Heading for home...

It's true, all good things must come to an end.  This trip is no exception.  We had one of our best travel experiences ever here on Roatan.   We really came here to snorkel & dive, with mission soundly accomplished!  The amazing rental property that was a stone's throw from the second largest barrier reef in the world was absolutely perfect for us.  Laid-back, away from the action, and unlimited ocean time interrupted only by hours of reading on the screen porch and watching the lizards stroll along the walls.  Not for everyone, but just what we needed!

We both agree that, if you are not wanting to dive/snorkel, then Roatan is probably not the destination for you.  Those are, really, the two main attractions and you will not find much else to do here.  There is no large shopping plaza, no movie theatre, no fine dining, no theme-park or divided highway.   Hell, the electricity didn't work a lot of the time!  You will, however, find beautiful rainforest, a beautiful and friendly ocean, and lovely people who genuinely welcome touristas, like us.   We'll be back soon!

Leapin' lizards!

We were up VERY early this morning thanks to the dogs and birds.  Apparently, there is a lot to celebrate at 4:45 am if you are an animal here!  It was a bit hot in the house (we don't use the AC, as the fans are typically sufficient), so I moved outside to watch the sun come up.  That sounds like a realy lovely idea, but it actually takes a REALLY.  LONG. TIME.  Good think I had my book with me!  In the end, it was slightly anti-climactic because of the cloud cover, but I had waited the better part of an hour in the bug-infested dawn's early light, so a picture was obligatory. 

Yes, I know.  It's beautiful.  That's because you can't see the bugs.

I was more than a little thrilled to return to the house and find coffee made.  There is just something about coffee that makes things alright, no?  We enjoyed it on the bug-free comfort of the screen porch, while we discussed what to do with our two, short days remaining.  The winner for today:  visit Arch's Iguana and Marine Park!   

We had discussed making the 40 km (round-trip) trek to Arch's yesterday, so had done a little homework on hours, what a cab might cost, and what to bring.  By 8 am, we were heading up the driveway to hail our taxi with several pounds of cut-up bananas, and closed-toe shoes.  We negotiated what we thought was a pretty fair rate of $20 (each way) with a taxi driver who was a doppelgänger to the comedian, Paul Rodriguez.  He was accompanied (as the taxi drivers here seem to mostly be) by a friend who didn't speak, or really even move, the entire time.   As we drove, "Paul" chatted with us in Spanish, and we responded to the six words we recognized.  Incorrectly, I'm sure.  Note to self:  learn some gosh darn Spanish!

After about 25 minutes (no one drives over 40 MPH on the main road here), we arrived at the farm.   Paul said he would return for us at 10 am, and drive us home for the same price.  Deal!  

After paying the $20 (for 2) entrance fee, we walked down a short driveway and were immediately surrounded by iguanas.  I don't mean 5 or 10.  I mean HUNDREDS of iguanas.  With more rapidly dropping from trees or roofs, and descending various stairs and sidewalks by the second.  It was, at first, a bit disconcerting.  I am not, in any way, opposed to lizards.  I limit my complete revulsion for reptiles to snakes.  Having said that, however, these things were so snake-like as they crawled over each other dragging their long tails, that I had a brief, visceral response.   Over it quickly, we forged ahead.  "Be careful not to step on tails," called one of the attendants.  Easier said, than done.  

Andrew, with his mise-en-place of bananas, was swarmed the instant the first nub came out of the bag.  If you follow, you know that Andrew loves to feed all creatures (great and small, furry or scaly), and was in heaven for several minutes.

Feeding time

There were also other animals at the park:  

Turkey

Coco the monkey who immediately rushed over to hold Andrew's hand.

A pelican

Turtles

The point, however, was the iguanas.  So, having seen the other animals and with 58 minutes before we had to meet Paul, we returned to the swarm.  

The big guys liked to be scratched.

Seriously weird

We also took a few videos, if you're interested.  Warning - live iguanas!   Feeding Frenzy; Tree Descent; Andrew Pets an Iguana.

At 9:55, we headed back to the parking lot to find Paul waiting, as promised.  I love it when that happens!  He and his statue/friend returned us promptly to our VRBO.  

We had a bite to eat, and then lounged around the house with the fan going.  I know it's inappropriate to say this in the midst of the Polar Vortex of 2014, but it's hot as hell here!  About 2:30 pm we mustered up the energy to take the kayak out for an hour.   It had started to cool off due to some cloud cover, so it was a really nice paddle.   We returned back to the house, played with the dogs, and made dinner (burgers and, you guessed it - guacamole!).  Then we spent the remainder of the evening researching our next trip to Honduras.  Who's up for diving with the whale sharks in Utila next year, folks?  We've already picked out the VRBO! 

Pics & videos of this and that...

We've spent most of Tuesday & Wednesday, uneventfully.  Both days we had a few hours out on the water (Andrew snorkeling; me in the kayak).  It is heaven out there on the reef, I tell you!   We have completely enjoyed having it right out in our front yard.  

