Roatan, Honduras

Weather here is magnificent. 80-90 degrees. 100% humidity which I don’t seem to mind. Fleeting rain and thunderstorms once or twice a day. Doesn’t bother me if it’s still warm and you can easily dry off. It was unbearably hot the first day we arrived, but it’s either cooled down or I’ve adjusted.

I was concerned before we left. The forecast called for 40-60% chance of rain every day. I was terrified we’d be impacted by Hurricane Isaac. The staff, however, said that Honduras is protected from hurricanes. And the rain hasn’t been a big deal at all. I happen to like the midnight thunder. It’s beautifully electric.

Half-way into our trip now, I’ve developed a heat rash. Happens to me all the time, even the last time I was in NYC I started to develop one. Dermatologists merely recommend hydrocortisone and triamcinolone, but I need a more aggressive plan. I can’t spend my vacations feeling like an over-ripe strawberry.

Driving in Roatan reminds me of other countries I’ve visited in Central America. It’s lush and verdant. Homes are on stilts. Cows are lounging by the road. Pick any resort; it feels like you’re in manicured Hawaii. Cab drivers easily talk on cell phones. Rihanna and the Black Eyed Peas are blaring on the radio and discos. I think outside of the United States and Germany, people don’t understand the mantra: reduce, reuse, recycle. There’s trash everywhere, with water bottles washing ashore. I saw an old man raking trash by the beach and I wanted to get out of the car and give him a hug to encourage him.

The big negative here that I haven’t experienced elsewhere are the cannibalistic sandflies and mosquitos. They are relentless. I’m coated in DEET and lemon eucalyptus which I’ve found to be an effective natural alternative to chemical bug spray.

Another big negative which you’ll find in all third world countries is negotiating for everything: cabs, water taxis, tours. It just smells of corruption, where the resort personnel refer you to their friend the cab driver who charges even more than what you can find hailing your own damn cab.

Despite the trash and the other negatives I’ve mentioned, this is a beautiful island that’s so easy to get to. Lots of tourists here: London, NYC, LA, South Africa. The sunsets are to-die-for. The beaches are gorgeous. The diving, apparently, ranked pretty highly in the world. And the food is superb, consistently fresh. I was going to ask for my breakfast bacon to be cooked extra crispy, but I refrained. Let these people do their jobs. They know what they’re doing and haven’t disappointed.

10 minutes later, I’m chomping on fried-to-perfection bacon, over-easy eggs, fresh slices of avocado, watermelon, cantaloupe, and sipping fresh-squeezed orange juice.