TRAVEL & TOURISM

PUT AWAY THE CRASH HELMETS

At long last they, whomever they might be, are fixing the road just past the Parrot Tree entrance going east. Where once you needed a helmet and roll bar to manipulate the giant potholes in the road, there are huge boulders and tree stumps and rocks to keep you off of the wet cement. Once those are cleared away one should have smooth sailing on ones easterly adventure. We don't know how far the renovation will extend to as we dropped off at the Rohan By The Sea site but there were still boulders in the distance.

A NEW PEDESTRIAN CROSSWALK IN BRIGHT YELLOW

Now the cruise ship passengers have a way to get from one side of Front Street to the other in Coxen Hole. Of course the painting crews painted both sides of the street at one time, necessitating the blocking off of traffic in both directions while it ever so slowly dried. Guess we cannot have everything though, can we?

ABOUT THAT CEIBA CARNIVAL

As threatened, HTW was there for the action. With an entire week of festivities in one Colonial then another, they all culminated in the big parade down the main street of town on Saturday. Those who accepted the heat and crowded conditions had a blast and those who chose to watch it on television had a more comfortable blast.

Traffic was horrendous on Saturday with no way to get around. It would take up to two hours to navigate from one end to the other. Soldiers and police were evident everywhere and we did not see a single situation. One thing was proven again, every single girl in La Ceiba can indeed dance like that. Reggaeton was the music of choice, however, some good old mariachi and Ranchero was also heard.

The local airlines and the yacht people told us that many Ceibanians flew the coop and came to Roatan for a more relaxing week. Lots of New Orleans residents do the same exodus when their annual Mardi Gras hits town.

HE CAME, HE SAW AND HE LEFT WITH AN EMPTY SHOPPING CART

We are speaking about Mr. Michael Douglas the super star. Too bad Sir, we sure could have used your falling in love with the island to lure other stars in our direction. I do know for a fact though, real estate people are still peppering his e-mail address with new and wonderful offerings. Maybe we will get you back once again. They tell us he is a really nice person and would make a great Roatanian.

AN OPINION POLL

Since everyone is offering an opinion forum we thought we would try one. How about the controversial topic of whether or not individuals should be allowed to keep native parrots in captivity?

Those for it have kept them for years and say they tend to live a lot longer, stay healthier and proved hours of entertainment for the family and friends. They talk and they sing and they whistle and some use them as their wake-up rooster in the morning. If given lots of attention and conversation as well as fresh water and some alternate sun and shade conditions along with fresh fruit and nuts, the biggest problem is naming someone to inherit them in your will.

Those opposed just simply do not think any wild animal should be fenced in or caged up. It just is plain against nature. Give us your opinions please, send them to tie@caribe.hn and you may be quoted in Honduras This Week. Now there's something to show your grandkids, I do.

Roatan Bruce Interviews

An Eleven-Slip Marina in West Bay Beach?

On Saturday morning May 6th, a crowd of around 40 people gathered at the dock near The Bite on the Beach Restaurant in West Bay Beach to either support or protest the arrival of a large barge with a crane. Rumors spread quickly throughout the island that developer and real estate broker TJ Lynch was going to dredge an area of West Bay Beach and even dynamite the reef in order to make room for boats to use his proposed 11 slip marina. The ad in the newspapers said they were offering the slips for $75,000 each

In order to get the facts, I interviewed both TJ Lynch and later the representative of West Bay Beach, Don Marco Galindo. Here is what they had to say:

TJ Lynch: Thanks for giving me this chance to talk about this. I am not sure what has caused all this upset. I guess it is a lack of information when they see a big barge come in and they don't know what it is for. Previously, when they see barges appear, they dig. We have absolutely no plans to dig or do anything bad. We have all our permits. What we have done is, we have a big concrete dock here. The problem is, it is so high, it is only usable for a big ship and we don't want big ships here.

So we came up with an idea a couple of years ago to not only help move some of the boats anchoring on West Bay Beach, but also give them a place to moor. So we brought in some environmental people to see if we could use our existing dock and put some slips on it. It creates something that gives people an alternative to anchoring on the beach or on the reef. We have had a number of boats break free from their moorings and wash up on the reef. We had a boat sink last month on the reef. Our intention is to try and give them an alternative.

