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ROATAN, BAY ISLANDS, HONDURAS
Roatan, Bay Islands, Honduras is our next destination. It is one of three small islands located about 40 miles north of the north coast of Honduras. This is where the name “Banana Republic” came from. Roatan is the largest of the three spanning about 30 miles long and maybe 2 miles wide. Tropical forests cover the island. The whole island is surrounded by over 80 miles of living reefs that draw divers from all over the world. The ocean as far as you can see is turquoise and the sand is white as snow spotted with leaning palm trees waving in the wind.
The wooden docks at the marina back up to a grassed area with palm trees and pine trees. There are a few small resort cabanas nearby and a busy dive shop just beyond with about 5 or 6 dive boats. We noticed a sign saying they have a decompression chamber on site. The black dock master helped take our lines. We plugged in with good power and they said good drinking water. There’s plenty of water to wash the boat which was a huge treat.
We were surprised to see some iguanas sunning themselves freely about the grounds. We also saw many gibnuts (a rabbit sized rodent) mingling with the guest and snacking on crumbs from below the tables at the restaurant. They seemed to love the palm nuts. They are funny looking creatures with a comical round heads and small ears. Their legs were like that of a miniature deer. They were not concerned or interested in the people at the resort. They are known to be good to eat by the locals. The iguanas are affectionately referred to by the natives as bamboo chickens, I guess because of the good flavor, and the gibnut was supposedly served to Queen Elizabeth II on a visit to Belize and is now sometimes referred to as the “Royal Rat”. CLICK ON PHOTO TO ENLARGE Multi-colored hammocks were suspended from the palm trees so you could while away the day if you could survive the wrath of the “no see ums”. The place was beautifully maintained and has workers constantly raking to remove the pine needles from the local pine trees. We headed towards the resort’s restaurant and had a delicious buffet served on patio furniture arranged under the shade of the palm trees in the sand.
Mr. Beatman is a dark black man, very clean cut about 45 years old. He brought his chubby son and prim and proper daughter with him to start the paperwork for clearing us in. She was dressed in a very conservative matronly dress and shoes that looked like shoes my grandmother wore. Very orthopedic and clunky. They had just come from church and were nicely dressed. Larry asked about getting fuel and Beatman said he could make arrangements to have the fuel delivered to the boat. Larry only needed 500 gallons. He was going to have it delivered the next morning at 9:00. We were only planning to be here two days so we needed it fairly quickly. I also asked for a restaurant recommendation and he said that Geo’s and Romeo’s were the best in the town of French Cove. He said to hail Gomer’s Express on Channel 14 for a trustworthy taxi. He said he was his brother. He warned us that you can’t trust the regular taxis. They left after having the usual cokes and dish of candies and nuts. I checked at the front desk of
the resort to see if there was anything excursion that sounded interesting.
I immediately signed up for a session to swim with the dolphins at Anthony’s Cay
Resort.
One thing that we noticed immediately was that it was very difficult to understand the black locals. They speak English but it’s next to impossible to understand what the heck they are talking about. It’s a Creole-English, I’ve been told. The background of the blacks here goes way back from the slave trade. The islands were originally
inhabited by the Pech Indians when Columbus arrived in 1502, which it is said he
believed them to be cannibals. Soon there after the natives were
completely wiped out by disease, killed or shipped off to Cuba as slaves.
This seems to be a common occurrence in many of the places we have visited.
In the 17th century, it was, as many places in the Caribbean, a haven
for pirates, most notably, the infamous Henry Morgan. At the end of
the 18th century, there was the famous uprising of the blacks on the
St. Vincent Island. These blacks were a mixture of the fierce native Carib
peoples mixed with the blood line African slaves. To obtain some order,
the British troops moved them to these Bay Islands. Many were unhappy on
the islands and moved to the mainland of Honduras but many settled here.
This mixture of African and Caribbean cultures makes for their unique accent and
colorful style in music and heritage.
We hailed Gomer’s Express on the radio and made arrangements for him to pick us up and take us to Geo’s for dinner that night. He said he would meet us at the security gate at the front of the resort at 6:30. Larry and Jim hosed the salt
off the boat. We all took showers, anxious to have a nice civilized
dinner, and headed to the lobby to find out which direction the security gate
was. Loaded up with bug spray we walked down the dirt road towards the
security gate. We couldn’t believe how far it was. We had to walk
the full length of the resort then cross a wooden planked car bridge about 100
yards long. We could see the security gate at the other side and the chain
up to block cars from coming in. The resort is heavily guarded.
