Roatan!

I almost hate to write this post, because I don't have any pictures ready and Idon't have too much time. I will not be even close to doing this awesome place justice.

I feel I have overused words like "awesome", "amazing", "unbelievable", "fantstic", and so on.  I can't help it though - I have been to so many places that warrent these and any other suprelatives I might be able to come up with.  I guess I will need to start using a thesaurus if I don't want to be redundant as  regards my use of language.  But this place is all of that and more.

We are in the part of the island of Roatan kown as West End.  It is funky, laid back, water-sports oriented, with a lot of young people.  Mike and I are in the minority age-wise.  There are a lot of young people here from all over the world tending bar, running dive trips, teaching various water sports, and that sort of thing.  There is a stron Garifuna influence, and the people have a strong Caribbean lilt to their Spanish.  Some of the Garifuna- descended people speak what sound like a sort of patois.  Everyone is friendly.  The island itself is beautiful - coral reefs, turtquoise water with white sand, mountains along the center in a big ridge, and of course the world's second largest barrier reef.  Hence, Roatan is a diving mecca.

Unfortunately for me, it has not worked out too well - my sinuses are just congested enough that I can't clear my ears.  This has been a problem for me in the past, and I have had problems even when I had no noticable congestion.  But yesterday I went out on teh dive boat anyway, and snorkled around the reefs while the others were diving.  It was, again, all those superlatives I listed earlier adn then some.  So many different kinds of fish, and corals, and sea plants.  I was awed last summer in the Sea of Cortez, but this is entirely different.  The coral, for one thing.  I have never really seen much coral before now, and definitely not the multi-colored ones and just generally all the different kinds.  Too bad we no longer have our underwater camera (lost\stolen at a crowded market last fall), but I think I saw a place where we could rent one for the day, so perhaps I can get Mike to take some pictures later in the week, or I will take some snorkling pictures.  The water is so clear that I could see down into crevices in the reefs that are 30 feet below me.  There were fish of all colors and markings - one kind had sharply delineated scales that made his back look like a mosaic.  I exclaimed out loud and got a mouthful of caribbean sea water.

I kep thinking we ought to bring our boat here and find someplace to anchor.  But then I remember the main reason we are not planning to take the boat here - HURRICANES!  It is not as big a problem on the Pacific side.  (The only other problem:  it would be pretty easy to slide into alcoholism - but that is pretty much the story of this lifestyle, however, that is for another post.)  Mike is terrified of hurricanes because he has been in them while at sea, and found it frightening even on a aircraft carrier, let alone a small boat.  Magda Jean is safe where she is - we are out of the Pacific hurricane belt - and we are anchored in an estuary, so the biggest problem is wind, rather than waves.  And the estuary is well protected on all sides.  Which, of course, is why so many people leave their boats at the Bahia Del Sol for the hurricane season. 

Well, it is time to head out for the day.  Mike is diving, and I am going to ride along on the boat, swim a bit, and read a book.   I really enjoy being on a boat that I have no responsibility for running or sailing or cleaning or anything.  I will download some pictures as soon as we can!

“The Sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever.”   (Jacques-Yves Cousteau)