Copan town is so great - the cobblestone roads, the central park, it is such a unique place. 
The drive down was beautiful too. Our friend, Mike, was really taken by the amazing stone formations as we drove through the mountains, and watched the landscape change.
We traveled across the border into Copan, Honduras, to see the ancient Mayan ruins. These ruins are unique and important to the Mayan history due to the presence of glyphs and inscriptions which are not present at most of the other sites. 
We had a great time wandering the site, and being amazed at the incredibly detailed carvings, still intact for the most part.
The location is also very beautiful, with many old trees and several macaws - an important bird to the ancient Mayan people.
We had a great time playing in the snow with family in Canada, then had a great time playing on the beach and soaking up the sun!
The drive home is spectacular - amazing views of the Volcan Agua which is located between Antigua and the capital.
Without Faith, Christmas is incomplete. Think about it. A great time to visit back home with family and friends! Good to catch up, and "hang out" for a while with nothing pressing to do! 
Emily and Ellesha came, slept over and had a "beauty session" (You guys are great!!)
A small bit of paradise......
Walking on the beach, heat, sunshine.....what could be better?!
We stayed at Utz Tzaba - a great getaway popular with tourists and residents alike. 
We relaxed, caught some sunshine, saw the town, and visited with co-worker Jeff, and his family, on their weekend get away as well.
The trip to Monterrico involves a short ferry ride over a small river. The ferries are tiny, carrying only a few vehicles each time.
Along the way, you can see loads of, "lufa" (loofa?) (as we know it) which grows as a vegetable here in fields like grape vines. 
The fruit is grown to maturity, peeled and dried (if we have our understanding correct!)
It is collected in piles at almost every home you see along the seaside villages, where it is picked up and carried away for sale.
A beautiful, colorful ride!
Many families will go to the gravesides of family members, on this day, to decorate and eat their "fiambre" there. This is a cold-cuts meal that can be taken easily along. 
A great deal of time is spent making the graves beautiful.
Even in the graveyards, kite flying takes place, to make the people happy, as they remember their loved ones.
We traveled with friends from school, to the town of Sumpongo. There we watched enormous kites, handmade with tissue paper, and supported with bamboo rods, being launched into the sky. They were incredibly beautiful. 
The kites are worked on all year, then brought to the site, where they are assembled for flight. Some are short lived fliers, while others seem to stay up for hours.
