Honduras

Our Day On Little French Key, Roatan

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We teamed up with our British slip neighbors, Jan and Richard, for a day on nearby Little French Cay. The private island resort  caters to cruise ship passengers and other day visitors (although they now offer a beach house for overnight rental). I “borrowed” another aerial view. Fantasy Island, and our marina is in the upper right corner of this photo.

The island has several bars and restaurants, beaches with lounge chairs and covered beds, kayaks and paddle boards, massage services and a small zoo (more on that in my post about the zoo). You can also sign up to snorkel or ride horses in the water.

After tying up the dinghy, we wandered through the zoo, and around the rest of the island. There wasn’t a cruise ship in port on the day we visited, so there was plenty of room to roam. The grounds are immaculate, and they’ve spent a lot of time achieving a tropical destination feel.

We eventually made our way to a restaurant that sits over the water, and settled in for lunch.

With full bellies, we ignored the “wait an hour after you eat to go in the water” rule, and changed into our swimsuits for some “bobbing,” a new term taught to us by Jan and Richard. Bobbing involves standing in the water, waist deep, with a drink. Dipping down into the water up to your neck may be required, for cooling purposes, while chatting with friends. Here is an example of bobbing…

Unfortunately, our lunch and bobbing area was surrounded by sand and mangroves, which we have learned are a haven for sand fleas. We all left covered in bites on our backs and shoulders, with itching on our legs catching up later. Up until now, I had been doing a terrific job of keeping this from happening, dousing myself in bug spray whenever I’m outside. Stupid sand fleas.

It was still a great afternoon with our friends. Here are some photos of our day on Little French Key, and a few random ones as well.

“Shells Sink, Dreams Float. Life’s Good On Our Boat!”

 

 

A Rental Car Day In Roatan

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Scott and I rented a car for the day, to load up on groceries from Eldons, run other errands and drive the island a bit. The car was delivered to the marina, and the man who dropped it off took almost 30 minutes to look it over and check us in. He was frustrated that Scott’s credit card didn’t have raised numbers. They still use the sliding imprint contraptions here, so he had to hand write the numbers down..a daunting job.

We invited our new British friends, Jan and Richard, to come along with us (our first new British friends left last Saturday, and Richard and Jan arrived a day later!). They are cruising on s/v Morpheus, and we were all in Isla Mujeres at the same time. We never crossed paths there, but are having a great time together here!

First stop, Ace Hardware. Scott had been here before, and was surprised to find that it was just like walking into an Ace in the U.S. It’s a large store, with a great selection of a variety of items. We shopped, checked out and were on our way.

The phone store was next. Jan and Richard needed a sim card for their phone, and we wanted to buy some minutes for ours. The power went out while we were there, which happens regularly here on Roatan so we weren’t surprised. It usually comes back on quickly, and most all businesses have generators as well. However, computers obviously take time to re-boot, so we had to wait a bit before completing our check out.

After two unsuccessful atm attempts at two different banks in the shopping center, we decided to move on. I’m not sure if they’re effected by the power blips, but if so, they definitely needed more time to come back online.

It was on to Eldon’s, where Scott and I loaded up with non refrigerated/frozen items (they’ll have to wait until we get our new compressor installed) like canned and jarred foods, cleaning products, paper towels and Kleenex, cat litter, wine, rum and bug spray. Jan and Richard weren’t doing such a big run, so Scott ran them back to their boat. We didn’t want them to have to wait on us, and our two-cart list. It proved to be a good idea, as our things filled both the trunk and back seat of the little rental car.

With our errands finished, it was time for fun. The four of us set out for lunch at Cal’s Cantina. Both cruisers and locals have told us that the views are terrific from here, and they were correct!

We had lunch and then continued on. I spied a sign for Lionfish Louie’s, turned the car around and began following the arrows. We took the poor Kia up some steep road, but it chugged along. Eventually, we made our way back down to the water and parked in the sand. Louie’s is a huge property, but since there wasn’t a cruise ship in port, we had the place almost all to ourselves.

There were neat “tree umbrellas” along the beach. An original idea!

From there, it was on to the east end of the island. I was searching for La Sirena, a place that our friends Elizabeth and Ed had visited when they spent a few months anchored off of Fantasy Island in January. I’d also read a lot of good reviews about it online.

The paved road soon turned to gravel and dirt, with sizeable ruts, and I had to slow our speed considerably. As we traveled, it was really noticeable how dust-covered the trees alongside the road were. It has been usually dry lately, with no rain to speak of at all.

