HAPPY HOUR IN HONDURAS, TUNKUL BAR & COPANA RUINS
Feb 26 '02 (Updated May 09 '05)
The Bottom Line It can get cold in the mountains at night. This is a good place to warm up at.
Copana Ruins is a sleepy little town nestled high up in the mountains, close to Honduras' border with Guatemala. They probably would roll up the sidewalks every night, that is if they had sidewalks. The only thing that distinguishes it is of course the nearby Mayan ruins. The ruins of Copan are a mere 15 minute walk outside of town and draw tourists from all over the world.
There are other things to keep tourists occupied here. After all the place is hard to get to, and the ruins themselves can be seen easily in a day. There are a couple of museums, one at the site the other in town, full of examples of pre-Colombian art and other ancient artefacts discovered at the site and nearby areas.
There are also several other attractions in the immediate region, including a waterfall. All of this can make Copana Ruins a good destination for a couple of days while touring through Central America. Then of course there is the town itself. It is rather picturesque with its narrow cobblestone streets that wind up and down the steep hill the town is built on.
There are the simple but elegant white washed buildings with their red tile roofs,. They would look more at home in the hills of Southern Spain than here in the new world. Finally there is the simplistic but beautiful village church fronting the main square. A mainstay of rural Latin America.
To support this there is an infrastructure in the town to support tourism. In fact most of the town at first glance seems set up completely to deal with the needs of tourists. Almost every building it seems has either a souvenir shop, an Internet café or a travel and tourism office in it, sometimes all three.
There are plenty of places to eat, and a good selection of places to lay one's weary head after a hard day of tramping around ancient ruins. Small hotels both upscale with the all the amenities and basic back packer hostels are available throughout the town.
On arriving in Copana Ruins the first thing on my agenda was a room. I quickly found one in the Hotel California (reviewed elsewhere on Epinions) which had been recommended by friends in Omoa my last stop in Honduras. After checking in and a refreshing cold shower to watch the dust of a day's travelling on rural buses off of me I was ready to explore the town. The sun had gone down and I realised I hadn't really eaten since breakfast, so dinner was in order.
Ok it wasn't that refreshing I'll admit, and it was also damn cold outside after the sun went down. Especially after a cold water shower, and a skimpy threadbare towel. Fortunately Copana Ruins is not that big and I did have a restaurant in mind. A brisk walk through the narrow cobblestone streets brought me to the Tunkul Bar.
The Tunkul Bar is probably the best place to eat in town. The place was listed in both the Rough Guide and Lonely Planet guide books I was using on this trip, and for a change they both got it right. More importantly for me it was recommended by the same people in Omoa who'd suggested a hotel. So far they were batting a thousand.
The place is a lively oasis in this otherwise sleepy little town after the sun sets. It's a favourite hangout for expats and foreign teachers from the ESL schools in the area. happy hour seems to be the time to gather here, swap stories and information and meet friends old and new.
The owner Mike Valladanes is a local but lived for several years in the United States before returning to open this place. he's a friendly sort, who easily spots a new customer and goes out of his way to make them feel at home. His English is excellent, obviously and he's an excellent source of local information (email-tunkul2002@yahoo.com).
The menu has an excellent selection, mainly chicken dishes and sandwiches, most for under $6.00 US. The portions are very generous and quality is excellent. The decor is rather eclectic, open hearth fireplaces, exposed dark wood, old leather saddles and other riding paraphernalia hanging from the rafters and plenty of plants. All in all it does give off a warm and friendly atmosphere as do the staff and clientele.
As an added bonus, just across and up from the Tunkul Bar is an excellent souvenir shop. Easy to spot has a white sign with a number 1 on it. Great prices on small terra cotta replicas of pre Colombian art here. No credit cards accepted but they take payment in US Dollars as well as Honduran Lempiras.
I don't know when I'll find myself in Copana Ruins again to be honest. I do know though where's the first place I'm heading after I drop my bags off.
Other articles on Honduras
Omoa
http://www.epinions.com/content_3637158020
Pia’s Place Omoa
http://www.epinions.com/content_110242926212
Flamingo Hotel, Omoa
http://www.epinions.com/content_110244564612
Sunset Beach Bar Omoa
http://www.epinions.com/content_2553454724
Copan Mayan Ruins
http://www.epinions.com/content_2715590788
Hotel California Copan
http://www.epinions.com/content_55179447940
Roatan Bay Islands
http://www.epinions.com/content_176973254276
Roatan International Airport
http://www.epinions.com/content_4292583556
Roatan Dive & Yacht Club
http://www.epinions.com/content_174636699268
Fantasy Island Dive & Beach Resort
http://www.epinions.com/content_174649413252
Oak Ridge
http://www.epinions.com/content_4264206468
West End & West Bay
http://www.epinions.com/content_4305559684
Roatan Wildlife
http://www.epinions.com/content_4328628356
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Member: James Smith
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