Wednesday, 11 December 2024

Coxon Hole, Roatan Island, Honduras

Another beautiful morning on Marina and another port in the southern Caribbean. This is our second time visiting Roatan. On our earlier cruise here we docked at Mahogany Bay near the eastern end of the island. Today we are at the western end, along with three other ships. This part of Honduras seems much more prosperous than the equivalent islands of Belize (which used to be British Honduras).

Cruise Ships in Coxon Hole

Today’s shore excursion, “The Best of the West in Roatan,” starts at 8:30 in the Marina Lounge, so we opt for breakfast in the Terrace Cafe, with all the usual buffet items on display. I order soft boiled eggs, which are perfect and tasty, but alas, there are no demitasse spoons, so eating them is a bit of a challenge.

We are using the ship’s lifeboats as tenders; they are smaller and less comfortable than the management ones yesterday, but it is a short ride to shore. From the cruiseport we board a small bus with about 16 passengers and a (useless) tour guide. Fortunately we have a different guide for the major activity, a 45-minute downhill walk, crossing eight swinging bridges, through the rain forest. This young woman is an expert on local fauna and flora, and is very patient with getting us all downhill and over the bridges. As we walk down, we have continuous views of zip liners sailing above us. When we reach bottom, there is a waiting truck to take us back uphill.

Eager Zipliners Waiting to Fly Through the Trees

Waiting to Cross the First of Eight Bridges

Another Jungle Bridge (above and below)

Will Crossing a Swaying Jungle Bridge

Even though Will has been having trouble with his knees and had two steroid shots the day before we left Tucson, he bravely and successfully negotiates the entire walk—although the bridges and steps are quite a challenge.

After the physical exertions of the walk, our bus takes us to the westernmost town on Roatan, aptly named West End, to visit a well-known chocolate factory and shop, where all the candy bars are made and packaged by hand directly from cocoa seeds growing naturally on the island. We do get some tiny samples, but the visit is more about spending money than learning about chocolate.

Waterfront in West End Village

After the exertions of the chocolate factory we head to a private beach club, Sol y Mar, for an hour of relaxation. Not really being “beach lovers” (especially at our age), we are pleasantly surprised by the amenities available. We find a comfortable table in the shade and order a light lunch of fresh salad with grilled chicken and a very tasty coconut dressing. We are joined by a fellow traveler, a woman of our age who originally hails from Denmark but now lives in Tulsa, OK.

At 2pm the van is ready to take us back to the port, where a tender is waiting to return us to Marina. After a short nap, we are off to the Grand Dining Room again. We always have a table for two; tonight our table is next to passengers we met a few days ago, Oscar and Judy. Judy recommends the tagliatelle with meat sauce, which Will orders and enjoys, and I have a large slab of sirloin roast. We begin with chilled shrimp cocktail (W) and Serrano ham, the Spanish version of prosciutto, with marinated artichokes (L). And, of course, plenty of champagne. The wine steward has a “nasty” habit of constantly re-filling our glasses until we lose count.

Tonight’s entertainment is a production show, “Dancing Fool,” with the ship company of singers and dancers.  Not the best we have seen at sea, but pleasant enough for the passing 45 minutes. Since tomorrow is a welcome sea day, we don’t mind staying up a little later than usual.