|
 BELIZE,
February 2008:
After leaving the Rio Dulce river in Guatemala (with a relatively
stress-free bar exam),
we hung out in Placencia, a favorite of cruisers,
for a month. We arrived on Valentines Day, which
gave us 2 days to
buy and eat fresh lobster
 before the season closed, and so we did!
It's easy to get "stuck" here, but we did check out some new cays.
We had planned on stopping at Belize's offshore atoll Glovers Reef, but
forecasted strong north winds and equally unpleasant seas over the next
several days told us we'd better get to Roatan while things were still
rather calm. An overnight passage put us into French Cay on Roatan,
one of the Bay Islands of Honduras.
- - -
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KA-CHING
KA-CHING
We may have
to spend some extra time in Roatan collecting all our royalties!
When we
cleared in to Roatan, the port captain gave us, as a matter of
routine, a brochure promoting the use of mooring balls at Sandy
Bay. And there is ARGO front and center on the cover!
Oddly enough, we'd never been to Sandy Bay and have never used a
mooring ball in Roatan. Upon further inspection, we
recognize the anchorage as being French Cay, and a fake-looking
mooring ball has been superimposed in front of ARGO!
A couple of
weeks later, we run into ex-cruisers who now live and work in
Roatan. They hand us their business brochure, and there's a
photo of us as "very satisfied customers"!
And lastly,
ARGO's bow provided the setting for a vacationing couple
to renew their
wedding vows.
We rounded up our crazy
cruising friends in
Jonesville, hit the 2
floating bars
 and
I know
provided the "newly weds" with indelible lasting memories! |
|
 ROATAN,
HONDURAS,
March, April 2008:
We
spent a
couple of months in Roatan last year -
and loved it. So far, we've been in French Cay, and anchored in the
"lagoon" (top center of picture on left) for the northers that
still pass through. The
Fantasy Island Dive Resort
 is
right here, and we are able to use their beaches, pool and common areas,
wifi internet and bar. A dinghy ride, or taxi ride, puts us at
French Harbor settlement for excellent grocery shopping, fuel, great pizza
and more. Life is good and easy here, so we are taking advantage of
this great anchorage.
 We
have also spent some time in Jonesville / Bodden Bight again. This
community is accessible only by water and spans several bights (harbors).
 Commuting
done by dinghy, lancha and water taxis are either through broad deep
canals (also used by large shrimping/ fishing boats) bordered with stilted
houses over the water, or through narrower and shallower canals lined with
thick mangroves.
Updates on Roatan
since last year: Electricity, or
rather the lack thereof, has become
a really big problem for Roatan. This time, we've met quite a few
business owners whose businesses are compromised because of
unreliable/inadequate power. Everyone from the enterprising young
man doing our laundry, to the lady who makes bread and pastries, to the
shop owner catering to tourists (i.e., big cruise ships) and on and on,
are complaining openly. Our heart goes out to all these people
trying to make an honest living - but governmental "circumstances" get in
their way. The latest is that an American has bought the electric
company here.
Roatan is a big
tourist destination, especially for outdoorsy and water-sport adventurers.
The island (Roatan) has three canopy zip lines (those things where you go
buzzing through the tree tops on a cable). A few days ago a zip
cable broke, sending a young woman to her death. The initial story
blamed one thing, but from an inside source we were told that a cruise
ship company refused to go along with the cover-up, so the truth is now
out
- at least in the inner circles. All zip line companies have
closed temporarily and all are now installing double cables.
Probably the best QC method, however, is to send the owner zipping down
his own line first thing each morning!
|
A
DIFFERENT MENTALITY
During
our 2 years in Central America, we have seen many cultural
differences. One difference that still confounds the
foreign traveler is the way that the general population is not
taught to think beyond the present. The following
vignettes are true examples of what we have experienced.
-
- -
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An ex-pat living in Roatan asked a grocery store owner
to order a product he knew others also wanted. The
owner bought 2 cases, 24 units in each, of a product and
put them on the shelf. Word got around quickly and
within a day or two it was completely sold out.
|
Ex-pat:
"Wow, this item really sold out fast!" |
|
Owner:
"Yeah, I'll never buy that product again," he said
grumbling |
|
Ex-pat:
"Why not?" |
|
Owner:
"Because it sold out too fast. It's too much
work to stock." |
|
-
- -
|
A
well-established ex-pat business woman in Antigua,
Guatemala, asked her assistant to book a hotel room for
her. Days later when she followed up with
her assistant about the reservation, she was informed
that the hotel was full.
|
BW:
"Did you book me a room at another hotel?" |
|
Asst:
"No, you didn't tell me to." |
|
BW:
"Then, why didn't you tell me the hotel was full?" |
|
Asst:
"Because you didn't tell me to tell you if the hotel
was full." |
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-
- -
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One of the best grocery stores in Roatan (lots of
American brands and variety) prides itself on it's
'cereal' aisle, which I must admit is colorful and
always meticulously fully stocked. The reason:
They sell very little cereal, thus very little attention
and maintenance is required! (Be sure to check
those expiration dates!) |
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Soon we will be
moving on to the eastern-most Bay Island of Guanaja. There, we will
stage and wait for weather before making our way south to Panama.
There are several islands on the way, so we'll be able to hop down doing a
few overnight passages. Our first destination in Panama will be
Bocas del Toro.
For more pictures
and update on the Bay Islands of Honduras, see our update from Spring 2007
on Pictures/Journal page 24.
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