Roatan, Honduras

1 and 2 December 2008

We spent our full day at sea exploring the many choices for dining and entertainment. The most enjoyable part of the day was just watching the ocean go by from our balconies. In the distance Cuba could be seen as we headed south toward the island of Roatan in Honduras. We discovered the VIP breakfast and lunch restaurant and would enjoy a number of meals in this cozy space.

We arrived at 0800 at the dock in Roatan under cloudy and threatening skies. We had signed up for the tour of a local nature park which included some local plants and animals. The highlights of these were the birds and monkeys that roamed the premises. The monkeys seemed particularly fond of me, not sure why? To reach the animal areas it was necessary to cross a suspension bridge, which made some of the folks in the group a bit concerned, but all went well. Except for the occasionally rain downpour in was a pleasant visit.

After this we joined the group who had elected to spend the day at a locally famous beach called Tabyana. Due to the continued regular periods of rain, this was less than a total success. We decided to head back to the ship on one of the first buses.

We did not see a great deal of the local area, but what was observed supported the view that the area is very poor and living conditions difficult. Never the less, we found the people friendly and outgoing.

Onboard, we took in the sunset at departure. That evening we were invited to dinner with the Captain. Lastly, when we returned to our cabin, we found a rabbit made out of towels on the bed. We were to learn this was a specialty of our stewards and had a different one waiting for us each evening.