Other Beaches - Roatan

While New England has formed my view of beaches, I have explored other coastlines. Most recently, I have spent time on West Bay Beach in Roatan, Honduras. Tourists have this stretch of beach. The cruise lines come in several times a week with braceleted passengers. They sit on beach chairs lined up like deck chairs at one end of this curved sand. At the other end of the crescent is an Italian resort; it used to feature topless ladies until modesty arrived at the island. Here there are dance lessons and water exercise. The local authorities have also banned horses on the beach; they used to walk by with tourists perched on top. The beach scene is lively for people watching although snippets are hard to pick up because of the language Babel - Italian, Spanish, German, Swedish. The sunbathers and swimmers are in the water with snorkel gear, scuba equipment, fishing rods, kayaks, sailboats or on the land with volleyball, fling, running, or just lazing. Low-rise resorts and a few homes provide a backdrop for the beach busy during the day; security guards with flashlights offer isolated mileposts while walking under the black nighttime Caribbean sky. A few piers protrude into the warm sea protected by coral reef. Rays swim in at sunset joining bystanders for the glorious sunset. Water taxis come and go. Beyond the reef extravagant yachts moor, some with helicopters atop, others with tall masts or complete diving decompression chambers. I do not look to find my soul at this beach but rather to warm my heart and indulge in another culture.