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.