Area

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A Day in the West End & West Bay, Roatan Honduras 1

 in Central America / Deb in Honduras / Deb's Travels / Honduras / Sight-Seeing in Honduras

I walked to Anthony’s Cay to learn about the Dolphin show. Flagged down a bus from there to the end of the bus route in West End. It was hard to resist getting off to buy some of the fresh fruit being sold on the street but I wanted go beyond where I had been before. (I also noticed there were few people i the streets. Most guests there are there to dive and were out.) I am glad I stayed on the bus. I was let off near the water taxi and I walked further down on the fairly empty beach. This is where the sailboats anchor out. There were 4 or 5 boats but I couldn’t read their names. I kept walking and got to another dice resort. I had a few good conversations there, learning more about diving and diving in Roatan. I was thinking of continuing […]

Data cards for Internet in Honduas

 in Central America / Deb in Honduras / Deb's Travels / Honduras / Travel w/Tech in Honduras / Traveling with Technology

If you have an unlocked iPhone or other smart phone, you can purchase and use data cards to get Internet as you travel. You can also use these sim cards in USB modems that connect to your computer. In Honduras I used data cards in an unlocked iPhone 3GS. Claro is the less expensive of the two Honduras cellular carriers. I was given the sim card free at the Claro store, a proper Claro shop, not local, small shop reseller. You can buy 1 day, 7 day, 15 day, or 30 day cards. I paid 290 Limpera for a 15 day period providing me with 5 Gb of data. For 490 you can have 1month and 7gb. An additional week will be 140 for another 7 days, 3gb. My first card was TIGO. I paid 45 Limpera for the sim card. I paid 150 Limpera for a 7 day card […]

Hostel in Roatan

 in Central America / Deb in Honduras / Deb's Travels / Honduras / Sleeping Accommodations / Stay in Honduras

I am told you can find some guest houses that have dorms around the West End where the dive shops are, but that they don’t have websites. I didn’t find anything about one online. I did see a sign for a hostel when I went to the West End while on the sailboat but I didn’t see any place that looked like it was the hostel. Looking online, I found a listing with reviews and a website for Roatan Backpacker’s Hostel and decided to go there. The reviews said Mel, the owner, was very nice and helpful. This is true. She gave me plenty of information about this area — how to walk down to the beach, where to eat — and also answered every question I had for my articles about Roatan. It is a small two story building on a dirt road. It is easy to walk from […]

Moving on to Sandy Bay, Roatan

 in Central America / Deb in Honduras / Deb's Travels / Honduras / Sleeping Accommodations

Just briefly for now… This morning, with a sad heart, I left my Oakridge neighborhood to see more of Roatan. More came to the local bus stop with me and then rode the first bus with me to make sure I would find the second bus as this bus driver speaks only Spanish. I was so sad leaving him. I cried as i got off the bus and as he continued down the road to return home Then, waiting for the next bus to depart the station, I cried again. And on the bus as I told a woman how much I would miss him and miss his cousin. I had a nice afternoon at CoCo View. I got to see it, snorkel there, and relax. Then I had a nice ride into Coxen Hole and got another bus to Sandy Bay. But sunset I was at my next home-for-a-few-days, […]

Transportation on Roatan

 in Central America / Deb in Honduras / Deb's Travels / Honduras / Transportation

On the Bay Island of Roatan, there is only one main road which runs across its length.

At one point it crosses from running on the north shore at the west side to the south shore on the east side. From that main road, you will see offshoots that lead to the various towns and resorts. These tend to be marked with large signs. You will not find signs marking street names; there are no street names or street addresses on Roatan. Instead, you need to know landmarks.

There are busses on Roatan, but they — and the bus stops — are not easy to spot. Tourists tend to take taxis. The busses are actually mini-vans. From what I have seen, they are white and rather unmarked. A bus will go all over, off the main road into the various neighborhoods, so it can take a couple of hours to get across the island.

