Guacamaya Fest 2023

 

In addition to the Copan Ruins which I summarized in a previous blog, Copan is known in Honduras for the Guacamaya Fest which occurs every year in June – and this year it was our last weekend in Copan!

For background, Copan has a bird sanctuary called Parque de Aves (Park of Birds) or otherwise known as Macaw Mountain. The sanctuary was started by a need to rehabilitate birds that were formerly kept as pets and to try to enhance the environment for better populations of birds, especially macaws (Guacamayas in Spanish) which are the national bird of Honduras. The bird sanctuary began in Roatan, but was moved to Copan as more spacious and a better site for the birds. Guacamaya Fest began ten years ago as a 3-day celebration of local music, art and food with the culmination in the final day by releasing some of the guacamayas that had been rehabilitated or bred in captivity.

We were delighted to take in the events of the weekend even though they were broken up almost every afternoon by thundershowers. I have never heard thunder as loud as it is here and buckets of rain! Most events took place in the town square where there were artisan booths, Honduran food “typica”, music (Marimba) and dancing. On Saturday night some teens dressed as ancient Mayans (400  - 800 AD) played an ancestral ball game with sticks that looked like hockey sticks and a round ball that was on fire.  On Sunday, over 300 people came to the local convention center to watch the release of about 10 Guacamayas into the wild. Pretty fun way to spend our last weekend in Copan!


Reenactment of Ancient Game of Pelota

                                                In front of a large picture of a Guacamaya.

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