She is very fond of that early morning time alone. Sleeping in would mean sacrificing it. She has tried to stay in bed on occasion but the curiosity of what she might be missing nags at her until she gives in, slips something on, and heads out in search of coffee, a paper and someplace to walk. On a ship dawn is likely to find her with a steaming cup and a camera on deck to document sunrises for people who never experience them. She usually encounters a few men, disheveled looking as if they dressed themselves in the dark. She understands them. She imagines them up early every day in their lives back home thinking of how they will sleep in on vacation then finding themselves unable to.
"Early riser in your family?" she always asks.
"Yes, I won't see any of them for hours," the usual reply.
She is generally the only female in the bleary eyed cult of the sunrise.This particular morning was beautiful as the ship made its way into the port at Roatan, an island off the coast of Honduras.
Click here to view Lonely Planet's travel information site on Honduras.
Eventually other members of the travel party do find their way to coffee and breakfast and a loose plan for the day is made. My Owner and her husband were off to explore on their own. They left the ship and made their way to the shopping area then planned to head to the beach. MO picked up some souvenirs and some Honduran coffee beans.
In the midst of getting some information about what to do she commented to the man and his wife at the information desk that it didn't look like a bad place to retire. (She has a lifelong fantasy of selling everything and moving to another country. Mr. MO is the obstacle/voice of reason in her flighty plans) The guy at the desk fueled her fantasies by telling her that he and his wife had retired and moved there a year ago and that there was a community of about six-thousand expatriates living there. She carefully recounted this conversation later to her husband while he rolled his eyes. He is very concerned about what she might do if he ever gets hit by a bus.
They decided to head to the beach that is provided for the cruise passengers and set up for the day in a couple of chairs under a palm tree. An Italian couple next to them made small talk and laughed at MO requesting that Mr.MO carry something for her.
"That's his job. To carry things...and pay." she said to the woman.
"Eh...whatsa your job?" asked the Italian husband.
"To be adorable...and let me tell you it used to be a whole lot easier!"
This cracked the Italian woman up. "Yes, yes, to be...how you say -- adorable. I must remember!"
The Italian man gave My Owner's husband a look of pity.
Some things are the same in every language.
More eye rolling. (I mean honestly, the poor man.)
They hadn't signed up for an excursion at this stop so MO was excited when he suggested sea kayaking which is done in a lagoon. At first it didn't look like much. Grass growing on the bottom, mangrove trees along the edges...but then around the bend...
the lagoon empties out into the ocean and it was just beautiful.
My Owner was very happy and relaxed.
"Oh am I supposed to be paddling?"
Of course they couldn't resist getting out and walking along this beach.
After returning the kayak they headed to a restaurant/bar on the beach called Hurricane Hole.
MO snapped this picture from her seat at the bar.
Anyone else hear Jimmy Buffet?
Some mother/daughter bonding.
Mr. MO met a judge from an adjoining southern town and struck up a conversation that was so engrossing he didn't even realize they were having this picture made. I'm fairly sure MO is ever aware of the proximity of cameras. A sense her daughter inherited... 
as evidenced by this photo.
What a couple of hams.
My Owner would have liked to have stayed and explored this island but all too soon it was time to head back to the ship just in time for a lovely sunset. When she returned to the cabin she crammed some rocks in my outer compartment along with her coffee purchase. I'm always afraid she is going to bring me something that will get me sniffed by a dog in customs. Such an indignity.
Here's a link to a USA Today article about the new cruise center at Mahogany Bay: http://mediagallery.usatoday.com/Roatan%27s-new-Mahogany-Bay-cruise-center/G1485,A6499?loc=interstitialskip
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