July 31, 2008 - Copan, Honduras

“We don’t use forks and spoons and knives like the rich; we use our fingers. The food tastes better that way. A fork doesn’t have any flavor – it’s just a piece of metal. And you can poke your mouth with a fork or knife. That’s why we like our fingers better.”
~Elvia Alvarado

The mornings are bright, hot, and humid. By early afternoon the sky darkens with rainstorms. A typical day in the tropics. Amphibians litter the tropics, which is perhaps why the Maya chose their symbol of fertility to be the frog.

In the afternoon we took pleasure in a rainy hike around Hacienda San Lucas. On the eco-resorts property is an Ancient Mayan site called, Los Sapos. Basically a carved statue of a frog lies within a pile of rocks. Near the frog but harder to recognize is also a carved woman with her legs open, as if giving birth. Archaeologists have no concrete evidence for the locations use, but speculate women came here to give birth.

A Choti Mayan Indian met, shared that fathers also have a birthing ritual. Once the mother goes into labor, the father heads to the hills with a bottle of Valerian Root Homebrew (Valium), for a vision quest focused on the new child. For some tribal men, this practice continues today.

After the hike it was time to re-energize with my favorite Central American snack – fried tortillas covered in sugar and cinnamon, called ojaldras. I call them odeja de elephante. Elephant Ears.