Roatan - Day 32

It’s a rare occasion when you get to celebrate Labor Day TWICE in one year… May in Honduras and September in the U.S.  The only solid plans we really made between M, B, J and I was to call each other in the morning.  Turns out that’s always a bad idea… we didn’t get going until 11:30 this morning.  I could have easily called my new BF Jorge (taxi driver) and been out in the sun by 10 am.  Oh well, at least J made me go for an impromptu run before we set off for the day.  15 minutes felt like 45 in that heat and humidity.  I think it took me at least 30 minutes to stop sweating once I got back.  Don’t worry, that’s only the first time I’ve exercised since being here (oops…) and I’ve still managed to lose 9 pounds somehow.

M picked us all up in his truck and we headed to Infinity Bay, where we usually hang on Sundays.  M tried to persuade us not to go since it was a cruise ship day and would be over packed with tourists.  Little did he know we’d have the whole beach pretty much to ourselves.  Good thing we ignored his advice.  We did the regular… ate lunch, chilled in the water, sunbathed on the beach chairs, and snorkeled to the edge of the reef.  No sharks to be seen, dang it.  Just a 3 foot barracuda only 10 feet away that I frantically swam away from and used J as my shield for protection.  Yep, guilty…

We were all impressed with M today as he ACTUALLY got in the water.  Most, if not all, of the Islanders don’t swim in the ocean, either because it’s too salty or they are afraid for some reason.  M said he couldn’t even remember the last time he was in the water.  Sad day!  He thoroughly enjoyed himself though.  I mean, who wouldn’t with 3 lovely ladies around?  What a celebrity he is!  EVERYWHERE we go, he literally says hello or stops and talks with EVERYONE he sees.  He even knows them all by name.  I admire what he does here.  After playing professional volleyball in Europe for 10+ years, he came back to this poor third world country (home for him) and now makes only $800/month working at the Clínica Esperanza.  He is doing tons for the youth though, by setting up a lot of sports programs and trying to give them more opportunities to play on the mainland.  He’s doing a lot for the people here and I think they recognize it.

Later in the afternoon, a local Islander came strolling down the beach singing a catchy tune that is STILL stuck in my head (just ask J).  [Beth, I’m sure you know EXACTLY what I’m talking about.  Haha!]  “Baaa-na-na DO-nuts!”  I wanted to buy one of his banana donuts, but I already killed most of the coconut bread last night (J secretly despises me for it) and he wanted $2 for one.  Instead, I asked to take his picture after which he only agreed to do so if I was in the picture with him.  What would a trip to Latin America be without at least one picture of me and the local men?  I then persuaded him to bring us steak burritos at the clinic for lunch tomorrow.  Booyah! 

Come to find out ER #1 and ER #2 made it back from their weekend trip to Utila and are leaving to AZ tomorrow morning.  So all of us (including a few other girls from the clinic) got together for a final hoorah… dinner at Rotisserie Chicken, dessert at the ice cream shack, and kicking it on B’s deck overlooking the ocean.  J and I wanted to keep the night young, but didn’t get home till almost 11 pm.  I guess hanging with the boys on their last night was worth it.  They will be missed!