Posted by: Jenn
Traveling will always be a part of our lives and the world will always have a piece of our hearts.
With that being said, I want to bring back our travel blog! It was created, of course, to document our trip around the world. Can you believe that we began that trip almost 5 years ago? Man how time flies and goodness how things change. Since then we built a house in Wilmington, NC, we got hitched, we bought a dog, we are enjoying our jobs, we LOVE living close to a beautiful beach and we are of course traveling every opportunity that we have!
Every time I check the mail there is a new Lonely Planet book waiting to be read by Jonathan's eager eyes. It's what makes him happy and I'm of course beyond grateful that I'm married to the best trip planner out there. He knows how to concoct incredible vacations on a very reasonable budget and he knows how to find spectacular "off the beaten path" spots.
Therefore, I love the idea of continuing to document the trips we take so we can keep a diary of sorts of our excursions. So without further adieu I bring you (although very delayed) our trip from last July to Roatan, Honduras.
Most people have visited or have heard of Roatan through cruises. And not that cruises are a bad way to travel - it's just not our style...yet. So we set out to spend nine days in a stunning beach paradise! This trip was very special to Jonathan and me because we got to give both of my sister's a taste of how we travel.
Traveling will always be a part of our lives and the world will always have a piece of our hearts.
With that being said, I want to bring back our travel blog! It was created, of course, to document our trip around the world. Can you believe that we began that trip almost 5 years ago? Man how time flies and goodness how things change. Since then we built a house in Wilmington, NC, we got hitched, we bought a dog, we are enjoying our jobs, we LOVE living close to a beautiful beach and we are of course traveling every opportunity that we have!
Every time I check the mail there is a new Lonely Planet book waiting to be read by Jonathan's eager eyes. It's what makes him happy and I'm of course beyond grateful that I'm married to the best trip planner out there. He knows how to concoct incredible vacations on a very reasonable budget and he knows how to find spectacular "off the beaten path" spots.
Therefore, I love the idea of continuing to document the trips we take so we can keep a diary of sorts of our excursions. So without further adieu I bring you (although very delayed) our trip from last July to Roatan, Honduras.
Most people have visited or have heard of Roatan through cruises. And not that cruises are a bad way to travel - it's just not our style...yet. So we set out to spend nine days in a stunning beach paradise! This trip was very special to Jonathan and me because we got to give both of my sister's a taste of how we travel.
To kick it off, I'm happy to announce Bonnie and Emily's first time as being guest writers for us!
Bonnie:
The day my sister called and asked if I wanted to join them on a trip to Honduras I knew I couldn't miss out on that. Who knows if I would ever have the opportunity to take another trip with the "world travelers". I sure as heck wasn't turning that down! Next thing I knew we on a flight to Roatan, jamming out to our trip theme song "On Top of the World". We arrived in Roatan, went to the supermarket to grab food, coffee, and drinks for the week and headed to our colorful beach house in West Bay that we were to call home for the week! The house was awesome! Although it was secluded, we only had a short 100 yard walk to the beach.
Bonnie:
The day my sister called and asked if I wanted to join them on a trip to Honduras I knew I couldn't miss out on that. Who knows if I would ever have the opportunity to take another trip with the "world travelers". I sure as heck wasn't turning that down! Next thing I knew we on a flight to Roatan, jamming out to our trip theme song "On Top of the World". We arrived in Roatan, went to the supermarket to grab food, coffee, and drinks for the week and headed to our colorful beach house in West Bay that we were to call home for the week! The house was awesome! Although it was secluded, we only had a short 100 yard walk to the beach.
We woke up every morning, met on our deck for breakfast and coffee, and then set out for our daily journey. My favorite days were spent lying on the beach, laughing about nothing and drinking monkey lala's (an incredible pina colada/chocolate/amazingness drink) that was served at the beach bar close to our beach house. We also loved feasting on the baleadas (a local breakfast food). |
One day we opted for an all day boat cruise that included amazing meals and all you can drink alcohol. We pretty much took full advantage of the all you can drink deal! We stopped at a few spots around the island to snorkel before we were taken to a private beach for appetizers.
The grand finale was a stop at Pigeon Cays. I cannot even explain the feeling that came over me when arriving at the island. The water was absolutely clear, turquoise, and beautiful; like nothing I have ever experienced. The best part of it all was that I got to experience it with my sisters and Jonathan. We attempted to be sexy models on this island as we tried to take a picture of flipping our hair. But instead I looked like the incredible hulk, Jenn nailed it because she's had practice, and Emily, well Emily nailed it too.