They told us what we could and could not do. They issued us an environmental license. They gave us construction permits. The barge is here to pound in the cement posts properly.

It is no different from building hotel rooms. One-way people get here is by plane. Another way is by boat. We need to have a nice secure facility to make sure boats do not wash up on shore. What we are trying to do is help the community and get the boats off the beach. The reef starts about 1000 feet from the existing dock. We are not extending the dock. We are putting some facilities inside the parameters of our existing dock.

Don Marco Galindo, representing the group from West Bay Beach: What we have here today is a complicated issue. West Bay Beach is one of the finest beaches in the world. In traveling around the world, I have seen beaches as nice as ours, but not better. There has been a lot of damage already done to West Bay Beach. What they are proposing to do is build an 11 slip Marina at the tip of West Bay Beach. That is detrimental to the environment.

It is going to finish West Bay Beach for several reasons. The first is, it is not a protected area. We have the clearest, cleanest turquoise waters found anywhere. If we don't protect it, we will be responsible before God for having foreseen these problems and allowed them to happen. It is also going to be an eye sore. There has to be some dredging. They have to put in concrete posts. That will destroy part of the turtle grass and barrier reef. When you have eleven boats parked in one place, it means that we are going to get all the sump water, and the garbage that gets thrown over board will go onto the beach.

I am completely against it as one of the major landowners in the West Bay area. As a taxpayer and man respecting the laws, I am completely against this. I am going to all the different authorities to make sure that this doesn't happen. It isn't only me, but 20 or 30 of us.

Roatan Bruce: How was this permitted originally?

Don Marco Galindo: The permit states he can better his dock, it doesn't say he can build a marina. A problem is, once a permit is issued, they don't follow up to make sure the permit was followed.

Bruce Starr is the host of The Roatan Bruce Show heard weekdays from 11am to 2 pm across the Bay Islands and Northern Honduras on Magic 107.7 FM. Visit his website at roatanbruce.com or contact him at roatanbruce@yahoo.com if you or someone you know would be a good guest on the show.

Looking for something to do on a long, hot Honduran springtime weekend? Well, why not consider heading up to the Cangrejal River for a weekend of fun in the Honduran mountain sun. And I've got just the place in mind where you can engage in a bit of adrenaline pumping outdoor adventure, eat great food and commune with the nearby Pico Bonito National Park. The Omega Lodge run by longtime German residents Udo and Sylvia is the place to check out on your next Cangrejal River adventure, and they've got everything you need for a fun, refreshing weekend getaway.

Omega Lodge specializes in white water rafting adventures. We took the 1/2 day rafting trip which first involved a lot of non rafting experiences to get the day rolling. Donning protective helmets, lifejackets and a waterproof jacket we plunged into the river to do a bit of cross rapid swimming, heading up river. Next a bit of river walking in and on the shores of the Cangrejal River. The highlights of the river hike were the huge boulders which we used as diving boards, the tallest topping out at some seven meters in height. Although they weren't really that high, standing on the edge and looking down into the swirling rapids below was a bit daunting at first, but the best way to set off from the edge is to just resign yourself to the fact that you WILL jump no matter what and that there is no turning back. The jumps were great and the water refreshing on a hot, hot day. After all that river hiking, swimming and jumping, it was time to do a bit of down stream floating which got us to our point of departure for the rafting adventure part of the program.

We had four members of the raft crew as well as the guide, a very able and capable Canadian chap who certainly knew his way around the river. The rafting was mellow as the river is low this time of the year due to lack of rain, but the trip was fun and exciting. Best part at the end of the trip was when the raft got hung up on a boulder and we flipped, spilling everyone onto the river. Very cool - literally. But no worries here - the guide pulled everybody back into the raft quickly and we continued the rest of the trip.

Back at Omega Lodge it was lunchtime. Rafters can sit in the Champa Restaurant which sports a large, shady grass roof structure or they can sit around the always popular communal picnic table just off the kitchen, where rafters and non rafters from a half dozen nations sit around sharing travel stories and chowing down on the some of the best food this side of the Bay Islands. I had a heaping plate of vegetarian crepes and although I am not a vegan, they were great. They also make home baked bread and they offer Copan Coffee, considered by many coffee-o-philes as some of the best in Honduras.