We spotted our ride, Gomer, and
hopped into his van. The ride to the restaurant was a short, less than 5
minute ride, to the restaurant. As we drove out of the dirt road onto a
paved road to get to the main entrance to Fantasy Island, Gomer, said the huge
mansion on the hill to the left, which is within the Fantasy Island complex, is
owned by the former owner of Fantasy Island. It was a huge estate with
exotic animals roaming the grounds. He said the property was for sale for
8 million dollars. As we headed down the main island road we passed
several more mansions. One mansion, we were told was owned by a native
Roatanian who made his money, starting with nothing, to owning the biggest
fishing fleet in the Caribbean. His brother or so we were told, had the
mansion next door, but he was serving a prison term for carry more on his
fishing fleet than fish.
We were shocked as we turned from the island highway onto the road leading into French Cove and were immediately struck by the poverty. Just around the corner were 8 million dollar mansions and here we saw small shacks built from discarded planks, some on stilts with mud floors. They had open air windows and doors and children sitting on dirty steps in ragged clothes. Many people were walking the trash ridden streets or hanging out on door steps. There were various tiendas selling a meager selection of poor quality fruits and vegetables.
Others were operating as mini cafes with homemade uncomfortable stools made of a post and board for a seat. It did not look like a safe area to walk or drive. Surprisingly the two best restaurants were located in these areas. Both restaurants were closed because of Easter. Somehow I got the impression that Gomer knew this before he picked us up because as we got nearer he mentioned they might be closed. Luckily Jim knew of another place to go and recommended the Roatan’s Yacht Club right up the road. ROATAN YACHT CLUBWe drove in the gravel entry and parked in their small parking lot in front. The front entrance was covered in a palm covered roof that covered the stair entrance that lead up to a wrap around verandah. At the entrance were to heavily armed guards that night though we did not see them our remaining visits, we now wonder if someone important was there that night. This verandah lead to the back where there was a lovely long covered porch lined with about 10 tables. The building was painted a bright yellow with brilliant blue and yellow trim. The doors and deck floors were a varnished wood stained wood and it had a very tropical feel. The deck overlooked the French Cove Bay at a distance over grass covered hills and tropical hibiscus and palm trees. Beyond the restaurant porch was a tropical bar area and pool off to the side. You could then walk up the wooden stairway to take you to the highest point on this hill to overlook the French Cove Harbor and to the harbor on the opposite side across the road that goes through town. Inside the yacht club, was another bar area and lounge chairs with TV and a computer, plus a more formal dining room. CLICK ON ANY PHOTO TO ENLARGE
It was a very pleasant spot, away from the poverty on the outside, a nice fresh breeze and wonderful delicious food and service. The wait staff were black waiters with impeccable manners and treated us very well. Our meal that evening was grouper steamed in banana leaves with coconut rice and fresh salad. It was one of the best meals we’ve had on this trip. This was a place we would end
up coming back to many times because it was so comfortable. The docks were
not nice. I was glad we were docked at Fantasy Island. They were
down the hill from the restaurant and didn’t get a breeze, plus they were very
rustic and had several trawlers there that looked like they were local and had
been there quite awhile. The Roatan Yacht Club center was in a wooden
building right on the dock. The dock was full of dinghies though from
yachters coming in for meals or services from the anchorage behind the
protection of Big French Cay.
Unlike the book says, everyone that anchored in this area was in the protection of Big French Cay. It was the only nice area. The add for the yacht club says they have 12 slips available but Rains say 9 and I have a hard time imagining 5 boats. Gomer picked us up at the
appointed time to take us back the less than 5 minute ride to the marina.
On the way back we asked him if he could take us to the boat. I wasn’t
interested in walking all the way back to the boat from the security gate in the
dark. He said he could. I still never understand why they wouldn’t
let him past the gate to pick us up. I understood a little more when he
said the ride would be $20! What a rip off and Beatman said you could
trust him. He was making a pitch to take us around the island during our
stay but at this rate we soon found out that it was much cheaper to rent a car
at $55 a day!
