HEATHER AND SORA’S VISIT!
The pictures speak for themselves, but here is more info….
Picked Heather up at the ferry terminal and they both were out front waiting for us….with suitcases and all! She said all their travel went really smooth! Hip Hip Hurrah! Since we had our landlord’s truck we did a drive around town and then headed to our pad to hang. After awhile we decided to go have a sunset drink at Le Pacha, the new bar extravaganza in town right on the beach. Afterwards, Jim made us some curry shrimp and rice for dinner.
We headed out late the next day for Jungle River Lodge. Their “natural” pool was empty for a much needed cleaning, but we found a new swim spot in the river below. We swam to cool down, but also looked for rocks and tried to stay out of the current. Then we had bean soup for lunch, played in the empty pool on the rocks and then did some bouldering to get to another swim spot, where we swam across the river to hang out and throw rocks.
It started to rain right before we were leaving and it turned into a right perfect huge storm. Jim had to drive on a dirt rocky road that led into a huge flood at the bottom. We watch a guy on a motorcycle get off his bike and walk it through the flooding as well as a taxi muddle through with water higher than the bottom of his doors. We wait for a bit to see other lower trucks attempt it and saw that we will be fine. We got home to find out that 4 trees with in one block from our apartment (in 4 different directions) fell in the storm, closing off streets everywhere. Now Heather and Sora have experienced a real good Honduran rain storm, but they are from Texas I think they have seen a few good ones in their day too!
That night we go to Expatriados for dinner, our hangout. Sora enjoyed the popcorn appetizer! After that and hanging around playing in the apartment we all are pooped and go to bed. And we have an early start the next day for the Cuero y Salado Refuge trip! We waked up like 5:30am and get out the door at a decent time, but get lost and then have to wait around an hour for the Trencita, so we end up at the Refuge a bit later than we had planned. We do a 2 hour canoe ride down 2 rivers and into small mangrove canals…creepy and cool all at the same time. Unfortunately, we did not see a lot of animals, but we did see some. A baby croc, birds, some bats and a lizard! And we heard lots of Howler monkeys too, but they were well hidden.
After that hot trip and a papusa lunch, a trip to our favorite in town swimming hole was needed. Once again we crashed The Quinta Real Hotel pool deck, business has been so slow lately they do not mind anymore! We played in the pool for a long time and then Sora made some friends, Samantita and her little Brother, Alex. They were so cute, speaking English with a heavy accent and using a lot of Spanish words! I think they were actually from Miami! Dinner at Chef Guity that night for some Garifuna Seafood…and more Salva Vidas.
Our last day in La Ceiba, we checked out the Dole Swinford Train park…a nice little park with old trains in the middle of down town. We also went shopping for some food to bring to Roatan with us, and then we went to the pool again! For dinner we walked to Playa Tatty’s for some of the best coconut shrimp I have ever had. I do not like to eat deep fried shrimp too much, but the batter was so thin with large strips of coconut in it…awesome!
 |
| Heather & Sora’s Visit -1 |
Roatan here we come! The boat ride to Roatan was seasick free and fast! We got settled into our nice large room and then hit the beach! No, we first had lunch at Cave Pizza and wraps. That night we met up with Audrey, who is there for a couple of months from La Ceiba getting her Dive Masters certificate,for some sunset beers. We all go out to a French Vietnamese place for dinner and it is good! Jim and I do not try restaurants with international food much in La Ceiba because we found them to be bad. We hang out just chatting and then we all head off to our rooms.
The next day we head to a place for lunch that also has a pool, but after swimming a bit we were told that it is closed that day! So we headed out in search for another lunch spot with a pool. Sora likes pools better than the very calm Caribbean Sea. We hiked down the beach, a very natural unspoiled part of beach, to Blue Bahia. A great resort with great food and a very nice pool. Jim and Heather had really good pulled pork..and I had a shrimp sandwich. Then Sora and I went for a nice swim. After our time at the Blue Bahia we walked to where we took the boat for the Dolphin Experience. Sora and Heather sign up and Jim and I are just observers. It was pretty cool and at a wonderful resort. After some sunset beach time, we had chicken at our favorite chicken joint in West End for dinner, and then have a cocktail back at the room.
Sora and Heather’s last full day on Roatan went like this, breakfast in the room, beach time, lunch in the room and then off to the Gumbalimbo Park for the afternoon. Where they had birds and monkeys climb on them and did some swimming in their pool. Jim and I just hung out and had some Middle Eastern food for lunch. Vietnamese and Middle Eastern food…oh my! It is really great to have options! That night I met up with Audrey for drinks at sunset with her diving friends, Heather and Sora decided to have an early dinner on their own. Jim and I just eat there at the Sundowner and were home in bed by 10pm.
The next morning Sora and Heather got some beach and Kayaking time in before having to take a taxi at 11am for the plane. Yes, Sora has started to kayak. Kayaking is something Heather and Dusty like to do, so it is really great Sora is picking it up too. That is not the only first Sora had on this trip, she taught herself to whistle and she had never had a monkey on her head before too! Tears welled up as they drove off the sand road. It was really nice seeing an old friend.
 |
| Heather & Sora’s Visit – 2 |
Thanks so much for visiting us Heather and Sora and bringing stuff for the boys…and for us too! We have already started to eat some of the tons of trail mix you brought! And the boys at the orphanage loved making wallets out of the felt and thread you brought! Thanks sooooo much! We love you and miss you two!
Now for a bit more, Jim and I stayed on a couple more days with our La Ceiba friends, Audrey and Jerome. They had rented a 2 bedroom condo for the week, so we got to crash there for a couple of nights. Thanks guys! Jim and I did a great dive together. Although I had a hard time with my buoyancy, the coral wall was wonderful. Although I did not see a sea turtle, I saw one the day before while I snorkeled right from the beach in West End! Jim made mojitos every night for happy hour and then we went off to eat, the first night at the Condo we all went to some restaurant on the water. It was okay, but did not smell okay. The next day Jim, Jerome and I went snorkeling in West End again, had lunch together and then met up with Audrey for a dive later. Jim was not feeling good, so he bailed out, and my chest was congested so I just snorkeled more. Jerome’s family was visiting from France, so we all went to the French Vietnamese place for dinner again! Not even drunk, Jim, Audrey and I got up and sang “Walk like an Egyptian” on Karaoke. Next time, if there is a next time, we will be prepared!
 |
| The Rest of Our Time on Roatan |
Jim and I were off the next day early back to La Ceiba…it was a great 5.5 days on Roatan and I have a great tan to prove it! But with that said and done, I came back sick and did not get out of bed the whole day and stayed close to the bed the next day. I still have a bit of a flu right now, but am feeling tons better. It is hard to tell when we have a fever here because it is hot all the time!
——————————————————————————————————————————————————————–
.WE.ARE.GNOMADS. 