Snorkeling in the front yard and tubing in the back yard.

Well it has been a while. Sorry we have been to the island and back and got lost in a long Adirondack Summer. As we settle into fall and ultimately a long Adirondack winter, we also have started planning a return trip.  Again the contrast and similarities of my two homes are always evident.

We returned to the island in July with much luggage and great excitement to see our new place, mixed with a little apprehension. While approaching the island we became more and more excited at the idea of seeing our Green roof. We were fortunate to spot it on the flight in. I think most of our seat mates on the plane thought we were crazy yelling” there it is the green roof”.

you can see the green roof in the top right hill if you look hard

 

The initial view of the house was impressive. It sits high up on the hill and looks like it belongs just so.  I was very impressed with all the structure that resulted from our investment. After settling in to our temporary housing at the neighbors we realized we had not eaten in quite a while.  It is becoming tradition to make our first island meal Creoles Rotisserie Chicken in West End, Which is in my opinion one of the best deals on the island.

The next day we set our minds on all of the projects at hand.  This is more difficult than you may think.  We set off to find a lumber store and mattresses.  Here in lies some very interesting contrasts between our home in the states and our home on the island. In the US we live about 25 miles from a Lowes and Walmart. On the island a lumber yard and grocery store can be found anywhere from 5 to 10 miles away but getting there is quite a project.

Driving in Roatan and driving at home are two very different things. While here we may have to look out for the occasional deer, we do have actual traffic rules ¸speed limits and relatively straight roads where people remain on the sidelines.  Driving in Roatan is an experiment in defensive aggression.  If you don’t attach traffic you will not ever get anywhere.  But you always have to be prepared to stop for the slow moped around the corner, taxi cutting you off or even a child herding cattle. 

 It takes me 35 minutes to drive the 25 miles to Lowes and Walmart, where I can find most everything I need every day of the year. We can be there and back in 2 hours with very predictable results.  In Roatan it takes the same 35 minutes to drive less than 10 miles to the Lumber yard , where they may or may not have what you need, then check the department store for a few more things, several grocery stores and even a few unnamed stores full of random stuff. After spending the better part of the day we head home with some of the items on our list.

On this trip we did managed to arrive at the lumber yard, somehow ordered lumber .We also found mattresses and random other household supplies and headed back to the house. 

An address is another strange anomaly on the Island. While here in the states everything revolves around your 911 official addresses on the island it is not the case. There are no official addresses. Everyone’s house has a name or an identifiable location. We were fortunate that we have business cards to hand out. We proceeded to come up with a way to explain how to find us. Unfortunately apparently the Spanish translation of “west end across from the horses” must be “sandy bay behind the orphanage” because that is where they delivered our Lumber the next day.  

We managed to work out the kinks in our delivery description and this pattern continued over the rest of our visit. Venture out in hopes of finding supplies we needed, put those supplies to use and repeat. 

When it came time to leave we had accomplished quite a bit. We had a semi functioning 1/3 bath¸ a usable rustic camp kitchen and everything was enclosed and safe from bugs and elements.  We also sealed the floors, built railings in loft and ladders to the loft and Copula. I guess that was a success.

 Some time was taken here and there to enjoy the view. It is really hard to remain focused on your work when you have such an incredible view. I would walk out on the deck to retrieve something and discover some time later that I was just gazing out at the ocean.  I must say if you have to have a working vacation I can’t come up with a better place to have one.

We did manage to take our bright yellow xterra rental car down to West End to take a quick swim or snorkel at the end of most long hot work days.  Yes that is right we rented and SUV, something I would never purchase here in the states.  I will explain the idiosyncrasies of rental cars another time. The yellow Xterra was perfect for our needs and everyone knows it was us driving around. It is the prefect color for our Runaway Pineapple and I have already rented it for Christmas.

We left with high hopes of returning at Christmas to a home with Solar power and a full cistern.  It is always sad to leave the island but I must say knowing we will always have a place to return to makes it much easier.

