El Paraiso

Roatan is a paradise (el paraiso) where the lush jungle meets the turquoise sea.  The flora and fauna are a large part of the charm that drew us back to the island again after our first trip in December 2015. 

The view from the patio. 

You could fill your morning breakfast bowl with fruit found on Roatan.   We walked past this papaya tree everyday on our way to West Bay.

Speaking of breakfast, we enjoyed the bounty from the local fruit stands during our month on Roatan.  Watermelon, papaya, bananas, and pineapples were a daily treat. 

This banana tree was very tempting, especially during the period when shipments from mainland Honduras were being slowed by blockades in December. 

 

This coconut stand, located on the main roundabout in West End, had a ready supply since there are plenty of coconut palms on Roatan!

 

These two guys utilize the local bounty to sell coco frios on West Bay Beach everyday.

The local neighborhoods around West Bay are lined with beautiful gardens.  Love these peach colored hibiscus!

  I'm not sure what this pink and white spotted plant is, but it looks like a variety of elephant ears. 

 

A beautiful tropical garden in West Bay behind a picket fence.

 

The path to Kismet is lined with banana trees and palms.

Beautiful Heliconia in the community where we stayed in West Bay.

The island's fauna are as exotic as the flora.  A lot of locals have parrots as pets. The parrots at Celeste's in West Bay wolf whistle and call out to pedestrians passing by. When we stayed at a rental adjacent to Gumbalimba Park in 2015, scarlet macaws would fly over from the park in the mornings and early evenings.

The local iguanas usually blend into their locations.  I've read the black iguanas that lurk on the ironshore cliffs are an endangered species on the island, primarily because they've been a food source for locals.  This one was perched on the wall at the end of West Bay Beach.  There are various animals farms and preserves on the island for tourists to visit, including the Iguana Farm and another preserve with sloths and monkeys.

 

I see these signs on a lot of Caribbean Islands urging drivers to watch out for iguanas in the road.

 

 

 

A ride in a water taxi is a great way to view Roatan, that paradise where the jungle topples down the hillside to meet the blue Caribbean Sea.  I wish I was back in the boat!

 

We're off for a week to visit family in the Pacific Northwest.  I'll be back.  Stay tuned!