A couple trips away from the boat

The other day, I walked out to the guard gate here at Fantasy Island Resort, and asked the guard there to call me a cab, with an English speaking driver, as I had several stops to make. I was fortunate enough that he called my new buddy, Edgar, who is a year or 2 younger than I. (I had several stops to make and didn't want any hassle from a driver trying to take advantage of me or, worse, abandoning me.) Edgar showed up in his navy blue car/van and after agreeing to the price, we took off. He ended up dropping me at what is supposed to be one of the nicest restaurants on the island (voted in the top 100 Central American restaurants, each year - Shrimp cocktail, steak and crab surf and turf, several gin and tonics and a tiny piece of cheese cake - $35) and agreed to return in an hour and half, to take me back home. I took much longer to eat and he arrived when my main course was being served and agreed to sit with me, drinking a couple of beers while I ate and we talked. He was so nice to me, and I enjoyed his company and stories so much that I asked him to drive for me the next day, for a trip to Coxen Hole, in search for a few things I needed - a travel alarm clock, a cooking timer (Don't ask...), a rat trap (Really, don't ask....), and a small window air conditioner, which I have been told will be more efficient and cheaper to use than my marine heat pump units. Off we go to Coxen Hole.I was hungry for some lunch so we stopped here. I had a nice BBQ beef ribs plate, and Edgar had the chicken vegetable soup, which really smelled a lot like my mom's. The chef/owner used to work on cargo boats and knows St. Martin very well, and was quite impressed that I had sailed it straight through and alone.

That is Edgar, whose nickname is Bin Laden, and that is his blue taxi van.At one of the hardware stores we stopped at, I saw a familiar box, and couldn't resist snapping a picture. I could never guess how many of these I have carried from a delivery truck and later torn open, filled with pvc plumbing fittings - all over 25 years ago.

When we reached Coxen Hole, we parked the taxi in front of Edgar's daughters' stores. One of the twins is married to a man who makes windows and glass doors, and on the other end of the building, his oldest daughter, Pearla, owns a small convience type store. From there, we decided it was easier to walk and I really enjoyed walking from each tiny store to the next, and would never have done it without an English speaking guide. We walked quite a bit, and visited a lot of local stores, and several appliance and hardware stores where I may have found an air conditioner. I DID find a rat trap. Taking a short cut, back to the cab, we climbed a bit of a hill, with this old clock tower, which served the hole community at one time.The works are long gone, but the pretty dial is still there, as the tower crumbles.Edgar led me up the the hill through a maze of tightly packed houses. This is the tour that tourists never get and I would never have had without a local along with me.Edgar and I got along like old buddies, but I was surprised when he invited me to dinner at his home on Sunday evening. Pearla, his oldest daughter would be cooking and asked if I like shrimp. I asked what I could bring along and she said she liked red wine, so on the way back to AF, Edgar and I stopped at Eldon's for a couple bottles of Peruvian merlot and some beers. He took them home to they would be cold for dinner Sunday.

I must say that I was very hesitant at first, to take any pictures, and wish now that I had been more bold (or rude) to ask to take some of the grandchildren and also his other twin daughter, as well as the food and the big pot on the stove. But, as it worked out, I had bought a cake for our BBQ here at Fantasy Island, and it was not needed so I brought it along, and prior to cutting, I took this picture of Edgar's other twin, Jackie. She is about 23, I think, with 2 children.

This is Pearla, who was the chef that night. She made a delicious meal for me, Edgar, David, his son, and Jackie as well. After dinner, Edgar snapped this pic for me. But Pearla had also cooked for the rest of the family, a separate meal, which was on the stove in a HUGE aluminum pot, and is a local delicacy - a type of stew with every meat in it - ham, beef, crab, fish, lobster, octopus or squid - and lots of vegetables. The rest of the family ate this prior to my arrival, but I was still hungry and asked for a plate to try it out. Like the shrimp and garlic dinner she had made for me, it was delicious.That is David, Pearla, me, and Jackie before we cut the cake. David lived in the US for a year, and speaks great English. He is an assistant engineer at the power company now. Jackie works for the fire department.A hug with Pearla and thanks for the great meal!Edgar, drinking another glass of wine! And thanks for a great evening - he says I am part of the family now.Edgar's wife finally came home from church, in time for a piece of cake and a picture.Jackie, outside, with one of her 2 children.The next day, another local friend asked me if I wanted to ride along with him, as he had to go to West End for a little bit of business. Great trip, and very touristy part of the island.

