Sail Ariel: Copan - Part 3 - Horseback Riding

On our first full day, we visited the ruins. The ruins are just outside town, and we found the most inexpensive way to get there was to take a tuk-tuk. With six of us, we were able to get there in two tuk-tuks. After we toured the ruins, then lunch, and visited the museum, we were ready to get a couple of tuk-tuks back to town. That is when we met Renaldo, a tuk-tuk driver. Renaldo's English is quite good, so we soon learned he could arrange horseback riding for us for the next day. As it turned out, the others were not interested in horseback riding, so it was just the two of us. Renaldo was our guide, and the horses belonged to his uncle. He picked us up at the hotel in his tuk-tuk, and we then went to the horses, which were tied up just at the edge of town. We rode up a mountain to the small Mayan village of La Pintada. From the village, we then hiked to the Mayan ruins of Los Sapos. Los Sapos, known as the birthing place, is where ancient Copanecan Maya women went to give birth. As we approached Los Sapos, were heard voices and then we heard Renaldo say "your friends are here". After we had left on the horses, Bill, Pat, Terry, and Sandy decided to visit Hacienda San Lucas, which they reached by tuc-tuc, and from there they hiked to Los Sapos. What a coincidence, we met up as they were planning to return to Hacienda San Lucas, which was the opposite direction from La Pintada. We told them they should not miss La Pintada village and invited them to return with us. Renaldo called his brother, also a tuc-tuc driver, and arranged for him to come up to the village to give them a ride to town. We returned on our horses, and then we all met at the hotel, and then Renaldo and his brother gave us rides to Macaw Mountain, which will be the subject of another posting.

This village makes dolls and flowers with corn husk. They are quite nice. Here, the children are attempting to sell us some. They also sell in town, so we had already purchased our fair share.