The ruins of Copán have been a World Heritage Site by UNESCO since 1980.


Venturing underground to check out previous eras of the city. Copán underwent three main stages of development with the Mayans building on top of previous structures. To uncover the previous temples, mouments and tombs below, archaeologicists in the 1970's excavated extensive tunnels under the ruins. It was quite interesting to literally step back in history through the successive layers of Mayan history.


And thanking Obed at the end of an amazing and insightful tour of Copán.


We then rode in the tuk-tuks back to town to pack up and get ready to leave Honduras.


Our journey for today was to drive back over the border to Guatemala again before heading south to the old Spanish colonial town of Suchitoto in El Salvador.


Back in Guatemala again after a brief stop at the border.


Buying some snacks as we stopped to spend the last of our Guatemalan quetzal and to complete our immigration forms for the El Salvador border.


Queueing up to get stamped out of Guatemala.


If your life is in danger and you can not return to your country, you have the right to request protection as a refugee in Guatemala.


¡Bienvenido a El Salvador!


Stopping at a service station. The currency of El Salvador is the US dollar but interestingly with a local one dollar coin to supplement US one dollar bills.


Baño Damas y Hombres.


Passing a red tuk-tuk as we get close to Suchitoto.


Arriving at Hotel Posada Alta Vista in Suchitoto just after 4pm.


And the basic but clean room for the next two nights.


Parque Central with the Iglesia Santa Lucía Suchitoto that was built by the Spaniards in the 18th century at its eastern end.


The historic Spanish colonial architecture was beautiful and very well preserved.


Lake Suchitlan in the background to the north and east.


The sun slipping behind the mountains of Cuscatlán.


We then headed out for an evening stroll through the cobblestone streets of Suchitoto.


Alejandro Cotto Theatre, founded by a famous Salvadorian filmmaker that was born in Suchitoto.


Locals congregating at an outdoor food stall.


At the interesting entrance of Restaurante El Arado for dinner.


A complimentary shot of rum for everyone!


And enjoying the king prawns for a delicious meal at the end of day 4.



Day 5.

The sun rising from the east over Lake Suchitlan at the beginning of day 5.


Lake Suchitlan is a man-made lake formed in the mid-1970s with the construction of the Cerron Grande Hydroelectric Dam.


Isla del Lago Suchitlan.


The warm morning sun now cascading over the red rooves.


Out for a morning run in Suchitoto.


And trying to get lost in the cobblestone streets and alleys.


Centro Escolar.


Hotel Posada Alta Vista didn't have any dining facilities but they had organised a tasty breakfast of flapjacks, bacon and fried eggs for us at the nearby Restaurante El Arado.


One of the options for our day in Suchitoto was a tour with a local guide. We were picked up in a couple of pickup trucks and went for a short drive to a viewpoint of Lake Suchitlan.


Our guide Pablo explained that although the man-made lake had displaced farmers from fertile land, it had created a new habitat for fish and birds to flourish.


After a short walk / climb / stumble down the hill we came upon the Cascada los Tercios. Formed by volcanic molten rock that has solidified as packed hexagonal stone spires. In the wet season it also turns into a very beautiful waterfall.


We then drove back into town to visit a local lady for a lesson on rolling cigars.


Showing us how prepare the outer wrapper leaf and then to roll together the filler and binder leaves, and finally gluing it together with a white rice paste. We then got to attempt to roll our own cigars with varying degrees of success.


Bundles of her finished cigars. She sells them for the amazingly cheap price of only $5 for a bundle of 25. I would have been sorely tempted to buy a few if I smoked!


We then walked to Parque Central.


Outside Iglesia Santa Lucía Suchitoto, which took 9 years to build and was finally completed in 1853. Pablo explained that the small dimple domes covering the rooves of the three bell towers were actually leftover soup bowls from a wedding many years ago.


Next stop was a local clothing shop where we got a brief history of the rise and fall of Suchitoto’s indigo industry.


Indigo dye, originally in the area from indigofera plants, it was gradually supplanted by chemical synthesis in the late 19th century which lead to the downfall of the local industry.


At the Centro Arte para la Paz, founded in 2005 by Sister Peggy (right), an American Nun who has lived in Suchitoto since the 1980s.


The centre houses a museum, gallery and gardens in a former convent.


A painting of a local character, painted by a Suchitoto artist called Santiago on a denim jeans canvas. Pablo said that the artist was commissioned a few years ago to do a similar painting in the US but was repeatedly refused a visit visa. He was eventually given a visa after the US sponsor guaranteed his return to El Salavador. He soon absconded and has been in the US illegally since however.


A mural of Archbiship Oscar Romero, who was shot dead in 1980 by right-wing paramilitaries and canonised as a saint by Pope Francis in 2018.


And a shot of Guazapa moonshine to end a great tour of Suchitoto!


After the tour I walked back into town to Parque Central.


For lunch I went to a café on the plaza, La Lupita del Portal.


With some tasty chorizos and tortillas for the main.


And cheesecake and a double iced cappuccino for dessert.


After the tasty almuerzo I went for an aimless stroll through the streets of Suchitoto.

Sueño.


Mujer y perro.


A Piñata getting a thrashing from some eager niños.


Pared.


I then headed to Lake Suchitlan again.


A tributary leading to the lake.


Farm fields on the lakeshore.


Suchitoto with the northern end of Lake Suchitlan in the background.


And looking down on the beautiful colonial town as the sun begins to cast long shadows in the late afternoon.


For dinner we headed for a short walk to a small streetside Pupusa restaurant. Pupusas are thick cornmeal flatbreads that originated from the indigenous Pipil people of El Salvador that are stuffed with either cheese, pork rinds, beef, squash, refried beans and / or chicken.


As a bit of a bonus Juan had organised a brief cooking lesson for us and we each got to select our ingredients and make our own Pupusas.


And enjoying my fresh off the grill chicken and pork pupusas for dinner at the end of a great day 5.