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| We Purchased This Beautiful Hibiscus Plant |
Last week I traveled by ferry to the coastal town of La Ceiba on the mainland of Honduras.
We left very early in the morning (before 6 AM) to go to Dixon’s Cove on the south side of Roatan. Dixon’s Cove is very near Mahogany Bay where Carnival Cruise ships dock. We purchased tickets and upgraded to first class in order to sit inside on the upper deck. The Galaxy Wave is a large catamaran style vessel that travels very quickly and smoothly across the water. We were given a complimentary beverage and waited for the passage to begin. We felt very little movement and arrived in La Ceiba in about an hour and fifteen minutes. Disembarking was quickly done and we began our adventure.
Just like any other bus or train terminal, it was crowded and noisy as taxi drivers vied for your business. We had a driver known to my friends waiting for us which proved to be a truly efficient and safe way to travel in La Ceiba. Gustavo was bilingual and had worked on a cruise ship in the past. He was very familiar with the town and my friends would advise him of where they wanted to go and off we went.
We were shopping for accessories for Casanueva and so we stopped at several furniture stores in La Ceiba. The showrooms weren’t as slick as you would see in the states, but the furniture was beautiful and much of it was made from Honduran hard wood. Every store had a security person at the front door who opened it and greeted you. Most stores also had someone continually mopping the floors. I often felt self-conscious for walking on their newly mopped floors but apparently it is common practice and they take no offense.
La Ceiba is very clean and pretty. It gets its name from the Ceiba tree that grows there. Plants and flowers have a big attraction for me and I was delighted that we were also stopping at a plant nursery. Many of the plants were familiar as they also grow in Florida. However, my plants in Florida have a difficult time surviving the winters. Lucky Honduran plants.
After that it was off to the Mall for a little bit of recreational shopping. The Mall was very similar to a mall in the states with two floors, kiosk shops and a food court. My friend and I purchased some gifts including a handmade fabric handbag. The artist, Virgie, was selling at her kiosk and I was delighted to meet her. She sells her screen print t-shirts and bags on Roatan, but at a premium.
Some of the restaurants in the food court were ones popular in Central America, but you could easily find something to snack on. There were many, many shoe stores- some high end like American Outfitters with five inch heels to Payless Shoe stores selling rubber sandals. One of the shops I loved was Victoria’s-not to be confused with Victoria’s Secret. She sold wedding dresses, dressy casual clothes, beautiful sandals and beachwear all in the same shop. The clothing was very pretty and my friend and I purchased several unique pieces. I would gladly shop there again.
Lunch time had arrived and it was off to find a meal. Since my friend is vegetarian, she suggested Pizza Hut! Yes, Pizza Hut. She was able to enjoy the salad bar and I enjoyed a personal pan pizza…..all very familiar.
Later we shopped some fabric shops looking for material to make tie backs for the curtains. Again each shop was unique. Some sold party planning supplies for weddings, baby showers, and school supplies-all from one shop. We stopped by the fruit market for papayas and took a tour of the city disco area which I was advised could be dangerous at night. We even shopped at a used car lot! All negotiations in Spanish! We even visited the beach front in La Ceiba. Roatan has a much prettier beach, but the city was working on improving what they had. You could even stay at a very nice La Quinta Hotel on the beach.
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| The Ferry to La Ceiba in Dixon Cove |
We left very early in the morning (before 6 AM) to go to Dixon’s Cove on the south side of Roatan. Dixon’s Cove is very near Mahogany Bay where Carnival Cruise ships dock. We purchased tickets and upgraded to first class in order to sit inside on the upper deck. The Galaxy Wave is a large catamaran style vessel that travels very quickly and smoothly across the water. We were given a complimentary beverage and waited for the passage to begin. We felt very little movement and arrived in La Ceiba in about an hour and fifteen minutes. Disembarking was quickly done and we began our adventure.
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| The Harbor at La Ceiba |
We were shopping for accessories for Casanueva and so we stopped at several furniture stores in La Ceiba. The showrooms weren’t as slick as you would see in the states, but the furniture was beautiful and much of it was made from Honduran hard wood. Every store had a security person at the front door who opened it and greeted you. Most stores also had someone continually mopping the floors. I often felt self-conscious for walking on their newly mopped floors but apparently it is common practice and they take no offense.
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| La Ceiba is Beautiful |
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| So Many Tropical Plants |
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| The Plant Nursery was Beautiful |
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| The Market is Bright and Busy |
After that it was off to the Mall for a little bit of recreational shopping. The Mall was very similar to a mall in the states with two floors, kiosk shops and a food court. My friend and I purchased some gifts including a handmade fabric handbag. The artist, Virgie, was selling at her kiosk and I was delighted to meet her. She sells her screen print t-shirts and bags on Roatan, but at a premium.
Some of the restaurants in the food court were ones popular in Central America, but you could easily find something to snack on. There were many, many shoe stores- some high end like American Outfitters with five inch heels to Payless Shoe stores selling rubber sandals. One of the shops I loved was Victoria’s-not to be confused with Victoria’s Secret. She sold wedding dresses, dressy casual clothes, beautiful sandals and beachwear all in the same shop. The clothing was very pretty and my friend and I purchased several unique pieces. I would gladly shop there again.
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| The Mountains Are Cloudy in the Afternoon |
Lunch time had arrived and it was off to find a meal. Since my friend is vegetarian, she suggested Pizza Hut! Yes, Pizza Hut. She was able to enjoy the salad bar and I enjoyed a personal pan pizza…..all very familiar.
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| La Ceiba's Beach Front |
Later we shopped some fabric shops looking for material to make tie backs for the curtains. Again each shop was unique. Some sold party planning supplies for weddings, baby showers, and school supplies-all from one shop. We stopped by the fruit market for papayas and took a tour of the city disco area which I was advised could be dangerous at night. We even shopped at a used car lot! All negotiations in Spanish! We even visited the beach front in La Ceiba. Roatan has a much prettier beach, but the city was working on improving what they had. You could even stay at a very nice La Quinta Hotel on the beach.
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| Electricity Anyone? |
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| How Do You Find That One Wire That's Not Working? |
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| Everything Blooms Here! |
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| The Streets Are Lined with Blossoms |
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| The Market-You Can Find Most Anything |
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| It's a Busy Place |
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| Working in the Market |
Finally we headed back to the ferry. My friends had noticed the winds had picked up and warned me that we were in for a rough crossing. This was confirmed when they handed out Dramamine with the tickets and when we were seated, the complimentary beverage also included a plastic bag for emergency use.
Not being a fool, I took both the Dramamine and the plastic bag for insurance. The ferry was much busier in the afternoon with many families crossing over to Roatan, backpackers and regular working people. Many of them were seated on the back deck and as the trip progressed, they moved as far forward as they could to avoid the spray. The crossing was definitely rough but the Dramamine did its job for us. Others weren't so fortunate.
The sun went down as we crossed back to Roatan. We drove home in the dark, but my friends are familiar with the island so I was at ease. It was a great trip and a beautiful day. I was able to see many new things and experience it with people who spoke fluent Spanish and knew their way around. You can’t ask more than that!
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