Hola! My name is Erin and I am the newest HEAL intern to arrive on Roatan island. After delaying my departure by nearly two weeks, I finally made it to the island after two flights and a five hour lay-over in Houston. Flying over the island for the first time gave me a glimpse of a place I had heard about from so many of my friends, but have never visited. The landscape is lush with palm trees, gumbalimbo trees (aka gumbalimba), and various other flowering plants and trees. From the plane, the beaches looked sandy white and the water a crystal blue. I couldn't wait to set foot on the island! The consequences of the political instability on the mainland were manifested in the sniper policemen on top of the airport building (either to protect the island from tourists or the tourists from the island. I can't be sure) and the limited number of tourists flying to the island. The tourism industry is obviously being affected by the negative media even though the situation has not touched Roatan.
Since my arrival on Thursday (it is now Sunday), I have taken some vacation days and plan on starting in the clinic on Monday. With my two friends from college who met me on the island, we did a bunch of touristy things. We visited West End, ate at a delicious rotisserie chicken place (Creole's Rotisserie Chicken) and devoured thai peanut noodles from the Noodle Shack. I loved going to West Bay, where many of the high-end resorts are. The beaches are beautiful and the water is absolutely clear. Yesterday we went to Gumbalimba Canopy Tour and park and had an amazing time zip lining through the trees with iguanas and other wildlife around us. We saw beautiful spider monkeys and parrots and talked to the game keeper who gave us insight on what it's like to care for these exotic animals.
It was my goal to learn how to dive, so this morning I took my first diving certification class with three volunteers with Miss Peggy at Clinica Esperanza. It was the strangest thing to breath with a regulator underwater, but once I realized ample oxygen was being supplied to my lungs I became more comfortable with learning the skills. Even in the shallow bay where we learned to clear our masks of water, take off our tanks and weight belts, and recover our regulators, the sea life was beautiful. Lots of sea anemones and sea grass littered the ocean floor and little fish peeked out beneath rocks. I'm looking forward to our next dive on Tuesday!
Sandy Bay, where I am staying at the White Diamond Apartments, is a beautiful area. Many local families live here and walking along the roads offers a rare glimpse into everyday life on the island. Most tourists only see West End or West Bay and interact with Hondurans who work in tourism. I am blessed to have the opportunity to really experience both the tourist hot spots and local Honduran life. I've already discovered some local fare; my favorite so far are baleadas - thick tortillas topped with refried beans and delicious cheese that doesn't melt when heated. Any kind of meat can be added to the baleada, but I prefer the plain bean and cheese.
The weather (hot, humid, and a bit unbearable) really bothered me when I arrived, but my body is starting to acclimate to the constant sweating and overheating. I'm also getting used to the bugs and lizards that are found in the apartment. But, I don't think I can get used to the continual itch from mosquito bites. I've counted nearly 6 on my right leg alone and I fear it's only the beginning!
