In the Woods // Copán, Honduras

While the ancient Mayan site of Copán doesn’t have the same isolated feel as Tikal, the surrounding woods are still buzzing with life. The jungle is less dense, not as seemingly endless or pocketed with deep, dark secrets like it is further north in El Petén. But the trees are home to a rainbow of tropical birds, the most impressive to see in the wild – the Scarlet Macaw. In flight, these birds soar with a distinctive shape, their feathers tucked sharply behind as they glide from tree to tree. An amazing sight, especially when you consider having never actually seen a Macaw in flight before. Ceiba push towards the sun from deep below the crumbled stone of the temples, their roots twisted deep within the layers of Mayan construction over the millennia. Tree thorns warn you to approach with caution, anthills emerge as large as buried Beetles and spider holes are tucked like Bag’s End beneath root, step or vine. It’s easy to get lost in the world of the Maya here at Copán, and effortless, too, to fall into the spell of senses the jungles of Central America impart.

Copán, Honduras, 2011.