We came home to a long hot July and August, We settled back into work to pay for our next trip and future advancements on the property. Of course we did fit in some days of summer fun.  While on the island we gaze out into the beautiful ocean, reef and Half Moon bay in our front yard, In the Adirondacks we have a back yard which offers deck firepit, trees, and a lovely creek.  Breaks from hot summer days here include tubing down the creek with a beer and friends.

Again I find myself amazed at my good fortune. I live in two of the most diverse and beautiful places. I can truly go snorkeling in my front yard and tubing in my back yard. The best part is the people I find in both places to share the adventures with.

Living my life like a song

 

Well it has been a crazy ride these last few years and it is finally time to get “Back to the island” ,”I hope you understand  I just had to go back to the island”

So much planning , dreaming, waiting and more planning, dreaming and waiting “Manana”, manana, manana.  The last few months have been very busy and now in just a few short days we will be there in our “One Particular Harbor”

“And there's that one particular harbor Sheltered from the wind

 Where the children play on the shore each day And all are safe within

Most mysterious calling harbor So far but yet so near

 I can see the day when my hair's full gray And I finally disappear”

Again I find myself wondering how we arrived at this point. Living in two totally different places and working to pay for both. Trying to complete all the work I need to do here in the Adirondacks before I leave for the island, making sure everything is all set for while we are gone and when we return. I am really ready for “ Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes”

“With these changes in latitudes, changes in attitudes

 Nothing remains quite the same With all of my running and all of my cunning  If I couldn't laugh I just would go insane

 If we couldn't laugh we just would go insane

 If we weren't all crazy we would go insane”

I realize after this trip nothing will be the same, our dream is really coming true we will have a home in paradise. I am really “ Living my life like a song”  “And the Wino and I know the joys of the ocean,  Like a boy knows the joys of his milkshake in motion. It's a strange situation, a wild occupation,  Living my life like a song.”

While this all seems so exciting it is a huge risk, I guess if you are gonna risk all your money on a dream it may as well be a good one.  It is a “Carnival World” there are no guarantees and most things in life are a gamble.   “Spend it while you can ,Money's contraband , You can't take it with you when you go, Spend it while you can Before it's taken from your hand, There's no free ride in this carnival world”

The worst that could happen is we get “Stuck in Paradise” with no money and a “Tin Cup for a Chalice” oh well it’s all about the “Stories we could tell” ,”All the stories we could tell  If it all blows up and goes to hell”.

As we follow our dreams like one may follow the “Tides”,  “ I follow the tides On currents far and wide  Chalking up the stories and the miles, that is the reason I will never lose my smile”, I will always be able to go”  back to the island, Where the shrimp boats tie up to the pilin'. Give me oysters and beer for dinner every day of the year, And I'll feel fine, I'll feel fine,  With a tin cup for a chalice Fill it up with good red wine .”

While there we will be working very hard to get our place ready for all our future guests. We hope to have time to enjoy a “ Cheeseburger in  Paradise” , after all Roatan is rumored to be the island Jimmy wrote the song about. In West End it is always “5 oclock somewhere”, and there is always time for “wasting away in Margaritaville”. I promise I will never again find myself “Too drunk to Karaoke”. I will find myself in West End which is much like the “Bama Breeze”, “ You're one of our own down there, You never drink alone down there, Good God I feel at home down there”

One day you will all be able to go “Down to the Banana Republics, Down to the tropical sun, Go the expatriated American, Hopin' to find some fun”  you will all be able to be “Beautiful Swimmers” , “ Now If I was as rich as the agacon,  I tell you what I would do,Buy every man, woman, and child on this planet A mask and a snorkle too, Then I'd leave this big migration  Destination Half Moon Bay, Then we'd splash our way around the world  Life is just a water ballet” . 

Until then we you will have to live with “Island Fever” , I will send you photos of “Palm trees and views I can't believe .Why would I ever want to leave? I think I'll take my shoes off and go walking .Down beside the caribbean sea. I like the funny sounds of parrots squawking, I think I hear a hammock calling me.”  Sorry I got distracted.

