out and about

On Friday we took Maria to Oakridge since there were some ophthalmologists there from the States.  I am so grateful for the doctors who volunteer to come to the island to help the people here.   Oakridge is about an hour (well more like 40 min. with Bob driving!) away from where we live in Sandy Bay.  It would have cost Maria quite a bit to take a taxi so we offered to drive her.     I have been having some arching and flashes in my left eye and thought I might as well get checked out too so Bob offered to drive us.

this is the view all all views!  i love this part of the island!

The doctor verified that Maria is indeed blind in one eye and there wasn't anything that could be done.  We were hoping to be able to do a cornea transplant but he said that the eye is dead and the only thing to do would be to get a colored contact to covered the eye.  We are looking into that. My eye was fine too for which I was very grateful.

Here is Maria with doctor who checked her eye.

We really enjoyed the drive up the East side of the island.  Oakridge is build along one of the bights and it often called the Venice of Roatan since most transportation is done by boat.  The used to built long dug out canoes, very narrow.  Even still the boats are very narrow and we have gone in one once.   It was very tippy.   Bob, needless to say. was thrilled to be by the water and watched the boats and spoke to the guy who organizes the teams to come.

The following day we had our friends from French Harbour come over for lunch.   They arrived island time..meaning two hours late.  I had to laugh!     I basically had everything ready for chicken tortillas so I just waited for them to arrive.   Things happen at a slower rate here on the island.  We had a wonderful meal together and then at 3:00 we  all trundled into our little car.   We took them to West Bay.   They hadn't been there in years, in fact, Cedric hadn't snorkeled in over 20 years.   They have three wonderful little boys:  Fedric, age 10, Shane age 7, and Jamar who is 3 years old.   They had so much fun splashing around in the water.   The oldest boy was able to snorkel so I took him around in the shallow section and he was thrilled to see so many fish.   Cindy later said that she hadn't had that much fun in years and she felt years younger.   It is funny that they live here and yet don't go to the beach or even eat seafood very often.  I guess that can be a problem for all of us, we begin to take for granted the areas where we live and they lose the 'specialness'.  I believe in PLAY.. I think it is good for the soul and keeps the heart young.

I saw Cedric today at church and he was sick.  I kept asking what was wrong.   And he said that he just didn't feel good.  One funny thing about islanders is that they blame alot of illness on the 'water' or the cold wind.   So he said, it was because he was in cold water swimming and then warm water.   That is why he was aching and sore today.  I laughed and said,  Oh Cedric, you haven't swam in 20 years and I think it doesn't have anything to do with the water but it is just that his muscles were strained.   He looked at me and seriously said, 'you think so?'   haha.. yes!!

I am posting a couple  of pictures I took at church.  A lady at church made a big flag to fly in the capital's city of Tegucigalpa.  She made it to show that to the country our desire for democracy and peace.   May it fly with freedom!!