The ship is anchored in a small bay, and I am amazed by the ability of this massive beast to dock in water that looks incredibly shallow. I have no excursion booked in Honduras, so my time is my own. I venture out into Mahogany Bay, only to find a pre - fab community of retail outlets, built exclusively to pander to people like me. Yuk.
Nonetheless, the beaches are beautiful, the water sparkles and the two wrecked ships decaying in the harbour are works of art in progress. The locale is undeniably spectacular, but I don't want to sit on a beach or pay overpriced amounts for crap I don't need.
After a lovely stroll around the controlled environment, I venture past the security gates. Its hot and I walk up steep hills. A few people offer to sell me various types of "mood management products". I decline.
Cabbies pass by and offer me a ride into town. The truth is, I didn't know that there was a town, and it struck me that the cruise lines are playing us by trying to manipulate our behaviour while in port. From obscuring possibilities to issuing outright warnings that places are "dangerous", from recommended excursions to a list of stores that we should all shop in the cruise line works hard to manage the actions of its guests while offshore, mostly for economic reasons .
Today I want to feel like a traveler instead of a tourist and now that the existence of a town has been confirmed, I make a deal with the next passing cab and off we go into town.
I think the town was known as Silver Bay, but I could be wrong. Nonetheless, it is undeniably real, spectacularly beautiful and as safe as a mothers arms. I lunch on iguana (hey it was on special) and stroll through the beachside streets. There are lots of tourists here, but there is also an air of authenticity.
I am so thankful that I went past the barriers of pseudo tourism to have an organic experience. Isla Roatan, Honduras is a beautiful place, even if you don't venture past the gates. If you get the chance; go.
You can see a bunch of Honduras pictures here
http://www.goyestoeverything.com
Here is a video of me racing back to the cruise ship before it departs.
