Quirigua, Guatemala

Scott shows off the height of these stela.  The
highest is 35 feet.

We left Costa Rica on 12/28 and after one night in Guatemala City, took the bus down to the Rio Dulce and our boat, Scott Free. For the last four years we've kept it in the water at Tortugal Marina. More on our time there in another post - but for now, I'll cover our land trip to Quirigua and Copan (in my next post) January 17 to 19, 2017.
Dennis and Doris from "Magic" joined us for the 3 day excursion. Otto Archila (otitoursplus@gmail.com) drove us to Copan, Honduras and back. On the way there we stopped at Quirigua in Guatemala and on the way back, at the Maxi Dispensa Supermarket in Morales. It was about a 4.5 hour drive with a border crossing between Guatemala and Honduras.
Quirigua was a trading hub during the Mayan Classic Period (200 - 900 AD). It's biggest success story was the capture and beheading of the greatest Copan King (whose name is translated as 18 Rabbits). The elaborately carved stelae are among the largest in the New World.
After crossing into Honduras, the Hotel Camino Maya Hotel was our home for two nights and it was very nice. We found it on TripAdvisor and Booking.com - $74 a night with a full breakfast. Our room was very attractively decorated with a large private tiled bathroom. The rooms surrounded a courtyard and balconies overlooked the central plaza.
That night we had dinner across the Plaza with views from the second floor at Twisted. Our meal was excellent and a great deal. We had the special that night which included soup or salad and dessert for the price of the entree alone. It was pork roast with potatoes and veggies. Everything was delicious and beautifully presented (I've included pictures!). Two for one drinks from 5 to 6 pm too.
My next posting will continue the trip to the Mayan ruins of Copan.

Looking down the large main plaza at Quirigua

The Mayan Kings had portraits of themselves
carved into huge blocks of stone with
heiroglyphics detailing their reign.

Lovely shaded walks led throughout the site.

Restored stairs lead up to a raised court 

Doris is a weaver and artist. She had a long
conversation with this weaver from Lake
Atilan region and hopes to connect with her
later in the season.

Scott relaxes after our walk around the Park

These gorgeous flowers in all shades of blue and white
caught my eye.

As did the skirt fabric that Doris bought at the weaver's shop.

The streets of Copan Ruinus were busy with Tuk tuks

Our rooms at the Maya Camino Hotel had views of the
main plaza.

Doris enjoying her Happy Hour  Marguerita at Twisted

Scott's Salad

And brownie ala mode 

The sun lit interior courtyard at our hotel

The main entrance at the Maya Camino Hotel in Copan Ruinus