Conditions, Responsbilities, and Refund Policy for all FLAAR programs

Honduras offers tropical climate, impressive Maya ruins, and a break from the monotony at home. Travel in Central America is an adventure. If you want things to function like a Swiss watch, however, we recommend you vacation in Switzerland. If you want a fancy hotel try Ramada, Holiday Inn, or a Hyatt Regency in Europe or major capitals worldwide. If you want to experience Latin American culture, learn about ancient Maya civilization, then come to Copan Ruinas.

The Copan program was for 1998. If you want the current program, use the link above

Notification of cancellation must be made in writing and ideally should be sent by fax. You will not be charged any unused room other than any deposits that were made to hold such a room plus a reasonable amount for our costs in dealing with the hotel.

Payment in full is required if you book within 45 days of the start of the program.

ASSUMPTION OF RISK: each individual should be aware that travel contains inherent risks of illness, injury, or death. You read the newspapers, you watch TV. But you need to decide whether you wish to escape the boredom of the office routine and stress and the home situation. An archaeology field trip offers a great opportunity to explore the wonderful world of Latin America.

PERSON EXPENSES: each individual is liable for all meals, drinks, tips, hotels, transportation, and personal expenses.

BE REALISTICALLY PREPARED: wear appropriate clothing. You do not need high heels. You are in the tropics, so beware of sunburn. It is not very clever to wear abbreviated clothing in the tropics, especially not at the altitude of Copan. Besides, less clothing makes more of your succulent flesh available to ravenous insects.

If FLAAR itself cancels the trip due to whatever circumstance, we will refund all payments you have made but the nature of archaeological field trips in general and programs in foreign countries in particular mean that you must be aware that these things sometimes happen. It is essential that you yourself have cancellation insurance. We recommend that you do not have non-refundable airfare tickets for any program in a foreign country where things may change suddenly.

INSURANCE: you are required to have full medical and accident insurance that is valid in Honduras, Central America. It is required that you obtain and have a valid policy of emergency evacuation (air evacuation). There is no hospital nor comparable medical facility in Copan itself. The nearest large city is over 4 hours drive through the mountains away. There are no medical personnel whatsoever on the FLAAR staff. We are PhD doctors, not medical doctors. It is rather obvious that you should have theft insurance for your baggage and photography equipment.

DANGERS AND RISKS: Insects of every imagineable variety lurk waiting for your tender flesh. Scorpions, eager spiders, sharp thorns, blood sucking ticks, and a fascinating variety of loathesome bugs, beetles, vermin, and other unpleasant creatures, virsus, and illnesses are common in Central America. You can expect rampant tropical diseases. The food may not agree with you and all variety of unpleasant sicknesses await you. The local alchohol is potent and guaranteed to corrode your liver.

Copan is in an area of active earthquakes. Copan is in the Highlands altitude-wise. This is the rainy season, so the ground will be slippery. Slipping, falling, and breaking various bones is a common result of archaeological research. The drive to and from the airport, through the mountains, is frought with hills, curves, steep drops, eroding road surface, and potholes. In summary, you take this trip at your own risk. Please be forewarned. You have seen more than enough movies or heard horror stories of the dangers involved.

On the brighter side: Copan is a delightful village with friendly people. The local guides know the area well and are well versed in archaeology. Hotels offer comfortable accomodations and the local restaurants offer yummy food. Indeed Andrea and I had a dinner in Copan with steak better than any we have ever had in New York, Paris, or Zurich. The Tunkul restaurant is also a good place to get filling meals.

IHAH, the Instituto Hondureno de Antropologia e Historia has done an outstanding job of developing archaeological research in the Copan area. IHAH maintains two world-class museums, the new Sculpture Museum, and the venerable village museum of general Copan art and archaeology. Overall, Honduras is well worth visiting. We have been visiting Honduras since 1964 and arranging study programs at Copan for the last twenty-five years. Several of the posters displayed by IHAH result from photographs we have donated to IHAH, pictures which resulted from our study and photography programs at Copan.

If you wish to study Spanish, the owners of the Tunkul Restaurant have a good Spanish language course.