FOOD

So, there I was, lying on my bed, thinking about food (as I often do) when it came to me: I've had some pretty interesting food experiences so far... why not share them with my devoted readers (hi, Mom and Dad!)?

Last year, the vast majority of our meals were planned. We enjoyed dinner at Don Udo's every weekday, breakfast every day. Lunches on weekdays were spent at the Hotel Posada by the site (while we were excavating). Most meals, we were at the mercy of whatever they decided to serve us. By no means was this a problem: I never had to think too much about what I was hungry for, and, for indecisive people like myself, that is a huge plus. Plus, I liked pretty much every dish they served, so my stomach was happy.

This year, needless to say, is different. Breakfasts are included at Don Udo's, so I eat here for breakfast everyday. But for lunch and dinner, I actually have to think about what I want. To make this process easier, I've tried to get to most of the more prominent restaurants around town and familiarize myself with their menus. This past week, I've ventured into a lot of different places (most familiar, a few not). Most of the restaurants here serve the same kind of food: platos tipicos (typical Honduran plates, usually with eggs, beans, rice, tortillas, salsa, etc.), pastas, hamburgers, soups, other meat dishes, etc. As Copan is a tourist destination, it's not surprising that many of these places are trying to cater to an international audience with international cuisine. In any case, my synopsis.

ViaVia: Pretty sure I've mentioned this restaurant before. As I've said, it's owned by some Belgian ex-pats. I recently learned it's part of a chain of restaurants found all over the world (Europe, Africa, etc.), with its Copan location the first in the Americas. They also screen movies up on their patio (I saw Dark Knight there last year), and big sporting events down in the lounge. Everything I've had at ViaVia is delicious, including vegetarian spaghetti (topped with carrots, green beans, and other vegetables) and a veggie burger. One nice thing about ViaVia is that all dishes can be made vegetarian. Yay! There food is definitely more on the exotic end.

Llama del Bosque (Call of the Wild): The food here is generally cheap and also very good. Best plato tipico in town, in my opinion. Also, it's right across the street from ViaVia, so if I have no idea what I want, I'll usually just head down that street.

Cafe Welchez: If I have a sweet tooth, this is where I go. They have all varieties of cakes (including tres leches), flan, etc. They also made the best watermelon smoothie I've had here. Welchez is definitely more well-known for its coffee, but since I don't partake I can't comment on that.

Jim's Pizza: Really good pizza, but you can't buy by the slice, otherwise I'd go more often (sorry, I just can't eat a whole pizza by myself). Another ex-pat owner. This time, American. Jim has a very heavy southern accent, which makes all experiences there amusing.

Vamos a Ver: This is the only restaurant where I had a marginal experience. I had the pasta while I was there, which was pretty good, but much more expensive than at other places. The watermelon smoothie was also the worst I've had. And my experience is made by the watermelon smoothies. Though they also served a lot of traditional European (I can't remember if it was Belgian or Dutch...) dishes, so I might have to give it another try.

Elisa's Restaurant: Right across the street from the town park. Similar food choices to everywhere else: pasta, soup, sandwiches, meat dishes. A homeless man walked in and demanded food while I was there. The food wasn't bad, but I'll probably avoid going there again.

Xibalba: Xibalba is definitely better known as a bar, but I stopped in for lunch and it was surprisingly good ("spaguetti con marinera"). It used to be owned by a British ex-pat, Tanya, who runs Twisted Tanya's (a popular bar and restaurant) about a block away, but apparently they sold it due to rent increases.

Mary's Pupuseria: Only about a block away from Don Udo's. If you are in the mood for pupusas or other local dishes, this is a great place. Cheap, and delicious! Also, they soak their vegetables in beet juice. Why? No idea.

Wow, this was a beastly and incredibly boring entry. If you made it this far, good for you! I don't know what that says about you, but good for you. So there you go, food in Copan. If I make it to any other restaurants, I'll spare you the details. But I hope you enjoyed getting to know a little bit more about the options here.

So I've blabbed. Feel free to blab to me about your summers so far! I'd love to hear from you.
Alyce