HOLLAND AMERICA WESTERN CARIBBEAN CRUISE PART II

WESTERN CARIBBEAN PART II

 

KEY WEST, AT SEA, ROATAN HONDURAS

 

Not long after Christopher Columbus reached the New World in 1492 Ponce de Leon set sail toward Fl

in search of the Fountain of Youth.  They never found the fountain but did find ther FLORIDA KEYS.

This was Sunday May 15 1513.

The Conch Republic was formed in 1982 when Key West Mayor Dennis Wardlow and the city council

declared the Independence of Key West.  This was in retaliation to the US Border Patrol establishing a

roadblock on High 1 stopping all northbound tgraffic returning to the Florida maianland to search vehicles

for illegal drugs and immigrants.  Because of this all tourism came to a halt and the keys seffered

economic disaster, going bankrupt.

The Conch Republic agreed to rejoin the United States requesting a one billion dollar foreign aid payment.

This generated so much publicity  regarding the keys financial status the roadblock was removed ,

Wardlow as Prime Minister of the Conch Republic surrendered to an officer of the Key West Naval Air

Station.   On Wednesday March 25 we docked at 8:22 a.m. at Roatan Hondurus.  Sunny, 84 degrees.  The ship docked at Mahogany Bay, again a beautiful port of call.  Here I went shopping in the port shops, watched some of the entertainment, and took a bus tour of Honduras interior, stopping at West End Village for refreshments and entertainment.  West End Village Next after leaving West End Village we entered a semi sub ride to see the coral reef and whatever else might appear.  Interesting, but something I would probably no do again. On the way back to the port we stopped at the Stone Castle Cameo Institute, where they taught the art of carving on the conch shells.   They served us pizza and wine. Reboarded the ship, met up with Nancy for supper, and watched as the ship undocked and set sail for our next stop.  The early Hondurans were related to either the Paya, the Maya, the Lenca,or the Jicaque.  These were the cultures when Christopher Columbus, on his 4th voyage 1502-1504 came to the Islands.  Soon after this discovery the Spanish began raiding the islands for slave labor. Honduras is a very poor country, struggling to survive.  If it were not for TOURISM and the FISHING Industry…….When you get away from Roatan where the cruise ships come in, there are many who have no      runnning water (as it is very scarce) or electricity ( very expensive).  They have no modern  "conveniences", wash their clothes on washboards, hang them out to dry, only propane for cooking, when they can afford it, some areas get their water only 2 or 3 times a week and have to make do.  If it were not for the bus tour offered by the cruise line tourists would never realize what goes on elsewhere.  But they ae very polite, very pleased to see us when we visit their communities, because they know it is were not for us tourists ....... Stay tuned for Part III and God Bless.