A Very Special Place - Jonesville

Jim and Kitty (Dreamaway) are returning to the United States to spend the summer on the Chesapeake and then next winter return to this area via Puerto Rico. As planned, they stopped briefly in Roatan to see friends they had made in past seasons before heading off to Isla Mujeres, Mexico, and then on to Key West.  We had made plans before leaving Monkey Bay, more than a month before Dreamaway, to meet them when they arrived in Roatan.  They were looking forward to introducing us to some of their friends who live on Roatan, mostly expatriates. Jim and Kitty have lived on Dreamaway for about twenty years, most of the time in Kemah, Texas, while they were both working.  A close friend of theirs, Sparky Jenkins, moved from Kemah to Roatan about fifteen years ago, and Sparky introduced Jim and Kitty to the expatriate community.  We left Port Royal as soon as we knew they were here and met up with Dreamaway in Jonesville.   We only got to spend a week with them as they were much delayed with serious boat problems, not on Dreamaway, but on their buddy boat Serenity, skippered single-handed by Paul, also from Monkey Bay.  

End of Lobster and Shrimp Season - Storing Traps

Woods Marina - Larry Woods

Typical canal through the mangroves

Jonesville in Bodgen Bight is a working seaport.  Most of the lobster boats and a couple of the shrimp boats are moored here.  Unlike the lobster boats in the US Northeast, these are constructed very similarly to, if not identical to, shrimp boats.  The shoreline is a wonderful mix of undeveloped land (very rugged), moored shrimp boats, many homes, and a few businesses.  Some of the homes have road access, but many do not, as the hillside behind the homes is too steep for road construction.

Hole In The Wall

The most successful business by far is Hole In The Wall, a purposely rough structure built on uneven piers over the water, owned and operated by Bob, a gringo.  It attracts boatloads of tourists for lunch and, on Sundays, has an all-you-can-eat lobster and steak buffet.  We now know it as Bob's Place, and late in the day, after the tourists have departed, it is a gathering place for expats and cruisers.

Don teaching the puppy (Hole In The Wall)

We are not limited to Jonesville.  There is a series of bights, beginning with Carib to the west and ending with Calabash to the east, all connected by canals wide and deep enough for small-boat traffic.  Here, travel by water is as common, if not more common, than by land.  The nearest town is Oak Ridge, where we go by dinghy to do our major shopping and banking.  For quick items like eggs or bread, Jenny has a little store just east of where we are anchored.  We found propane and fuel in Hog Pen Bight, the next bight to the east.  We were introduced to Gladys, a lady who will do laundry for cruisers.  She does laundry in her home on water days, which are Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.  She hangs the clothes on the line to dry.  We are very comfortable here.  There are usually about three or four cruising boats anchored, which isn't many, but our world now includes some expatriates who live here.

We had no sooner arrived in Jonesville, when Dreamaway stopped by to invite us to a luncheon later that day to celebrate Don and Yvonne's thirty-ninth wedding anniversary.  We had not yet met Don and Yvonne, but sure count us in.  Later, we found Don and Yvonne's house and tied our dinghy to their dock, which is on one of the small canals that run through the mangroves. They have a crew cab pickup truck that they brought down from the United States, and so the women rode in the cab and the men in the back.  Our little group included, besides Don and Yvonne, Jim and Kitty (Dreamaway) and their good friend Jim Bates, down to help crew the trip to Isla Mujeres; Dave (Barracha); and Larry Woods and his wife, Norma.  Larry moved down here about fifteen years ago, and Norma is a native of Honduras.  Larry runs a small marina, and Norma is a school teacher.  Norma teaches kindergarten through sixth grade in a two-room schoolhouse with forty-six children.  This lunch was a very special treat in many ways.  The ride over gave us fabulous views of both the south and north sides of the island.  The restaurant, Marble Hill Farms, was fantastic.  It is actually a resort on the north side of the island.  We spend all of our time on the more protected south side.  They have wonderful gardens there, and canned jellies.  They have a jelly tasting table, and the jellies are for sale.  After lunch and a tour of the garden and buying a few jellies, Don took us back by way of a small village on the north shore, Punta Gorda.  This is a village with Black Carib ancestry.  The Black Caribs were shipped here by the British in 1797.  We stopped in there for a couple of drinks at Pearls.