After about 45 minutes of exploring, the boat crew brought out our lobster/steak lunch set up on small tables in the water. Just let me tell you that was the best steak and lobster I have ever eaten. I'm not sure if it was because I was starving or if it was because we were eating in this beautiful paradise.
Roatan, Honduras 2014 with my best friends/sisters/brother-in-law - that one is going to be a hard trip to beat! It was not only because we were in Honduras but it was more about the conversations that took place, the experiences that we now have together, and the many hours of laughter that seemed to be the best with my sisters. This trip has given me motivation to continue traveling for the experiences and to understand other cultures and lifestyles.
Emily:
So often you hear the advice to take the road less traveled, which in my case is all about perspective. Being a first time traveler, I followed along in the footsteps of Jon and Jenn and stuck pretty close to their side. Traveling was a brand new experience for me - one in which I had to jump right in, unprepared and unsure if the water was the right temperature. But let me tell you, any beach in Roatan, Honduras, the water is going to be just right.
The biggest thing I wanted to do was to experience Honduran culture and really see how other countries live. So one day we were there Jon "rented" us a car. By renting I mean finding a local man on the beach who was willing to trust us enough to rent out his personal vehicle for a very small fee. The car that we are so used to having is such a rarity for them. This car opened my eyes to a whole new world. We drove through small villages and experienced other people's everyday life, life that I was so closed minded to even knew existed. Now - I knew about poverty, but I didn't know one country could contain so much.
Emily:
So often you hear the advice to take the road less traveled, which in my case is all about perspective. Being a first time traveler, I followed along in the footsteps of Jon and Jenn and stuck pretty close to their side. Traveling was a brand new experience for me - one in which I had to jump right in, unprepared and unsure if the water was the right temperature. But let me tell you, any beach in Roatan, Honduras, the water is going to be just right.
The biggest thing I wanted to do was to experience Honduran culture and really see how other countries live. So one day we were there Jon "rented" us a car. By renting I mean finding a local man on the beach who was willing to trust us enough to rent out his personal vehicle for a very small fee. The car that we are so used to having is such a rarity for them. This car opened my eyes to a whole new world. We drove through small villages and experienced other people's everyday life, life that I was so closed minded to even knew existed. Now - I knew about poverty, but I didn't know one country could contain so much.
On our car adventures, I bought a bag of delicious flavored banana chips for less than 10 cents from the local children in a village, I was able to hold and feed precious little monkeys, watch dolphins while driving over a teeny tiny bridge that we were sure would not hold the weight of the car, eat crepes, search endlessly for a special pair of sun glasses (cough Bonnie cough), explore the villages and experience a different culture. I can't tell you how much my eyes opened and my perspective on life broadened.
I spent many days in Honduras, but this day was most memorable. It was a lovely vacation with my sisters and brother in law and I will never forgot the locals generosity. If I had to sum it all up, I definitely think I took the road less traveled!
Back to me:
I loved sharing that time with my sisters. It really was a special experience.
Back to me:
I loved sharing that time with my sisters. It really was a special experience.
After they left, I unfortunately came down with Montezuma's revenge (or the Honduran version of that). So a day was spent in bed, not far from the toilet. Last time I was that sick was in Nepal...mmm fond world traveling memories...
Once recovered Jonathan and I spent our last few days diving as much as we could. Roatan is unique in that the dive sites are literally a swim from the shore and a one tank dive cost a mere $30. We took full advantage of this and did four dives in our last two days. In as many places as we have dove, I think this was one of my favorites. The visibility was astounding and we saw some sea life that I had yet to see.
Once recovered Jonathan and I spent our last few days diving as much as we could. Roatan is unique in that the dive sites are literally a swim from the shore and a one tank dive cost a mere $30. We took full advantage of this and did four dives in our last two days. In as many places as we have dove, I think this was one of my favorites. The visibility was astounding and we saw some sea life that I had yet to see.
Minus the sand flies (exhibit right) and the mounds of tourists that arrive on cruise ship days, this was a beautiful beach and offered amazing diving and snorkeling. If you are thinking about visiting, plan your vacation around the cruise ships - it makes a world of a difference. | Thanks for reading - it's great to post again! I have kind of missed it. I hope you enjoyed our welcome back post and please stay tuned. You are not going to want to miss what we have coming this July!!! Now, did you really think I was going to leave you without one of these.... ;-) |