We also had to make our way over many speed bumps, that were very challenging for our little Kia. I found it odd that there were so many, considering you couldn’t travel above 10 mph due to the road conditions! No matter how much we slowed down, there was always a crunching or scraping noise as we went over them. It seemed as if they were meant to slow for four-wheel drive vehicles, being so high, but we saw endless scooters and motorcycles run over them just fine. Poor Kia.

At many points along the way, it seemed we must have missed a turn, as the road got worse and worse. Thankfully, there would be a sign every now and then for La Sirena…10 miles, 15 minutes, 2km. However, with the random distances and times, we had no idea exactly how far it was, and just hope it was soon…La Sirena must have read our minds!

Hallelujah, we’d finally made it! I have to say, it was worth the drive. La Sirena is just a shack that sits out on a pier, with two smaller covered seating areas.

It was definitely remote. We passed a “local,” napping in the sand, on our way to the pier.

I’d heard that they make a killer rum punch, and Scott concurred.

Unfortunately, we couldn’t linger long. With sunset nearing, we wanted to be on our way. Getting back onto paved road by dark would take some time, traveling at a snail’s pace.

Before leaving, I used the bathroom. Contrary to what you may expect, there was a working toilet inside, and it was very, very clean.

However, here’s the view through the wall, from inside said bathroom.

We piled into our poor, dust covered Kia (even the inside door jams were caked with the stuff) and started back up and down the mountain, stopping for a few quick photos before dark.

Scott took us on a Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride back to the marina, getting there just after dark. We stopped into the pavilion for a drink with our neighbors, before calling it a night. Here are more photos of our rental car adventure.

“Shells Sink, Dreams Float. Life’s Good On Our Boat!”

Groceries in Roatan

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Groceries in Roatan have been easy to get to, for the most part, and the selection of food has been surprisingly great. When in West End, we went to shore and did a quick walk to Woody’s Groceries. Being in a touristy area, prices were a bit high, but the selection was good.

Just before Woody’s was a terrific produce stand, with some of the best fruits and vegetables we’ve seen.

Here in French Harbor, we have several options. Tuesday is grocery day here at the marina. At 11:30, a local man arrives with a truck load of fresh fruit, vegetables and eggs. When he pulls up it’s every man for himself, as cruisers grab what they need.

Howard loves the “veg” truck, as he’s crazy for pineapple leaves.

Later in the day, a mini bus arrives at 3pm to shuttle us off to Eldon’s grocery store. On our first grocery day, the bus was packed full, with all of the jump seats down the aisles in use. Yesterday, we had much more wiggle room.

The bus first stops at a gas station right near Eldon’s. Anyone needing dinghy or motor gas is welcome to bring their jugs along, and get off at the station to fill them up.  They then walk back to  meet the bus at Eldon’s, just a short distance away.

Eldon’s is awesome!!! It is huge, and full of familiar items and brands that we haven’t seen since Florida. We have heard that they get weekly shipments from Miami, which explains the many familiar sights from home.

We have an hour to shop, which was nowhere near enough for me on the first visit. There was so much sensory overload, that I barely had a chance to get anything on my list before it was time to get in line and check out, where we realized that tax here is close to 30%! Yikes!

It’s amazing how all of the people, groceries and gas jugs fit onto the bus for the trip back (especially with so many people last week). Grocery bags and boxes are stacked high in the back of the bus. Gas jugs are under seats or at feet and crush-able things are on laps.

It’s great knowing that we have a definite day of easy accessibility to food, but I wanted more time in that awesome store, so we set out in the Aluminum Princess for our own grocery excursion.

To get to shore, we headed to the Roatan Yacht Club. It’s currently closed, but there is someone there to collect 2.50 from you for tying up at the dock. The grounds, bathrooms and buildings are well maintained, considering the yacht club is closed.

We followed a path that led us up some stairs, through colorful trees and plants, past what was a hotel for the yacht club, but is now private apartments and onto the street.

Once on the street, it was just a five minute walk to Eldon’s.

On this visit, I had plenty of time to peruse every aisle, finding all kinds of welcome sights. I think I’ve mentioned that butter in Mexico was challenging. Here, I happily found good old Land o Lakes! I saw the Indian on the box, but heard angels singing!

We also found many different types of french fries…waffle cut, sweet potato, and onion rings! However, things like this will have to wait, until we get our fridge and freezer back to normal.