On the way back, we stopped at a business to check on a tire he had dropped off the other day. There was a very nice dump truck getting a tire there - very well cared for, and obviously, the owner took great pride in it. And a rather trailor whose floor has seen better days, as well. So, for friend Bart, back home, I took a few pictures of it as well as the equipment being stored at the business next door.

But maybe the coolest part of the the trip is this home. Put together by a local fellow, with a stucco and cement outside, it is made from a shipping container. Looks a lot like the mobile home that I started my life in back about 1975, but smaller. Maybe could become the next Casa Denny if I ever decide to buy a little nest on land.

Life in General

I snapped some pictures the other day on the way to the grocery store, and thought you might like to see what my life is like now, here on Isla de Roatan, just for a simple trip to the store. The dink ride, which I have shown in a previous post, is short - perhaps 1 or 2 miles. I arrive at the "Shrimp Dock", owned by "Mr. Bobby". Because of his benevolence, we cruisers have a safe place to park our tenders, and a nice walk to the big grocery store, or other stores. It also saves a few dollars, should you need a taxi. I have never yet locked the dink there, even though I am sure our outboards and junk in the tender is a great temptation for thieves. But they seem to value their jobs, and respect us. Most times, they do not even have eye contact with me, although a couple times a lone man will smile and nod with a friendly, "Hola."

I find my way through whatever shrimp boats are parked there for maintenance. (I learned yesterday that shrimp boat owners are putting a lot of money in repairs and maintenance here, in hopes of profiting from the oil spill in the Gulf that is ruining the US shrimp boat fleet.)


Here is another tender tied up and you can just make out my green-painted 15hp Yamaha, in the bottom left of the picture.Another shot of the same, with my dark brown back pack sitting on the dock. (Thanks, Denise. It is still going strong, but the salt air and water is taking a toll on the zippers.)At the end of the dock, I walk over these boards that will make moving something heavy on a handcart a bit easier. Forward, and I am faced with a nice walk up a hill. Sometimes a chihuahua comes out of one of the homes or buildings to harass me a bit.Up this hill - it is a longer climb than it appears here - past a lovely home on the left. Probably a manager's or child's of Mr Bobby, as the vehicles there are always clean, and new, and expensive looking.This is the house that is on my left as I climb.On my right are several beautiful pastures, usually with 15-20 Brahma cows, but the day I took these pictures, they were no where to see. But is a beautiful climb.The second pasture:Obligatory chickens and rooster, running around, wild, as far as I can see. On the left side of this hill is a riding pasture and stables, as I guess Mr. Bobby likes horses and riding. He has a riding ring out at the front of the property, in front of his house, which also has a guard shack, with a guard always with a 12 ga slung over his shoulder, which discourages me to take a picture of his home.If you look carefully at this home, yiou will see 3 front doors. It is the home to 3 diffferent people.The obligatory broken-down school bus, just at the crest of the hill.And another 100 feet, and you are standing near the road, looking down at "Eldon's", one of 2 grocery stores.Snapped this picture the other day. This guy is not like the other iguana's here. He is a carnivore, and I enjoyed watching his hunting prowess and strategy for 10 or 15 minutes, as he passed.

So, that is a little taste of my day to day life here on Roatan.

Night Sky at Sea

I have wanted to write for some time, about what the sky looks like at night while at sea, but I am afraid my writing skills and vocabulary fail me. I am inadequate to describe the beauty of the real night. I even tried to capture them with my camera, but the moving boat and seas beneath me allow only a black screen or a blurred streak of light.

Rarely, in the country, when local town lights are far enough away, can you see just a glimpse of what the real night sky looks like, and never in an urban area. I think even at sea on an cruise ship which has so much artificial light, or even flying in an airplane (since the windows are only relatively narrow slits looking forward) you are denied a real look of the heavens.

