No-See-ums

BITES. No Seeums, (sand fly) 'biting flies' and 'damn little bugs' are all names for the pesky insects that live near the waters edge on Roatan. I read about them prior to my arrival and used everything i could get my hands on to prevent being bitten. I used Avon Skin So Soft daily, religiously, along with a bug spray with the highest level of DEET i could get my hands on.

For the most part i had great success and only had a few limited bites on my legs. However, one day i hung my tee shirt out on the line to dry and later had several bites on my upper torso which i attribute to their having climbed onto my clothes. After this discovery i never left any garment out where it could be 'attacked.'

Don’t let the bugs scare you (there were very few mosquitoes). If you take precaution and apply a deterrent you should only end up with a couple of bites. Mostly the bites are pain free and merely itch a little for a few days. (they look much worse than they feel) JUST DONT SCRATCH THEM.

My last note on bugs, it seems they only bite the first seven days. I stayed for three weeks and noticed that after the first week i was no longer being bitten and begun to relax in all my applications of lotions and poisons. It was a local resident who confirmed my theory that No seeums stop biting after seven days.

Happy Holiday from Texas DEC 23

im finally home - Texas. I really enjoyed my Honduran visit, the sights, the sounds, the smells. When I visit again I want to see the mainland and interior of the country. My cab driver said, “Honduras is a country of mountains.” I would like to see more of this lovely country.
They have stopped using ‘coin’ as the devalued rate makes ‘change’ worthless. The current rate of exchange is US $1 = $18.6002 Lempira. (photo - $688 Lempira = $36.98 US) When you exchange currency you end up with a huge wad of cash.

Thursday Dec 16th TRAPPED IN HONDURAS

Well i was mostly wrong about everything. i was wrong about making the connection to Miami. I'm sitting in the Microtel in San Pedro Sula now waiting for 630am and getting a boarding pass to my 'new' flight for tomorrow.

The lady at CoCo View got me a flight back on Sosa airlines leaving at 12 noon. for a 30 minute flight it should be fine to make a 3pm departure from San Pedro Sula. unless you sit on the ground for an hour and half in la ceiba waiting for your flight to leave...

im finally ready to return. im sure i have decompressed. at the airlines desk i just said; "no problem" when i heard i would miss the flight. things happen and in the islands you are on a different time schedule.

i had a 12 noon flight and my cab arrived to get me this morning at 9am. i was at the airport by 9;30 when i had requested an 11am arrival. so i sat at the airport in Roatan from 9;30 till after 12 to finally arrive in SAP and miss my flight. it's island time. roll with it.

i'll be on an 8am flight SAP to miami finally arriving at DFW around 5ish. it's been fun.

i think i mentioned i was a 'guest' of Juan and Alejandra since Saturday. they took such great care of me. they moved me from my hotel room into the 2nd bedroom at their house. "skip you are family." (the only catch here is... they didnt have any hot water.) well, i went native and learned to appreciate just being clean, being warm is not part of the equation.

so, if you will excuse me i will now make my exit here in SAP and have a nice and very hot shower. tomorrow is another day.

HAVE A SAFE AND HAPPY HOLIDAY.

skip

Wednesday my last day here.

Today is Wednesday December 15th and my last day in Honduras. i have to fly back from the Island of Roatan tomorrow. The flight will be to San Pedro Sula, or rather LeCieba and then connecting to SAP. Here i will board a flight to miami and then on to Dallas. it will be a long day!

it makes me sad to have to be thinking of packing and returning. i saw a man walking along the beach early this morning with his passport in his pocket and was reminded it's almost my time.

Oh well, i'll think about that tomorrow. If i think about it today i'll go crazy. - Scarlet Ohara.

Today i will go snorkeling with Juan and Alejandra. it's their day off. so, i must run now to enjoy my last day as an islander.

HAPPY HOLIDAY TO YOU AND YOURS! XO SKIP

MONDAY - West End

MONDAY 12.13.2004

Well I guess I got behind in my writing. It appears that doing nothing can take more time out of a busy day than even scuba diving can. Since I moved Saturday from CoCo View Resort I have managed to take 4 naps. I have started a new book and I have been caught in the rain. But I’m getting ahead of myself…

Friday I called the Posado Arco Iris to confirm my room, I emailed Juan and Alejandra I was coming and then I called again. No reply and no room. The Inn was full. Then minutes before the boat departs CoCo View Saturday, the reservationist told me she did have an apartment available, but only for Saturday. “Then you will have to move.” It’s been fun!
Posado Arco Iris w/ hammocks on the porches.

The front view at Arco Iris.

