Exploring Roatan on a Rainy Saturday

The sun rises very early here and so do we. We were out of the house by 7:30 and on our way to explore the East End of Roatan. First stop Coffee!! There is a little coffee shop down the hill and we enjoyed cappuccinos and croissants.  Very delicious and so fortified we traveled through the countryside, along the mountain ridge and  to Jonesville. Jonesville was founded in 1812 and it still looks like it.  The road is down the mountain to the shore, unpaved and full of potholes and washouts.  The road through town is unpaved as well and most of the houses seem perched over the water. This is a community devoted to the fishing industry and there is no tourism at all.  The only attraction is a wonderful quirky restaurant we have yet to visit. You can only  go by boat which the restaurant sends over when you bang on a plank.

On Sunday they have an all you can eat special of lobster or shrimp,,BBQ filet mignon and sides like homemade coleslaw, mashed potatoes, and cold beer.

Our next stop after climbing back up the hill road (4x drive) we made our way off the main paved highway to the East end where all the roads are gravel and dirt.  

Punta Gorda was the next stop. Here are a couple of photos taken from the truck. This is a town whose main population are the Garifuna Indians who were abandoned here by the Spanish.

The water here is very clean.

Next stop Paya Bay which has lovely beaches, eco tourism,  a beautiful restaurant and a friendly owner who was born on the island. But before we arrived we picked up some hitchikers quite by accident! Two small boys were trying to thumb a ride, Michael and I shook our heads no and continued on down the bumpy dirt road.  Suddenly Michael started laughing and said "Look in the back of the truck!"

They hopped out as we turned down the drive to Paya Bay. Since it was so rainy and we were the only people at the resort the owner gave a tour of the rooms and visited with us giving me many useful tips on where to get fresh seafood on the island.  She also gave me her phone number and encouraged me to call her if I need any other tips or advise.  Such a darling woman. Follow this link to see more photos of this area and Tropical island Divers.    http://picasaweb.google.com/gallown/20101016EastEndRoatan?authkey=Gv1sRgCIWZzcLP6c2nbQ#slideshow/5529078023883580914

The farthest point you can travel to by car is called Camp Bay where there is a hostel and little beach, restaurant and bar.  We made our bumpy way out to this out of the way spot.  As we entered the property we were met by a young man of high school age who inquired about where we were from. Florida brought the response that he had moved to the island from Florida as well. I continued to ask him questions and found that he uses Florida Virtual School to attend High School but that it is sometimes lonely. He then introduced us to his father and informed him we, too, were from Florida.  And out in the middle of nowhere, we find  Mike and his family are from  Hudson, Florida!!! It is truly a small world! 

Here is a more detailed map of Roatan with many of the places we have mentioned.