In the past, accommodations at the Lodge came in two presentations - simple and adequate and free with all rafting trips. So how's that for budget! Recently Omega has moved a bit up market with the opening of their two new stand-alone cabins, both with private bath and lovely jungle views. www.omegatours.com

In addition to rafting, they offer a number of other adventurous excursions. Top on the list is the beach horseback riding where you can spend the day riding along a deserted stretch of North Coast beach stopping for lunch along the way. They also conduct jungle hikes into the nearby Pico Bonito National Park and do more extensive rafting trips into the remote jungle river systems of the La Mosquitia wilderness.

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After a couple of nights on the Cangrejal River, why not consider heading out to the island of Utila. Only one hour by ferry or 15 minutes on a puddle jumper flight, Utila is the funkiest, most laid back, budget traveler friendly of the Bay Islands. If you can imagine what the Caribbean must have been like say 30 - 40 years ago before all the plastic, cookie cutter, corporate mega-resorts took over - well then you will have an idea of what Utila is like today. There are no real streets to speak of, the roads are more like sidewalks, accommodating the very occasional pickup, plenty of bicycles and chunky 4 wheel drive ATVs. No traffic lights, stop signs, nor billboards, no big hotels nor resorts, no fast food restaurants, just plenty of funky, laid back places to lay your head or chow down.

Utila is reachable by an excellent ferry; the Utila Princess will get you out to Utila twice per day. The ride is very pretty and depending on the ocean conditions that particular day, the trip can be as rough and tumble and thrilling as a roller coaster ride or as calm as a ride down the street in a BMW. On our trip out to Utila, the sea was rough, but it was great fun getting splashed by the sea spray and tumbled back and forth by the rolling waves. For the less adventurous, there are puddle jumper flights. Utila has a huge concrete air strip now, still no terminal or waiting area in sight, but then again Utila is the funkiest destination in the islands so a modern terminal would as seem as out of place as a Sandals Resort out here.

Free Wireless Internet!
Beautifully appointed suites with high-bandwidth internet access with wireless network, computer desk, safe, 3 direct-dial telephones, bar and kitchenette with fully stocked pantry. 

Don Pearly
Honduras This Week

OVER REACTION?

HTW was alerted by other members of the Roatan Press that there was a possible altercation taking place on the beach behind Costa Tesoro, an upper class, under construction development featuring "Private Estate Villas". The facility is located between Los Rocas and Foster's resorts in beautiful West Bay.

Upon our arrival we found two distinct factions huddled a few yards apart. The group on the right was afraid that a large barge tied to an existing pier was there to begin a dredging process that would allow larger vessels to tie up to a proposed marina. They passed out a letter and copy of an ad that showed some ten slips and room for a 45 foot plus vessel on the end. This group questioned whether the Black Wolf Resort S.A. group had a legal right to do anything to alter or add to the long-standing pier.

The other group, those supporting Mr. T.J. Lynch of Re/Max Bay Islands, was gathered in front of the pier in question. In speaking with Mr. Lynch HTW was shown a series of documents that appeared to allow some new pillions that would serve to hold access slips for four boats on each side of the existing pier. Mr. Lynch stated the barge was there only to assist in the driving of P.V.C. pipes into the ocean floor and not to do any dredging at all.

The date on one of the documents, which appeared to be a building permit, was August 2005 and did not state any particular expiration date that we could see. We were also shown what seemed to be an environmental impact study certificate giving them their permission to modify the pier under certain guidelines. There was also an officially stamped drawing of the proposed modification.

Everything was low key and friendly, and it went to prove the "Shakers and Movers are shaking and moving, and those dedicated to protecting West Bay and its delicate reefs are watching the shaking and moving very closely. This is a good combination. As we left the scene, we noticed the group's sort of blending into one-another and together wondering off to have a cool Salva Vida as it was an extremely sunny day.

LIGHTERS ARE US

Somewhere in Honduras there must be a huge warehouse full of cigarette lighters and matches. There are strict restrictions concerning flying as passengers while in possession of incendiary devices such as BIC or ZIPPO lighter etc. Most travelers who smoke are either unaware of this law or simply forget to rid themselves of these potential weapons and when they put their cigarette packages in the little tray they alert the officials they must have lighting equipment on their bodies or in their carry-ons.

