So.........Wednesday morning, we motor over to Punta Gorda....or as close as we could get to it and go to have lunch at the Sacrifice cafe. I've talked about this place before and yet everytime we go, it just seems to get cooler and cooler. This day we all had fried shrimp except for Karessa, who had her a big ol' fried fish...head and all. YUM!
I need to explain here about having lunch on these islands..it doesn't get prepared until after you've ordered. Literally. Like we think that if you order chicken....they may go out and catch some chickens to fry. Seriously. And because of that, it may take 2 to 2 1/2 hours to have your meal. Which also means there is a whole lot of talking, laughing, telling stories and basically just sitting back to really enjoy the comraderie of mealtime. Which...really....isn't that how it is supposed to be? Not how fast you can get it or how quickly you can finish a meal in order to get something else done......but just the simple joy of mealtime with friends and family. These islanders know alot more than Americans who crave convenience!! Ok, off my soapbox!
After lunch, we move to a spot off the reef that is good for snorkeling but it is too rough that day so we anchor at Big Bight, a very secluded spot off of Coolie Point for the night. Only one or two houses in site and one rather large bale of hay, er.......I mean a standard red poodle! No lie. I looked thru the binoculars trying to see thru a house's windows and saw something red-like and it turned out to be a red poodle!!! So funny but I guess you had to be there to think so!
Cooked 'shrimp chuckie' for dinner on the boat and enjoyed a nice evening of bright stars and a cool breeze blowing thru the boat.
Wednesday morning, we go out across the reef and this time, it's beeee-uti-ful for snorkeling. Crystal clear waters and beautiful coral and starfish and fishies to look at.
About the time we had all had our fill of snorkeling, Billy rows up to our boat in his fishing boat. Now, this story is one I will not soon forget. Billy is a local fisherman who wants to be a country western singer! He loves Travis Tritt and Randy Travis and is hoping to get discovered by someone to make him famous. Hated to tell him that it would not be by us. But he sang us a song with all of his heart and soul put into it and we decided it was not half bad! And all of this is coming from his wooden carved fishing boat. Pics will follow! And to make this story even better....his mama had wanted lobster for breakfast so he goes out, catches some lobster, brings it to her and she cooks him breakfast, he goes back out to get his catch for the day and comes by our boat where he finds 6 very hungry lobster lovers! We bought his whole catch!! 11 lobster, 7 or 8 conchs, and a beautiful shell to keep as a souvenir.....and he cracked the lobster and cleaned out the conch shells for us while he sat in the boat! It was a hoot, I tell ya! Don't know who was funnier...him or all of us just watching all of this in disbelief!!
Billy, singing his country western song!
After lunch, we move to a spot off the reef that is good for snorkeling but it is too rough that day so we anchor at Big Bight, a very secluded spot off of Coolie Point for the night. Only one or two houses in site and one rather large bale of hay, er.......I mean a standard red poodle! No lie. I looked thru the binoculars trying to see thru a house's windows and saw something red-like and it turned out to be a red poodle!!! So funny but I guess you had to be there to think so!
Cooked 'shrimp chuckie' for dinner on the boat and enjoyed a nice evening of bright stars and a cool breeze blowing thru the boat.
Wednesday morning, we go out across the reef and this time, it's beeee-uti-ful for snorkeling. Crystal clear waters and beautiful coral and starfish and fishies to look at.
About the time we had all had our fill of snorkeling, Billy rows up to our boat in his fishing boat. Now, this story is one I will not soon forget. Billy is a local fisherman who wants to be a country western singer! He loves Travis Tritt and Randy Travis and is hoping to get discovered by someone to make him famous. Hated to tell him that it would not be by us. But he sang us a song with all of his heart and soul put into it and we decided it was not half bad! And all of this is coming from his wooden carved fishing boat. Pics will follow! And to make this story even better....his mama had wanted lobster for breakfast so he goes out, catches some lobster, brings it to her and she cooks him breakfast, he goes back out to get his catch for the day and comes by our boat where he finds 6 very hungry lobster lovers! We bought his whole catch!! 11 lobster, 7 or 8 conchs, and a beautiful shell to keep as a souvenir.....and he cracked the lobster and cleaned out the conch shells for us while he sat in the boat! It was a hoot, I tell ya! Don't know who was funnier...him or all of us just watching all of this in disbelief!!
