The Beach Boys

Yesterday I went to meet my new neighbors, an Italian couple named Ilaria and Gerardo, at the beautiful white sand beach at West Bay here in Roatan.

I decided to avoid the 2+ mile hike and catch a water taxi. It makes good sense that the operators of these boats try to round up as many passengers as possible for each trip, so as to maximize their profit. After telling me "5 more minutes" for about half an hour while waiting for two alleged passengers who said they'd be right back, the skipper finally decided to shove off without them.

It was looking like I was going to be the only one on board as we set out under the blazing mid-day sun, but we'd been under way less than a minute when another guy flagged us down from the shore. By the time he boarded, I was about 30 minutes late for my rendez-vous, and then we pulled over yet again, where a group of about 15 people was waiting.

The boat in which I was traveling was about as sea-worthy as a dug-out canoe with an engine, so I was curious to see how more than a dozen people, half of them with beers in their hands and no telling how many beers inside them, as well a stroller and an infant were gonna fit in this vessel, much less get in without capsizing it.

A lengthy negotiation in Spanish ensued, with the self-appointed and least intoxicated member of the group arguing in favor of a group discount. The boat owner finally relented, and thus began the precarious process of boarding. I was handed a soccer ball, and then a 4 year old, and then the rest of the crowd descended from the pier, which was about 4 feet above the top of the boat.

Once everybody was settled, we set off on our merry way, while I attempted to converse in my lame español. With a little help from the guy who boarded right after me, I learned that our fellow passengers were construction workers (except for the 4 year old and the infant) on vacation from the mainland. I jokingly asked "Quien tiene las cervezas?" and was promptly handed a frosty cold beer. Maybe my Spanish isn't so lame after all.

Upon our arrival at the beach, I tried out the new underwater housing for my camera. Here's a short video I wrote, directed, produced and starred in. And I did all my own stunts.