Back at Christmas, Gretta’s parents decided to give our family money rather than try to ship packages to us (since we had only been in country about 6 weeks and hadn’t quite figured out how to get packages yet). They told us to go down island to the more touristy end and have some family fun as our Christmas gift from them. December was right in the middle of rainy season (we had over 112 inches of rain in 4 months) so we opted to wait for rainy season to end so we could really enjoy it.
The month of March the rainy season ended but we had something for church every weekend in March so it was hard to plan a trip away. So we finally got to go down island the first weekend in April and have some family Christmas fun!
We started by visiting Daniel’s Sloth & Monkey Hangout. It was a super neat little place that was well worth the $10/person to enter. At first, they had a couple of cages of animals that you couldn’t touch but you could see the animals up close and learn about them. Then we got to hold a sloth…yes, a SLOTH! This was something we all had wanted to do and it was so amazing. The one we got to hold was named “Sid the Sloth” which was so appropriate because since Sidney was a little girl we have called her “Sid the Sloth” when she didn’t want to do something or took forever to do things. She was so excited to get to hold her “namesake”…ha! 
The next area was the white-headed capuchin monkeys! We all walked into their habitat together with our guide and made a circle. Then literally, the monkeys just start playing all over you! They jumped all over us, played with our hair, investigated our pockets (which the guide had already told us to empty everything out before entering their cage), they loved our cell phones, etc. The monkeys loved to sit on your head and on your shoulders too. They were really fun and we laughed so hard during our time with them. 
Then we got to go visit the parrots! The scarlet macaw (pictured above) is the national bird of Honduras. The birds didn’t hurt when they landed on you but I was surprised by how much they weighed. These birds were so beautiful and majestic and it was amazing to get to see them so up close and personal. After we left Daniel’s Sloth and Monkey Hangout, we enjoyed a delicious lunch at Caribe restaurant (not pictured). Caribe is one of our favorite places to eat because it is buffet style, island food and with a family of 5, it is a place that we can go and everyone can find something they want to eat. They also make the most delicious tres leche cake there too!
After lunch, we drove down to West End to shop on the “tourist strip”. They have all kinds of little shops, art galleries, and restaurants on this one street. Gretta’s parents had also given each of the kids some shopping money to spend on whatever they wanted so they were excited to get to shop on West End. Abbey bought some necklaces, bracelets, and a ring. Sidney bought a mermaid shirt and Wyatt bought a handcarved chess set. They loved getting to shop for things they wanted.
After West End, we drove down to West Bay to let the kids swim and play. We went to Bananarama and while we sat at a cute little table and rested, the kids enjoyed the ocean. They also had a giant Connect 4 game and a giant Jenga game that the kids enjoyed playing too. Wyatt and our friend Ally got into a pretty intense game of Jenga.
Our day of fun was only possible because of our sweet friend Rosina! Since we do not have a vehicle or a boat, we have to rely on other’s generosity to help us get around when we need to go somewhere. Rosina owns Hillview Tours & Adventures and she is the best tour guide around the island. She knows the history, knows all the scenic spots to see, knows when to go to miss the crowds, and she has a great personality and is lots of fun too! If you’re looking to come visit Roatan, she also has cabins available for rent too at Hillview Cabins.
Thanks Dad & Mom for such a VERY fun day for our family!! We made memories that will last a lifetime and had fun getting to visit parts of the island we had never been to before.
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