Roatan Road Trip 101

Mountain top view of Caribbean Sea

Riding along in my automobile... enjoying the panoramic vista view of the emerald blue ocean from the top of a mountain; taking in the wonders of nature in a tropical paradise, a green iguana crossing the road, inviting blue sky, white clouds drifting aimless overhead...paradise.

Screeeeetch! Halt! Stop! Back up.

Riding along in my automobile... in a third world country, on a small crowded island, under construction, the views change, the mountain is moving on a daily basis, and the traffic patterns is different each time you pass over the road.

To say driving on Roatan is an adventure is an understatement. Many of the roads are narrow, 1 and half lanes at best, no shoulders, with potholes that are part of the structure of the road rather than a road hazard to avoid. People, dogs, kids, cattle, horses, lizards, big trucks and SUVs are all fighting for space on that cramped, semi-paved/gravel/dirt/path they call a road. Here is a little ditty to sum up driving here is paradise.

"Swerving left, forgetting right,

Traffic laws are just a blight,

Mirror, signal, what's that for?

We're curbing wheels and scraping doors,

Roundabouts a driver's grave

As green iguanas a passing wave,

From zero skill to panic zones,

Roatan road trip jars the bones."

Oh and let us not forget to mention the motos, or motorbikes. To describe the motos and their driving behavior, think of these lyrics from the band Stealers Wheel.

"Clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right, here I am, stuck in the middle with you."

The attitudes of the moto drivers are that; "I am small, fast, immortal and I don't need to follow the rules." And they are impatient! They weave in and out of traffic, squeezing through tight spaces, pass you on the left or right, and ride your bumper. If the common sense thing to do is wear helmets the drivers don't; or respect the weight limit of the bike, they don't; respect the purpose of the vehicle's intent they don't. The owners of those motos will pile as many people and kids on the bike as possible, (many times without helmets) like it is a 7 passenger van. They will haul all sorts of oversized and dangerous items as if their bike is a 1 ton truck. Recently the moto driver was hauling 5 regular sized square gas containers; three were lined up on the rack on the back while 2 were strapped to his chest. Cringe worthy!