In the year 1635, two Spanish ships carrying Nigerian slaves shipwrecked on the island of St. Vincent. At first, the Spanish, Nigerians, and Kalipuna fought one another, but eventually learned to get along and intermarried, thus creating the Black Caribs.

At that time, St. Vincent was a British colony, and the Caribs tried to establish independent control of the island. The French supported the Caribs, and there were many battles between the Caribs and the British. The greatest battle took place in 1795, and both sides suffered great losses. In 1796, the Caribs and the French surrendered to the British.

The British now had a problem. The Caribs were free men with black skin, and St. Vincent was populated by slave-owning Europeans. The idea of a group of free black men living among them on the island was unacceptable, so the British decided to deport the Caribs. The British hunted down and rounded up the Caribs, killing hundreds in the process and destroying their homes and culture. The remaining 4,300 Caribs were shipped to Balliceaux, where half of them died of yellow fever.

In 1797, the surviving Caribs were shipped to Roatan Island off the coast of Honduras. Along the way, the Spanish captured one of the British ships, which was taken to Trujillo, where the captured Caribs did well. Later, the Spanish captured Roatan Island from the British. The Spanish rounded up 1,700 Caribs on the island and brought them to Trujillo, where laborers were much needed. The Spanish were not good farmers, and Trujillo suffered accordingly. On the other hand, the Caribs were very skilled at farming, so they worked hard and did very well in Trujillo. Some of the Caribs were conscripted into the Spanish army,  where they served with distinction.

Right now, Dreamaway is safely in Isla Mujueres.  We had some good times with them before they left, and we have continued to have good times with our new friends in Jonesville.  We will be leaving soon to go to La Ceiba on the mainland to pick up a shipment of parts, but we will be returning to Jonesville again this cruising season.

Yvonne (In Her Kitchen)

Jim, Jim Bates, Norm, and Dave (Don and Yvonne's Deck)

Enjoying Roatan

We spent most of a month at West End, Roatan, not leaving until after the Super Bowl.  Since leaving West End, we stopped at French Cay Harbor, by far the largest gathering place for cruisers.  French Cay Harbor, with Fantasy Island at the east end, is a well-protected anchorage.  On Fantasy Island is Fantasy Island Resort and Marina.  They very much welcome cruisers and make the facilities available even to boats in the anchorage.  We stopped here to top off our provisions.  Very close by and easily accessible is a store that offers the best provisioning in the Northwest Caribbean.  We didn't need much, but wanted to check it out since we will likely be doing some major re-provisioning next fall.  I will come back to French Cay Harbor and Fantasy Island in a future posting.

Mango Creek Lodge

We are now at Port Royal, actually Lime Cay Bight, anchored off Mango Creek Lodge.  After almost a month in West End and then a week in French Cay Harbor, we were ready to get to some place much quieter and much less crowded.  This place fits the bill perfectly.  Port Royal is well toward the eastern end of Roatan and not heavily populated.  Mango Creek Lodge is owned and operated by Terry and Patrice, Canadians, ex-cruisers who have completed a circumnavigation.  They provide free moorings, run an honor bar inside the restaurant, and if there is enough interest, their staff prepares wonderful meals.  Mango Creek Lodge offers saltwater fly-fishing packages and eco vacations.

One evening, we had five boats moored or anchored off  Mango Creek, and we all arranged for dinner.  With guests on board one of the boats, the twelve of us enjoyed good company and a fantastic meal.

It is a little difficult keeping up with the blog right now.  We are spending four months here in Honduras, moving from place to place.  Our main activities off the boat are snorkeling and socializing.  Aboard, we are both doing a lot of reading.  These activities do not make for good blog material.

Cow and Calf  (Port Royal)

Hanging Out In West End

We are definitely in full cruising mode now. There is nothing like West End, Roatan, to help get us in the proper frame of mind.  Our days typically include snorkeling, walking on the beach, or both.  We have been trying out the restaurants and, of course, getting together with fellow cruisers.