Once I’d had my fill of Eldon’s, and we’d reached our carrying capacity, we checked out and made our way back to the dock; up the road; through yacht club entrance; up, down, back and forth along the path; down the steps and back to the boat. If you’re interested, we took out Delorme satellite tracker with us. You can see our route to Eldon’s by clicking the link on our Where Are We Now page.

On Monday, we visited Bulk Gourmet, a store that carries specialty things shipped in from the States. The owners will stop by on their way in, and pick up marina guests who want to shop. Scott and I made our way across the rickety bridge, up to the main entrance and waited out by the main road.

We were picked up in a hummer (not a bad way to go), and delivered to the front door. Inside, there were all kinds of neat treats. Gourmet potato chips, ginger beer for Scott, peanut butter filled pretzels, and spices that weren’t available at Eldon’s. They also had a great selection of frozen meats, but again, that would wait for now.

We have been spoiled here in Roatan, with plentiful fresh produce and an enormous selection of groceries. Here are more photos of the food here, and our travel to get it.

“Shells Sink, Dreams Float. Life’s Good On Our Boat!”

 

 

 

Fantasy Island

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Fantasy Island Resort & Marina is located on a private, 22 acre island just off of mainland Roatan, connected by a short bridge. Here’s a great overhead photo that I found on the internet. We are tied to the end of the open pier at the left of the photo, above the peninsula of pine trees.

The resort was built in 1989, and had a re-do in 2005. Unfortunately, the property is showing it’s age in spots. During the week, the resort is virtually dead. The weekends are a bit better, but by no means is it ever close to full. It’s a huge property to maintain, and there just doesn’t seem to be enough business dollars coming in to keep it up.

However, the location is awesome. The open Caribbean views just off of our slip are amazing.

We also look across a peninsula, to the large crescent beach.

The island is full of life, as I’ve mentioned. We see it daily, right outside our window (much to Howard’s delight). Iguanas of all sizes, roosters and chickens, peacocks and various other birds, agoutis and, of course, the monkeys (much more about them later).

The property allows paths and roads for us to walk and stretch our legs, and we also have use of the beach, pool and free internet in the lobby. The pavilion is a regular gathering place in the evenings, as the temperatures cool. Steve and Debbie, the dock masters, keep it interesting with different events and specials, such as barbecue, movie and ladies night.

Lately, we’ve had a wonderful reprieve from the high humidity The air is clear, and we are able to see the shoreline of mainland Honduras, from the Guatemala border all the way to Nicaragua.

Scott and I enjoyed the afternoon up on our fly bridge yesterday, and also entertained some visitors!

My sister gave Scott an air chair years ago, that he loves. When we sold the house, it came with us to the boat, and makes a great place for a drink at sunset.

Our current home is full of life and beautiful scenery. Here are many photos, as well as some from Scott’s birthday lunch, that I forgot to post previously.

“Shells Sink, Dreams Float. Life’s Good On Our Boat!”

 

 

Happy Birthday To My Captain!!

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Scott turns 41 today! We ventured out in the Aluminum Princess for lunch at a nearby restaurant. The weather was awesome today, with virtually NO humidity (Happy Birthday to Scott). It was such a welcome break from the suffering thickness that has been the norm lately. We decided to take advantage of the beautifully clear air, and take the long way to lunch, going around the island first.

We tied up at Frenchy’s 44, a local place owned by the people who run Little French Island across the water. The atmosphere was nice, and we enjoyed lunch while chatting with the friendly staff.

We caught sight of someone riding a horse in the water off of Little French Cay. It was something to see!

It was a great afternoon. We’ll celebrate more formally next week, but for now…Happy Birthday to my Captain! Celebrating 41 in the bay islands of Honduras, aboard your own boat, priceless!

“Shells Sink, Dreams Float. Life’s Good On Our Boat!”

Cinco de Mayo!

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There was a potluck held at the pavilion tonight, celebrating Cinco de Mayo. Scott and I went with guacamole, tres leches cake and mustaches in tow. And, no Cinco de Mayo celebration would be complete, without a festive hat (one I’ve been carrying around for 8  months, waiting to use)!! Ole~!

“Shells Sink, Dreams Float. Life’s Good On Our Boat!”

Our Private Chef

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On our first evening here, I struck up a conversation at the pavilion with Andy, who is currently traveling the bay islands on his friend’s sailboat. He grew up in India, and we began to talk extensively about Indian cuisine (which Scott and I have come to love). Andy explained that food prepared by families in India is much different than what is found in stores and restaurants outside of the country. At the end of the night, Andy offered to come onboard and cook us a meal. As usual, I jumped at the chance for someone else to prepare our dinner!