The guards take great delight in finding those items and will hold up an entire line of travelers while searching for them. Once identified they are taken away with no promise of returning them on the other end of their flight. Hence, a huge stash of phosphorus materials and lighters must be accumulating somewhere in the country.

One of three solutions might be a government owned used lighter store or, another following the book store system of drop one in on the Roatan end, and pick another up free of charge on the San Pedro Sula end, or finally, the best idea of all, quit smoking.

LIKE WAITING FOR A NEW BABY

It seems the May, 2006 edition of the Bay Island Voice magazine was delayed due to printing and transportation problems which left its many readers in a quandary. The Texaco and Sun Oil cashiers tell us they were deluged with requests for the new books and they were surprised at how many people on the island look forward to its arrival each month. It hit the stands today so all is well that ends well.

LAST MINUTE UP-DATE

Regarding the West Bay pier improvement situation. The Coconut Wireless reports the Mayor's office has stepped in and "pulled the permit." Un-disclosed sources reported the Mayor interviewed the crew on the barge and they said they were to do more than what the permit stated.

In a telephone conversation with Mr. T.J. Lynch, HTW was told nay, nay, the Mayor asked politely for them to hold off on the work until his office has had a chance to review the permits. Mr. Lynch was in the process of furnishing the Mayor with all of his papers and permits and studies. More to follow, no doubt.

The Mayor's office was not at all available for questions and answers and finally put a fax tone on the line.

Roatan Bruce Interviews

The Night the Lights Went Out in…Utila!

In the late afternoon of Friday May 5th, I walked through the Roatan International Airport after attending another event. On my way out, I saw the good Mayor Alton Cooper of Utila waiting for a plane. It gave me the opportunity to confirm the news I had heard about his island not having electricity. My source surprised me with the news that they had not had electricity for several days. Those of us living here on Roatan may complain about service, but for the most part, we have service. It was quite surprising to hear what Mayor Alton Cooper had to say about this crisis.

Mayor Alton Cooper: For the past three years, the services UPCO (Utila Power Company) has rendered has been great. They have three generators. One is able to put out 1.5 megawatt of power and two at 750 megawatt. On Good Friday during Semana Santa week, the 1.5 megawatt generator went down. They still had two back-up generators. Well, they happened to get a shipment of contaminated fuel and the fuel injection pumps were damaged. The engines were not able to get the RPM's necessary to deliver the current out to the island.

So throughout Semana Santa, we had lights in sections. Finally, Saturday night, (April 29) the lights went out totally on the island. The economical situation for the company isn't too good, but with shareholders working hard, I think the problem has finally been solved. Commercial Liez is about to take a 54% possession of the company. They will also absorb a 1.8 million dollar debt. As we speak, a generator is on the way to La Ceiba. By Saturday, it will be in Utila and hopefully by Sunday, we will have lights again and everything else will be back to normal.

Roatan Bruce: It is so hot these days; it must be a terrible situation on the island with no electricity and limited water supplies and services.

Mayor Alton Cooper: It's not a good situation. It has been a stressful time for me. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the President of Canaturh Bay Islands Romeo Silvestri for inviting me to the island. He is worried about the situation and it is encouraging to me to know that the people of Roatan are showing support for us. There is definite unity among us. With assistance, we are going to get through this and everything is going to work out.

Roatan Bruce: I heard that a lot of people have their own generators, but had they banded together from the beginning, a problem like this might have been avoided?

Mayor Alton Cooper: Quite a few people bought their own generators, but a lot of people were willing to put money towards an island electric company. To repair the 1.5 megawatt generator costs around $27,000. There are people willing to help out with that money.

Roatan Bruce: Many people complain how high RECO rates are here on Roatan. What is the rate for electricity on Utila?

Mayor Alton Cooper: The rate is higher on Utila by over a Lempira more expensive. Our system is pre-paid as you would with a cell telephone card. We go to the bank and buy a 1000 L card worth of energy and we program this into our meters. Most of the island folks are quite happy with this system.

Many thanks to the good Mayor Alton Cooper for speaking with me.

Bruce Starr is the host of The Roatan Bruce Show heard weekdays from 11am to 2 pm across the Bay Islands and Northern Honduras on Magic 107.7 FM. Please visit his website at roatanbruce.com or contact him at roatanbruce@yahoo.com if you or someone you know would be a good guest on the show.