Here's some cool videos Andrew took snorkeling today:  Parrot Fish; barracuda; school of fish; lobster. 

I cannot say this enough...I love this kayak!

We also spent a bit of time wandering in the yard.  They have a couple of acres here, and many fruit trees.  Looks like everything should be ready a week or so after we leave!  

Bananas

Grapefruit.  There are limes, too, just not photo.

Cashew - or at least they will be in about a month.  They just finished blooming.  Andrew is most disappointed about missing those.

We spend a lot of time out on the screened porch in the big wicker chairs.  The wifi works well, and it's lovely to sit and read with the breeze blowing and the ocean in full-view.   There is a hummingbird feeder, which is well-trafficked by a good dozen of the little guys.  Despite many attempts, I've been unable to take a photo - they're fast!  There are also many, many different sizes, shapes and colors of lizards & geckos that hang out on the deck.  They are also not terribly keen to pose for pictures, but I've managed to sneak a couple.

Local wildlife

This guy hangs out just outside of our door.  You can typically spot his head peeking down from the eavestrough.  He's quick to retreat - I've been trying to get his picture for days!

This morning, we took a ride over to West End to poke around in the shops.  We're not much for souvenirs, as a rule, but we're always on the hunt for unique local arts & crafts.  As well, Andrew must add to his magnet collection!  There wasn't much in West End that interested us, but we did stop at a little place on the way back called the Rusty Fish.   They teach local kids how to use recycled oil drums to create metal art.  Good mission and great products - we really enjoyed our time in this little gem!  

The Rusty Fish Shop

Otherwise, we've laid low and spent a lot of time enjoying the beach and the house.  We've made most of our meals in - grilled shrimp, fish tacos, sandwiches, and our body-weight in guacamole (at least).  Tomorrow we plan to take a run over to the iguana sanctuary, so please come back for that!

Another dive

Another great afternoon with the DMs from Coconut Tree Divers!  This site was called Fish Den, just outside the West End beach area.  We spent about an hour down to a max depth of just over 71 feet.  Ok, I should confess that everyone else went to the agreed upon max depth of 60 feet.  I, as Andrew will readily tell you, am known to "wander off from the herd" and neglected to notice immediately that I was somewhat further down than I was supposed to be.  Tom, the DM finally got my attention and signaled me back up.  Oops!  Oh well, I always say it's better to beg forgiveness...which I did back on the boat.  "No worries," he said with a smile.  

I love these tube things.  Some are so huge, you could crawl inside.  

Andrew & some strangers

A section of the wall & more tubes

Turtle!  Seeing one never gets old.  

I wish the fish looked as colorful on the pictures as they do in person.  You'll just have to join us, next time!

Andrew going through a little channel.  We turned left at the "fork" and swam through the little tunnel for about 20 yards.

Sadly, that's it for the diving portion of this trip.  We've had great luck with Andrew's ears, so won't push it.  He's had some really terrible problems afterwards on previous trips, and each time he has them we worry about permanent damage that would preclude future dives.  

A hike in the rain

 It rained quite hard early this morning but, by 9 am the sky was clearing and the forecast promised to be sunny with 0% chance of precipitation for the rest of the day.  Armed with that info, we washed sheets and towels and hung them on the line.  Over a banana-peach-blueberry protein smoothy we discussed today's agenda.  In desperate need of an activity (I can only take one day of sitting around before I'm ready to cut myself or others) Andrew suggested that we wander up the road to Carambola Gardens. 

The Gardens are just a little better than 2 km up the main road.  Not far and very easy to find, but the journey was a bit treacherous based on a three factors:  

1.  It is the main road, which means traffic is fairly heavy. 

2.  There are no shoulders or sidewalks along said road, so you have to walk either on the very edge of the road itself, or on the slanted edge of the trash & (I'm certain) snake-infested ditch.  Knowing that, you may imagine me firmly on the edge of the road.  

3.  Drivers in Honduras are not known for their safety records.  They are also not known to move closer to the center of the road to accommodate pedestrians.  You walk at your own risk and keep your arms close to your sides! 

Despite grim odds, we arrived safely in at the Gardens within about 30 minutes.  We were greeted by Bill, who took our $20 entrance fee (for 2), and led us to the garden with a map.  He spent more time explaining the very simple map than I would have thought necessary, but I confess I am not inclined to directions as a general rule.  His parting words to us were, "I compel you to breathe deeply as you walk.  The air here is very rich in oxygen, thanks to our wonderful plants."  His attention the map made more sense to me after that.  

The gardens are truly beautiful, with all kinds of plants that are harvested by the volunteers - cinnamon, ginger, coffee, chocolate, and fruit.  For an extra $7 each, you can have a guide explain the medicinal uses of some of the plants.  That initially sounded interesting, but Andrew quickly reminded me that I could barely stand still while Bill reviewed the map.  We politely declined and forged ahead, sans guide.  