 So I will leave the “ Gypsies in the Palace”  drinking all the “Boat Drinks”, enjoying a little Adirondack “cabin fever” and follow the “Fins” down to “St. Somewhere”. One of my island friends said we will be islanders now , “Island I see you in the distance, I feel that your existence, Is not unlike my own have .” I feel like I am headed home , “Happily ever after”,” Some people never find it, Some... only pretend, but me: I just want to live happily ever after every now and then”

It is amazing to realize I am truly “Living My Life like a Song”

Thanks Jimmy Buffett for your inspiration and all of you for your continued support. Look for Blog , Facebook and Runawaypineapple.com updates while we are on the island.

Gambling for plane tickets

I have discovered it does not matter where you are flying to the process of buying plane tickets is more like gambling than retail shopping. When your trip requires several stops to get where you are going and your final destination is an Island with limited flights it becomes even more of a challenge.

We have always had mixed feelings about flying and we have often chosen to drive rather than fly in the states. When you have the option to drive it is possible to balance out all the pros and cons. It is often cheaper to drive and we love to take in the view and enjoy the ride. With all the changes in Airport security and travel restrictions it has become more and more difficult to get through the airport and on the plane.

While it is technically possible to drive to Honduras I think in this case the cons greatly outweigh the pros of driving.  It would be amazing to have a wonderful adventure driving all the way to La Ceiba and take the ferry to the island.  It would not be a logical means of travel for a short term visit.  So this leaves us with no option other than flying to our beautiful island.

So as I said I find myself gambling for plane tickets. It is a challenging process and when it was just a matter of finding an affordable vacation to a great location for the best available price, the process was kind of fun.  Now we find ourselves needing to go to the island at specific times with limited funds and this game is not as fun.

I find myself searching the internet with multiple screens open to many travel sites in search of the elusive Tuesday afternoon. I play the game of plane seat roulette, do I wait another week in hopes of better prices, do I take the price they offer before the plane is full.  Do I jump on the available seats before the 50 day window closes? 

Then of course there is the balance of price vs number of stops, and time taken for the trip. It can be downright dizzying to sift through all the possible routes, times, stops and final arrival time. 

There are really no magic answers to the plane ticket gamble. I try to set a price I am willing to pay for flights and a list of must haves for route and time, as soon as I get close to that price or below that price I take the plunge. Then I try not to look back, because if you look back a few day or weeks later and find you could have saved hundreds of dollars you know you have lost this round.

Ultimately the great reward is the destination. Arriving on my island becomes the primary goal and ultimate reward for my efforts and once you see the island below the whole game dissolves into anticipation of sun, snorkel, and sipping a nice island drink.  

 

 

 

 

Manana is April Fools Day

April 1 2014 is a day my family will always remember because it was the date of our closing and completed purchase of our property. Yes that’s right we became owners of a piece of island paradise on April fool’s day. I left my last blog on St. Patrick’s Day, a day of luck and good fortune ,on a good note. As the story continues you will understand why at times I felt maybe this whole project was a big April fool’s joke.

We left the idea with hopes of building soon and returning at Christmas. We soon discovered the true meaning of ,an island favorite word, manana. Officially manana means in the morning or tomorrow. We discovered that on the island manana means maybe tomorrow ,maybe the next day, maybe never.  We have never built a house from scratch in the states let alone on an island in another country. Emails and phone calls went back and forth between the island, our architect and the Adirondacks. Time passed and we just couldn’t seem to satisfy what the builder wanted to get started. Christmas came and went.

We did manage to hire someone to fix our drainage problems, create a drivable road and parking lot.  This occurred sometime in the summer when we had hoped to have our initial build done. So another potential visit to the island came and went.  This work cost much more than we had originally hoped making our finances more restricted.   Now the property was prepared for trucks and future guests.

The next big glitch came when we needed to secure power. When we purchased the property we thought we had access to power from a transformer nearby.  Due to unforeseen circumstances we were unable to confirm that before our purchase was complete.  We began a long process of sorry that option won’t work , that option is way to expensive, oh that option won’t work either. The price creeped higher and higher  for different quotes, many mananas passed  and we still had no real good answer to our power situation.  This became one of those , what kind of fool would buy property on an island kind of situations where manana looked not only far in the future but unattainable.