Iguana Azul, Copan's first hostel type hotel accommodation, is now sporting a brand spanking new sign. The Iguana, as it is locally known, serves the niche market for budget backpacker travelers seeking a higher standard than usual of comfort and quality as opposed to the standard drab, dank and dark hospedaje type accommodations. The funky, multicolored sign of hand painted tiles made in Guatemala takes the place of the original hand painted sign on the front wall, which was there for the past ten or so years. New regulations in the village of Copan Ruinas now prohibit signs on the front of businesses which are painted directly on the outside walls. New signage rules are part of a coordinated effort to organize Copan's central business district by removing inappropriate signage, requiring an approved palette of colors and establishing a host of regulations regarding renovations, construction and materials. Although many Copan businesses have made the required alterations to their businesses, others have not. Many thanks to Gerard of Via Via for his assistance in arranging the purchase and transport for the new Iguana sign. DHL and Fed Ex had better watch their backs as Don Gerardo and team have put in place a formidable multinational transport logistics team which specializes in the transnational transport of foreign tourists that is second to none. Their bread and butter is the daily Copan Ruinas - Guatemala City - Antigua run, but they are now branching out to explore new and innovative routes such as Copan - Rio Dulce, Copan - Santa Rosa - Gracias and Copan- San Salvador.

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According to the periodical Latin Business Chronicle, Honduras is the worst place to do business in Central America and the third from last in Latin America. Honduras has low marks for macroeconomic indicators, level of globalization, competition, business climate, level of technology and political environment. Coming out on top in the region is Costa Rica. Latin American nations with high marks include Chile and Mexico.

* * *

Just last week Honduras joined the other nations of Central America, which already changed their clocks, by moving watches one hour ahead. The Honduras effort was not without its critics and problems. As this was the first time that the country ever tried to change the hour, much of the population especially in rural areas were very reticent to make the corresponding time change. One problem was that the government issued the decree without much thought about engaging in public information spots to inform the public as to the why, how and what was entailed in the hour change. Thus people were woefully ill-informed as to why the change was taking place and the mechanics of the change itself. As the majority of the Honduran population has a scant few years of formal education with most having never graduated from elementary school, many did not grasp the basic concept of how the hour could be changed simply by government decree. They concluded that the hour is the hour, and it's always been the same, so how could something as eternal and longstanding as time possibly change. Many employees here in Copan for example finally agreed after much cajoling that the hour did in fact change one hour ahead but they then rationalized that since the hour had been pushed forward by one hour then consequently they would be showing up for work one hour later. For example employees that started at 6 a.m , would still be required to come in at 6 a.m., but 6 a.m. now is the equivalent of 5 a.m. previously, so they now wanted to come in a 7 a.m. to compensate and no manner of convincing and explaining could make them budge. For restaurants and hotels in town where breakfast preparations must start bright and early at 6 a.m., the idea that employees would now decide on their own to come in at 7 a.m. threw a potential monkey wrench in many schedules. What I did, and am still doing, is to give employees a week grace period where they can come in an hour later, but then as they slowly get used to the whole concept of time change, eventually they will be required to come in a 6 a.m. for their regular breakfast shift. Some people though, hopefully a small minority, are holding fast to the idea that time does and will continue to stand still and will refuse, come hell or high water, to comply with the government decree to push clocks one hour ahead.

Don Peat
Honduras This Week

It's almost noon on a sunny day in early March as I fly out of the raft and get swept down the Cangrejal river just outside of La Ceiba. I'm wet, trying hard not to keep sliding over the rapids sans boat, and enjoying every minute of this rafting adventure.

Eventually the rafting guides catch up to me, having flipped the boat sunny side up, they pull my soaking body back into the raft and we continue down the river. Luckily, we're in Honduras so the water is warm and almost inviting.

This was the moment that stuck out in my mind as I recall my first whitewater rafting trip. Hosted by Omega Tours, I was impressed by their professionalism and their training, ensuring safety even when I fell out of the boat, and I fell out more than once, that's almost guaranteed on these rapids which range from level three to level four (level five is the highest and largest rapids). Like the rafting party, the company has faced challenges over the years but has come out as a success story within the nation's emerging tourism trade.