Yesterday was our lucky night. Andy planned to prepare beef korma, lentils and some vegetables for us. At the local store, we shopped for spices, produce, rice and meat. What spices we couldn’t find, Andy brought with him, along with some lentils that he had pre soaked.

Compared to the sailboat he’s living on, our galley offered much more room, but the counters were soon full of peppers, onions, garlic, tomatoes and many spices. Andy and I danced quite well together, as we both chopped ingredients and started things heating on the stove top.

The pile of sliced peppers and onions, along with the strong smell of spices in hot oil sent poor Howard running from the room. The poor guy spent the better part of 30 minutes with his eyes closed as they watered. I relocated him to our bed, away from the “fumes,” and he eventually settled back to sleep with his feet up in the air.

Since our meal preparation would be lengthy, we grilled some fish and a lobster tail that Scott had caught earlier in the day. It was a nice starter to nibble on as Andy continued to prepare dinner.

We chatted about our respective travels (mostly Andy’s, as he  has many more under his belt than us), music, and life on a boat. Soon, all three burners on the stove were working on dinner. Under Andy’s watchful eye, the lentils simmered, the beginnings of our vegetables began to soften and the korma came together.

The onions and spices cooking with the beef reduced into a wonderfully smelling sauce.

Andy finished up by cooking some rice, and then our wait as over. It was time eat, and the delicious smells that had filled the boat for hours were now served up onto our plates. We happily dug in.

We made quick work of Andy’s amazing cooking, stuffing ourselves with the spicy goodness. I hope to be able to replicate some of what he made on my own. It was great fun spending the evening with Andy, and our dinner was amazing. Cheers to our new friend, and personal chef!

“Shells Sink, Dreams Float. Life’s Good On Our Boat!”

 

Around The Corner To French Harbor

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On Friday morning, we left West End and came to the area known as French Harbor. The wind forecast wasn’t the best (meaning we’d have head seas, no one’s favorite), but waiting for something better would have meant five or six more days at West End.

French harbor offers, among other things, a large grocery store, an Ace Hardware, a marine store and very few tourists. So, we made a quick but fairly bumpy trip (Howard was not pleased) “around the corner,” and along the southern coast of the island.

The rough ride was worth it, as we had decided to take a break from the sweltering temperatures and get a slip in French Harbor! Once we were out of the open ocean, I was able to take some pictures.

We made our way to Fantasy Island Resort & Marina. Timing was just right, as we were able to follow one of their dive boats through the reef, saving us the hassle of eye-balling our way.

Steve, the dock master, was there to catch our lines. He and his wife left Hawaii, bound for Annapolis, Md! When the dock master position presented itself, they accepted, and are now permanent marina residents. Steve helped us side-tie to the pier, which offers us terrific views from the boat.

The sound of breaking waves on the nearby reef is so loud, that you’d think we were anchored near a waterfall!

After plugging in and cooling off, we headed to the pavilion at dusk, where cruisers gather each evening. As we arrived, we were surprised to meet some of the marina locals…monkeys!! There had just been a bit of drama and screeching, that was quickly soothed by Steve’s offering of peanuts.

There are three monkeys who live on Fantasy Island, two males and a female (the names currently escape me). We are told that the female does not like women, so I kept my distance as she ate her peanuts. Steve warned us to keep things like shoes and such inside our boat, because the monkeys will take them. Scott is fairly sure that they have already made off with one of the gloves he uses when bringing in our paravanes.

The beer and wine bar in the pavilion is self serve, with latches on the refrigerators to keep the monkeys out, of course. A book is provided, to tally drinks next to your boat name. Payment is on island time, made that evening, or the next, or at the end of the week or at the end of your stay. We enjoyed music and singing from another cruiser, and chatted with a few of our new neighbors.

In addition to the monkeys, there are roosters and iguanas roaming on the island. Howard spotted this huge guy climbing the tree right outside our boat.

There are also many agoutis. These animals look like a guinea pig and a rat mated. They aren’t afraid of humans or noise, and wander the grounds (including the piers) freely as they look for food. Ick!

Howard is in “Wild Kingdom” heaven! The crying to get out began as soon as we tied up and he caught sight and smell of the grass. He was mesmerized by the agoutis.

