2005 Panama Canal Cruise -- Roatan Island

Updated July 20, 2005

[There are quite a few images on this page, please be patient while they load.
Click On Any Image to See a Larger Picture.]

Our first stop was Roatan Island. This small island is off the coast of Honduras. The island is still "unspoiled" according to some travel agents, and it has some level of poverty, mixed with American second homes, and a few resorts. We took the first of our shore excursions, the "Visit Roatan" bus trip. Our driver took us through the East part of the island, and we did not miss a thing. This part of the island has fewer tourist beaches, and we saw plenty of local people going about their daily lives. As island-dwellers ourselves, we sympathized with the descriptions of people flying to the "mainland" for medical care, shopping and so on.

This was our first encounter with lens fogging on our camera. On our Panama Canal trip in December, we encountered tropical humidity, but did not have any big problems. This time, the camera fogged up inside and out, as soon as we left our air-conditioned cabin. In the past, it was a simple matter of wiping off the lens, but this time, every lens surface and interior parts of the camera were really bad. It took nearly an hour before the camera was usable. Sandi figured out the solution: keep the camera under your shirt, in contact with your (already very warm) skin, when you are in an air-conditioned place, including the tour bus. Oh yes, Roatan was VERY hot when we were there.

We introduce our first full-length portrait of the Pride of America, on this web page. We had an excellent view of her from the hills of Roatan. Some people have objected to the shape of the bow, but if you put that issue aside, the PoAm is a beautiful ship; the interior makes up for any exterior matters. After all, when you are aboard, you don't see the bow anyway!

These pictures were taken primarily with our (now not so) new Kodak DX6490, which we love. The 10x optical zoom is great, and the electronics do a fine job of automatic adjustment and flash operations.

Approaching Roatan Island	Homes near the port at Coxen Hole	Debarking from the Pride of America [note lens fogging]	The Pride of America sits for her portrait at Coxen Hole.	Long view of the harbor from our perch in the mountains above Coxen Hole.
Sandi with the Pride of America in the background	Our tour bus	Shipwreck along coast of Roatan	Closeup of shipwreck	We stopped at a private "zoo" with several cages of animals. The iguanas were allowed to wander freely, much to Sandi's discomfort.
There were many colorful parrots.	They had a tidepool fenced off, with many sea creatures. This was a very large lobster. Roatan is a major exporter of fish and lobster.	Sea turtle	Excursion boats just offshort, inside the extensive reefs of Roatan. This island is a major scuba and snorkling destination.	Hermet crab scuttling across the concrete
Another parrot	Long view of those famous reefs, you can just see the lighter color in the water.	Coastline of Roatan	Hilltop restaurant	Pride of America at Roatan
Beautiful clear water of Roatan	Leaving the pier in Roatan	Looking back at Coxen Hole	Airport control tower is high on the mountain, while the airport is at sea level!	Roatan is now astern of us

2005 Panama Canal Cruise -- Roatan Island

More Links