Udo Wittemann started Omega Tours in 1992 well before Honduras was even considered a tourism destination. Described by one magazine as "a German Indiana Jones," Wittemann has spent his life on the world's rivers in both rafts and kayaks. He travelled to Central America looking for world-class rapids that would be attractive to those enthusiasts wanting a whitewater challenge. He started his search in Guatemala but was lured to Honduras by rumours of large and untapped rapids along the countries northern coast.

"When I came to La Ceiba there were no other rafting companies along the river," said Wittemann in an interview in the Omega Tours Jungle Lodge he built amidst the forest.

"We had no phones, no fax machine, and e-mail didn't exist."

To stay in touch with groups who wanted to book rapids adventures Wittemann had to travel into town and use the phones and fax machines available there.

Don Peat/Honduras This Week
Luckily for rafters, the water is warm, since it is almost guaranteed you will fall out.

Six years later, the emerging company was almost wiped out, along with most of Honduras in Hurricane Mitch. Wittemann returned to Europe and worked as a river guide in Switzerland and Germany. While working at resort there he met Sylvia Stern, the two returned to Honduras and worked to rebuild the company.

Stern runs the on-site restaurant and also conducts horseback riding tours.

Walking tours of the nearby national parks were also added to the company's services.

The lodge was expanded to hold about 20 visitors and accommodations are often included in tour packages.

"We want people to feel at home here," said Wittemann as he toured me through the sprawling complex. A freshwater pool, outdoor shower covered in flowers, and an iguana sanctuary add to the experience just steps away from the main building.

If you follow the path towards a small creek and in the shade of bamboo trees you'll find Wittemann's next phase in ensuring comfort, luxury rooms.

For those rafters willing to pay a small additional fee, the Beautiview Cabins await, four separate bedrooms with on-site bathrooms and wooden furniture designed by Wittemann himself.

The rafting guides are also handpicked to ensure the safety of participants.

"It may look like a sweet job but we're fully trained," said Jeremy Williams

Don Peat/Honduras This Week
View from one of the newly opened luxury rooms of Omega Tours.

Now in his fourth season with Omega Tours, New Zealand-born Williams enjoys sharing his passion for rafting with others.

His philosophy sums up the Omega Tours spirit.

"I hope they'll want to raft again," he said with a smile.

After one rafting trip with Omega Tours, another trip down river doesn't seem like a bad idea.

Don Peat/Honduras This Week
Udo Witterman, owner of Omega Tours and described as "a German Indian Jones."

SO JUST WHOSE BOAT IS THAT ANYWAY?

Don Pearly
Honduras This Week



Don Pearly/Honduras This Week
A luxurious yacht is creating buzz on Roatan.

Somehow a magnificent yacht made its way through a narrow cut in the reef and tied up at a prestigious marina here on Roatan. She is at least one hundred and fifty foot in length and probably about twenty foot abeam as they say in boat talk, abeam meaning wide. From the outside it looks like there is every possible piece of electronic gear imaginable with little domes and lots of antennae and revolving gizmos. Her stern opens up hydraulically to reveal a hold you could easily drive a truck into. Rumor has it she supports a full time crew of 14 and that they live like mini-kings and queens aboard their floating job place.

A credible but un-official appraisal puts her worth at over 40 million U.S. dollars, but that could be a modest figure. The burning question, who owns this sleek craft? How did he or she make enough money to not only afford to own her but to put enough fuel inside to make it move all around the world? Perhaps the owner is frugal in that they backed the ship up to the pier stern first, not alongside in the usual manner. Maybe they did this to save some money because marinas charge by the foot for parking space so only 20 bucks a day instead of 150. Good thinking, Skipper, with savings like that you will be able to afford lots of WD-40 to keep her ship-shape.

TO LEARN OR NOT TO LEARN

When one moves permanently to a foreign country it would seem a priority to learn the language and yet Roatan makes it so easy to get around without it, one tends to put it off. With a little basic vocabulary of nouns and some hand gestures the ex-pats seem to get along quite nicely. The official language of Roatan according to Congressman Hynds is English and he used his at public gatherings. So far every meeting we have attended since his departure has been in Spanish, but hopefully that will change because Mayor Jackson speaks perfect English. We hope so.

