We did not have anything scheduled today so we thought we would share a little bit about life in Roatan. First, tourism is the primary source of income for the island. Currently they have 2 cruise ships a week stop at the island. October through May the number of cruise ships will increase to 5 a week. There are a lot of little shops setup along the roads selling souvenirs. Also, Roatan also has the second largest reef in the world with the Great Barrier Reef being the largest. So, Roatan gets many visitors from around the world that come to scuba dive and snorkel. Driving on the island is an adventure of its own. There is one main paved road that extends the length of the island. This road probably has no more than 100 yards of straightaway on any part of it. So between the curves and potholes it is a challenge to drive. To add to the experience most people do not own a car so they walk everywhere. All hours of the day and night there are people walking along (and in) the road. School hours are staggered so there are school kids (K – 12) walking along the road throughout the day. If that is not enough for you, many people, and tourist, depend upon taxis to get around. The taxi drivers definitely did not have Bev as their driver’s education instructor. Passing you in the middle of going around a curve is the norm. A taxi stopping in the middle of the road to pick up a passenger is accepted. Needless to say, driving in Roatan is not for the faint of heart. They do not allow gun ownership on the island, but I think they still should have some type of “carry permit” system like they do for guns in the states. The reason I think this is because there are men walking around everywhere carrying a machete. This is the number one tool of the trade for many men. They are hired to clear brush and to keep the weeds at bay along the roads. We have seen them trim the grass in a whole field using their machete (something you and I would have done with a lawnmower). Something that was interesting to us is that when a person dies, they are buried within 24 hours. They have to do this because they have no way to embalm a person. The service is held at their home on the porch, out in the street or in their church. Surprisingly, going grocery shopping is not a bad experience other than the high prices (everything has to be shipped in). They have a couple of real nice grocery stores on the island. Of course you may not find your favorite brand, but they do have a selection. Also, just because they have something one day does not mean it will be there the next. For example, we found a can drink we liked. The next visit it was not there so we picked something else. The next visit neither one of the drinks was there so we had to make a different selection. You have to learn to accept little things like this and not let it bother you. Because of being so far away from family, trying to stay in touch with them is very important. Well, if you think the internet, or electrical power for that matter, is going to be available every time you want it, you are kidding yourself. I cannot count the number of times the internet or power has gone off during our 5 week stay on Roatan so far. Also, when the power goes off there is no air condition (used for sleeping only) or water (electric water pump does not run). Other things you have to get use too as a natural part of living here are the sand flies, mosquitos, lizards (outside & inside your home), crabs everywhere at night and ants tend to be a problem. We went to a restaurant one night where we waited outside for a table. The waiter brought us a can of “Off” to spray ourselves while waiting. The people here are very friendly and welcoming. The island is beautiful and there are fruit trees everywhere – coconut, almond, mango, sea grapes, noni, papaya, plantains. There is lots of good food to be found. The islanders eat a lot of beans, rice and chicken.