Casanueva-Our Home Away From Home

We are enjoying our accommodations at Casanueva as the house is lovelier than the pictures we had seen before we arrived here on Roatan. The finishes at Casanueva are top of the line; the furniture and beds are comfortable and it is decorated with delightful colors and textures.  Honduran woods for the cabinetry, lovely pulls on the doors and drawers, granite counters, tiles and the colors of the curtains and walls all add to the beauty of the design and décor.

I love to open Casanueva to all the sounds and breezes.  As the island breezes waft through the rooms, you don’t need to use the AC at all.  There are paddle fans in each room for those few quiet, still days with light breezes.

  Even at night you can keep the house open as there are screens on most doors and the windows

A special treat is to enjoy the palapa and pool area at night. There is a paddle fan in the palapa and curtains around the lattice work provide privacy and just the right touch of romance.

The pool and deck area shared by Casaneuva and Villa Belvedere

From the outdoor kitchen you can enjoy the outdoor areas while you BBQ.

 With a few outdoor candles in the palapa and the accent lighting around the pool you can entertain quests in the evening or just have some private time for yourself.  

Steps lead from Villa Belvedere to the pool and deck area shared with Casanueva

The cruise ships often leave by sunset or in the evening to give you a wonderful boat parade as they glide by lit up like Christmas.

Dad enjoys sitting and reading in the palapa

We also love the pool and deck area outside the front door of Casanueva during the day. There is plenty of sun or shade –you can pick your spot!

Hummingbirds visit the feeders on the palapa

Michael enjoys the quiet and shade of the palapa

 Even if you catch a shower during the day, the palapa provides shelter and a quiet place to read, watch the water, and the hummingbirds. 

You can get up close and personal with the hummingbirds

 And if you sit still, the hummingbirds will come and buzz right up to the flowers on the table or even around your head if you have bright colors in your clothing.

What a treat!

Sunny or Rainy in Roatan.........It's All Fun and Roatan Plane Crash

Rainy Morning at Infinity Bay

Rainy days on Roatan can still be as much fun as a sunny day.  This morning it was looking cloudy and we canceled our planned snorkeling trip and instead took Mimi and Dad to Infinity Bay for breakfast on the beach.

Smiles for a Great Breakfast: Eggs Benedict on the Beach

 Since our last visit to the island Infinity Bay has completed a covered palapa and added roll down wind and rain curtains.  So when the rains started, we were still able to enjoy our meal, visit with the wait staff who are always pleasant and funny and enjoy the activity on the beach.  We even took short strolls along the beach to show them what it is like.  Wait til they see It on a bright sunny day with all the wonderful shades of blue and green in the water.

I have included a link to the air crash that happened last week.
http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/World/20120116/canadian-recounts-honduran-float-plane-crash-120116/

Air Crash at West Bay Beach

From the news we have gathered around the beach, it all could have ended terribly but because there were divers in the water nearby and doctors on a passing boat, the family survived.

 I was able to take some of my own pictures of the plane from a water taxi as the aircraft was still afloat upside down between West Bay Beach and West End.


  Everyone was very concerned that the family was okay and grateful for all the people were in the right place and who made good decisions in a timely manner.

Here is a YouTube video of how this plane looked taken in December.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOb_JBpDdMI

Another news item of great interest here is the recent sinking of the cruise ship in Italy. So many people depend on the cruise ship industry here that any bad news like that sends a ripple through the community with fear that it will affect their livelihoods in some way. We still think cruising is a safe way to travel and so many people can only enjoy traveling that way.

Cruise Shippers on Shore

Party Boat on the Beach

Charlie works hard and gives a great massage

Water Taxis at West Bay Beach

Now that we have rented a car from someone on the island, we will be able to get out and about more easily. Lots of great things to see and do and share with family. Although I do miss my old squeaky truck from last year!

Sunday afternoons at the Beach

I am hoping to go to La Ceiba on the mainland of Honduras next week. I have never been there so I am  looking forward to taking the ferry over. I will be taking loads of pictures and will blog about it too.

 Little Girls are all the Same

You are in my space!

I guess I can share

What!!!!

Adios Amigo!!

My weekend was spent at the beach while Michael and Dad watched the playoffs. For me, watching people is always more fun than watching football....hard for some of you to believe I know! I love to meet up with friends and new people—all of which I did while Green Bay's Winning Season faded away.