A QUICK DUNCAN HINES

Looking for some good fast food? Of course you are, we all are. Well, when on the West End, find Tommy's place just to the right of Twisted Toucan. He serves a large variety of delicious treats that include a real Italian submarine sandwich, fresh fish, hamburgers, pork dishes and a great cheese/chicken sandwich with coleslaw and fried bananas. Big servings and always hot and fresh, all for a modest price.

There is another good place to eat if you are fast enough. In the Remax Center at the entrance to French Harbor there is a little screened-in diner with pork or chicken or beef dishes served super typically with rice and beans and coleslaw and of course fried bananas again. Get there early because it is always full and they run out of absolutely everything by one o'clock. No waste here.

Finally for this review, when in Coxen Hole, take a left to head toward the center of town and the financial district, notice the very first street again on your left and then try to find a parking spot on cruise ship days. You will probably end up in the parking lot across from Credomatic and then you will have to walk back past H.B. Warren store to that little street. Go in maybe 20 yards and on your right you will find an open air restaurant with a couple of inside buildings. Take a seat under a fan and get ready for the best soup in town. They alternate between chicken and beef soup so it is always a surprise. They also have fried chicken the way you like it and other beef and chicken dishes. Yep, tipico side dishes, fast fast service and low low prices. The tourists have not found it yet so plenty of seating and good service. Please don't tell a tourist even if they ask.

This week, let's talk Utila nightlife. If you're looking for trendy, brass polished bars, glitzy clubs and dress up night spots, you have hit the wrong island. Utila is famous around these parts for its laid back, chilled out, funky to the extreme atmosphere. Here, a night out starts with happy hour at one of the sea side bars. I highly recommend Tranquila Bar, which as its name suggests is a very tranquil place for worshiping the setting sun and slam down a couple of cold Honduran beers and scarf down some pre-dinner munchies. Tranquila boasts a simple open air, wood deck built out over the water. Before heading out to dock, be sure to stop by Scotties. Located just at the entrance to Tranquila, this diminutive restaurant serves up some of the best breaded butterfly shrimp in the world for Lps 45 (about $2.50). With a plate of hot dipping sauce and a few cold beers, there is no better way to watch the sun dip into the horizon. Moving on from Tranquila, fortified by the curative and restorative properties of beer and shrimp, it's time to hunt down some dinner. There's a great Italian place called La Picola and a couple of excellent places that specialize in seafood; RJs and Island Cafe. A hearty meal with all the trimmings will set you back Lps 75 - 85, about $4.

After all that chow, it's time to take a stroll through the village, checking out the street side happenings. Utila is very much a front porch kind of town as residents take to the streets in the evenings to shoot the breeze and chat. Once you get past the Caribbean infused accent barrier, you will begin to make sense of what's being said. Spanish is definitely the second language here. High on the list of evening stroll highlights is a walk over to the Jade Seahorse. Stop in for a drink at their Treetanic Bar and check out the over the top architecture and decoration. Finish off your post dinner festivities with a visit to the Gellateria, probably the only place in the whole country to serve up that sweetest, coolest and most cosmic of Italian deserts.

So you've slid through sunset happy hour, gorged on fresh fish, taken a stroll through town. After all that relaxing and taking it easy, it's time to party. On Utila the evening festivities kick off after 10 p.m. with the bar of the moment being Tranquila Bar. By midnight the place is packed with 20 something Europeans and Americans who have spent the better part of their day immersed in diving courses. Utila retains the mantle of being one of the most inexpensive places in the Caribbean to learn to dive with courses running $199 for Open Water and Advanced Open Water courses. As you well might guess, after a long hot, sunny, wet day above and below water, these guys and girls are in a partying mood. The party here does not go super late as most have to get up early the next morning to dive another day.

