DAY 48---ROATAN ISLAND OFF THE COAST OF HONDURAS

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Our position today is docked at Coxen Hole on the island of Roatan.  Temperature 85 degrees.  Sunny skies this morning but now cloudy this afternoon.

ROATAN BACKGROUND INFO:

        Roatan is the largest of the bay islands of Honduras and is located 40 miles off the coast of Honduras in the Caribbean Sea.  The island is 48 miles long and just 5 miles across with a population of 110,000.  The island lies at the southern edge of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef which is the largest barrier reef in the Caribbean Sea and second largest in the world after Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. 

        Roatan is an important cruise ship, scuba diving, and eco-tourism destination now.  Tourism is the economic driver here but fishing is an important income source for the locals.  Even though mainland Hondurans speak Spanish, English is the main language spoken here due to the island’s history as a British colony.  

LAST NIGHT:

        We were joined in the Horizon Lounge for pre-dinner drinks and then dinner in Compass Rose by our Cincinnati long time friend, Susanne Peters.

               Rebecca's entree was grilled salmon on beluga lentils with root vegetables.

                                       My entree was Chateaubriand with a lobster tail.

TODAY:

Photos taken from deck 12 this morning.  Very nice shopping village just off the pier and still inside the port secure area.

                                        Looking back towards downtown area of Coxen Hole.

        After my hour of treadmill time I came back and changed to go ashore.  Rebecca is resting her knee again today so no treadmill for her.  I wanted to go find a pharmacy to maybe get some Nasonex nose spray for Rebecca.  It is VERY expensive in the States.  Glad I did not shower before heading out as is 85 degrees and would have had to shower again.

One of the nicest shopping center areas as part of the cruise ship dock that I have seen so far.  Duty free shop, up scale jewelry stores, souvenir shops, restaurant, small bars, a small pharmacy, etc.

                                  Pharmacy here was very small and did not have Nasonex.

               Walkway to go out of the port area and to town.  Very beautifully landscaped.

Main street!!!  I walked down it probably a half mile as Google Maps showed a pharmacy close by.  Well, I did not find it but did see a narrow main street with shanty houses with ducks, chickens, and other livestock.  Street was busy with motorcycles and vehicles.  Sidewalk was narrow and dirty so I had to try not to get ran over.

I finally gave up looking for the pharmacy but one lady on main street wanted to give me a massage for $10.  Nicely declined.  Glad to get back on board the air conditioned ship.

                                    Glazed ham on the carving table today in La Veranda.

                                                Desserts which I do not partake in at noon.

Bean soup with spinach to start with then I made a ham sandwich.  Bleu cheese and cole slaw on the side.  Oh, and a slice of Mexican topped pizza.  All was good.

        At dinner last night Susanne mentioned she had not dined up in Sette Mari.  We were planning on dining up there this evening so invited her along.  I have asked the chef up there to make me a veal parmesan.  We will meet again at 6pm in the Horizon Lounge prior to dinner.

        I saw one of the men from engineering in the gym this morning so mentioned we still had the occasional noises in our suite.  Later as I was still on the treadmill he returned with the Chief Engineer and we discussed the noise.  After they left me they went down to the suite.  Rebecca was there.  Of course the noise was not to be heard.  

        We will be sailing at 5pm and tomorrow will be a day at sea enroute to Costa Rica on Thursday.

Richard, the assistant cruise director, will be doing another show in the theater at 9:30.  May give him another try (from the back row).