From Costa Rica to Guatemala

I follow Saul on foot to the historical site of Copan. Copan was once the southernmost city of the Maya empire. The temples, stelae, houses, and other structures date from just before the start of the Common Era up to 700 AD. Every 52-year cycle in the Mayan calendar, new temples were constructed. Often, older temples were destroyed, and their remnants used to elevate the new ones. When I reach the temples of Copan from the side, I’m immediately impressed. The pyramid-shaped structures of the Maya, which I’ve seen in so many pictures, now stand before me among the trees. Impressive. Saul explains the original purposes of the buildings and how the area was once used. The center of ancient Copan, the Acropolis, was the domain of the wealthy. The poorer population lived across the river in simple huts.