The sun has now risen, you have shaken off last night's indulgence of beer and rum based concoctions, and you've still got a couple of hours till you hit the classroom or dive boat. What better than breakfast to revitalize those alcohol fogged brain cells and power up the engines for the new day? Camilla's Bakery run by an attractive Danish woman is housed in a nondescript house on the main street where they serve up breads, croissants, bagels and the ubiquitous Utila cinnamon rolls. Grab a bag of goodies to go and munch them while walking down the street. More formal breakfast fare can be procured at Big Mama's Cafe where coffee refills are gratis and the Sweet Tooth Bakery & Eatery located on the site of what used to be Thompson's Bakery. For Utilaphiles, the absence of Thompson's is akin to loosing a favorite pet. Housed in a ramshackle, ancient wood residence, Thompson's was an early morning Utila institution for as long as I can remember and its cinnamon rolls were to die for.

For those who seek more cerebral, out of water pursuits, the Central America Spanish School offers up 20 hrs per week of 1:1 instruction with tuition running $135 per week. A home stay which includes room and board with a local family will set you back $125 and hotel stay for $85, big bargains in anyone's book.

For those sun and snorkeling worshipers out there who choose to do nothing more than spend their day lounging on white sand beach, communing with a huge variety of multi colored underwater creatures, sucking down beer and munching on fried fish, I'd recommend Sandy Bay Beach or Chepes Beach as it's known locally. It's clean and close to town and just a few minutes' walk will bring you to Blue Bayou where a small admission charge to the rather unfriendly caretakers will get you out onto a dock where it's a short hop out to some great reef and wall snorkeling.

Finishing up another day, it's over to Tranquila Bar for round two of tonight's happy hour festivities and your toughest and biggest decision of the entire day will be where to eat dinner. Everyone should have such problems!

For the latest info on Utila log onto www.aboututila.com

ROATAN BRUCE INTERVIEWS

Bruce Starr

Kandy Hyde and New Health Facilities on Roatan

I recently had Kandy Hyde on the show. She has been leading a movement on Roatan to have more and better health care facilities.

Roatan Bruce: You have started a group called Little Friends Foundation in December of 2005 and you have since been registered by the government of Honduras as a legally recognized foundation. How did the idea for this foundation first come about?

Kandy Hyde: I really appreciate you supporting our project and we hope your audience will also see what we see as far as having more health care on the island. A friend of ours recently had a very unfortunate incident here on the island. This friend had a sick child. Due to the lack of resources, the needed physicians were not able to treat the baby on time and the baby passed away. It was something that could have been prevented. A group of concerned family and friends decided we could not continue to ignore this. The healthcare system here had to change.

Roatan Bruce: The island has changed a great deal in the last year or so. There are many more people coming from both the mainland and around the world. Perhaps one of the reasons foreigners over fifty have not flocked here sooner is because the people coming from these places were used to a great deal of quality and timely health care around them. Maybe the reason it has taken them so long to find Roatan was because there was not a great deal of health care here.

Kandy Hyde: Exactly! That is why it is so important to develop a better health care system on the island. There are many more people living on the east side of the island. If someone has an accident or an emergency type illness, the time lost getting them to a distant medical location can mean life or death.

Roatan Bruce: What you've done is taken your background and experience and recognized a need and started to fill it.

Kandy Hyde: It is hard to ignore things especially if the problem happens to someone close to you. I'm a registered nurse and I specialize in pediatrics and I did it for eight years before coming to live here. No one wants to live in an area lacking in quality healthcare.

Roatan Bruce: You have shown me plans for two separate health care facilities.

Kandy Hyde: We have started a partnership with Florida Hospital in Orlando. Bucky Weeks is the Director of International Mission Services. We decided to begin our project on the east end of the island with a facility in Pandy Town. They had a small 700 sq. ft. facility. The doctor and nurses are great, but the building wasn't. We demolished the building. Florida Hospital is bringing in a group of 35 volunteers on June 4th and they start construction on June 5th. The new building will be put up in one week and will have one room for trauma and stabilization. These people work with Habitat For Humanity in the states so they are used to working this way. We still need money and donations to pay for the equipment that will be used and for things like the electric bills.

There is also a project in French Harbour. There is a clinic there now. We are going to renovate that building. With the municipalities help, they will pay for the funding of the structure. Then another group of young volunteers from Florida Hospital will come in July and bring medical equipment for the facility. The health care on the island will soon be much improved.

Bruce Starr is the host of The Roatan Bruce Show heard weekdays from 11am to 2 pm across the Bay Islands and Northern Honduras on Magic 107.7 FM. Visit his website at roatanbruce.com or contact him at roatanbruce@yahoo.com