I’ve Been Very Bad

So it’s now been a few months since I last updated the blog. I’ve been very bad, but I’m going to do better!

I’ll start by back-posting older entries I never got around to posting and then fill in from there. Read on …

On the Road Again: Part 2

After a few days in Antigua, we shuttled up the mountains to Lake Atitlan. Like Antigua, Atitlan is surrounded by volcanoes and is picturesque.

Kevin and Amy on the rim of Lake Atitlan

The communities that line the shores of the lake have distinct personalities and are incredibly popular with American and European backpackers. After arriving in Panajachel, we hopped on a public boat and headed to Santa Cruz, a quiet and laid-back village on the north shore.

Street scene in "Pana"
(Check out that electric distribution system!)

Maya crafts vendor

View of the lake from our room

After a night at Atitlan, we decided to begin making our way back to Honduras. We spent another night in Antigua and then shuttled back down to Copan.

On the shuttle, we met Justin, an English traveler who was nursing a butchered leg. He had been on a hiking tour of Pacaya, one of the volcanoes near Antigua, when the volcano began erupting. As the lava spewed, his guide yelled “Run!” His group suffered numerous injuries, ranging from burns to cuts and dislocated shoulders (from tumbling down the scree-covered slope), but they also made Page 4 of the national newspaper. We spent the entire 5-and-a-half hour ride chatting, and Justin joined us in our adventures for the next few days.

The next day was Sunday – and my birthday. We headed to the Maya ruins for a repeat visit to the most ornate site in the Maya world. We also visited the museum, which had been closed for renovations on our previous visit several years before. That night, we played pool and air hockey and bar-hopped through Copan.

Copan's main plaza (one side only)

Justin cheezing it up with our guide's
feather staff and a Honduran lempira note,
which features the scene in the background

Close-up of the "Old Man of Copan"

Kevin copying his favorite Copan carving

Playing pool on the deck

On Monday, we headed back to the eastern shore and overnighted in Copan. The next day, we ferried back to Roatan. (This trip, the ferry earned its “Vomit Comet” moniker. As passengers got progressively more seasick, the crew made the rounds handing out plastic puke bags.) Justin joined us in Port Royal a few days later, and we resumed pondering what to do with ourselves.

On the Road Again: Part 1

As we pondered our future, we decided to make the most of a bad situation and hit the road. We had been to eastern Guatemala several times, but we had never made it up to the Western Highlands and wanted to check it out before (or if) we left Central America. Plus, our visas had just expired, and we needed to renew them. So we decided to try our luck at the Guatemalan frontera.

We left Matt’s at first light (about 5) in the morning to boat in to Oak Ridge. From there, we hired a taxi to the ferry, locally nicknamed the “Vomit Comet.” Luckily, the seas were fairly calm and we made it to the mainland without any seasickness.

View of the La Ceiba harbor from the ferry

Once in La Ceiba, we hired another taxi to the first-class bus station and travelled in style courtesy of Hedman-Alas across Honduras to the western city of Copan. The next day, we bought shuttle tickets and headed north to Guat.

We spent the first few days in Antigua, a beautiful Spanish colonial town surrounded by volcanoes. It was amazing and such a treat after the isolation of Roatan and Port Royal. The city is gorgeous and filled with fountains, churches, restaurants, art, and handicraft shops. It was also very clean, safe, and organized.

Here are a few pics:

Church near out hotel

The main plaza

Kevin's favorite fountain

Maya woman washing her hair
in a public wash area

Amy and Kevin having drinks
in an Irish (!) pub

View of a volcano from near the main plaza

Statue with volcano in background

We spent our days walking the streets and exploring the courtyards tucked in the centers of the blocks. We also found a Burger King! Yum … American French fries.

Antigua's Burger King

So long, farewell, auf Wiedersehen, good night

It’s official. We’re outta here.

The lodge owners have decided to return to Roatan to take over management of the lodge themselves. They have taken a beating in the recent economic downturn and decided to let us go to save money. At least, this is the “official” explanation.

In truth, there were a lot of other issues at the lodge, and it’s a bit of a relief to be gone. I’ll leave it at that and move on.

So we are now jobless and homeless in a third-world country -- just where I wanted to be at this stage of my life. Great.

For the moment, we are holed up next door at Matt and Corrine’s while we try to figure out what to do next. We can’t go home -– at least, not to our home, which is rented out until September -– and we’re not sure we want to stay. Time for a little soul-searching.

I wish I had a Magic 8-Ball!

More Fun With Crocodiles

The crocs are restless on Roatan these days.

Last week, I took Jeremy down island to run errands and post flyers to promote the lodge. One of our stops was the ferry terminal to pick up packages shipped from the mainland. On the way in, I was explaining to Jeremy that crocodiles are said to live in the gully right next to the ferry parking lot. Just as I finished, we saw this huge dude on the bank!

A resident croc at the ferry terminal

Now that’s a croc!