At sea, for me, to view the sky, I must really leave the cockpit, as the bimini cover blocks the view of the sky (as well as shading me from the harsh sun, during the day). I often would lean backwards, while sitting at the helm, and stare up into the heavens, and if there was little cloud cover, I would climb out of the cockpit and go astern or forward, and sit or lay down with my head back and just stare. Horizon to horizon. 360 degrees around me. The Milky Way. Thousands and thousands and thousands of stars shining back at me in a swath of light - both bright pin pricks, clumps of dimmer stars, and cloudy dim swatches of light. I can stare at this for hours. The night sky is so bright, after your eyes are used to it, that I can find storm clouds, which are just places in the sky where the light of the heavens is blotten out. And shooting stars. Boy, can you see them at sea on a clear night. Some nights, I probably counted 4, 5 or 6 easily, and that is early on, before I slept. Not being at all schooled in the heavens, I cannot tell you the name of the star or perhaps planet which seems to creep up from the horizon early each evening. I remember asking Paul, on our trip from Norfolk to St Martin 2 years ago if it was another boat at sea, when the light was close, down at the horizon. The next night, I would ask the same stupid question, and Paul would patiently remind me that it was the same I had seen the night before, before it would rise further and then, later set again. But it was with me again on this past trip, and my heart would pound a bit each night, early in the trip, that I had a neighbor at sea, before realizing that it was my heavenly friend, returned.
Time can be measured by an educated man, since, as the night passes, that star that was low to the horizon, is now overhead, and as the universe passes over head, you are sure IT is moving, and you are standing still.
Early in this trip, the moon was waning, and disappeared, only to return a few nights later, a tiny sliver of light, which eventually, I could find while the sun was just setting. I have seen the full moon so bright that it blots out a lot of the stars from your vision and understand why it has inspired so many men to think of its affect on us, although I think the main one is romance. I am so ignorant of this stuff, and wish I had a basic book aboard about the heavens, the moon's passage and phases, and the planets. Sure, I could look it up on the internet now, but is not the same thing, as reading and watching it live.
But let me say, that, away from the lights of cities (I could see the lights of a town on the south west coast of Puerto Rico from about 60 or 80 miles away, a hazy glow on the horizon, but definitely there, as everything else is so dark, or rather naturally lighted by the moon or brightest stars.) laying back with my face staring up, I enjoyed thinking of the fears and stories that the night sky inspired in the ancients who studied the heavens for secrets, predictions, or logical rules. The wonder it must have produced in the early man. The beauty inspired. Fears conjured. What went through every one's minds just 100 years or so ago, before electric lights were common. A time when all men walked home at night in the dark, when the shadows might be hiding a root to trip you up, or an animal waiting to attack, or a hole to fall into, or a monster to viciously snatch you away. It is easy to allow your fears to come to the front of your thinking, and personally, I often have to push them back into the rear of my mind. But then, looking up and seeing these wondrous heavens above, I forget the fears completely, and stare in awe of God's beauty.

Deer, Disco, and Dinner

Last night was the cruiser's pot-luck BBQ here at the marina. I have eaten for 2 weeks now, on the tab of friend's Chris and Laura, who were the good folks who came out to tow me in when I arrived here. So, I decided that it was surely my turn to return the favor, and provide the meat, and a side dish for the rest of the cruisers, since I have been coming empty-handed for the previous 2.

Rode the dink to the "shrimp dock" where you pass the local homes here in French Bay, or whatever it is called. Some of the homes are very small, but tidy, and others pretty delapidated. There is incredible amounts of washed up plastic products lining the shore, and no one seems to be interested in cleaning it up, or perhaps it would be a never ending task.One house has a tethered billy goat chained in the back yard, tending the 'lawn'.

This house on the opposite shore always has some children playing on the porch or dock, and I always wave to them, with very enthusiastic waves returned, beckoning me to come over, but I keep it simple and just return the waves one more time and turn and go.

You drive right up to these big shrimp boats and pass between 2 of them, to their dock, where there are always 6 or 7 guys working on something. I have seen half an engine sitting there, with Perkins blue paint on it, and the other day saw 2 guys about to heat and bend some piece of steel rod. They generally ignore me, but when I got turned around in the wind, while departing the other day, the sole worker sitting there, laughed with me at my bad driving and predicament.