We had a fun day at Slippery Sues, a sports bar that just opened.  For the football playoff games, a couple of the boats negotiated a super deal on drink prices, and they let us bring in our dishes to pass.  Since we were staying for two games, they let us have supper brought in as well.  We had a good portion of the boats from the mooring field there.  We expect to set up something similar for the Super Bowl.

One evening, we had a dinghy drift.  We all just tied our dinghies together and floated around.  We each brought a dish to pass and our own drinks.  It was fun, but we spent a lot of time passing dishes.

The snorkeling is fantastic, and there are so many places to go that it can be new each time.

Main Street through town

Oh What A Reef

The Wrong Side of this One Would be costly.

Arriving in Roatan's West End, the first requirement is to get through the reef.  It's not difficult once the channel markers are located.  The channel markers are about four inches in diameter and about two feet tall.  One was very clearly red, the other we were uncertain about, even questioning if it was a channel marker.  We just kept hoping that Honduras observed Red Right Return (keep the red marker on your right as you return from the sea).  They do, and coming through turned out to be easy, and it was nice to start breathing again.  Behind the reef is a mooring field.  There is no longer any anchoring allowed.  This is a good thing as it protects the bottom from damage caused by anchors and, more importantly, anchor chains, which drag across the bottom as the boat swings.  West End does not look like a typical place to either moor or anchor a boat, as it is exposed to the sea on about 180 degrees.  The difference is the reef.  It breaks down the waves and makes it a comfortable location, unless there is a strong westerly wind.  With strong winds from any westerly direction, it can get very bouncy, and some boats leave and go around to the southern side of Roatan and then return after the blow.

Mooring Field - Ariel in the Center

Reef Not Apparent in Calm Seas

Reef Knocking Down the Waves in a Blow

The most beautiful part of the reef is below the surface.  The Marine Park has placed many moorings, sized for small boats and dinghies, along the reef, making it very convenient to explore.  Sorry, we do not have pictures yet from below the surface.

Bay Islands

To arrive in Guatemala last spring, we traveled in a south-southwest direction along the coast of Mexico and Belize.  Guatemala has very little coastline on the Caribbean side of the country.

Leaving Guatemala just a few days ago, we set a course to the east along the northern coast of Honduras.  Honduras juts into the Caribbean Sea.  The area of water between Belize and Honduras, with Guatemala tucked in the corner, is known as the Gulf of Honduras.

Traveling along the Honduran coast in an easterly direction is usually challenging.  Honduras is at a latitude that places it in the trade winds.  The trade winds blow from the east, so easterly travel is usually directly into the wind.

We were delayed from our planned departure, which was scheduled for right after Christmas, while waiting for favorable wind and sea conditions.  We finally found a window of light and variable winds, which was about the best we could hope for.  Our trip then from the Rio Dulce was without sails (motorboat), and true to the forecast, we had light winds which over our 24 hours of travel were from just about every point on the compass.  The seas were a foot or less, so we were happy with the conditions all around.

About 20 miles off the coast of Honduras is a string of islands, collectively known as the Bay Islands.  If you are a diver,  you are probably already aware of the Bay Islands, as they are a popular dive destination.  Going from west to east, the islands are Utila, Roatan, and Guanaja.  Roatan is the largest and most popular island for cruising boats.  While the islands are part of Honduras, both English and Spanish are spoken, with English being more predominant. The islands were controlled by the British during the colonial period. 

We stopped for a few days in Utila. We had the option to check into Honduras in Utila or Roatan.  Since this is our first time in the Bay Islands, we did not want to pass up Utila.  There were very few cruising boats there.  Utila has a reputation as a party place, and we can attest that the music is loud and lasts late into the night.  We did explore extensively and had a couple of good lunches at a restaurant called Bundo.  It seemed to have the biggest crowd, so using that as the criterion, we were not disappointed.

With heavy winds forecast, we decided to move on to Roatan.  We heard on the morning radio net that there were still three open moorings at West End, so we decided to go for it.  West End is a premier destination for cruisers.  There is no anchoring, so getting a mooring is a must.  The mooring field is in the Roatan Marine Park.  We have paid for 30 days, which is 100 USD.  The daily rate is 10 USD, so you can quickly see our logic.  It is absolutely beautiful here, and we are happy to be here.