Free Radicals

In early February, Ed and Julie, the previous lodge managers, dropped by Port Royal for a day of debauchery in honor of their almost-completed boat, Spirit of Free Radical. They bought the boat more than a year ago and have been working hard ever since to get her back into shape. And they’ve done wonders. She really is gorgeous!

Here are a few shots of the party.

John, Cassie, Jeff, Julie, Ed, and (?)
celebrate with champagne

Ed and Amy

The "parking lot"

Inspired

Jeremy’s excitement about Roatan has inspired me to take more time to look around and enjoy our surroundings.

Yesterday, I found this snake in some shrubbery behind the restaurant. He was very long and very skinny. He was also a bit camera-shy.

The snake slithering through a palm

And a few days ago, I found this out by our gardens. Our staff has been working hard to clear the remnants of the old garden, which had become woefully overgrown, and prep a new garden to get ready for the planting season in March. When I went to check on their progress, I nearly tripped over this giant toadstool.

Giant toadstool by the garden

If only I could find a morel that size!

Holy Batfish, Robin!

Last Saturday, we were joined at the lodge by Jeremy, our new “intern” and all-around helper guy. Jeremy is young, just out of college, and excited to be in Honduras. He plans to do some volunteering at a school in Oak Ridge, improve his Spanish, attend a local church, and enjoy all the entrapments of a tropical paradise. He will also be our gofer. Jeremy will be staying with us until early May.

Here’s a photo of Jeremy taking “Spanish lessons” with Dalia. As those of you who have visited know (Joe, Jeff, I’m looking at you), Dalia likes to be very helpful to our guests. I believe her gold lame stripper shoes and tank top somehow help Jeremy learn better. However, I’m betting his mother would disagree.

Jeremy and Delia practicing "Spanish"
on top of the boat house

One of the fun things about having Jeremy around is that he reminds us of all the amazing things about Roatan. It’s easy to overlook the surrounding beauty when you get busy with work and the day-to-day challenges of living here. But to Jeremy, everything is new and very cool.

Earlier this week, Kevin spotted a batfish just off our dock. These things are incredibly cool, so Jeremy jumped in for a closer look.

Jeremy and our resident batfish

The batfish is a really crazy-looking little guy that hobbles around on his hind legs. Neato!

Bring Your Crocodile to Work Day

Last week, Perry showed up at work with a little surprise—a crocodile!

As the story goes, several years ago, Perry caught a small crocodile while fly fishing. Intrigued, he deposited it in the boat and promptly took it home to show his family. They, too, fell for the little guy and decided to keep it as a pet. The children named it Bambi.

Perry treated Bambi well and was quite fond of him. He took him on walks on his leash and brought him to work occasionally so Bambi could enjoy a refreshing swim in the ocean or creek.

However, not everyone was as enamored with Bambi. One day while Perry was working up the hill, another employee cut Bambi’s ropes and set him free into the ocean. Poor Perry never saw Bambi again.

But just over a week ago, Perry once again struck gold by snagging a crocodile while fishing with his son. His boy believed the new croc to be a more grown-up Bambi coming back to visit. So, of course, Perry put him in the boat and took him home. His family dubbed him Bambi II.

Miguel, Perry, and Bambi II

Perry now brings his new crocodile to work on a somewhat regular basis. He walks him and lets him swim in the ocean and creek (while I stand nearby and scream at the dogs not to go close).

Bambi II taking an afternoon swim in the creek

Thank God we don’t have workers’ comp here.

Fun With Honduran Labor Law

We’ve had several situations over the past few months that have required me to put on my human resources hat and delve into the murky world of Honduran labor law. This is always a challenge because the Honduran government does not post these laws in their entirety online (at least, not that I can find), but we are nonetheless required to comply with them.

In my research, I have found several sites that have been very helpful, but most are in Spanish (of course). I also found a site that includes short English summaries of the various related laws, interpretations, amendments, directives, etc. I love this one because it at least gives me a clue about what I am about to attempt to translate with my very poor Spanish skills.

While browsing through this site recently looking for information about probationary employment periods (fun stuff), I came across the following summaries.

Interpretation of Article 4 of the Labor Code (Codigo del Trabajo)
Decree 927-80 of 7 of May 1980 interprets Article 4 of the Labor Code (Codigo del Trabajo), contained in Decree 180 of 19 May 1959, by stating that the definition of worker includes the ones that sell frozen products such as ice cream cones, for fulfilling the essential requirements of the labor contract.

Untitled
Decree 61 of 31 March 1962 interprets Article 344 of the Labor Code and provides that barber shops are industrial establishments and, therefore, should remain closed on Sundays.

Obviously, neither of these were very helpful for my needs, but they did make me chuckle.

Side Note: I’m finally back out of my cave (the office), where I have been holed up for 2 months building a new Web site for the lodge—hence, my recent return to the blogosphere. The new site is at the same URL as the old one, so check it out if you get a chance and tell me what you think.