Saturday night I found Juan and Alejandra and they have moved me into an extra room in their apartment for FREE. I didn’t want to impose but I don’t want to be rude either. They are terrific hosts and have been showing me around the island. As the Chef and Mgr of the Argentine Restaurant at Arco Iris, they work 3pm-10pm each day except Wednesday. Sunday they wanted to show me their favorite beach so we set off into a beautiful morning. We walked about an hour along the beach from one beautiful view to the next, rounding points along the way as they named all the beachfronts to me. Now, Juan and Alejandra are from Argentina and they speak pretty good English. That is for people who don’t speak English. They are terribly cute bantering away together trying to get the correct word – then one of them will attempt to say it – then I try to decipher what was just said. Juan has taken to drawing things in the sand and Alejandra laughs a lot at all of us.

So, we are over an hour up the beach when I starts to ‘drizzle.’ (looks like rain) we decide to have fruit juice on the beach and let it pass over. This about noon Sunday and it’s still raining to different levels Monday night. They say the rainy season has started. Well, duhhhhhhhhhhh. Im so glad we got our diving all done with only 2 short showers before all this gray. My guess is it’s some front that must blow through, as it can’t rain forever can it?
Should we turn back?

We went out to the main road to catch one of the always honking little cabs but ended up walking about a half mile in the pouring rain before someone came along and gave us a ride the 4 kilometers back into town. Each of us was soaked to the skin and laughing like idiots. Fortunately I had planned ahead because I thought it might rain – so I had two plastic bags to tie my camera up in. no, I wasn’t smart enough to take my raincoat.

Today we all wore raincoats and took an ‘autobus’ into the hamlet of Coxen Hole. This was a chance to ‘shop’ as we strolled through the local markets – but there really wasn’t anything except vegetables to buy.

If it stops raining tomorrow I should be able to get some more photos and report on the living conditions. The housing has electricity and appears more ‘complete’ than some of what I saw in Guatemala, but it’s not nearly as nice as the homes in Belize or Mexico. Unfortunately being on the island of roatan instead of the mainland I cant give a true comparison. The standard of living is written to be higher on the island than in the countryside. This would put this as a poor country indeed. Roatan Hospital. I chose to not dive on this side of the island. All my gear is dry and packed away. Im relaxing and watching for the perfect sunset. So, with that said I must run to catch it.

-skip

Saturday and 'load out'

partyFire Dancer limbo Clam file fish flute wreck fish


Well it's finally Saturday and time to pack up and move on...
Next stop West End Village.
i will be moving today to the other end of the island for more R&R.

i have certainly enjoyed my stay at CoCo View Resort. i just wish there had been more hours in the day so i could have written more and posted more photos. by the time my 6a-7:30p fun filled day ended i was often too tired to do any writing. enjoy your holiday season. -skip

happy dancers squid

Thursday was another great diving day - 4 tanks. sunny, warm with a light caribbean breeze. Thursday night we had the local Honduran Children Dancers back to entertain us. they went through a medley of local favorites. too cute!

Friday is our last diving day. Saturday everyone will be packing up and catching flights home. Except i'll not be returning. i'll be going over to the other end of the island to stay on Roatan. I'll be relaxing in West Bay.

So, stay tuned for more reports from the island village. -skip

Baby Jacks Family of Jacks Barrel This is a snapshot of my Wednesday. I had some emails from the office - but didn't read them... i hope YOUR day was great too? The lunch was; stuffed bell peppers, chicken soup, salad, rice & beans, rolls, cookies, lemonade. I did four dives today - seas were rough, clear skies and sunny. most of my dive boat went for the shark dive so i shared boats with group four. we saw a lot of different things. two guys did the 'drop off' and swam the wrong direction down the wall ending up on shore way down from the resort. i saw them an hour later when they got back hungry and tired. we were still laughing about it at dinner. (i could hear them arguing about who's fault it was) Tonight is the night dive but im enjoying the quiet and to write here and finish my book.

Tired and happy. -skip

Conch Hermit Crab Stingray Mr. Bud -wreck Reef - Tuesday Mary's Place Drum.

Today was sunny and warm. We had some breeze from the southeast causing gentle swells along the southern coast. This gave the boat a ‘gentle roll.’ No problem till you try to get back in. the ladder bounces up and down out of the water. Just time it, grab it, and hang on.
3 good dives today. -skip

Monday - all day.

Jelly FishMoreyShrimp cleaning

Xmas Lights Parade Parade Boats Fireworksfireworks Honduran beauty.


Monday was a very, very long day. Wake up 6am for the 9am dive. Then 2pm the second dive. The tricky part was the Xmas parade. Several locals decorated their boats and drove them past the judges in French Harbor (~ 3 miles down coast) then picked up more passengers and sailed out into the ocean about a mile to watch the fireworks. This all started at 5:30pm and ended at 9pm. I was worn out when I made it in.

During the entire event I was thinking how we were all dressed up for a disaster. It turned out well and everyone had a great time. This was akin to our “going for a drive to look at Christmas lights.”

Now it’s 8:06pm and im thinking how I might enjoy curling up with my latest James Patterson novel and sleep. -skip