Somewhere along the way we decided to take a new approach.  We want to have an eco-lodge and therefore want to be as sustainable as possible. Spending a large portion of our budget to tap into the island power which is overpriced and often unreliable seemed like a lose lose situation. We decided to get some quotes for solar and alternative power. We are still in the process of solidifying our permanent power set up.  I will post a blog soon on all of our sustainable plans.

Once we arrived on this discussion we only needed to secure temporary power for the building process. This is where our property management people came through for us. They secured power for us from a neighbor who does not use their home very often. We were able to tap into their power and agreed to pay them for the service while we need it. I am looking forward to meeting them on the island one day and thanking them properly with lots of rum and a good meal.

Now we were ready, power secured and driveway prepared.  Ready to go right. Not so fast. We still could not seem to get everything to the builder that he felt he needed so we finally decided to hire an architect in Honduras to review plans and set them up in a way the municipality would not question.  More money well spent, so now we are ready right?

Well we thought so but not so fast  ,manana remember. The day came where we finally got a quote from our builder for the initial build.  This is when our dreams came crashing down. Manana turned in to never. The quote was more then %30 higher than we had anticipated. If we paid that price we would never be able to finish the project. Now what? Again was this just a big April fools joke , what do we do now?  We tried to discuss our concerns with the builder but could not seem to figure out how to lower the price.  After discussing the project at length with my amazing brother in law, who is a contractor, we concluded that we needed to get a second quote.

I contacted the contractor who completed our road and driveway work and asked if he was willing to work with us. He came back with a much more attainable price point; maybe we were not being fooled after all. After negotiations back and forth and a few architectural changes we arrived upon a plan we could afford and easily build upon. Maybe manana would come .

On March 11^th 2016 , exactly 9 years after we departed on our first cruise that led us to the island, we broke ground. Finally manana was here.  Work is continuing and I am sure we will have many more manana and April fools moments but as for today we are starting to see our island dream become a reality.

 

Manana is April Fools day. Tomorrow we celebrate the second birthday of the Runaway Pineapple and we hope you all will celebrate with us. Sit back , relax , have a pineapple drink enhanced with rum and remember that no matter how difficult it may seem, no matter how many times you feel the fool , if you keep walking toward your dream eventually Manana will come and you will find yourself there.

Happy St Patrick's Day

Happy St. Patrick’s day

9 years ago today we first set foot on the beautiful island of Roatan. I think it is fitting that it was St Patrick ’s Day the first time we visited the island.  When I think of Roatan I see the rich green contrasting against the blue of the ocean with some orange mud mixed in and sand around the edges.

                                          Leaving NY City on our first Cruise to Roatan

We must have the luck of the Irish to poses such a beautifully green piece of paradise.  St. Patrick ventured to Ireland to introduce the island to Christianity. We have no need to introduce Roatan to Christianity There are many wonderful Christian people there. We do however have a desire to share the Island with our friends, family and many more.
After a few side trips it seems like a good time to get back to the story, back to the Island.

While on the island looking at properties we discussed all the options our real estate agent showed us extensively. We even began sketching some ideas for building on the site, just in case we decided to buy. Our plans ranged from a simple cabin to a multi dwelling complex. I will spare you the details of the process from plan to another. Somewhere along the way we decided we wanted our structure or structures to be octagon in shape. My husband decided that octagons were the shape that fit the island, and we all agreed. Below is one of the first sketches for a series of small octagon cabins connected by walkways. I love how our plans evolved into what our architect finally drew up for us.

Ultimately we arrived upon the idea that we would build one structure as large as we could afford and fit what we needed.  We began drawings, checking regulations, making plans. This was one of the most exciting parts of the project for me. I am a dreamer, a planner; the process of planning a place in paradise was so unreal.  My husband and I are a crazy balance between the unattainable dreamer and the realist. We usually end up with something in the middle full of whimsy and practicality. And from many rounds of planning, day dreaming, disputing and more planning the Runaway Pineapple Lodge became a drawing for a potential future vacation destination.