On Our Way To Honduras

Departing Monkey Bay Marina

We are the first boat in the New Year to leave the marina to head out for the cruising season.  It is with mixed emotions that we leave.  The good news is that we will see just about everyone out at the islands this winter.  They had a potluck dinner the night before in our honor since we were leaving.

We are on our way to the island of Utila, Honduras.  It will be an overnight trip, so we will need to sharpen our skills quickly.  We will leave Livingston, Guatemala, on Thursday morning and plan to arrive in Utila, Honduras, the following day.

Christmas At Casa Guatemala

Some of you may be wondering why we are not out sailing.  For those not keeping track, we returned to the Rio Dulce in mid-October, and now it is almost the end of the year.  Actually, it is quite simple.  We stayed to get involved with the Casa Guatemala Christmas.  Casa Guatemala is an orphanage downriver, two or three miles from Monkey Bay.  Over the years, the cruising community here has done a lot to support the orphanage, especially at Christmas.  The orphanage provided us with a list of needs, so this year we did our Christmas shopping in Fronteras.  It was just as hectic as going to one of the malls back in the US, but it was a totally different experience and really rewarding as we were thinking about the kids that would be getting the presents.  Kitty (Dreamaway) offered her husband Jim to be Santa for this year's Christmas Eve celebration at the orphanage, which led to a closer relationship between us at Monkey Bay and the staff at Casa Guatemala.  We learned of a special need for girls' undergarments, so some of the Monkey Bay women spent a long afternoon on a special shopping trip after getting specific needs and sizes.  We also learned they could use some help preparing the dinner, which is served Christmas Eve, so Pat, Linda, and Jan (Jocks Lodge, staying at Catamarans) went to Backpackers Hotel and Restaurante on Christmas Eve morning to help prepare the dressing and stuff the turkeys.

Linda and Pat

Linda, Pat (s/v Mobetah), Jan (s/v Jocks Lodge), and Heather (Casa Guatemala)

Backpackers is owned by Casa Guatemala and provides employment opportunities for the older children.  Christmas Eve, Santa arrives at Casa Guatemala on a large launcha brightly decorated with lights and outfitted with reindeer and sleigh.  We arrived in the Monkey Bay launch to a large group of excited children on the piers waiting for Santa.

It is the tradition at Casa Guatemala that Santa first visits the children living at the orphanage.  He did this in one of the dormitories.  Santa handed out the gifts to each child as their name was called.

Santa delivering gifts

After this, Santa moved on to an area where the local children and their families were waiting for his arrival.  There were literally hundreds of waiting children.   When Santa arrived, the children rushed to greet him, but they soon organized themselves into a single-file line, beginning with the youngest and ending with the older children, to match the way the gifts were arranged.

Waiting to see Santa

Beverly

We wanted to do more than just be spectators, so we went to the kitchen to help out.  They serve turkey dinners to the children and staff at Casa Guatemala, but they also serve a hot tamale to each and every neighborhood child or parent who comes.  Boy, did we get busy, and it was gratifying to see they really needed our help.  Once Santa had handed out all the gifts, the masses descended upon us.  We had already prepared about 200 plates before they arrived, and then prepared more as fast as we could and handed them out at a blistering pace.  Tamales are cooked in a leaf wrap, which needs to be discarded before serving.  We had to keep bringing bowls of ice water to cool the ladies' hands as they unwrapped the tamales.  Soon the meals were eaten, and the crowd dispersed, so we cleaned up and went inside, where just about all the turkey dinners with the traditional fixings had been served.

Children of Casa Guatemala are enjoying a turkey dinner.

They had the settings ready for us, so we enjoyed some really good food with the orphanage's children.  We contributed to the cost of our meals, helped clean up, and then climbed into our launch to head back to Monkey Bay with memories we will never forget.

We plan to depart Monkey Bay Marina as soon as we can get some favorable winds.  The winds are generally from the east, and we need to go east, so it may take a little while.

A Monkey Bay Christmas

As the holiday season approached, Pat (Mobetah) suggested, and we collectively decided to buy Christmas gifts for the family who live here at the marina and look after the owner's property.  We are all close with the family, especially the children, so we really looked forward to Christmas morning.  We all delighted in watching the family open their gifts and then playing with the children for a while.