A slice of life among my Roatan friends

 in Central America / Deb in Honduras / Deb's Travels / Honduras

May 19 A slice of life among my Roatan friends. I am with my friend, a few sisters, brothers, husbands, and various children. We are at a home that is down the road a short walk from her mother’s over-the-ocean home, on the other side of the narrow road. As with the homes over the water, these homes are built on stilts. However, these homes are cut into the jungle. Several homes sit side by side. Yes, like in an American suburb. Each home has a good chunk of cleared land for the home, side and back yards. Yes, like in an American suburb. But behind the back yard clearing is jungle. Lots of jungle! No other backyards like in American suburbia. In fact, there is no other home, no other yard. Not a freeway either. If you were to manage to walk — to cut your way — through […]

Another Roatan day

 in Central America / Deb in Honduras / Deb's Travels / Honduras

Thursday, May 17, 2012 A rainy day. I wanted to go to Delia’s mom’s house to visit some of the kids as this was to be my last day in this part of Roatan. Hopefully I would see Delia too. I needed to get some work done first. The internet signal wasn’t great. The hard rain seemed to block it, preventing me from communicating but at the same time it also prevented the dorries for, running so going up to socialize was nixed too. With perfect timing, one of Delia’s sisters stopped by and offered me a ride. I happily stepped out the front door and into the motorboat. Another woman was on board — a very nice American woman We talked as we rode. En route we stopped at a waterfront home. Our hostess/driver got out and returned with a clear bottle of liquid and a plastic funnel. Gasoline […]

Skype call on Honduran data card

 in Central America / Deb in Honduras / Deb's Travels / Honduras / Traveling with Technology

Tonight I did my segment for Computer Talk Radio (on the air, syndicated radio show) via Skype as usual, but used my new Claro data card on my unlocked iphone 4GS. The Skype Voice call for 24 minutes was about 10mb sent and 10mb received. I thought it would be much more data! Claro, in case you are interested, is the less expensive of the two Honduras cellular carriers. I paid 290 Limpera for a 15 day period providing me with 5 Gb of data. For 490 you can have 1month and 7gb. An additional week will be 140 for another 7 days, 3gb. My first card was TIGO. I paid 45 Limpera for the card. (There was no charge for the Claro card.) Then they get 500 Limpera for a month and it gives you 5gb. The exchange rate is 19 Limpera to a dollar but we all round […]

Lazy home day in Roatan

 in Central America / Deb in Honduras / Deb's Travels / Honduras

Yesterday was a lazy home day, at home at Yolanda’s with her little girls, Amy and Adrie. The plan was for Dalia to come and work with me on some writing but she got busy with other things and never made it. A couple of their other sisters came over, and a couple of cousins. My major activity of the day was scratching or trying not to scratch the various bites that cover my arms, back, and lower legs. In between I had some fun with the kids and digital camera.

Another land crab sighting

 in Central America / Deb in Honduras / Deb's Travels / Honduras / Sight-seeing / Sight-Seeing in Honduras

Walking down from my room in the Mango Creek Lodge hillside lodge I was thinking of my recent crab sighting at closely watching the crab holes in the ground that I passed. This time I noticed one crab hiding within his hole. I wasn’t about to scare it. I walked past it and then stayed very still just to see if I could see it come out. That’s when I noticed another crab right there beside the other crab’s hole. And… I got a photo of it. After I took the photo he raced into his own hole. I resumed my walk so they could relax.

Still at Mango Creek Lodge

 in Central America / Deb in Honduras / Deb's Travels / Food / Food in Honduras / Honduras / Sight-seeing / Sight-Seeing in Honduras

Although I LOVE it here, I cannot stay forever. I had planned to leave today, going to Dalia’s sister’s home (for a few days) when Dalia finished working. My clothes were clean, my backpack packed up nicely. But as it turns out, they felt water was too rough for me and my backpack to be comfortable and dry in Delia’s small boat, so I am back in my room up the hill, again enjoying the breeze from the fan above my head and the sounds of Roatan’s tropical jungle life and breezes outside my patio doors. Tonight’s dinner was a fabulous beef and shrimp kebab. It wasn’t quite Teriyaki. It is Dalia’s own concoction — a bit sweet and a bit spicy. Lucky for everyone who doesn’t get to eat Dalia’s cooking here, she is putting it in her recipe book.

