Should We Stay or Should We Go ...

We're halfway through our travel adventure ... can't believe it. Today, drumroll please, Frances bought her first sleeveless shirt after traveling for over three weeks in the tropics. I packed two sleeveless shirts and three t-shirts but Frances, the woman who wears long underwear year round in Bayfield brought two long-sleeved shirts and one t-shirt ... she tells me that she's just like her dad.

Here on Roatan Island you typically sweat from about 9am to 9pm. One of the shop owners who moved here from New Jersey last February said that most people try to get into the shade or stay home from around noon to 3pm. I still haven't figured out how people work in the heat. It's hard enough relaxing and having fun.

We ARE getting tans. Even though we spend most of our time under trees or palapas, in buses, or layered with 50 plus suntan lotion, we can't avoid it. The sun is so intense.

About a week ago we saw a large blow up scene celebrating the holiday season. It was larger than life size on the edge of a central park. Styrofoam snow rained down on a snowman. What a sight! I can't even imagine it, or remember it, when I'm living in 80 and 90 degree heat.

We're trying to change our return flight since Frances is over it when it comes to bus travel. If we can't, we'll need to start busing for cancun [sorry, the keyboard I'm using at this internet cafe won't capitalize "c" and "m" or provide parenthesis marks] within a few days.

Both yesterday and today we checked on a thatch roof that's being built downtown in West End. Frances wants to build something similar on our property in Bayfield to duplicate the idea of something natural meant to withstand wind and rain. It's like bringing part of our trip home with us. We found out from our hosts at the cerros Beach Resort in northern Belize that palms for thatch need to be female rather than male because they're stronger. They also have to be harvested between three days before and three days after the full moon so that they are at their peak strength.

One of the men watching the construction yesterday told us that the palms used for this thatch were harvested last full moon. Jenny at cerros Beach Resort told us that the right timing for harvest can mean the difference between a thatch roof that lasts for two to three years versus one that lasts for 15 years.

I mentioned to Frances as we walked down the one main street in West End today that I feel like I'm an investigative reporter searching for as much local lore and information as I can find. It's great fun ... plus you meet many interesting people.