In the afternoon, we had reservations at Kangaroo Las Mexicanas Restaurante, and everyone at Monkey Bay went.  They were overwhelmed at the restaurant with the number of guests.  They had taken reservations, so they knew how much food to prepare, but with 60-some guests to feed at once, our scheduled 2:00 pm Christmas dinner of turkey, roast pork, and prawns was served at about 4:00 pm

Other than the delay, we had a relaxing time in a beautiful setting.

Terry and Sandy (Gambit II)

Art, Linda, Norm

Santa (Jim) with Marina Family

Monkey Bay John

Jim and Kitty (Dreamaway)

Arriving at Kangaroo Las Mexicanas Restaurante for Christmas Dinner

Sandy and Linda

Kitty jumped in to help at Kangaroo Las Mexicanas Restaurante.

Waiting on Dinner

Marina Bahia Mono Fiesta de Flatulence

You can tell we are all getting pretty close here at Monkey Bay.  We have a little social get-together every day around 4:30 pm.  That may seem a little early, but once it gets dark, the mosquitoes start biting.  One evening, the conversation turned to pressure cookers.  Almost all cruising boats have pressure cookers aboard, but most, like us, keep theirs in deep storage.  Jim, off Dreamaway, uses his pressure cooker frequently.  He offered to give us some tips on cooking with a pressure cooker.  Anyway, our plan quickly evolved into cooking beans, and then to a bean cook-off, and then we initiated the first annual Marina Bahia Mono, Fiesta de Flatulence.  We allowed a couple of days for the teams to decide and register their entries, so we decided to meet in the marina kitchen on Sunday at three with our pressure cookers and ingredients. The guys did the pressure cooking, and the spouses prepared rice and other sides, set the tables, and did all the other things that go into getting a meal ready.

The Four Cooks

 

Just Waiting On The Beans

All of the dishes tasted great, so we made no attempt to pick a winner.  We just had great meals with good company.  We had planned to watch "Blazing Saddles", but started watching "From The Big Apple To The Big Easy - The Concert For New Orleans", a two-disc DVD, and never got to "Blazing Saddles".  We all had a great time.

We are getting ready to leave Monkey Bay soon, and it will be really hard.  We know we will see everyone out at the islands, but we will miss the camaraderie we enjoy here.

Footnote:  Most of us soaked our beans overnight, so our little Fiesta did not live up to its name.

Frutas del Mundo

Not far outside Fronteras is a very special fruit farm - Frutas del Mundo.  The owner, Dwight Carter, grew up on a farm in Minnesota and came to Central America in the mid-80s with the Peace Corps to work with livestock.  He developed an interest in indigenous fruits and in 1987 bought 20 acres, which became Frutas del Mundo.  He is experimenting with different fruit types, grafting methods, selection, and other techniques.  His primary product is seedlings for other farmers in the area.  In addition to promoting indigenous species, he has also introduced fruits from all around the world.  The tour includes sampling fruits right off the trees and a luncheon of tilapia caught from his fish and irrigation pond.

Our group included most of us from Monkey Bay Marina and two French-Canadian couples from Ram Marina.

 Rambutan

Our favorite new fruit is the Rambutan.  Unfortunately, it is now just at the end of the harvest season.  When ready to eat, they are bright red.  We have seen them in town but didn't know what they were or how good they are.  We look forward to seeing them in the market next year.

 Dwight Carter 

Copán - Part 6 - Zip Line Canopy Tour

A really fun opportunity in Copán Ruinas is the Zip Line Canopy Tour. The zip line is just outside of town. It is four kilometers in total length, and the longest segment is one kilometer. Most descriptions say there are sixteen zip segments, but our guides told us there are fourteen. The last zip line crosses the Copán River at a bend in the river, which was a pretty cool way to end. If zip-lining is on your bucket list, this is a good one.

Pickup Service at Our Hotel (get it)

Equipped and Ready - 
Terry, Pat, Linda, Norm

Time to Apply Brakes (Norm)

Always a Smile (Pat)

Good Form (Linda)

Showing Off  (Terry)