The not-too-hard-to-take downside is that we were forced to endure another week of celebrations and parties revolving around the Christmas holidays. Not all bad. Christmas with sailors from all over the world is interesting if only to find out what others consider the essentials of the holidays. Games on Christmas Eve, pot luck dinner on Christmas Day, and a super New Year's Eve were our penance for poor planning. New Year's Eve became particularly memorable when, after just a few cocktails, we decided to take a small motor boat out on the river at midnight to see the fireworks. Sitting on the water in the dark we watched as at least 15 different sites along the river fired off some spectacular fireworks from private homes, riverside restaurants, and even the 100' high bridge over the river. Spectacular, indeed! Throughout Latin America fireworks are an integral part of any celebration and Guatemala was no exception.
We also delayed the departure enough so tht we were on the river for the legendary Denny's Beach Full Moon Party held on a small beach in Lago Isabela. Apparently there are only two full moons a year, but December was one of them. We had a good sail past the castle and into the lake. Over 20 boats managed to make the trip and the party was well worth the effort. New Year's Eve was also particularly memorable when, after just a few cocktails, we decided to take a small motor boat out on the river at midnight to see the fireworks. Sitting on the water in the dark we watched as at least 15 different sites along the river fired off some spectacular fireworks from private homes, riverside restaurants, and even the 100' high bridge over the river. Spectacular, indeed! Throughout Latin America fireworks are an integral part of any celebration and Guatemala was no exception.
Bright and early (well , about 2 PM) on New Year's Day we finally did get underway, stopping for the night at Texan Bay downriver, and then arriving in Livingston for our long awaited checkout on Jan 2. We easily navigated the shallow sand bar at the river mouth and headed toward Honduras. We were rewarded with a brisk afternoon sail across the bay to a well protected anchorage at Tres Puntas. The following morning we would begin the 30 hour sail to the island of Utila (where we would check- in to the country) and then on to Roatan.
The crossing turned out to be both boring and uncomfortable (see sailing isn't all sunny days and cocktails). We had little wind during the day and then got hit with some strong, unpredicted headwinds starting at midnight. Our bouncy, wet evening did not end until we reached Utila shortly after dawn, but we did arrive safely, checked into Honduras with immigration and the Port Captain, and then immediately headed to Roatan and the turquoise waters of French Harbor.
Because of the weather issues we were only the second boat to leave Mario's Marina this season. Winds were pretty constant from the east for much of December and January was going to be no different. Our first few days in French Harbor were marked with very high winds. We got off the boat during the days to swim, snorkel, explore, shop, etc., but evenings were spent aboard keeping an anchor watch. When we heard predictions of overnight winds of 40 knots we finally opted to move over to the docks at the Fantasy Island Resort. Again, not all bad. For less than $20 per night we got to use the entire resort facilities AND we were tied up safely... except for the monkeys.
Fantasy Island has some very cute monkeys who have a definite theft gene. Must be in their DNA because they will try to steal anything that isn't tied down. We had to clear the cockpit each time we left the boat. One evening we had a monkey drop from the trees into our Happy Hour. It was out of the trees, picked up a cocktail glass, and was back into the trees 20' overhead before anyone could move. Fortunately the glass was empty, though I did lose my favorite coffee cup a few days later.
Our lone guest for this trip arrived for a week long stay, and that got us moving again. We spent two more days at Fantasy Island, visited another resort on Little French Cay and dined at Frenchy's 44 restaurant before we set out on a sail to the West End of Roatan. This was a downwind sail and a beautiful day on the water. We anchored in a picturesque bay that fronts the dive town (that's scuba dive, not dive dive) of West End. Think sand street (one) and multiple restaurants, bars, scuba shops, and small hotels. One of the benefits of being on an island in the Caribbean is fresh fish, and in addition to trying several waterfront bars, we found some delicious Mahi and tuna at the Lighthouse restaurant. West End also has a protected reef that is part of their National Parks system. This is the dive capital of the world, but I will say that it ranks way up there in the snorkeling category also. This was probably the best reef we have seen in the Caribbean so far.
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Three days later we got another great sail back to French Harbor in spectacular blue seas and sunny skies. The 6 hour sail was warm, smooth, picturesque and relaxing. Exactly the kind of day we were looking for when we set out on this trip almost six years ago. Good thing because the following day the skies opened, rains fell, and Noah would have felt at home. Six days of heavy rain left us scrambling to get the boat ready for our mid-winter trip home for work. The boat is safely tied to the pier at a very small marina in Roatan, and our new best friend Mike is keeping an eye on it until we can return in late March for another two months afloat... this time in Belize and Mexico!!!