DOLPHINSThe next day we drove to the West End of the island to see if we could get a reservation to swim with the dolphins. I tried to make arrangements with the hotel but the only person that made excursion reservations was never at her desk. The hotel lacks a good staff for helping people like us making arrangements. We did much better just driving out as we were able to swim at the time we selected and went with fewer people. The hotel tries to gather about 27-30 people and then charges then $10 per person to drive there and back. We were able to do it on our own and only had 10 people.
This truly was an amazing experience. Jim drove us in the rental car and took care of Ziggy so we could do this. It was $84 per person but worth every dollar. We were driven to the dolphin pool in their launch. There is a small island and pier that they dropped us on where we received strict instructions on how we were to behave in the water with the dolphins. If we did not abide by the rules we would be removed immediately. The issues that they emphasized the most was not to touch the tail fin or chase them. I was very impressed with the whole place. They were very strict and the concerns of the dolphin’s comforts were the primary goal. They slowly introduced us to the dolphins by allowing us to pet their stomachs. Our dolphin liked it so much he actually was closing his eyes like he was going to sleep. We then were allowed to touch his teeth which were surprisingly sharp. The dolphins are so well trained that they posed with all of us for pictures and then we had about 30 minutes to snorkel with them. It was fabulous. Larry had a blue Styrofoam boogie board and they were very inquisitive about it. They all came by Larry and would stare at him and the boogie board trying to figure out what it was. After they got used to us and felt safe, they would get some eel grass in their mouths and bring it to us. They would blow it out of their mouths towards us. I would catch it and throw it up in the air. They would catch it and repeat the process. If I lost the grass they would dive below and get some more and bring it to me and start all over again. They were playing ball with us. Sometimes they would rub up against us as they went by. It was the most amazing experience. WEST END & SANDY BAY
Besides having the dolphin
facility, Anthony’s Resort was a nice resort. The resort consisted of
individual cabanas over looking the dolphin playgrounds. The surrounding
grounds were nicely landscaped with walking paths meandering through the
tropical plantings. It would be a fun place to stay and the convenient
location to the West End was a plus.
The West End was a tourist spot. It was not poverty stricken like French Cove or Coxen’s Hole. After our fun experience, swimming with the dolphins, we were all hungry, hot and thirsty. We got in the car and headed to the West End to find a place to get a snack. The West End is very
picturesque. It’s small and cluttered with funky little tourist shops and cafes.
We gazed out at the many sailboats that were anchored in the harbor area and watched as some of the boaters came and went on their dinghies. It was a good protected anchorage and was convenient to all the cafés and tourist shops. We on the other hand were more isolated but had the facilities of a luxury resort at our reach.
We noticed the local police
constantly patrolling up and down the white sand beach road in small ATV’s.
They looked sporty, dressed in khaki shorts and white golf shirts, and were very
friendly waving at the locals. The West End is a back packer’s haven,
filled with inexpensive hotels and hostels and small funky names for the cafes,
like Cannibal’s. It seemed like a fun place for travelers on a small
budget who don’t mind roughing it.