We took him out to get some fresh air, and he immediately ran to the grass. After wandering around for a bit, he got right to chewing on the palm fronds.

As you can imagine, he did not want to leave the grass. Once inside, he showed his frustration by yelling at me and then biting my feet and ankles. Howard gets quite “sassy” when he doesn’t get his way. However, it’s not all bad for him. He gets daily walks, and enjoys watching the grass and trees for passing animals.

We spent all of Saturday washing the dirt and salt off of the boat. Scott spent hours pre-rinsing, and then we washed..and washed…and washed some more. Sea Life is a big girl, and the bath was much needed. We even washed the sides below the rub rail, turned the boat, and did the same on the other side. It was like a spa day for the old girl, and we could feel her breath a sigh of relief.

Yesterday, I started to reclaim the interior, that had been neglected once the heat and humidity kicked in. After a thorough  vacuuming, cleaning of heads and general straightening, we enjoyed some time with Diane and Jeff, who are from the UK. They are just down the dock, and we invited them over to pick their brains for further information on Colombia, Panama and the Eastern Caribbean.

Today, Scott went into town with Jeff and Diane to visit Ace Hardware and some other stores. Since they left at high noon, I chose to stay behind and catch up on the blog, emailing and boat chores. Their dinghy has a small leak, so instead of pumping it back up, Scott fired up the Aluminum Princess and they all headed to the dock that’s used to access town.

We plan to stay here for a bit, and use the marina as a home base while we explore the area. Here are more photos of our trip to French Harbor, and our first days at Fantasy Island.

“Shells Sink, Dreams Float. Life’s Good On Our Boat!”

Pancakes, Beach Bars And Fish

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We left the boat early, to beat the heat of the day in town. I wanted to get some more produce, since the things we’d bought previously were so good. I also wanted to take advantage of the fact that Michelle, at Rudy’s, made pancakes. Since the smoothie we’d had the day before was so great, her pancakes had to be delicious!

Michelle was just arriving to open for the day as we tied to the pier. She chatted happily with us, while opening, making coffee for some local regulars and preparing our pancakes. They were, as expected, terrific! I know pancakes aren’t difficult, or necessarily special, but it was a nice treat to enjoy them by the water’s edge with such a friendly person. And, I didn’t have to put any additional heat into our boat to make them!

If you find yourself in West End, go to Rudy’s and see Michelle! Her personality, pancakes and skills with a blender will ensure more than one visit to the inviting smoothie (and more) shack.

On our way to the produce stand, I did a quick bit of shopping. The store we went into was crammed full of things, but Scott managed to spot painted bird feathers that had been framed. We thought them unusual and different, and chose one painted with a parrot and and iguana.

I then went into Rusty Fish, a shop selling items made from stone, bottles, metal and such. All things are made from local artists, using recycled or found materials. I chose two fish made from a stone that is locally known as Island Jade or Honduras jade.

It’s actually a type of Serpentine, and is a softer stone, making it an excellent material for artwork and jewelry. Island Jade is found on the hill tops of both Roatan and mainland Honduras, and comes in many colors. Some pieces we saw had four or five colors in just one stone.

The Rusty Fish had both carvings and jewelry made from the stone, displaying the work of eleven local stone artists. They also had many other neat things made from all sorts of materials, but we have limited space onboard and showed restraint. With full bellies, and a backpack full of produce and trinkets, we headed back to Sea Life for a break from the evil, mid-day heat.

Our afternoon plan was to dinghy over to some nearby beach bars. Scott didn’t want to go, as the heat and humidity were winning out over his want for a cold drink in the sand. I reminded him that we’d been talking of going to these places since first anchoring here, and if we planned to head for French Harbor the next day, this was our last chance.

We made our way to shore, and tied up near our first stop, Tita’s Pink Seahorse.

Yes, this place is open for business! We wandered past the pile of palm fronds waiting to be burned, and around the tarps. Inside, it was a typical tiki/beach-bar-type place, crammed with various “mementos” hanging from the ceiling and on the walls. We immediately liked it.

From behind the bar, Niki greeted us with a big smile….and delicious drinks! I tried a “Monkey La La,” (a frozen drink, much like a mudslide with banana added) and Scott had a killer rum punch. She also makes a great mojito! We now liked the place even more.

Niki had grown up in Guanaja, where we started our bay island cruising. We chatted with her about how much we enjoyed the island, and looked forward to going back. The bar was full of locals and tourists who were also taking a break from the mid-day sweltering heat. We all agreed that Tita’s was a perfect place to hide.

