The Weekend In Black And White

This guy woke up with me every morning in Roatan...looking for his breakfast fish! I took several shots over the week I was there but this one morning the wind had come up and literally ruffled his feathers. I give you both the B&W and color version.

Angry Bird

Linking to the Weekend In Black And White...

Yearning

Even through a travel day from Hell on Saturday and a less-then-complete recovery day yesterday, I have a strong yearning to still be in Roatan...or anywhere tropical. Stronger than usual. I usually measure the success of a vacation (stay + travel) in terms of the "vacation high". This is the feeling you get, coming back to work relaxed and able to take things in (mostly) stress-free stride. Normally I am good if I can get a week, the first week of work, under my belt in a fairly calm and rational state of mind.

Lately however, the vacation high has continued to shorten in duration. I find myself less glad to be back home and more into the yearning to be gone again...somewhere. Relaxing, exploring, napping, photographing, etc. Anything but returning to the everyday drudge. I even mentioned to my wife that we certainly were capable of running a dive resort. The American couple that manage Coco View have been there for many years and have a blast! We allowed ourselves to dream this fantasy while watching the sunset Thursday night in the Caribbean breeze.

I fear this vacation high will not make it until Wednesday. Staffing issues I put on the back burner are now unavoidable. The decisions made while I was gone that need to be corrected or in some cases, finalized. Two full-day mind-numbing meetings this first week back. Three hundred emails to review and mostly discard. The grind has begun.

So yes, I yearn for the lapping waves, sunrise/sunset views, the watching of a crab or a bird for twenty solitude-filled minutes...just observing nature happening. Existing. It was a grand vacation!

And the first one in two years I have come back from with all my toes intact!

So there's something!

One letter left...

X-Rated

[This is not explict and deserving of the Adult Category.]

I am back on Roatan. First night with my wife.

Salute

C

A Picture

Or two...amazing photos my wife took while diving. More amazingness to come. Feel free to enlarge.

 

 

 

 

Sea Turtle with remoray cleaner fish



Seahorse holding court

The these are both being entered in the Best Picture of The Week contest tomorrow night! First prize is a free weeks stay at Coco View.

Cross your fingers!!

Welcome Party!!

As luck would have it I found an English speaking lacky on the freighter and explained what happened. He curiously stated, "we get that a lot". I think. Making me wonder if this was not some twisted prank by the resort for a ":noobie". No Matter. I am headed back to Roatan under an official flag.

I have received word from the island that a great welcome party is to be held in my honor tonight. This is as it should be. I have triumphed over great odds and drank a fair amount of rum to get back to my cabana by the sea. And they are even serving Cheeseburgers...in Paradise!! Jimmy Buffet wrote that song based on an experience he had in Roatan years ago. It is only fitting then.

I will be on land again in mere hours so I must rest for my grand reunion with my group...oh, and my wife.

'night

C

Suspense and Tragedy

I am afraid I will have to combine my S and T post into one. And the outlook for the rest of the week is dim. I have contracted malaria and degue fever (not easy to do at the same time) along with a case of rum. To make matters worse, during my few moments of coherentness I was kidnapped by descendants of renegade pirates on the far end of Roatan. I was able to steal access to their computers to send this message but as I am under complete duress and sedation, the week ahead is challenging. Shhh, I have to go, they are coming....


Pray I survive these conditions...

Best

C

Roatan

One of the small bay islands of Honduras is the idyllic get-away of Roatan. Located about 35 miles off the coast of Honduras. And on a small island off of Roatan sits the amazing Coco View Resort. Click the link and check it out. Visually awesome. Today I am there...for a week.

Coco View Resort and reef

Be jealous or envious, Nancy, will you please tell everyone which they should be? :)

I will have Wi-fi there so I will still be in touch somewhat. But mostly I will be sunning and relaxing. Of course a sordid tale of debauchery will be forth coming along with pictures (not of the debauchery though) when I get back.

I think it's envy!

Mahalo!