Once we arrived upon a plan we had to figure out what to do next. We knew an architect student here in the states who was excited to help us get the basic ideas down on paper.  After passing information back and forth we arrived on what we thought to be a doable starting point with many additions and improvements to be added in the future. These are the parts of the project my daughters and I like to dream about, the future pool, water tower with crow’s nest, zip line to the lower property, all those not so realistic parts of the original project.

With potential plans started how do you go about building a house on a tropical island? We had met a builder while on the island, I loved his work and had gotten his email. We emailed him and made plans to meet with him on our next visit.

We ventured back to the island in July of 2014, seems like forever ago now. We met with a builder, met property management people, met more locals, hung out with our favorite bartender and continued to fall in love with our “one particular harbor” .

On this visit we stayed is a simple cabin just off the beach in West End. This gave us the opportunity to get to know our “neighborhood”. We snorkeled Half Moon Bay, found a favorite breakfast spot , reconnected with our favorite bartender, and walked to our property to dream and make plans.

It seemed like it would all fall into place. We left the island with great plans in anticipation of returning soon to our building in progress.  As today is a celebration of Luck and good fortune I will continue the story another day.

I suppose our troubles are nothing in comparison to those St. Patrick encountered in his attempts to bring Christianity to the island of Ireland.  So be thankful for what you have and the good fortune that shines upon you.

I leave you with my favorite Irish prayer.  One that fits my feelings when I leave the Island.

May the road rise to meet you,

May the wind be always at your back,

 May the sun shine warm upon your face,

 The rains fall soft upon your fields and,

 Until we meet again,

 May God hold you in the palm of His hand.

Life as seen from a rollercoaster

You know the feeling you get the moment the safety bars come down on a rollercoaster, a little nervous a little scared and a whole lot excited. That moment when you hear the click of the safety lock and  you think “do I really want to do this, is it too late to get off, this is crazy,” you push up on the bar and it does not move, then comes the split second  rush of fear and anxiety followed by the realization that is too late now and you better hold on and enjoy the ride.  That’s where I find myself today.

I remember a day similar to this one a little over 9 years ago, posting on a Cruise forum I said “ Wow That was great. thanks for the link. The next time the Dawn backs out we will be on it. It's like being in line for a big rollercoaster. You watch it leave and know the next time it comes back it is your turn. Exciting ,scary, anticipation.” We were deep into winter in the Adirondacks and preparing to go on a cruise, a cruise that would include our first visit to Roatan. I was participating in a Cruise blog and I found myself watching  the Norwegian Dawn leaving its New York City port on a live web cam . Many details of that cruise are included in previous posts.  

It is amazing how much things have changed in the years between these rollercoaster analogies. The kids gave grown, friends have come and gone, white winters and hot summers have passed, and here we are on the Rollercoaster with the safety bars about to click in to place. 

Over these years of anticipation we have found ourselves drawn to this very moment. Upon our first visit 9 years ago with my first sight of the island I know I was hooked.  By the end of our short day there the  sights, sounds, flavors, waters, and most of all people had seeped into my soul.  While we wondered around the amusement park over the years my eyes were continually drawn back to the one big ride , the rollercoaster.

We finally got in line for this wonderful ride when we ventured to Roatan for our two week visit two years ago.  Upon returning home the decision had been made we had found our piece of paradise in a magical patch of land on the hill overlooking West End. As we submitted purchase offers and negotiated prices we became penned into the long rollercoaster line by all the people who got in line behind us, friends , family, associates, excited acquaintance’s, even some people we did not know.

The line has been slow and with many twists and turns. Much like a Disney park ride there have been many distractions along the way and those moments where you find yourself thinking “does this line really lead anywhere or is this all just a joke”.  Sometimes the rollercoaster was not even in sight just more people, more obstacles, more time, and more line.  

