Roatan

For our shore excursion of Roatan, an island off the coast of Honduras, we decided to take a tour off the beaten tourist path. I thought this would be a great plan especially since Nelson is really into different cultures and spending time with the locals

We were able to see authentic fish towns and villages on stilts

Fishing is one of the major industry's and the fishing season here begins in July and ends in February

We took a motorized canoe called a Cayuco into the mangrove tunnels

On our way there and back we saw children being transported by boat on their way home from school. What a cool way to travel!

Mangroves are a natural defense against coastal erosion, found at the ocean's edge. They are a nursery for marine organisms and provide a feeding ground for many endangered birds. Mangroves are threatened and it's illegal to cut them down.

The view from on top of a hill

Afterward we went to Sherman Arch's Iguana Farm. He started this hideaway 18 years ago to protect the species.

Imagine almost 3000 iguanas, cocks, roosters, and lizards just roaming around freely. Who knew bananas would be the snack of choice for iguanas.

Seeing all those reptiles just trotting by was a little creepy but interesting nonetheless

He also had a pond with turtles, talking parrots, and monkeys in cages

Unfortunately a lot more was suppose to be included in this tour, including a beach break at Turquoise Bay and the authentic Garifuna villages: the native people of Roatan but we had a lazy, swindling tour guide but don't worry I complained to the company we hired and we're actually getting a full refund.

Because we were a little disappointed, we headed over to Fat Tuesday's for a little pick me up and silly fun