We've been anchored all week on the less populated north side of Guanaja.  Have done a few dives, featuring spectacular rock formations and swim-throughs- which sometimes turn into slither-throughs.  It's pristine and unvisited, though its hammering in 1998 by Hurricane Mitch means there's not much mature coral.  Kayakers, divers, and fly fishermen manage to find it.  There's one resort, George and Ginger's place, that provides lodging and some very nice food.  Their vegetable garden is worth the trip.


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Above, the Guanaja compact station.


Yesterday there was a barbecue on Housesitting Cay- an elaborate private island where two Brit cruisers are housesitting.  It was a wonderful treat to sit on the terrace all afternoon nibbling, and, in most cases, drinking rum cocktails.  I personally enjoy glimpses of such first-world amenities as wood floors, granite kitchen islands, and walls of matching towels (clean).  A dozen cruisers and locals mingled with two amiable guard dogs and a visiting kitten.


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The web assures us that Dunbar Rock is, quite simply, the best vacation lodging on Guanaja Island, but from here it looks more like a deserted snorkel spot.  Yesterday we went into the town- a few crowded streets built right on the water, away from the main island.  Very friendly, and certainly not like anyplace else.


We were planning to move to the north side of the island tomorrow- but the winds are about to shift to the north, making for rough water on that side.  And it's nice here.  The town is interesting, the swimming's good, and we can work all the bugs out of our computer before leaving the internet behind.


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Creature of the day:  Sharptail Eel


We frequently see Morays, but never a sea snake.  This guy was in very quiet spot in the Pigeon Cays- no snorkelers or divers about, we realized, because the current's too strong for anything but drift diving.  We watched him for a few minutes before Lorenzo touched him, and he can move really fast.

Hanging in Guanaja, a perfect little island that looks like a Sierra foothill poking up out of the Caribbean Sea.  Many Germans here with a fabulous restaurant 300 yds away, sauerbraten and sausages and spaetzle and homemade sauerkraut, all served to the dulcet tones of the German language.  I like it here.

Creature of the day:  Creole Wrasse


The most ubiquitous fish in Roatan, these guys turn up at any depth, usually schooling with companions of their own size.  The color patch on their back gets more intense with age, so the small ones are all blue, usually with a black spot on the nose and white lips.

Creature of the day:  Peacock Flounder


Wow, this guy was great- for a second, I thought the ledge was moving!


This is a flounder that has clearly mastered camouflage.  We approached him, and he moved a couple of inches, brightening his colors- especially the blues.  As soon as he settled in the new spot, his color immediately toned down to blend in again with the coral.

We've adapted to the pace at Calabash, wandering through the mangroves to get to dive spots, groceries, the Gasolinera.  Today, we're going to Calvin's Crack, a lovely underwater garden.  Tomorrow, perhaps we'll move to the next cove.  And then the next island- Guanaja.

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Semana Santa on Roatan!  Everyone goes to the beach- the jet skis come out, and the powerboats.  My favorite, full of kids, is named DADDY GIRL'S.  They're frying pork at the little grocery store on the canal, plates of lunch for $2.50.  We found a place that rents dive tanks, so are ready for adventure- or at least some more coral.

We started moving!
now we're in Calabash Bight on the east end of Roatan.  It's a very quiet inlet, currently four boats near a small marina where they cook dinner two nights a week.  Yesterday, we toured the mangrove channels nearby, trawling for groceries.  Today we might look for somebody with dive tanks.