Cocoa pods growing on a chocolate tree. 

Termite house

Big, pretty flower

Coffee beans

The trail around the garden areas.  All built by volunteers.

Ants!  About a million of them.  

On Bill's advice, we decided to move out of the garden area and follow the Jungle Trail.  From there, we had been told we would encounter the Mountain Trail that would take us to a look-out point.  Onward & upward!  

The trail meandered in a lovely way through the dense foliage.  There were little bridges over streams.  It was really beautiful.  I kept a close eye out for snakes.

Soon enough we moved on to the Mountain Trail, and things got a little more challenging.  The trail was quite steep and, due to the heavy rain, was soggy in places.  The sog combined with the heavy moss growing in all that shade made for slick spots.  We knew that might be more of a problem on the way back!  While you are imagining this, please don't forget that it is about 85F/29F and close to 100% humidity, and we are hiking up a 40 degree incline.  Yes, we were very, very sweaty within a few minutes.  Oh well, we needed some exercise and being wet was about to become the theme for today.

Up...

...up, up.

After about 30 minutes of fairly steep climbing, we emerged to this:  

Ahhh!

 We plunked down on the handily-provided benches to enjoy the breeze and the sights (and to catch our breath).  

We could see Anthony's Key Resort - one of the larger dive resorts on the island.  They have their own dolphins inside this corral!

Within a few minutes of arriving at the top it began to rain.  Hard.  As in, jungle rain.  You'll be happy to know that we managed to gracefully slide our way back down the trail without too much injury. 

By the time we had successfully descended, it had stopped raining so we opted to trod another kilometer up "the road" to Blue Bahia Grill for lunch. 

Best table in the house!

My lunch - baleadas (eggs, beans, cheese in a tortilla)

Andrew's lunch - the mother of all cheeseburgers topped with shrimp.  Needless to say, he was very, very happy.

By the time we finished eating, it was pouring again.  We set off along the beach in the direction of home.  Within a minute we were positively dripping wet.  The kind of wet where you have to use your hands to wipe the water away from your eyes every few seconds so you can see.  And that is how we trudged the whole 3 kilometers back to the house.  As luck would have it, the rain stopped about 20 seconds before we hit our section of the beach.  Continuing on in that vein, Al & Sandra had saved our sheets from our clothes line, and moved them to the sheltered line under their deck.  Hooray!

We wrung out our clothes and spent the rest of the afternoon and evening reading on the screened porch.  We made dinner at home - fish tacos and coconut rice.  We played with the dogs.  After dark, we watched the big bats fly around outside in search of the hummingbird feeder we had already brought inside.  I was grateful for the screen.   

Sandra & Al

Sandra & Al are the owners of the VRBO we're staying in.  Their home is on the same property, about 20 steps from ours.  In our experience, it's always nice when the owners are nearby.  The properties are much better maintained and safety/security are much less of an issue.  This property is no exception to those rules.  Sandra & Al are, clearly, used to having people here on a fairly consistent basis.   They have mastered the art of being friendly and available, but not intrusive.  They have been a wealth of tips on where to eat, what to do, and how much things should cost.  

Here's what we've gleaned about them from our week here:  

Al is from Canada; Sandra from the US (as I mentioned previously, Al shared this with us on the drive from the airport).   They have two dogs - Zoe & Mia.  They have had Mia only two weeks - having adopted her after their dog, Enzo, died recently.  In addition to the VRBO business, they also sell high-end dog food that they import from the USA (Blue, Call of the Wild, etc).  They like to golf, and seem to go out most mornings for 9-holes (they're typically back within a couple of hours).  Sandra's short game is better than Al's, by her report.

Al picked us up from the airport, so we have spent the most time with him.  He is also outside of the house much of the day, so is easier to observe.  He's very social, and constantly worries if we have enough full 5-gallon water-cooler bottles on hand.  At one point, we had three.  Al spends about 70% of his waking hours in his hammock on their porch.  He's typically got a coffee, beer or glass of wine nearby (morning, afternoon and evening, respectively), and a Kindle in hand.  You know Al is preparing to leave the property when he puts on a shirt.   Otherwise, he doesn't wear one.  He gets numerous phone calls and people stopping by to ask him about car issues, so I assume him to either be a mechanic or, at minimum, know more about cars than most of his friends.

Sandra is more enigmatic, as she doesn't seem to come out of the house as much.  The only time we really see her outside is when she is walking to or from the car.  I find that somewhat strange considering where they live, but am reserving a final judgement  on the premise that her near-daily rounds of golf may produce all the vitamin D she requires.  When she does step outside, Sandra is concerned about whether or not everything in the house is working properly (it is),  and whether or not we would like more towels or clean sheets.  She is also very good at letting us know if they are going to the store or in to West End, and offering to take us along so that we don't have to take a taxi.  Those of you who know Andrew will also know that these offers are politely declined.