One Particular Harbor

We spent the day Sunday exploring the island. We decided to explore the South side of the island in hopes of finding some calm water and a place to snorkel. .We ended up at a little restaurant called French’s 44. It was a good meal in an interesting setting. The girls found a cute kitten to pet. She looked a lot like our cat Kitten Paw as a kitten. I think that made them feel a little more at home. We did not find a place to snorkel so we headed home.

 

We decided to take a walk down the hill to the beach. We found hiking to the beach to be a great experience with the exception of the large steep hill. On the way down the hill we found a large trail of leaf cutter ants crossing the road. We continued wandering down the hill to the beach. The road contains an interesting mix of empty land, and  vacation homes ending with a fancy little spa resort. The beach is a humble little stretch. The water was rough and we decided snorkeling was not an option. Taking a swim in the ocean felt like a great idea.  The swim was followed by a walk down the beach toward West End. We passed small little homes, cute hotels and abandoned lots. The sun set in a perfect blaze through a washed up fallen tree. The locals and expats raked the beach as we wandered to no place in particular.

This is how it works in Roatan.  If you have no real plan and you’re not in a hurry you find interesting little things along the way. When you come to the island for a day or even a week and rush from this or that you miss the little things that make Roatan well Roatan. I found that our time there was a mix of the rushing and the soaking in.  Maybe this is part of the transition between being a vacationer and an islander. I learned many of these lessons along the way.

 

After enjoying our walk, swim, sunset and some necessary food we headed to west end to see what was happening.

 We wandered down the road to take in the night. The road was not that busy. Our visit to Roatan came at the end of Rainy season; the holiday crowed had mostly gone home and the winter vacationers had not yet arrived. I think it was a great time to experience the laid back island life. I look forward to going during busy season and experiencing the much more active night life the Island has to offer. 

 As we explored the road we found quiet bars with few customers. There was a musician playing at Monkey Island so we headed on back down the road. The little church was having a service. A few islanders were inside singing with the door open for the breeze. Standing in the middle of the street between the little church and the Island bar listening to the blend of musical tones is a moment I will never forget. The locals, expats, and travelers are so intertwined on this little island, and it all seems perfectly natural, Just as it should be. 

We sat at Monkey Island and enjoyed the enjoyed the music of a fellow expat. Well he really is an expat we were playing the part for the time being.  Then it was time to explore what this little dirt road had to offer in the other direction. Sundowners also offered some live music. But more importantly here is where I first experienced a Monkey La La. The Monkey La La is the islands signature drink. It is basically a White Russian made with coconut cream instead of cream. It is not your typical tropical drink but not much about Roatan is typical.

 As I soaked in the fresh ocean breeze and my head hummed with  Monkey La La I realized we had been on this island now longer than we had ever been at a port of call. My “One Particular Harbor” Roatan was quickly seeping deep into my heart.