I walked the half mile to the grocery - one of 2 that are local, and every much as nice an any American stores. But they were out of hamburger, so I bought 4 nice chicken breasts, some Teryaki sauce, and some other chicken parts, taters and peppers, real carrots, onions, crackers, and tuna. Marinated the chicken in the Teryaki sauce. Peeled the taters and cut up veggies and steamed them, smothering them with some garlic butter. Finely diced some more and added tuna and a bit of mayo, and had a nice dip, and baked a banana bread, but substituted the juice from crushed pineapple and then dumped the can into the batter, for a nice banana/pineapple bread. It was all gone when the evening was over.

I forgot a serving spoon and on the walk back to AF, I came across a doe and her fawn feeding. Mom was very small, and high-tailed it down the road away from me - but Junior had no fear and stood for me to take a couple pictures.

After the dinner, my new buddy, Leo encouraged me to come out with him for some drinks and the disco. We had a few - a few buckets of 5 bottles of beer on ice at Appleby's, believe it or not - not really a 'native' place to drink, huh? and met a couple buddies of his: Steve, who owns several small businesses here and in Belize, including the laundry service I use, and Chris, who is an officer with the Roatan Natural Preserve or Park or something - the water cops here - which was started by the resorts, but later approved by the Honduran government and given arrest powers. (Chris stopped by AF today with another friend, aboard the govt boat, and drank a couple beers with me, while demonstrating a chemical for cleaning fiberglas and stainless that he says he invented. Entrepenureal spirit is here and succeeding. The Hondurans sort of couped last year, kicking out a communist leaning president and placing in power a more conservative leader.)

This was my first time off Fantasy Island at night, and the place was buzzing with activity, and cars, and armed police and armed guards in the businesses, as well.

Once again, I felt like a grandfather walking around the disco but had a fun watching the girls walk by. They are so 'American', with the same clothes, the same disco music throbbing away at full volume, and the laser lights and projected stuff on the walls. I could have been in any one of Tom J's clubs in Pittsburgh - and was treated with the same haughty disregard, being an old fart like I am!

Leo and I posed for a picture taken by the Appleby's bartender.

Leo, who is a 24 year old Costa Rican, and a lot of fun, is another enterprising and bright young fellow. He is the captain of a very, very large catamaran, and came by late this afternoon, to invite me to dinner aboard. We both are feeling a bit crapulous today (look it up in the dictionary) and I was hesitant to accept, but relented. Below is his boat.The salon - with the fully equipped, stainless steel galley down 4 steps in the right side of the picture (he has the same refridgerator I had in my house!) and only 7 bedrooms, including crew quarter for 3 or 4, I forget. Note the flat screen in the center of the picture.

The salon from the other side.

And the cockpit dining table - seats 8. It alone has more room than AF, as well as storage, I think.

I grilled the beef, Steve, another cruiser made us his cracked conch, which was fantastic, Chris and Laura brought the wine, and we had salad and rice.

Leo is off to the right here, sitting with Ingrid, a beautiful young lady he met last night at the disco.

The cockpit is so wide, I had to take 2 pictures from where I sat.While grilling, this guy came down to see what I was doing, with his Diet Coke can, which he/she held up and drank from like any of us do.
It has been a fun 2 nights, and eating away from Fantasy Island's restaurant was a nice change.

Roatan Monkeys

Finally, I had my camera with me this morning at breakfast when the monkeys showed up. Trouble is they move so quickly, and my Nikon Coolpix is so slow, that I couldn't get one decent shot. They were all very blurry, and not worth posting. I would know that that fuzzy thing was a monkey, but you might not have believed me. The shot below is the best I was able to take.

So, this evening, I took out at dusk to try to capture a couple decent shots where they play, and I think, are fed, before heading up into the trees for sleep. There were 3 or 4 - they move so quickly that I am not sure. And again, running across the roof of this shed, not much more than a blurr.Or they turn their head away, before the Nikon can take the pic.Finally got this fellow coming out to a tree to harass me a bit, and decided to just make a film.
So, below, 2 quick films of the Monkeys of Fantasy Island, Roatan. Hope you are happy, Shelby!