Land crab surprise

 in Central America / Deb in Honduras / Honduras / Sight-seeing / Sight-Seeing in Honduras

As you walk around the Mango Creek Property, or at least the parts by the housing and docks that most people walk when here, you cannot help noticing the very many holes in the ground. These are the land crabs’ holes. But try as I did, I never saw a crab inside any of them. The other night I had a delightful treat. As I stepped off the back porch in the dark, I noticed a shape moving on the ground just a step away. It was a land crab! Noticing me or feeling my step, it scooted under the step for safety but I could still see it. Then I noticed another, and two more! I watched them for a while. It was fun to see them slowly slide sideways.

Saving the Conch In Honduras

 in Central America / Deb in Honduras / Deb's Travels / Honduras / Sight-seeing / Sight-Seeing in Honduras

Today I helped save the Conch again. The last couple of days here at Mango Creek Lodge, I have noticed Patrice pick up Conch and place them into deeper water. She’d explained that they like to climb up the shore to eat the sweet grass that grows there, but then on some hot days the tide goes out leaving them stranded. Patrice and Terry have created a safe zone for Conch because they’re being over fished. So I have taken to doing this when Patrice is focused on taking guests out snorkeling or such. Actually, last week I snorkeled for Conch too, carrying a mesh bag in which we collected the Conch and carried (swam) them into our safe area so they have a chance to live, grow, lay eggs, and help their population thrive. I must comfiest though, Conch were actually deeper than I like to go so Terry, […]

Port Royal, day 2: odd start, comfortable welcome

 in Boats / Central America / Deb's Travels / Honduras / Sailing / Sight-seeing / Sight-Seeing in Honduras

This morning Irene and Robert came over from their boat, Flilat I was thrilled that I would have a chance to speak with them! They came to ask Skipper-man to translate a label that is in German. I greeted them, called Skipper-man, and then tried to stick around so I could speak with them afterward. But Skipper-man literally pushed me aside and off the bench, so I was unable to maintain a conversation or set up another meeting. Later, I mentioned to Skipper-man that I was glad they were here and he asked why. I told him, “she has a Mac and she invited me on board to fix some of my problems.” Then Skipper-man announced we were move to a buoy closer to the land. My hopes of connecting with Irene were dashed but I was thrilled that although we’d still be anchored out, separated by water, it would […]

Roatan, Port Royal, still on the boat

 in Boats / Central America / Deb in Honduras / Deb's Travels / Honduras / Sailing

Today we moved again. Again I expected to sail on to the next island but again we just motored a short way. We are in Port Royal, anchored out at a buoy kindly put out by the owners of Mango Creek Lodge here in Port Royal. It is their beautiful, colorful over-the-water cabanas we face. I knew about Mango Creek Lodge from Lori, who told me and said it is a nice courtesy to go on land as soon as we get there and say hello to the owners. I told this to the family as we pulled in and tired up to the buoy. And they did go in. While I was cleaning up below, they quietly dropped the dingy and headed ashore. I came up and looked at them, hands up to ask “what…” No reply. how long would they be ashore? Why wasn’t I allowed to come? […]

Calabash Cove Day 3, The Sailboat

 in Boats / Central America / Deb in Honduras / Deb's Travels / Honduras / Sailing

As the past 2 days, in the morning I went up to the cafe to check email and keep in touch with people to let them know I was safe. It has become difficult to explain to clients that my month of being out of touch has not begun yet, so I am quite uncomfortable. As I sat there, Nico came in to let me know “we are going out to visit the area for the day.” That was ok. They needed family time. But were they just going to motor away in the dingy and not tell me? Here is where bring “crew” can be uncomfortable: it turned out I, the woman of the boat felt I was acting like a guest and not working. I was crew and waiting to sail and in the meantime trying to be helpful with the kids and to help her cook. (And […]