Chilling out on Roatan

It was a week of picture perfect Caribbean beach scenes. Water too blue to be real lapping at white sands, hammocks swaying, palms rustling, and a reggae rhythm leaking out of thatched roofed bars. Roatan is all of this plus good cheap diving in crystal clear water. It´s the sort of place folks find excuses never to leave.

We were ready for a vacation from bus rides, repacking, hostel searches, and restaurant food. We were also ready for some new conversation and hanging out with our friend Cory. Alas, a stomach bug wrecked his trip before he even left Seattle, but he set us up in the lap of luxury in Roatan. Without him we roamed around the big two bedroom apartment with a kitchen and a great porch right off the beach wondering what to do with so much real estate. A kitchen might not sound like much of a treat to those of you who live with one but for us a chilled glass of ice water, breakfast cooked to our desire, a fridge full of food, ice clinking in our rum drinks, and a midnight snack are things of our dreams.

Thanks to Morgito directing us to Coconut Tree Divers we launched into a week of warm water psychedelic reef dives with coral in such shapes and colors no drugs were necessary. Outstanding diving brought us face to face with hawk-billed sea turtles, leopard rays, and green moray eels. M conquered her fear of enclosed spaces 110 feet under water on El Aguila wreck and learned to love the back roll entry (get your heads out of the gutter! It´s the best way off the boat in your gear.) The dive boat ¨Wish You Were Here¨was about the only motorized vehicle we used all week.

Paradise don´t come cheap. . . that beach side plate of garlic shrimp sets you back ten bucks at the cheapest joint in town. You want an avocado? Those are two for a dolla´. That juicy mango? Buck a piece, ouch! We put the kitchen to good use and relished the chance to host one dinner party and a cocktail hour. We missed Cory but stuffed our bellies and managed to enjoy some new conversation anyway.

As if a week of diving wasn´t enought to test M´s fear of water, we spent the last two days doing some white water rapid swimming, rock jumping and rafting. We think she´s stronger for it.
All the excitement was for C´s belated B-day, thanks Miss Patti & G-pa. He was grinning like a Cheshire cat, except when the river whirlpooled his head. Check out the video on Flickr in our Honduras section (I know, just turn your screen.)

Next up, Donna and Robert are joining us for 10 days of adventuring in Copan Ruinas and Guatemala. Maybe we can get a guest posting!