional afternoon classes in English for secondary school students and adults.

My Home in Copan
I'm staying in one of three apartments rented by Carla and her family. I have a second-story room with private entry, bath and balcony. I especially enjoy the balcony with a view of the surrounding hills and all the activity in the street below. This feels like the middle of a metropolis (in relative Honduran terms), with traffic at all hours and bustling tiendas (shops) on all sides. Kids play in the street and stray dogs and cats roam unmolested. Most of the tiendas are in the front entry of private homes, so I see my neighbors out on their second-story balconies up and down the street, enjoying the same breezes and views that I enjoy.

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In addition to leasing rooms, Carla runs a sort of catering business out of her kitchen. She has a handful of regulars who eat lunch or dinner in her kitchen, sometimes she hosts groups either in her large reception area or on the roof terrace, and she also prepares food for parties and events in other locations. She's ALWAYS busy, and her cooking is wonderful.

I've been invited to join in a number of family events at Carla's home, including a New Years' eve party, the baptism of her god-daughter, and her brother's 41st birthday party. There's always something going on in the house, and everyone has been welcoming and patient with my slowly improving Spanish language skills.

Contact Information for Copan
I'll be in Copan until mid-February, which really isn't enough time for mail to arrive via post. email is still the best way to contact me. In an emergency I can be reached through the the following phone numbers:

* Carla/Roberto (Host family, only speaks Spanish) (00 504) 6514815
* Enrique (Host family coordinator, speaks English) (00 504) 99253988
* Dom Williams (GVI Director for Latin America, in Antigua) (00 502) 58384217