Another Big Vacation - Part 2

 “We live in a wonderful world that is full of beauty, charm and adventure. There is no end to the adventures we can have if only we seek them with our eyes open.” 

 ― Jawaharlal Nehru

Having thoroughly enjoyed our previous experience in Honduras at Upachaya, we knew we wanted to go back with the whole crew on this trip.  Our reservation was made easily online and we prepared to visit the Mesoamerican Reef once again.

Carnival cruise line had crated a "tourist town", Mahogany Bay, for their Roatán experience.   Whereas Royal Caribbean ports in Coxen Hole, (named after the 17th century pirate John Coxen) the largest city in Roatán at a population of five thousand.

The two locations couldn't be more different.  Mahogany Bay is a mini resort paved, cleaned, painted and polished to appeal to the modern tourist and their ideas of vacationing in pristine cleanliness with first-world luxuries.  The beach at Mahogany Bay is made of imported sand and lined with chairs, umbrellas, and the sounds and smells of an ideal Caribbean vacation.

Coxen Hole has the usual port of entry tourist shops packed into a mini-mall type of introductory experience; 

Overlooking the island from the tourist area.  (John filming in the background)

Playing it up in the tourist shops.

...but once you set foot outside of the well guarded gates, you enter a true Central American experience.

Directly overhead, in the middle of town.

We exited onto bustling streets lined with sweaty, pushy salesmen attempting to direct you to their small storefronts.  The streets were uneven, cracked and unmarked.  Tangled power and cable lines  crisscross overhead and tropical trees and hibiscus flowers line the dingy streets.  Cars zoomed by in various degrees of disrepair, zigzagging along sometimes three vehicles wide on the narrow streets as pedestrians bravely claimed their share of the already overfilled road.  We saw one car with a large hole the size of a watermelon in the windshield filled with spray-foam insulation.  Third-world repairs are the best!!

We wandered down the street towards the nearest shops as children excitedly struck up conversations and walked along with us.  We often stepped over half-dead dogs who had flopped themselves awkwardly across the narrow broken sidewalks trying to sleep away the damp heat as tall slender chickens (which survive better in the tropics) darted under trees in nearby yards.  We found a few treasures in the modest little shops and found some empty chairs in a little ocean-side bar with a little dock for us to walk out over the water as we shared a few icy Monkey La-Las.

Still awaiting our tour, we wandered into what had affectionately been called the "local's beach", a slender stretch of rocky sand nearby the port.   We found ourselves on a small rickety dock enjoying the views of the ocean as Zoey tossed rocks in the ocean with the local children.

Our driver was prompt as usual and we, along with another family of 3, set out for Upachaya in Mud Hole (Maybe after a pirate named Mud?).  Before we knew it we were out on the water and swimming through the beauty that is the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef.

Zoey tried her best to join in, but the almost immediate introduction of salt water in her mask and eyes quickly revealed that she is not ready for this adventure.  When we were around the boat she did jump in to experience a small amount of snorkeling and got to hold a rather large star fish, but the rest of the time she played happily on the boat with Mario, one of the great guides.

We saw so many great sites, but instead of telling you, we used our new GoPro Hero 3+ video camera to document our adventure.  As it's our first attempt at videography and editing, it's a bit rough, but I hope you enjoy it. (If you can't select the video, or to see it with alt music click HERE.)

After the trip we were treated to a wonderful vegetarian snack lunch and the staff picked a fresh coconut for Zoey to eat and drink, which she loved.

When we arrived back in Coxen Hole, we dropped off our supplies at the ship and went back into town to finish our day.  As we walked we received an unofficial, unsolicited tour provided by one of the locals.  Bianca had her picture with him, which she loved......Okay, she wanted to shoot us.

After many musty hot shops, we settled back into the little ocean-side bar with a dock and enjoyed a drink of the local beer and played on the dock before departing.

As the ship pulled away from Roatán, Honduras, we all reflected on the authentic nature of our experience.  The grit, grime, sultry heat, blooming flowers, outgoing people, and rickety nature of the town only adds to the experience of visiting a far away place.  We all agreed it's a great place, worthy of visiting again.

The next day we would awaken in another country, ready for another experience; Belize City, Belize.

(to be continued)