So on Thursday, for the second time in my life, I spent a ridiculously long (4hours!!), bumpy bus journey sitting on a plastic stool in the central isle of a bus. Yes, that has happened to me twice…the first time being in Albania!! Needless to say it was not the most comfortable start to the holidays. :D

YES, the holidays have finally begun!! I am currently in Copan, the only Mayan site in Honduras, because it is (of course) the end of the world…and where better to spend the end of the world than where it all began. We arrived on Thursday, and spent the afternoon chilling in the hostel and walking off the lower body paralysis caused by the horrific bus journey. The main event (the ending if the world) was happening on Friday. We spent most of the day relaxing, looking round Copan, and preparing for the impending doom. Now, trying to organise 17 people to be in the same place at the same time is a fairly difficult thing to do, so once we had 8 of us ready and willing we set off to the Mayan ruins to watch the sun go down. Unfortunately the event was happening in a different place to where we originally thought, but after an arduous trek (about 40 mins straight down a road) we found the Mayan sun set ritual thing. We were just in time to join in the circle of humming and random yoga poses as the sun went down, and we were hopeful that it would be back up again in 12 hours. We stayed for a little while and watched a man stir candles and wooden dolls into a fire in a very holy manner, before deciding to take the party elsewhere. Just as we were leaving we were accosted by an interviewer and his camera man who were interviewing people for the international news and hadn't yet found anyone British to shine their very bright camera man light on. We gave a very awkward, embarrassing interview before fleeing into the darkness. Apparently it is being sent back to the UK so keep an eye out for me, Jameel, Scott, Mary and Jodie on the news!! :D

We then decided it would probably be a good idea to stay up all night, just to make sure that the sun did rise on the morning of the 22nd and we wouldn't be left with 3 days of darkness and evil spirits as many Hondurans had told us would happen. After a very, very long night we made it to sunrise (almost exactly 12 hours after sunset), and watched the sky turn a lighter shade of blue from the sofas outside the hostel. As soon as we were satisfied that the world had not ended we dragged ourselves into bed, and I must have fallen asleep almost before my head hit the pillow.

It felt quite special being able to celebrate the ending of the Mayan calendar from inside the Mayan ruins, although I would be lying if I didn't admit to being a tiny bit disappointed that the world continued to turn as normal. On the other hand I am very much looking forward to the rest of the Christmas holidays and my year here.

Tomorrow we are heading back to Tela for a day to celebrate Christmas with our host family, before going to Utila for Christmas day and New Years which I am very very much looking forward to.

Happy Christmas :D

xoxoxox

P.s the photo is of the most amazing fried fish I have ever eaten, as I haven't had a chance to put my photos on to the computer yet...enjoy!