But here we are the day dreams are coming to an end the wait is almost over, architectural drawings are done, permits are approved and the builder is ready to go. By this time next week the money will be sent , supply lists will be prepared to order and the process will begin. The safety bars will be clicked in and we will begin our slow assent to the top of the first steep drop of this rollercoaster ride.

 

No snow and High waters

I woke this morning December 23 really missing my Island.  I realize I have skipped much of the story of our build but this morning being almost Christmas I feel I need to jump to a different part of the story. We can catch up on the rest later.

As I said I woke this morning really missing my island , the rest of the family was sleeping , I decided to take a walk.  We live in the southwest corner of the Adirondack Park, in New York State. The Adirondack Park was created in 1892 by the State of New York amid concerns for the water and timber resources of the region. Today the Park is the largest publicly protected area in the contiguous United States, greater in size than Yellowstone, Everglades, Glacier, and Grand Canyon National Park combined. (Adirondack State Park Agency description).  Much of the park is privately owned but it is all overseen by the Park Agency and we have restrictions on what we can and can’t do.

I headed down the road on this 50 degree morning, which is about 30 degrees above a typical December day here.  I think that is why I was missing Roatan this morning a hazy rainy morning with no snow and a quiet in the air reminded me of mornings we have spent on the island.  As I walked down the road thinking how strange it was to have such a warm, snowless Christmas week here when we expected to be In Roatan experiencing a warm, snowless week. See our plan was to spend the Christmas holidays working on our Lodge in Roatan this year, but due to Island time, a change in builders and just fate I guess we do not have a home there yet; our build does not start till January.

I am amazed at how vastly different and yet emotionally the same my two homes are.  The Adirondacks and Roatan are two of the most amazing locations in the world and I feel equally at home and at peace in both.  I believe places have a spirit about them , by that I mean an underlying feeling of peace, tranquility, excitement, anxiety, compassion, frustration and the list could go on and on. Anyway in all the places I go I feel an underlying energy that drives the area , some good and some bad. I think people are drawn to the places where they feel at peace and comfortable with the overall spirit of the area.  I know this may sound like a crazy theory but we have spent our entire life savings on the dream of building a Eco-lodge in Roatan, I never claimed to be sound of mind. Anyway I feel the same spirit about the Adirondacks and Roatan.

While walking down the road enjoying the calm peace in the air with underlying humility of the history of those that came before, and excitement of new adventures that lingers in both my homes.  I was reminded of some of the very real ways my home in the Adirondacks and Roatan differ.  Up ahead in the woods I could hear the yipping of a pack of Coyotes. Coyotes are definitely something you do not encounter on the Island. As a matter of fact there are very few threatening animals on the island.  On my walk I had already seen several dear and the neighbor’s chickens. There are defiantly chickens on the island and everyone has their opinion of them but I have never felt threatened by a pack of chickens. I was walking by myself and decided that a trip to the end of the road was not a wise idea. In contrast I have been known to change course while snorkeling and coming upon a 4 foot barracuda I am not sure if the threat is the same as encountering a pack of Coyotes or a Bear but I have decided to not find out on either account. .  In the Adirondacks we have chance encounters with Bear, Bald Eagles, as well as many other spectacular birds and woodland animals, while on the island we look for encounters with Sea Turtles, octopus and many other spectacular sea creatures. This is an example of how they are very alike and very different.

As I walked down to the creek behind our home I am reminded of how water is one of the connecting factors in our homes. We spend our time here in the summer kayaking, swimming and tubing. While on the island we spend our time snorkeling and enjoying the beautiful Half Moon Bay.

In both locations we find the people to be diverse, intriguing and most are welcoming and helpful. The culture and history is rich and interesting. So on this warm Christmas in the Adirondacks my heart is once again divided between the beautiful island of Roatan and the vast Adirondacks, I am blessed to have wonderful people in my life here and we have started what I hope to be long time relationships with people on the Island.  God has truly given us two amazing places to call home.

Wherever you call home this Christmas remember to be thankful for all the wonders in the world and people around you. Look for the good in all Gods people and take some time to share a story, a toast a song with those that surround you.