Billy, singing his country western song!
And more to the story?? Along comes another boat of snorkelers, driven by Chris who introduced himself as a cheery Brit and told us about a little place he had in Sandy Bay with a bar....we should come by for a beer. So we did. O>M>G!!The most beautiful tropical bar and cabanas you have ever seen! All built by himself and his dad, from England, and there was not a piece of plastic in sight. All wood and all handmade. With the most amazing place to watch sunsets and enjoy life that you've ever seen. I may have captured on of my most stunning sunsets yet here.....I know, I know.....I think every one of them are stunning!
So, we all walk around in awe of this place and have a few drinks which led to a few more....then a sampling of tapas that his girlfriend from Spain cooks up...and then a few more drinks....and before you know it, we have new best friends!! Chris and Monica and his dad, Paul. oh.....and did I mention that chris is 26 yrs old???!!!!!! We finally dinghy back to boat, sounding like a bunch of silly, laughing bums and having a ball!
Thursday morning, we leave out early to catch a taxi to West End for breakfast. Only there are too many of us for one taxi, so the girls get in one and the guys hitched a ride on the back of a truck to ride into town! (The city boy was dying here!) Then, we're off to Gumbolimba Park for some ziplining!! I was too chicken but the rest of them strapped on the gear and took off to 20 different platforms thru the jungle. I laughed and laughed. Oh Boy....as Antoni would say!
And then finally. FINALLY. After 15 yrs of travel and wanting to see monkeys, I get to see, hold, and watch monkeys!! So. Much. Fun. 11 of them. And did you know that boy monkeys have something that I could not ever, in my wildest dreams, imagine an animal having?? Even me? My imaginati
on? I'll include a pic to make my 
point! 
And now what time is it? Why, it's monkey la-la time, of course!! We stop for a cold la-la and some snacks before going back to Tranquil Seas, Chris's bar, where we really shouldn't have stayed so long, if ya know what I mean....! Dinner at Blue Bahia and back home to boat.
Only to wake up the next morning around 7am with someonesaying"hellooooooo..
.hellooooooooo at the back of the boat. Cap'n gets up to talk to him and he tells us we have to leave...that it's a park and we cannot anchor there. Now, we've already anchored here and spent several nights in the past few weeks but this day, they tell us we have to leave. River Rats have been kicked out of another anchorage.........um.....do you think someone is trying to tell us something??!!!So....we haul you know what out of there, I go back to sleep and by the time I wake up, we're coming back into the marina. Needed fuel and the plan was to just fuel up and sail over to Fantasy Island for some beach time. But alas, we forget once again, we're on island time and it takes several hours for this lil chore to get accomplished. So we chilled by the pool and had fancy schmancy drinks delivered poolside all afternoon. Realizing it would be our last night all together, because the Edwards were leaving the next day, we all gussied up(which means showered!) and dinghyed over to Romeo's in French Harbor for dinner. Lobster and steak, which was vera, vera tasty.
Saturday morning brought good breakfast, more pool time and salt scrubs and massages for the baby girls before it was time for farewells. Saturday afternoon, we took chad and rachel, by taxi, to Coxen Hole, the capital of Roatan, for a walk thru the mercada. Nothing like seeing the streets and how the people of a third world country live to make you appreciate what we have at home. Everyone should see that. Yet; some of my best shots come from the faces of some of the happiest people in this third world country. They only know what they have and they love it. And the expressions on their faces show it. Just hoping I can show the real picture thru an image!
One more lobster dinner with my babyboy and my daughter in law on Saturday night (I think she had her request for lobster filled on this trip!) and before we knew it, it was time for them to fly away too...............boohoo!But what can I say? I'm one happy mama who has had a wonderful week of hilarity and hugs to keep me going for awhile. Wish all the boys could have joined us but everyone goes in so many different directions, it's hard to make it all happen. But that's ok....cuz in a few weeks, I'll know just where to find those other two and I'll MAKE them come play with me!!! And know that soon, we'll all be able to sail away together, making memories just like we did this week.
Because after all, FUN, FRIENDS, LAUGHTER, CHILDREN = FAMILY!! and I have one of the best...muey bueno!!
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