Here as everywhere else on the island, we were being attacked by the “no seem ums” even as we walked down the main road so we hurried back to the car. DANGERS, HEALTH RISKS, and JUST PLAIN HYSTERIA?As we entered each country on this trip, I would scan the travel books for fun side trips and other information. I couldn’t help coming across their standard warnings about health risks and dangers. We got the standard tetanus and Hep A & B shots before we left but did not get any additional vaccinations. We have traveled all over Asia and China with less and had no problems. Now, though, as I read all these warnings, it became worrisome and at the same time hilarious if you took it all seriously. Here’s what to avoid to have a safe and happy trip: uSAND FLIES OR NO-SEE-UMS As we soon as we arrived in Bocas Del Toro, Panama, we were overtaken by the “no-see-ums”. They pose no health threat, but Larry and I actually became sick from the bites. We had so many and the itch was so fierce, that not itching was impossible. We became severely fatigued and just plain miserable. The fatigue and sick feeling went away after a couple days but the damn itching lasted for weeks. I still had remnants of the bites months afterwards. We covered ourselves with a mixture Deet and coconut oil. It the Deet didn’t repel them then the oil would drown them uMOSQUITOS WARNING: All are warned “to take extreme measures to prevent mosquito bites since five types of malaria have been identified on the island. All visitors should take pre-medication for prevention of malaria.” (Well we did not bring any pre-medication for malaria nor did we plan on taking any. We heard more horrors about the medication than the horrors of getting malaria but this warning worried me.) RECOMMENDATION: ‘Avoid being bitten by any mosquitoes and cover all exposed areas with a thick lotion of coconut oil mixed with insect repellant.’ So besides covering ourselves in this sticky combination we avoided going out early morning, late afternoon, evening, or after a rain shower as that’s when those devils are the most active. If we did go out for dinner, we were covered in goop! uCHOLERA Cholera thank goodness was not on the islands, only the mainland, 50 miles or so away. RECOMMENDATION: To “be vigilant about the hygiene standards. Watch carefully what you eat and drink everywhere in Honduras. Do not rely on a cholera vaccination to protect you as it is ineffective.” (I guess that’s one shot that I didn’t have to worry about missing.) uCHAGRAS WARNING: “In 1997 over 65,000 people in Honduras were diagnosed with the late stages of Chagas’ disease and would die from the parasite during the next few years. About 5% of the population is infected with some stage of the disease.” That’s a lot of people! That’s scary. No preventive recommendation. uHEAT STROKE & HEAT EXHAUSTION Central America is a hot humid place and Panama was particularly unbearable. I felt it was almost impossible to go out and site-see some days as the heat zaps all your energy and the humidity drains you of valuable water. So you do have to be very careful and constantly drink plenty of liquids. uFUNGAL INFECTIONS This sounded so gross like something you’d catch in the boy’s gym. WARNING: To “have caution because of the prevalence of fungal infections, particularly ring worm.” (Yuk!!) They were “most likely to be found in moist areas on your body like your underarms and other unmentionables. The heat and humidity encourage this affliction.” RECOMMENDATION: Keep those vulnerable areas dry. (How do you do that in this heat and humidity?) uDIARRHEA or what we know as MONTEZUMA’S REVENGE We all know about this or have had experience with it on trips no matter where you go. WARNING: This diarrhea “can go on for days and can seriously deplete your bodily fluids, and some can lead dysentery if not improving after 48 hours.” RECOMMENDATION: I remember a resort owner in Bocas Del Toro saying he takes some over-the-counter antibiotics every two months to clear up any diarrhea or parasite problems as a standard precaution from the parasites. He said the medication is available everywhere over the counter even at the grocery store or hardware store. uGIARDIA OR PARASITES WARNING: Some diarrheas are the result of parasites such as Giardia and can only be eliminated by prescription drugs. RECOMMENDATON: Some these parasites “can be acquired by walking bare foot on the ground” if not through water or food!! (Now, not only worrying about the food, water, hygiene, I have to worry about the ground? What about Ziggy? He’s constantly barefoot.) uHEPATITUS A & TYPHOID WARNING: “Hepatitis A and Typhoid can be transmitted by contaminated food and drinking water.” (I guess if I get that I will also already have diarrhea, dysentery and cholera. Not sure where you pick up Chagras.) uDENGUE FEVER & YELLOW FEVER We don’t want to leave out the risk of getting Dengue fever which has been found recently on the islands and yellow fever, that deadly killer of so many building the Panama Canal. All these contracted by that nasty mosquito again. uTYPHUS WARNING: Typhus is spread by ticks, mites or lice. (Well, Ziggy is constantly bringing ticks back to the boat and then we