Great New Food Spots on Roatan!

Smuggler's Beach Bar & Grill

 Since we left Roatan last spring several new restaurants have opened their doors, Restaurant Adventures awaiting our discovery. First we tried Smuggler’s Beach Bar & Grill which is a new palapa bar and grill on the property of Meridian on Lighthouse point.

It has been open just a few months but is already a popular place to enjoy some great food and friendly staff.

Enjoying Sunset at Smugglers

You can share the beach chairs, relax with a cerveza, snorkel from the beach or play horseshoes and corn-hole a bean bag toss game where you throw a bean bag into a board with a hole in it. You have to try it before you judge! Lots of fun and the first I’ve seen here.

Sunset at Smugglers is perfect!

Michael and I went down the hill from the house to Smugglers the other afternoon with the idea of snacking and watching the sun go down. We enjoyed yummy chicken wings and later tried the two lobster tail dinner with a wonderfully fresh and light pasta salad.







I enjoyed everything but the pasta salad was such a nice change from French fries or plantains and sooo refreshing. It also included fresh corn on the cob! Perfecto. And as we wanted to share with our parents, we grabbed up some shrimp on skewers to go. So much for a light snack! It was all so yummy. Oh, did I mention the monkey la la…my first since I returned. 

Hummingbird Feeders at Smuggler's Cove

Sunset at Meridian

Abner from Smuggler's Cove

Abner was our delightful wait staff person who smiled and joked with us as we waited for the sun to go down and the stars to come out. Smugglers is a delightful addition the island and we plan to spend lots of hours swimming, relaxing, and visiting (drinking) there. Great job Chris and Sydney! 




On to Herby's Pineapple Sports Bar and Grill in French Harbor.

View from Herby's Pineapple Bar and Grill

Pool at Pineapple Villas in French Harbour

We ate in the sports bar on the fourth floor where we enjoyed the view. Our classic cheeseburgers were great, French fries nice and crisp and the BBQ shrimp a nice addition. There were multiple items to choose from but I love a great hamburger and wasn’t disappointed.

Outdoor Seating at Herby's.....What a view

While we were enjoying our lunch we met and spoke to a lady also enjoying her lunch. It was quite a surprise for Mary to discover she was the daughter of the family they lived next door to in Huntsville over fifty years ago. Mary remembered her as a little girl, so with many hugs they caught up on fifty years of life a world away in Roatan. There is always a surprise awaiting to be discovered on Roatan.

Landscaping is unique

Here is our first bunch of bananas,  they are delicious and fresh coconuts were a treat for all.

Arrival in Roatan 2012

We made it back to Roatan!!  I am so happy, I can’t quit smiling.  Rainy last night and the showers are on and off today.  We hiked down the hill to the beach stopping to visit with some old friends along the way.  Some changes are evident on the island, like Smugglers Cove at the Meridian.  It used to be my private beach!! Oh well. On the other hand, things stay very much the same.  As we came through Coxen Hole there was a little girl leading a Burma bull down the middle of the road like she was taking her dog for a stroll. I promise to have my camera with me on my next excursion because there is always a new surprise to capture.

The trip was long and traveling with my elder father and Mother –in –law was somewhat challenging, more for them than us.  We were all up early to catch the plane, having to travel almost two hours to the airport in Orlando to get to Atlanta for the 10 o’clock flight to Roatan.

We arrived just after 12 and had an easy time through immigration because of wheelchair assistance-right to the front!!! Everyone was pleasant and kind to Mimi and Grandpa and they were shell-shocked I think by all the commotion waiting for luggage.

 Once we left the airport, we had a chance to get some groceries but still need another grocery run as Plaza Mar was under stocked.  We will try the new Eldon’s next time. I just want some of that wonderful Blue Plantation hydroponic lettuce for my salads.

We took grandpa for a walk today to show him the sites and warn him about how steep the hills are.  They might be okay to walk down but for him the walk up would be near impossible!

The Casanueva house is beautiful and brand new. I’ve got my hummingbird feeders up and brought and hung my wind chimes. Life is good!

 We are going to  Smuggler’s this afternoon and a look around West End tomorrow and hope to get some pictures of the road work in West End.

Well the sun just came back out, time to go back outside!