A wonderful breakfast at the hotel restaurant starts Day 2 on a great note. Today is our Cultural Day. We are scheduled to visit the Mayan Ruins just outside of Copan and then the Macaw Mountain Bird Sanctuary.

We check in at the Mayan Ruins and secure the services of our guide, Oscar. These ruins have survived centuries of time having first been built around 250 AD. Discovery of what is actually here continues even today as archeologists are on-site continuing to dig and explore what these ancient people have built on this site. It is massive, awe-inspiring, and a bit unbelievable in how advanced this culture was during a very primitive time for mankind. Oscar gives us far more details than we could ever remember and amazes us with his vast knowledge. The three-hour tour whets our appetites to know more about this place so full of astounding accomplishments and construction that defies comprehension.

We lunch on papusas and frozen non-alcoholic drinks, a Honduran specialty, in a local restaurant before making the short, but bumpy, drive out of Copan to the Macaw Mountain Bird Sanctuary. None of us knows what kind of experience lies ahead for us here.

A young man named Carlos is our guide as we tour this sanctuary. We quickly learn he is passionate and knowledgeable about the birds housed here. The purpose of this sanctuary is to rescue birds that have been injured in the wild, mistreated in captivity, or whose current owner can no longer care for them.

Many macaws and tucans of several varieties along with many other birds native to Central America are being restored here. The environment is a lush tropical forest with all kinds of flora and fauna. We pick coffee beans and feed the tucans. We hoist the macaws on our arms and some even on their heads. But, most importantly, we learn about the incredible work this sanctuary is doing to rescue these beautiful creatures.  (Note Phyllis’s hat???  LOVE it!)

As we conclude our tour with freshly-brewed coffee and load up the van, some comment about this being the highlight of our day. It is so gratifying to see God’s creation being cared for and being brought back to health and wellness by such caring and knowledgeable people.

Day 2 draws to a close. Our team is becoming more and more comfortable with each other. We sense God’s presence with us in a very special way. We look forward to beginning the true purpose for making this trip with the people in Ciudad Espana.