have to pluck out of his fir. Does that count?) RECOMMENDATION: Their preventive recommendation is “spraying with a strong insect repellent and should seriously consider impregnating your boots and trousers with benzyl benzoate and dibutyl phthalate.” (Are they kidding?) uCORAL You have to even worry about coral in the ocean? WARNING: If you get a coral cut, not only will it be painful but most likely will become infected and slow to heal. (I’m beginning to think the person that wrote all these precautions has a very negative outlook on life. Funny thing is, they don’t mention the danger of sharks or sea snakes.) uSCORPIONS Scorpions are said to be common but we never saw one. RECOMMENDATION: “It’s best to check for them in your shoes or clothing. Always, shake everything before putting anything on.” uBOTFLY WARNING: “This fly not only bites you but plants eggs in the wound created by the bite. The botfly bite will continue to itch for a few weeks. At the end of the incubation period, the larvae from the eggs hatch and will start to crawl out of the wound.” They say an easy way to tell if you have this is if the wound starts to wiggle! RECOMMENDATION: “Cover the bite with Vaseline to suffocate the larvae or pick them out by hand.” (Now who ever heard of such a hideous thing?) uTETANUS WARNING: You can acquire Tetanus “if a wound is infected by a germ that lives in soil or in the feces of horses and other animals.” ( Guess that eliminates any horseback riding we were going to do on the beach. Wonder if having the tetanus shot counts?) uRABIES WARNING: “Rabies is prevalent throughout Honduras and is a fatal viral infection. Rabies can be contracted from a simple lick from a warm blooded, furry animal and that the lick should be viewed as dangerous”. (Now I’m wondering about that little baby monkey at the bar we frequented in Bocas Del Toro. He was all over the prep counter eating oranges and garnishes on the tropical drinks and hugging everybody in the bar, was he a danger?) uLEECHES & TICKS WARNING: “Watch out for leeches and ticks that can attach to you and suck your blood.” RECOMMENDATION: “Use salt or a lighted cigarette end (neither of which Larry nor I carry) to remove them. Never pull the rear of the tick to remove it as this may squeeze the tick’s gut contents through the attached mouth parts into the skin. Do not touch the tick with a hot object like a match or cigarette because it can regurgitate noxious gut substances into the wound.” (I’m getting noxious writing this and really beginning to wonder about the person that wrote all these warnings and recommendations.) uPOISONOUS SNAKES WARNING: I guess they couldn’t leave out the deadly snakes such as the “coral snake, the barba amarilla or the notoriously feared fer-de-lance, whose venom is extremely toxic. Most of the snake bites do not cause instantaneous death and antivenins are usually available.” RECOMMENDATION: “The recommended treatment is to wrap the bitten limb immediately and immobilize it with a splint. Then, the best chances for survival are to bring the dead snake in for identification. (!) Yea, right, I could really not do that! But the funniest thing was that they “didn’t recommend bringing it ((the snake)) in for identification if there was a possibility of it biting you again”(!! Really!) uCROCODILES & CAIMANS WARNING: “Crocodiles and caimans are present in waterways and pose a constant threat. “ (Now that’s one I do admit that we’ve seen a few. Most of the time they look just like a dead wood log laying on the side of a river or inlet that you might just sit on to rest. I guess we’ll take that one to heart.) uJELLYFISH I think most people already know that jellyfish can give you a painful but not lethal sting. Their recommendation is “best advice is local advice”, whatever that means. They also suggest dousing the skin with vinegar (that is if I would have any handy) to get rid of the painful sting and after effects. They say “to deactivate any stingers that have not fired”? What does that mean? Sounds like I’m disengaging a bomb. uDRINKING WATER There are many warnings that the drinking water is not safe. WARNING: They say “most restaurants provide “purified drinking water” but they advise making sure it really is purified before you drink it even though they say it is.” (How would you do that?) They also give the typical warning about ice cubes which could also not be purified. This warning goes hand in hand with caution about eating raw salads and uncooked vegetables as they may have been washed with contaminated water. RECOMMENDATION: They reassure you that if you should have a problem, the pharmacies are well equipped with medicines, and can cure whatever ails you. In the large towns, these pharmacies are open at all hours. We did see a lot of pharmacies geared for the tourist. uVOLCANIC ERUPTIONS, HURRICANES & EARTH QUAKES Oh my gosh, now we have to worry about natural disasters. This is ridiculous! uHUMAN THREATS We cannot leave out the possibility of common petty crime, robbery, rape, and murder. uHYSTERIA The one thing they didn’t include, which I think is a more likely threat than any of the above, especially after reading all these, is: HYSTERIA worrying