Honestly-
As I look back through all of the subjects I
chose to write about since April 14 when we landed on Roatán, I have to wonder
if I am painting a picture of Paradise with no downsides?
Though I
know we are all smart enough to realize that nothing is perfect and there is no
place on earth that is completely attractive, I don't want to be guilty of
exaggerating Paradisism (new word).
The bugs are every bit as bad (worse) than what
everyone says. If I had to list just one drawback of living here, the biters
would be my one and only. If you live in Florida, you understand the
no-see-ums battle. Elsewhere, you've likely dealt with mosquitos. We've
fought with those, but nothing like these biters.
Sandflies, sandfleas, biting
midges, no-see-ums.
People have all kinds of names
for these little insect jerks, but the common theme is these
teeny tiny bugs can be a big pain in the ass on your trip
to Roatan, if you're not prepared -
I've read
extensively about these nasty things. I find disagreement over what they are
called, but no disputes over their capability to make you crazy with itching.
If you plan to visit (and I hope you do!) please spend some time reading online
about these nasties and what you can do to help keep yourself protected and
comfortable.
This is a good place to start:
www.roatanet.com/deal-with-tropical-bugs.
These are in my arsenal:
Keeping all of this in the forefront, our first priority for choosing the location for our permanent home will consider the elevation and Tradewinds to help us stay cool and as bug-free as possible.
As we work to discover how minimalistic we can
live, some absolutes have become apparent in just these past three weeks. For
instance, while we might be able to live without A/C (I make that statement so
very loosely as we've not yet experienced the brutal summer heat), we will not
settle for connectivity issues with our internet service. I love my All Things
Administrative business and my clients, necessitating reliable connectivity. And we
do love our social media and staying in touch with friends and family. So
reliable internet service has become a priority when we begin house-hunting.
As an aside: This blog was supposed to post for your reading today (Thursday, May 6); however, there was a huge internet outage yesterday. This is something out of our control and could happen anywhere we live.
 |
Oak Ridge, Politilly Bight, Milton Bight, Terra Chula, Jonesville, Punta Gorda 1 and 2, Pandy Town, Punta Blanca and Paya Bay. Our crew is on site and working on the repair. We apologize for the delay in service and thank you for your patience while repairs are being made. |
I asked Mike what one thing he felt so far is
the biggest drawback to living here. He did not say bugs and he had no
hesitation saying "mobility". I wasn't sure what he meant so I asked.
"The inability to just go off and do
something. Every move we make has to be planned out."
He is right about that and I can see how that
would be difficult for the spontaneous personality that belongs to him. I'm the
planner, list-maker, to-doer in this partnership so taking the required
cautious steps settles well with me. Balance is found somewhere in the middle. Again. Always. Well, almost always.
To Mike's point, there is no more jumping in the
truck to run to the store when we run out of coffee. Instead:
1. Get the passports out of the safe;
2. Check the backpack for water and puppy
snacks, glasses, notes, shopping list, pen, bug spray, wet & dry rags,
trash bag;
3. Load said backpack and dogs and humans into
the truck;
4. Enter the date, time mileage and destination
to the log (because that's what Cathy does);
5. Drive an hour to Eldon's. Be sure to enjoy
the scenery!
6. Buy coffee.
7. Drive home and reverse the process, also
known as unplan or deprep.
Unlike the biting bugs issue, there is no remedy for the lack of quick
mobility. Except to stop and ask ourselves, "what else would you be doing
if you weren't preparing for a trip down island?"
 |
| Living here would require prep time for just going down to the beach. A trip to the grocery store would involve a boat ride before loading into the truck. Just thinking ahead..... We've got the elevation and awesome Tradewinds at this location! |
Our understanding is that choosing to live southside on the east end provides increased elevation and the oh-so-wonderful Tradewinds.
So, we are gradually moving into house-hunting
mode (slow like turtles) and we will be looking "windward on the southeast
side of the island."
Begone you nasty flies and heat & humidity discomfort!
Every human has his or her own version of Paradise.
We can't all share the same one or places like Roatan would be no longer quiet
and private. Be sure to find your ideal Paradise and live your dream while you
are young enough to do all the things!
(photo of old people on a beach)
