The island of Roatan, part of the Bay Islands, Honduras is a dichotomy of luxury and poor, old world living. Multi-million dollar cruise ships dot the coast while the island population live in worn down houses amidst the mostly tropical jungle environment. I arrived to the island on one of those cruises ships, ferried ashore and took a bus ride over the only road that spans the length of the island to visit Gumbalimba Park, a 20 acre beachfront park that also serves as a natural habitat for island animals. The ride to the park was almost like a thrill attraction of its own. The road was narrow and there are virtually no traffic regulations. Motorcycles and scooters weaved in and out of traffic dangerously close to larger vehicles. There were no stops signs or other intersection controls. Compared to the organized traffic we're used to seeing at home, this was like the wild west of driving. Surprisingly, we made it to our destination without witnessing a disastrous accident or even getting a single scratch on the bus.
Left - the ride to the park was a thrill unto itself; Center - a wet sloth hanging out in a tree; Right - an iguana alongside the walkway (click photos to enlarge)
Gumbalimba Park was much like visiting a small animal zoo without any of the barriers that separate the humans from the animals. Many iguanas lay on branches in trees while a few made their way freely near and along the walkways we used to tour the park. A sloth was hanging out in a tree. A few minutes into the tour, I noticed three macaws high in a tree silhouetted against a bright sky. I thought that would be the best view of the birds I would get until I crossed a narrow rope and wood plank suspension bridge and saw we had entered an area of the park where macaws were practically everywhere. I saw four perched together on the roof of a small building. Walking past the building and around the corner revealed too many macaws to count and a toucan sitting on a low tree branch. Most interesting of all, we had entered the area where the Honduran-native Capuchin monkeys hang out - literally. Since there were no barriers between us and the curious monkeys, our guide had instructed us on how to deal with the them. It was simple - let them have their way. Apparently, Capuchins don't like being told no. We had been given several warnings. Watch out for your sunglasses, else a monkey might decide he wants to wear them. If a monkey likes the smell of your hair, he might rub his hands and body against your hair to pick up the scent on his own body - don't stop him. Even the button on the top of a hat could be fair game for the
monkeys (and, it turns out, also the macaws who like to chew the buttons off the hats). But the reward for accepting the instructions was to interact directly with the monkeys and macaws. People took turns with macaws and monkeys perched on their shoulders. Some of the macaws were so used to people they would lie on their backs to be cradled like a baby. It was an amazing experience to interact on such a close and personal level with the animals and something I would never expect to be able to do back home.
Top left - crossing the wooden plank and rope bridge; Top right - the monkeys will sit on your shoulder, but hold on to your belongings; Bottom left - beautifully colored macaws; Bottom right - a toucan who later got a little feisty with a macaw trying to sit on the same tree branch (click photos to enlarge)
When our time at the park ended, it was time to take the thrill ride back to the port. While I felt safe on the bus during our ride back, I couldn't help but think the motorcycle and scooter riders who recklessly passed us on the narrow road full of blind curves and hills were rolling the dice with their lives. We again completed our trip without being witness to anything more than risky motorcycle riders and beautiful views of the water and island along the way. I'm sure I'll remember and talk about my visit to Roatan for a long time. It was unlike anywhere I've ever been and being able to interact with the animals was unlike anything I've ever experienced.
More Photos (click photos to enarge)