about……. what disease you might catch, or bug might bite you, or earth quake that might crush you, or convict that might rape you! My analysis is that the think the person writing all these warnings is suffering from hysteria. If I worried about all the things they worried about, I’d never step foot off the boat! WEATHER CONDITIONSWe were not able to leave Roatan on schedule because the winds picked up AGAIN! The seas were 6-8 feet and the winds 30 + knots. Well, we could have gone I guess, but Jim didn’t recommend it and that’s all we needed to hear as we were tired of beating ourselves up to our next destination. We noticed the nearby anchorage was filling up with boats that obviously decided the same. They were coming from the West End of the island and to our weather protected cove. Within a day we counted 35-40 boats from the 3 or 4 the last few days. The Knotty Dog was comfortable at the dock. We had power, water to wash the boat, and could just step on land without having to launch to dinghy every time we went to shore. The only negative was that we were nestled in under some native pine trees which sound nice but the winds were blowing the pine needles all over the boat. If the needles are allowed to sit on the deck too long they stain the boat and require real elbow grease to get the stains off. So it was a constant struggle for the next several days to keep the boat free of those pine needles especially in 30 knot winds. We spent a few rainy windy days there. There was not much to do because the weather was overcast and windy and the diving wasn’t good. Overcast days create poor visibility for snorkeling and diving. Once you’ve seen the West End, there’s no reason to repeat it, in our opinion, so we didn’t want to go there. The weather wasn’t good for enjoying the beach either. After our $20, 6 minute ride, to a restaurant that the driver knew was closed, we got ourselves a rental car for $40 a day. We decided to drive around the island and see the East End where most of the tourists don’t go. The Eastern end of the island is very undeveloped at least for tourism. The villages were where the real islanders live and have for years and even generations. Most visitors are here only for the diving and probably don’t want to spend the time to see these other villages so that’s where we decided to go. POLLY TILLY BIGHT
Our first village was Polly
Tilly Bight. We wound our way down the hillside on the rough pot holed
dirt road until we reached the village. It was quaint with modest houses
on stilts and a dirt road that wound through the small village. This was a
totally black village probably with Garifuna roots. The villagers were
well dressed and the village was clean of trash and debris unlike French Cove
and Coxen’s Hole. We saw a quaint little church with Seventh Day Adventist
written on the fron. I had read that many of the blacks on the island had
been converted years ago by Seventh Day Adventists. Maybe these people in
their conservative dress and simple clean houses were a result of a conversion
to that faith. They typically wore house dresses and black leather
orthopedic type shoes. The women pulled their hair back in nice neat buns
and most had wire rim spectacles.
We felt very out of place as they stared at us in wonderment. Assuming that we surely must be lost, one woman came up to the car and asked us what we were doing there. We said we were looking for Punta Gorda (which we originally were). She said this little village was called Polly Tilly Bight and she kindly directed us back up the road to the main road. She said Punta Gorda was the next village down. We didn’t linger long as we felt like we were intruding. Maybe these blacks were descendents of the slaves that were brought here by the British in the 1700’s. Most are said to have moved on to the mainland of Honduras but there are many that stayed in clusters on in Roatan. PUNTA GORDA
The residents weren’t friendly as we drove through their small village. We again felt like intruders gawking at them. The shacks were run down and trash was everywhere. The only thing nice was the ocean’s turquoise water that lapped it sandy shore. We left as quickly as we came. It looked as though they were about to do some major development soon. There were traces of heavy equipment work on the shore. Maybe there are plans for a new dive resort or a new upscale housing development that seem to be popping up in several places.
OAK RIDGE & JONESVILLE
Once in the village, there was only one small narrow concrete road not wider than a single lane. The houses and the few stores lined the edge of the road so closely that it reminded me of Cingue La Terre in Italy. Every building was small and quaint and clustered closely together. Some were built out to the very edge of the water and beyond. Others clung to the steep side of the hill. The people living here unlike the last two villages were surprisingly mostly white. They were obviously residents of long standing. Perhaps these are the remnants of the British, Dutch, and French families that settled here over the last two hundred years and are still said to be on the island..
It was definitely worth the rugged drive to find these two treasures.
