New photo round-up: Roatan, Honduras

                           The sun slips over the rim of the earth in French Key Harbor


   Well, our stay in Roatan is winding to a close.  After watching the Super Bowl tomorrow here with our friends at Brooksy Point (go, Niners!), Espiritu will finally pull anchor from this lovely place and head north for the one night sail to Placencia, Belize.

                             Here's a round-up of new photos of this magical Caribbean island:

                                                 You know we had to follow THIS sign...

                                       OK. I'm really going to miss the rain forest...

                       Clearly, the iguana population is thriving here in Roatan...

   ...REALLY thriving. Chris bravely ignores his "lizard-brain" instinct to get the hell out of there, remembering these guys don't kill humans. They might eat you after you're DEAD, but they won't KILL you.

          These guys have been around for millions of years, so they must be doing something right.

                             Check out the hands. And the face, which looks exactly
        like a mini T-rex (without the teeth, thankfully).  He's really a magnificent creature.

              And speaking of animals, everyone knows wild dogs are part of the scenery throughout Central America. As Chris and I ate our lunch at this small, outdoor eatery, several feral dogs strode up and sat, waiting for scraps. This happens every time. It's actually pretty sad.

                                                                   ...dog's eye view...

                        Espiritu is anchored right next to idyllic Little French Key.

                                          You can practically feel the silken-soft breeze...

                   And here are a few more scenes from around the island of Roatan:

                                                        The funky West End

                   A young Hondurano says: "Say Hello to my Little Friend..."

                                                   Sandy Bay dock

                     A patriotic youngster enthusiastically shares the colors of the Honduran flag

                                   A family lives in and runs this mountain banana farm

                                                               A rural Roatan home

         In a country where 99% of the children have dark hair and skin, it really saddens me that THIS is the toy they display in the window. Really?  It embarrasses me, and it kind of makes me mad. How hard is it to make dolls that look like the kids who will be playing with them?

             A backyard basketball net and white picket fence are subtle reminders of home

 A sign outside the Roatan Ace Hardware says "No Weapons." With the stockpiling of weapons that is apparently going on in the states, will signs like this be popping up across the U.S.A.?

                                          A banana tree blooms next to the main highway

              Cows graze on the soccer field when the kids aren't playing. No lawnmowers needed!

                 It continues to amaze me how quickly the rainforest engulfs telephone wires, etc.

             We ate at a restaurant that featured "Fried Conch." You don't see THAT in the states.
  The restaurant encourages tourists and locals to write messages on the walls, floors and ceilings of the eatery. It is covered in them, most of which are people writing their names, or saying "Great Food," etc.  But there were a couple of messages on the walls that were, to say the least, distinctive:

                                  (Yikes)

           A little boy stares wistfully at the sports field, too young to play. Gotta wait...

                                                                        Tranquil scene

                  The sign at the "Hospital Roatan" has seen better days...

               Typical beachfront home. The main reason for the stilts is to keep
                               sandflies out of the home, and to keep things cool.
                                   Hurricanes are actually rare here in Roatan.

        This very sweet local lady gracefully posed for me in her "Life is Better Cruising" t-shirt. Naturally, she doesn't speak English. She bought it used for 50 cents and has no idea what it says.
                   But I have a feeling she wouldn't have a problem with the message.   :-)

                    This was written in spray-paint, graffiti-style, on a wall in a rundown
              part of Coxen Hole. What does it mean? Is there a rogue, Jewish gang from
                                    New York running amok here in Roatan?           (LOL)

 Yes, poverty is everywhere in Central America. But there is also ingenuity. I love this pieced together fence. Ya gotta admit, there's a touching, "can-do" spirit at work here. An acknowledgement that, yes, they may not have much, but dammit -- they make do. They do the best they can with what they have.

                I loved this brother and sister ambling down the street. Her hand was placed so lightly, gracefully, protectively on her little brother's shoulder as they walked through a dicey part of town.

                                               Grace. It's everywhere if you look for it.

                   Roatan, Honduras -- you are permanently imbedded in my brain and heart.

                                                          We will never forget you.