Just outside on the beach, some local school children were having a phys-ed class. Scott and I were surprised that the class wasn’t held closer to dawn or dusk. The kids were doing lunges in the sand, running sprints and practicing volleyball skills. They appeared less than happy about it, and we could feel their pain from behind our big glasses of cold drinks (sorry kids).

Feeling like we should give the other nearby beach bar equal time, we thanked Niki and her Aunt Tita (who is the owner) and made our way just down the beach to Ronnie’s Barefoot Beach Bar. Unfortunately, Ronnie’s didn’t seem to be as popular with either locals or tourists, as it was completely empty. We weren’t even sure that they were open, until a woman came from under a nearby palapa to wait on us.

While we were deciding whether to return to our boat, or to Tita’s, after our drinks, a local man came up to the bar from the beach and ordered a beer. He’d just come back from fishing, and invited us to see his catch. Back on the pier,  we watched as he started to scale and clean the fish.

Kevin and a friend had fished in 800 feet of water, using just hand lines, no rods. They take turns pulling the lines in, as it’s quite a job at those depths. He asked if we’d like to buy one of the fish. Scaled, cleaned and ready to cook…absolutely!

As Kevin worked on a fish for us, some local dogs played on the pier and in the sand nearby, hoping to get a treat from Kevin. Tired from wrestling with the other dogs, one took a break…on Scott’s foot.

Kevin bagged our fish, and we thanked him and headed back to Sea Life, glad that we’d pushed ourselves to come out in the afternoon heat. It’s now on to French Harbor for us, but first here are some more photos from our day of pancakes, beach bars and fish (and a few more of our surroundings in West End).

“Shells Sink, Dreams Float. Life’s Good On Our Boat!”

 

West End

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West End greeted us with suffocating heat. Our days begin in the mid 80s, with humidity at 70%. By mid afternoon, the humidity drops to 60% (oh joy), but the temperatures climb to the low 90s before dusk brings a reprieve. Today has been the worst so far. When I woke up at 5:30 we were at 84, with the humidity at 80%. The day has been spent as immobile as possible.

Howard spends more time outside in the mornings now. He enjoys the breezes in the cockpit, before the heat builds enough to send him inside and into a coma.

In the evenings, he’s become mesmerized by the fish light that Scott hangs off of the transom. I have decreed that there be full supervision, after seeing him hang by one arm while swatting at fish with the other!

Our first day into town was miserable for me. I was literally reduced to tears in the heat; there was no escape. I couldn’t have been more soaked through in under an hour if I’d walked through hurricane rains. Shame on us, for going to town at 11:30. We have done better since, going ashore in either the early am hours, or right at dusk, when temperatures are more tolerable.

That said, we have gotten the lay of the land, which isn’t hard with one street running through town.

We’ve enjoyed some of the places along the main drag, and have found the local grocery store. The stall selling vegetables and produce has some of the best stuff we’ve seen, and we’re happily stuffing our face with lettuce and salad!

Scott discovered a small stall where local women make incredible food, at cheap prices. In addition to the yummy kebabs, they sell baleadas, which is made up of a of a folded flour tortilla that is filled with refried beans and cheese. You can add roasted meat, avocado, plantains or scrambled eggs as well.

They are one of the most common street foods in Honduras, and at 1.47 US a piece, are more than enough for us to share. The egg, avocado and chorizo makes a tasty breakfast!

We had been tying up at the town dock when going ashore, which is used mostly by the local water taxi pangas and snorkel boats. It’s a very busy pier, and no matter where we tie up, even with an ok from one of the drivers, we always seem to be in someone’s way when we return. Everyone is very friendly about it, but it’s frustrating just the same.

Luckily, our neighbor at anchor caught us at the dock yesterday and shared a better location to use. It’s much quieter, closer to Sea Life and, it comes with the perk of having a smoothie shack! Michelle makes a mean, and huge frozen treat!

In the next few days we plan to sample some more drinks in town, and peruse the stores. There are also some inviting beach bars that are very near where we’re anchored. We are hoping that the winds cooperate for us to move to French Harbor in a few days. It’s a short two – three hour trip “around the corner,” but we have to travel into the wind to get there, so will wait for a forgiving day.

In the meantime, we’re enduring the heat and humidity that comes with the territory. Here are some photos of our days here so far.

“Shells Sink, Dreams Float. Life’s Good On Our Boat!”