FRENCH HARBOR TO THE WESTCLICK ON ANY PHOTO TO ENLARGE French Harbor was the nearest town to where we were docked. It was about a 5 minute drive to town, but as I mentioned earlier, was so poverty stricken that every time we ventured there we were shocked. We had also been warned that it was an unsafe area, so we didn’t feel comfortable walking the streets. It, like Coxen Hole, was filthy with trash, garbage and bad smells that permeated the air, probably from the sewage that I imagined flowed freely under the houses to the streets. Children were a sad sight, dirty and their clothes were ragged. They played in the dirt and trash as that’s all they had. Just a few yards up the road was the grocery store. There were only two grocery stores on the island, this one and the other one in Coxen Hole. The stores were good by many standards from what we had to choose from elsewhere but the vegetables and fruits were pitiful. Most were rotten and limp. Meats were questionable. I was amazed that these were the only stores to shop at on the island. With all the resorts, restaurants, and million dollar homes, this surely couldn’t be, it but it was. All of us just couldn’t figure this island out. Nothing that we read mentions the poverty and filth and the distrust worthy nature of many. The transplants that we met from the US, Canada or Europe, seemed to think nothing of the dire circumstances that the people live in here. I couldn’t live in this place.
I guess I must have missed something. I would never want to buy a house
here even though developments are sprouting up everywhere. I would feel
like I was a prisoner in my own house with no where to go. I just don’t
understand this place. We took the dinghy one day when the weather was starting to calm a little and drove into French Harbor to get a closer look from the waterside. The fishing fleet was very impressive. They were lined up in a row like an army and every boat was freshly painted with pride and all their gear shining and neatly put away. They maintained their boats better than boats that we seen in all of our travels but that where it stops. They are supposed to have the largest fishing fleet in the Caribbean here and it was impressive. EXASPERATIONWe were sick of waiting here. The weather didn’t get better but got worse. We felt trapped in a place that we wanted to get out of. The dockage was expensive, the bugs were bad, the restaurants limited, and weather bad and no where to go. We finally decided to leave the next day come hell or high water as they say. We had a bad taste for this place. We felt we had been ripped off by Mister Beatman, our agent. He seemed irritated with us that he might have to redo his paperwork because we changed the date of our departure even though it was due to bad weather. Being our agent, besides helping with our paperwork and clearance issues, we expected him to help us by making recommendations on other things that we needed as all the other agents had. When we arrived, we had asked him about fuel and he said he’d have to get a truck to deliver it us at the dock. The price per liter that he quoted seemed higher than we thought it should have been but we said OK. Then, when the fuel was supposed to come, the truck mysteriously broke down. Not hearing back from him for a few days we asked some others about fuel. We found out that the resort had a fuel dock right behind us and several boats in the anchorage were getting their fuel there and it was cheaper! So why was he trying to get a truck to deliver fuel and charge us more? We also didn’t appreciate his recommendation for a driver. Gomer, the driver and brother, who charged us $20 for a 6 minute ride to a place that he already new was closed. We quickly realized it was cheaper for us to rent a car for $40 a day than have this guy drive anywhere. We didn’t have a great experience with Fantasy Island. At first I tried to book my dolphin swim through them but could never get a straight answer or confirmation. I must have gone into the office five times inquiring or trying to confirm my reservation and each time the girl in charge was either out having breakfast, gone home, or some such thing and was never back when they told me she would be, nor did anyone care. We finally cancelled the dolphin swim with them, rented a car and did the dolphin encounter ourselves with less people, less money and at the time we wanted. We found that some of the locals a little untrustworthy in general. We were warned about the taxi drivers but did not expect to get cheated at the filling station. They pretended to fill the tank and didn’t, but took the money for a fill up. A common thing was to be cheated when paying in US dollars and get short changed back. I had read some warnings that the West End beach was not safe as some tourists had been mugged and in some cases raped. So we kept to the few local places that we felt comfortable with. As you can see we were getting grouchy due to delays, weather, bugs, expense, and no place to go. We were paying for Jim just to be on board each day, including meals, drinks, all expenses, though we didn’t regret having him aboard. It was just that everything was adding up and when you’re not having a good time it becomes an expense that you’re just not enjoying paying for. Roatan was not our favorite best place to visit on this trip and tomorrow no matter what, we were outta here! GROUNDINGTo top it all off, as we carefully left the cove, going the direction that we came in, and we went aground on the reef! I was on the back of the boat putting the lines and fenders away. Jim and Larry were taking the boat out of the cove when I heard the thud as we came to a sudden stop. Fortunately, Jim had lots of experience and knew how to rock the boat back and forth to create a depression that allowed us to back it off. A nearby boater, that was anchored, came out on his dinghy and led us out of the cove, and to our surprise, on the opposite side that the cruising guide recommended. It was surprisingly much deeper! There were no charts for the area and it helps to have local knowledge because the guide was not correct and the markers were not as described. Luckily there was no damage. This incident just intensified our distaste for this place. We were so glad to leave. Due to the time we lost here we decided bi-pass a week to Rio Dulce in Guatamala and head straight north to Ambergris Cay, Belize. This would get us further north and closer to home (USA). NOW on to Belize |
We
arrived early morning and ran along the south side of the island. Our
destination was Fantasy Island Resort and Marina, adjacent to the village of
French Cove. It was nerve wracking coming in to the French Cove area.
