Crazy Fun Day in Roatan!
After several visits to Roatan, I decided it was time I see what it was all about. My high school friend, Marco, has been a dive master on this island. Knowing him, he wouldn’t live anywhere that wasn’t amazing. For some reason, I have not ventured out… this time it was different. Sending a message to Marco, he got back to me saying he would hook me up with his “go to guy” to take us around the island. What a treat… the nicest man ever! He picked us up and immediately gave suggestions, as we had no idea what to do. The weather was shaky because of Hurricane Sara hanging off the island.
Driving through small towns, we could see that they had suffered a recent heavy rain event. Roads were muddy and flooded. Our first stop took us through those streets, but Steven drove us up a hill to a nice viewpoint. We could clearly see our ship in the distance. This seemed to be a great place to take a photo and send it to Marco to let him know, his connection worked. We were with his friend. While up at this vantage point, we visited a few of the booths and bought some things. I was able to get a Christmas ornament for my travel tree. Also, there were a couple of sun dresses… more like beach coverups, that I purchased. Roxanne bought tee shirts.
Rain did not deter us from visiting this animal sanctuary. A safe place for wild critters! We got to hold the monkeys… or rather, they held us. One of them grabbed Roxanne’s bracelet and jumped on a branch to nip at it. Very energetic, they did not sit still in one place for very long.
Next visitor? Roxanne’s favorite beast… the sloth. They had a short-lived love fest! The little guy just nestled up underneath Roxanne’s chin. They probably could have hung out that way all day! We learned a “fun fact”. Sloths cannot drink water with their mouth. It is in such close proximity with their nose, that they would drown if they tried. Therefore, they get their water/fluid from certain leaves.
Steven took us to see the oldest church on the island. It is located next to a point that he likes to fish. It’s one of those spots, like on Kauai, where you go after work to wash away the troubles of the day. That peaceful place… had the weather been more cooperative, we could have wandered around to get a true feel of the spot. Next time…
We took a quick jaunt through West End beach. This is a popular spot with many bars and restaurants. It’s a very walkable beach town. Of course, my mind goes into overdrive… what a great spot for a girl’s trip. Maybe a long weekend with Barry. Now I’m getting excited to visit again in better weather…
Next we ventured to Bananarama. This is the place Marco has worked for many years. He wasn’t on island when we were though. At least he hooked us up with the best tour guide! The rain was coming down so hard that we ran for cover… Steven had temporarily parked in a spot outside the facility that actually did not allow parking. He told us that if he was allowed to park, we could stay for lunch. If they didn’t let him, we would move on. After a few minutes, he returned with a big smile on his face. He said they weren’t going to let him park but when he told them I was Marco’s friend from high school, they not only let him park, they allowed him to move his car inside the gate area and near the restaurant. So… we had lunch!
Delicious food (I had shrimp)… we were served by one of Marco’s friends. She was so sweet. Later in our journey, we passed this set of steps. Steven told us that this is where she lives. She walks up and down those stairs every day. Sheesh!
Of course, we had to take a group shot with Steven. We bought him lunch and had him place a “to-go” order for his daughter. At this point, we were pretty soaked! After eating, we decided to head back to the ship. The rain was not letting up. Roads were flooding and we didn’t want Steven out in the elements at this point.
Considering how tough island life can be (financially), we took Steven to fill up with gas. Next stop, we picked up his daughter and we had them shop for things they would need as the hurricane hit. It was a relief to know they would have what they needed as Hurricane Sara aimed straight for Roatan. It definitely hit… we spoke with Steven after the power returned and it was a doozy of a storm!
Safely back to our port, we said our goodbyes. In the short time we were together, this family really touched our hearts! We will definitely be back to visit… and finish our tour :-)
