Roatan Island—Naturally

BySandra Scott

Roatan Island is one of the Honduran Bay Islands. We have visited Honduras many times and are amazed at the touristic development in Roatan. There are new resorts and more activities. On our recent visit we stayed at Anthony’s Key Resort, a cornerstone of tourism on Roatan. Anthony’s is a “dive we must” resort but while diving may be the main draw, there are other things to do.

One day John and I went to Gumbalinba Nature Park where there is a zip line, a cave where guides use displays to tell the history of Roatan, a garden area, and a mini-zoo. After the short history lesson in Coxen’s Cave that told of pirates and conquerors, John and I walked through the gardens where the guide pointed out a Monkey La La. Startled by our chatter, the Monkey La La rose up on its hind feet and scurried off. A Monkey La La is a lizard with the unique ability to "walk" on water and, because of this, it has been dubbed “the Jesus Lizard.” On water, due to webbing between their toes, they can run about 15 feet before sinking, at which time they have to resort to swimming.

Flowers and trees were everywhere. We marveled at the brilliance of the scarlet macaw and kept an eye on playful Pedro, the monkey, who tried to swipe something from the bag John was carrying. When we returned to Anthony’s Key Resort we were in time to watch a dolphin encounter. The dolphins entertained and enthralled everyone. Anthony’s offers dolphin encounters, swims, and the ultimate—diving in the open sea with the dolphins. After lunch we spent some time in the resort’s small but informative museum.

After a full day interacting with nature we visited the Frangipani Bar high on the hillside with a great view of the resort. When I saw Monkey La La on the bar menu there was no discussion about what to order.

“We will have a Monkey La La. What is in it?” The bartender explained as he made the drink. “First take one ounce of vodka, add the same amount of Kahlua, coconut cream, and cream. You can use carnation milk if you like. Add crushed ice. Then I blend until it is frothy.” We relaxed, sipped our Monkey La La and listened to the other guests talk about their dives that day and the fish they saw.

After the sun set we took the shuttle to the island where the wooden cabins are built island-style on stilts are located. The chefs were busy cooking barbecued chicken and beef. It was happy hour so we ordered another Monkey La La while waiting for the barbecue to be ready. After a wonderful meal it was time for the fire dance. We were mesmerized by the dancers, who twirled batons of fire. Then it was time for the folkloric dance of the Garifuna, an Afro-Caribbean group that has inhabited the islands and coastal area of Honduras, Belize and Nicaragua. The dance enacted a story called El Yancunu that we heard in the cave at Gumbalimba. Warriors don masks and women’s clothing to avoid being murdered or captured during an 18^th century battle that took place on Roatan.

It was a full day. Under the moonlight we walked along the sandy path beneath the palm trees to our cabin planning the next day’s nature encounters.

Visit www.anthonyskey.com, www.gumbalimbapark.com, and www.hondurastips.honduras.com.

Sandra Scott is a frequent contributor to travel publications and to Creators Syndicate
and has co-authored two books on local history. She lives in Mexico, NY.

Photos by J. J. Scott.

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