Rain’s book says there are two significant stakes that mark the channel into
French Harbor. We could only see one stake. The book also says to
keep the stake to your port and the reef that it marks, to your port. We
saw only one stake to the left and you must keep it to your starboard as the
reef is to your starboard. Our boat draws 6 feet and we had a perspiration
induced maneuver hugging the Big French Cay to our starboard. Our sonar
showed 1 foot + far too long. We got in to the marina dock without any
mishaps though. 
As
you walk beyond the dive dock you reach the majority of the resort which is
lined with a pristine white beach. The white beach is lined with manicured
palm trees. They were beautiful with their white painted trunks. The
buildings are painted a bright turquoise with white trim and many rooms have
private balconies shade by palm trees. The beach grounds are scattered
with white Adirondack chairs and white chaise lounges that some people take
right into the shallow clear water and sun bathe. 
We
had called our agent, recommended in Rain’s book, a Mr. Beatman. Since we
arrived on Easter Sunday we were wondering if we would be able to clear in.
We had to hail him on the radio. He responds to the name “Lady V”.
Even though it was a holiday he responded back quickly and said we could go
ashore at Fantasy Island (though we weren’t cleared yet) and he would be there
in a couple hours. So that’s when we took advantage and had lunch on the
beach.
The
village overlooks the turquoise bay with several boats at anchor. A white
sand road fronts the store fronts next to the water. There’s always
something going on, people walking, eating and shopping. A few small cars
make their way through the narrow sandy road but not many to spoil the
tranquility of the place. It is a colorful place, with clever signs for
their stores and café’s. The beach and buildings are nestled in among
swaying palm trees and tropical plants. A small white picturesque church
anchors the village at the end of town. It’s small pointed steeple
projects high into the blue sky above. The shops are mostly souvenir
shops, selling back packs, colorful hammocks, and various other typical tourist
souvenirs.
Lining
the quaint beach are several mini piers usually with a café or dive shop at the
end. We selected one for lunch. It was extremely hot and humid and
we thought we could catch a slight breeze out on the end of the pier. We
enjoyed some nice cool beers and lobster quesadillas.
There
are no signs directing you to the villages. You just have to take an
unmarked dirt road and see where it ends up. The one main road, and the only
paved road, runs on the high part of the island from one end to the other and
you actually are able to view the ocean to the north and to the south side.
It’s an amazing site, high on the back of the island gazing over those amazing
turquoise waters. The reef becomes quite visible from this high view
point. As we drove along this road we had a good viewpoint to see
any villages below. If we saw one that looked interesting we’d head down
the first dirt road that wandered in that direction.
I
was anxious to see Punta Gorda as I had read that it was a haven for pirates in
the good old days. A local woman had recommended a restaurant to go to
there too. When we finally reached the village we were very disappointed. 
The
two villages that we did like were Oak Ridge and Jonesville. We happened
on Jonesville purely by accident, again another unmarked dirt road.
As we approached Jonesville and reached a viewpoint we were struck by it’s
beauty. It’s naturally shaped inlet was littered by picturesque colorful
houses. It could I guess be compared to the quaintness of a small port in
Maine except for the brilliant colors that some of the houses were painted. 
Oak
Ridge was just up the main road a few miles. It looked very similar
and could be related in building style and people. Both the villages were
clean and the houses were freshly painted. The fences and gardens were
pristine, tended and full of flower beds or vegetable gardens. This
obviously was a fishing port as the shores were lined with well kept and
maintained fishing boats. 
