Our third and last Port of Call on this seven-day voyage was the island of Roatan, part of the country of Honduras. Roatan is one of three islands that make up the Bay Islands of Honduras. These islands lay about forty miles off the coast of Honduras and while not isolated, this separation helps explain the fact that English is the first language of the Islands while Spanish is the primary language of Honduras on the mainland. The English language factor is descended from the British Colonial days and is fortified by the American cruise and tourism industry that thrives out on the Islands. The Islands are part of an ancient, exposed coral reef that is close to the Mesoamerican Reef, the one that’s second only to the Great Barrier Reef in Australia.
I suspect that there is something to lament about the tourism industry and developing countries. While I haven’t had any in-depth conversations with anyone local, our guide yesterday did mention that right now, there are berths for up to five cruise ships per day and that was being increased by one (to six) very soon.
He did not seem so happy about that.
Even to the uninitiated, it is apparent that the infrastructure of this area is strained at best. The roads are very narrow and pothole filled, there are no speed limits or stoplights. But the Industry does bring steady jobs and social advancement, especially when it comes to amenities that percolate down from the wants and needs of tourists. Who are we to determine whether this is good or bad for the local population? I suspect that we are our own worst enemies here, wanting a “Really Authentic” island experience and then being disappointed by the advancements brought by the very things that we want when on vacation. We all want/need cell coverage, internet access, paved roads, sanitized environments, etc.
These are just some observations that come from some extensive travel as of late. The facts are that nothing remains the same and I suppose that it is not supposed to remain the same. Maybe that’s a good reason to travel to the places that we want to experience the way that our mind’s eye has always captured them.
Get while the gettin’s good!
We did have another day filled with a few different experiences and the rain did hold off until we were on our way back to the ship!
Our first stop was at a Cameo studio. This particular industry is well suited for this region because of the abundance of conch and abalone shells. The origins of this art dates back to ancient Greece, then it was adopted by the Romans whose wealthiest had their features and silhouettes carved by the artisans of the time. Today, Italy continues to be the heart of the trade with about 290 of the current 300 tradespeople in the world residing there. The other 10 or so live on Roatan, brought there by Franco Tammaro, a descendent of a cameo artist who started up in Naples in 1851.
The work is gorgeous and the only thing that would have made the visit better would have been to watch one of the artists actually at work. But we got there early, and I suspect that they were still snoozing!
After the Cameo Studio we traveled a short distance up the road to the dock where our “submarine” was waiting for us. This was one of those underwater experiences that have you go aboard and walk down a set of stairs to a double row of bench seats running fore and aft with large plate glass ports for viewing. If any of you have every snorkeled or SCUBA dived, you know that the best stuff is in less than 30 feet of water because that’s where the light is. So, sitting primarily on the surface and looking down works just fine.
Unless.
Unless you arrive in the rainy season and the rivers (like the one yesterday) are swollen with silt and everything else they bring down to the coast with them. Then there is no way for a coastal viewing experience to be exemplary.
In realty, coastal viewing is best during a drought, or at least way past a rain event. We were still able to see some good stuff and if this was your first underwater experience it was quite exhilarating!
When we were finished beneath the sea, we went to the little town of West Village, a collection of quaint seaside shops, eateries, and galleries. We spent our time in a local chocolate factory 😊.
We did sample their wares and we did thoroughly enjoy them!
The rain held off until we were on our way back to the ship.
Barb did not accompany us on this excursion, she went out to a National Park where there were monkeys and birds. The results of which are displayed below!
Our next two days will be spent “At Sea” traveling northward from the Western Caribbean and into the Gulf of Mexico.
Days at Sea are special in their own way. This is the relaxing part of cruising, there is still tons to do, but only if you want to!
