Mayan ruins of El Puente and Copan

14th March
I manage to find my way out of Tegucigalpa with surprising little difficultly, good job the compass doesn't lie. I go though Comayage and then on to Siugatepeque where I try and find a bank around the main Plaza. Its very hot again and its only 1000 hrs. the 1st ATM wont work the 2nd bank has no ATM th e3rd wont work and the 4th has no ATM. Oh dear no cash and no one hear seems to accept a credit card (up until now I have only been able to use my credit card about 6 times in three and a half months). I leave town and then manage to buy fuel on my VISA! Apparently there is an ATM 2 kms out of town at a shopping centre. I stop and after another frustrating time with the machine I discover the problem. You have to put your card in up side down, silly me for not reading the Spanish instructions or understanding the worn off drawings. I now have 2000 local currency. Roads are good except for the pot holes and the lorries and pick ups coming at you on my side of the road ( remember motor bikes don't matter, they can get out of the way! Overtaking vehicles coming towards you just continue if they see a motorbike. I am just sick to death of the shit drivers, no brake lights and no indicators and also just pull onto the highway without looking. They all need locking up!
After a minor unplanned detour I get on the correct road to Santa Rosa de Copan which is about 100kms and its only 1430 hrs now. Lunch today consists of a cheese and ham sandwich in white processed bread ( the only sandwiches in all of SA and CA!) Oh for a nice whole meal sloppy sandwich with any thing other than soapy tasteless cheese and ham.
I drive slowly west to Copan the roads are hilly and the area green but dry and the trees are not thick like I would expect a jungle to be. In fact I have seen little thick jungle yet on the whole trip. By the middle of the day it is extremely hot as soon as I stop. The temperature is pleasant before 1000 hrs and after 1600 hrs. I stop at El Puente and pay 55 local (US$5) to see a small Mayan site but it is a little disappointing. I am however the only tourist there and have two armed guards (Army) on site with me! I take lots of photos and climb all over the monuments and go inside two. I leave by 1530 hrs and drive another 60 kms to Copan. The 1st hotel has a nice sign and a long cobble drive, looks expensive and it is at US$80 a night. Stuff it, I stay, it has a jacuzzi and swimming pool and I have done 4 countries in 5 days.
I now have 4 people e-mailing me and wanting the Honda Africa Twin- so I send them all photos and hope someone will buy it before the trip finishes in three weeks time. I hear from James and he made it to Cartagena and will find a yacht to take him around to Colon.
My hotel is 2kms from the Copan ruins which open at 0800 hrs. I go for a swim, but the pools cold after the jacuzzi so i go back to the jacuzzi. I reckon to have about 4 days in Guatemala , leaving me about 18 days for Mexico. All Honduras appears to be hilly, green, dry and seems to have lots of grass. The locals burn all their rubbish and grass on the sides of the roads and in fact this is much the same in Nicaragua except there they have corrupt police! Bastards! At least in Costa Rica I was guilty of speeding!
I oil the bike chain daily unless I think I will be driving on sand or gravel roads. It makes a mess of the back of the engine but I am sure its better this than wearing out another chain set. I need to top up the oil level only if I get to do long periods at 5000rpi or 120kph on hot days. Adjusting the chain tension is difficult as the bike needs to be fully loaded with rider to check which is a bit difficult on your own. Lying in the jacuzzi tonight I can watch the milky way and shooting stars though the palm trees overhead.

I manage to replace my mobile phone fuse with a piece of silver paper and can now charge it again. Know one can tell me of the road conditions the other side of the border which is only about 12kms away, my map suggests they will be gravel. My smart hotel is called Posada real de Copan. www.posadarealdecopan.com
15th March
I see the sun rise across the jungle from my hotel room and of course take some more photos. I now have about 6MB's of photos and most seem to be landscapes, buildings and rocks! I walk to the Copan ruins and am there just as they open, pay my entrance (US$18) and have a good look a round before anyone else arrives on site. The local traders selling tourist souvenirs have not even set up yet! By 1130 hrs I'm done and it is now very hot. I have climbed all temples, hills and seen all that's possible so walk back to the hotel.

Quick check of bike and top up oil however spill loads of oil as now need a small funnel as Dave took the last one to Quito. All wheel bearings appear OK, adjusted and oiled chain last night. Have a quick wash and head off without having a swim, but not without having a nice pasta and shrimp lunch. I arrive at the border by 1230 hrs. The Honduras side is closed for lunch but after 15mins I mange to get the bike and me stamped out and hand over my bike import document. I then gain entry into Guatemala and go to the Aduna for the bike import document. I need to pay 40 local to the bank there but there closed for lunch until 1330 hrs. After a wait, more photo's, Coke and more water into my camel pack ( always amuses the locals when I top up my bike jacket with 2 litres of water) I manage to pay and get my receipt, go back to the Aduna office and get my bike import document. I give the guy there all my Costa Rica coins for his children and he is grateful and had been very helpful.
Guatemala is much the same as Honduras but roads are better and faster so I often cruise at 5000rpi of about 110/120 kph. The drivers are still mad. I stop at another Mayan site called Quirigua at 1630 hrs and it's due to close at 1700 hrs so I am allowed in FOC. Quick tour and photos, in extreme heat carrying my tank bag and bike jacket! I thought there would be a hotel here but no such luck, but guy on gate says its only 75kms to Rio Dulce. I push on to the Caribbean coast and a large inlet/river spanned by a huge bridge ( which turns out to be the largest bridge in all of Central America).