Food and Where You Get It

Grocery Shopping Roatan Style

When cruising before you leave port you provision with all the things that you think you will never find in the next port.

While in Guatemala we have found that a trip to the city will find us in Price-Smart looking for familiar labels and goodies. Every year that we are here we find more and more US products. Finding “I can’t believe it’s not butter” in Puerto Barrios was a major coup! Charmin toilet paper is another hot item on our list. I personally would give my left tit for some Miracle Whip.

So here I am on one of the Bay Islands off the coast of Honduras and what do I find at Eldon’s Grocery Store? Charmin, Miracle Whip, Jiff peanut butter, fresh veggies and Hunt’s and Heinz products galore; and for Michael, Budweiser Beer!

But the best veggie shopping was from the back of the pick-up trucks at West End Roatan. Fresh and ready to eat!

Stuff We Saw At Fantasy Island

Fire Dancers
When you are cruising you have some wonderful opportunities. During our stay in the “Duck Pond” anchored behind Fantasy Island Resort we were able to enjoy the facilities.

One evening we went to watch the Fire Dancers. Not only were cruisers out past “Cruiser’s Midnight” the show was spectacular.

So here are some pictures and a short video of the show. We hope that you enjoy them.

Why we listen to the NET

“Is there any emergency, medical or priority traffic?”

That is how the morning NW Caribbean NET starts every day of the week. Most of the time there is nothing and we move on to the weather. Well the other day was different.

Good friends of ours on the S/V Likeke had a medical emergency. I don’t know all of the beginning of the tale, but I do know that their EBIRP was set off and their family was notified. By the time of the NET several people were working the problem. Randy was in pain and Kathy was handling the boat on her own.

I was reminded of Sheri on Procyon when her Randy was Air Evac’d off their boat in Pacific she said, “I may be alone on the boat, but I am never alone on the ocean.” These words were so very true. Mary on CAMRYKA was leading the charge and cruisers from all over were helping to make arrangements for Randy’s evacuation and to help Kathy with the boat.

They diverted to Roatan, Honduras and so the NET took 2 hour sifts on the SSB so that if Kathy needed to check-in to hear a voice there was someone there to talk to her all night long.

Cruiser’s in West End went out to meet the boat and moored it for them. A water taxi was procured to transport them to the hospital in La Ceiba. Rides were given so that friends could be in the anchorage to meet and support them.

I am leery about naming all the names of all the wonderful people who helped, but here goes. If I leave YOU out I apologize, it is unintentional. If I miss-spelled your name or the name of your boat…Sorry:

Mary & Carl on CAMRYKA
Doug & Rayn on Christiana
Gloria & Mike on Windfree
Steve & Sue on Evensong
Debi & Roy on Lyric
Mary & Orin on Antares
John on Triumphant
Lone Star Love
Heather on Evergreen
Slipaway
LTC Michael Haloran, US Army Flight Surgeon
The helicopter crew
Diver Dan
Mel & John on Diamond Lil
Rita at Lagoon Marina

Chuck & Jeanette on La Vagabunda
Cindy and Mike on Dragonheart

And then there are all the others that kept them in their thoughts and prayers. Kathy told me later that you never want to be in the position of receiving all this help, but that the Cruising Community is always there to help you when you need it.

Oh, and the medical emergency was a kidney stone. All is well and Randy is out of the hospital and he and Kathy are in a hotel waiting for their son to arrive and help them get the boat back to the States.