Central America and Panama 2022: 22 NOV 22 Coxen Hole, Roatan, Honduras

This post is based primarily on Don's notes, occasionally supplemented with MT's notes from our cruise in November 2022. When information from other sources is added—for further explanation to readers or to satisfy our own curiosity—that is set off in a text box (as this one).
Most of the photos that accompany this post are from Don’s camera (with a caption indicating the time it was taken); those from MT’s iPhone are indicated by “MT” placed at the beginning of the photo caption. Photos from any other source (such as the public domain Wikimedia Commons), occasionally used for clarification, indicate that source in the caption.

The Viking Daily newsletter showed today's weather forecast as "A Stray Afternoon Shower 80° F."

MT got up at 5:30 am to launder her bathing suit, used for cave tubing, before her Spa massage appointment on Wednesday. Don woke at 6 am.

MT Tuesday, ‎November 22, ‎2022, 5:45 AM - Viking Star: view of sunrise from our balcony.

MT 6:11 AM - Viking Star: view of Roatán port from our balcony, as ship approached port (mild telephoto 76 mm).

Room service breakfast was delivered at 7 am.

The Viking Star was scheduled to arrive in the Coxen Hole port of Roatán, Honduras at 7:00 am.

6:11 AM - Viking Star: our side of ship with view of Roatán port from our balcony.

6:12 AM - Viking Star: view of Roatán port, with cruise ship dock, from our balcony (telephoto 79 mm).

MT 6:13 AM - Viking Star: view of Roatán port from our balcony (telephoto 100 mm).

MT 6:36 AM - Viking Star: Roatán port - Royal Caribbean Symphony of the Seas cruise ship docked near us.

At 8:30, we went to the parking lot on the pier for our 9:00 meeting for the shore excursion "Carambola Gardens & Panoramic City Tour" (included). We met our guide Nuri (Atilla?) and got on bus number 16 for the "Viking Star 16" tour group.

The My Viking Journey web site describes the shore excursion Carambola Gardens & Panoramic City Tour (included) as follows:
2.5 Hours
Roatán’s Fertile Jungles
Enjoy a guided walk along the lush Carambola Botanical Gardens pathways, 40 acres of impeccably maintained trails. Transfer to your motor coach, then take a drive with your local host to the gardens in Sandy Bay. Upon arrival, you will set out on foot through a protected forest that hugs the hillside of Carambola Mountain. As you explore along its pathways, admire dozens of native plant types, from orchids and fruit trees to spice and medicinal plants, plus the popular “chocolate tree” and the famous Honduran mahogany tree. Gain insight into the local flora from your knowledgeable guide as you cross charming bridges over babbling brooks and relax in the tranquility of your idyllic tropical surroundings. At the end of your time at the gardens, you will board your coach and return to your awaiting ship. En route back to your ship, enjoy a brief tour of Roatán.
Moderate - Walking portions may be long and somewhat challenging with occasional step-ups, stairs and inclines. Total time walking or standing normally ranges from 1.5 to 3 hours.

The bus drove us to the Carambola Botanical Gardens.

‎

MT 9:28 AM - Roatán: Carambola Gardens - "chocolate tree" (cacao tree) with ripening pods (mild telephoto 46 mm).

The cacao tree or cocoa tree (Theobroma cacao), native of the Amazon rainforest, was first domesticated 5,300 years ago in South America before being introduced to Central America by the Olmecs more than 4,000 years ago. The ovoid fruit of the tree, called a cacao pod, contains 20 to 60 seeds, usually called “beans” embedded in a white pulp. The pod ripens yellow to orange.

Cacao pods in various stages of ripening (By Photo by Medicaster. - en:Image:Cocoa Pods.JPG, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2973927).

The cocoa bean (technically cocoa seed) or simply cocoa, is also called cacao in Spanish. Cocoa solids (including powder) and cocoa butter can be extracted from the fully dried and fermented seed. Chocolate is made from roasted and ground cacao seed kernels. Hence, the tree is sometimes called the “chocolate tree.”

9:30 AM - Roatán: Carambola Gardens - our guide Bill (from South Carolina) showing us photo of cacao pods and beans from "chocolate tree."

9:31 AM - Roatán: Carambola Gardens - our guide Bill (from South Carolina) showing us photo of mahogany seeds, from the Honduran mahogany tree.

The Honduran mahogany tree (swietenia macrophylia) is native to South America, Central America, and Mexico. The fruits are called “sky fruits” because they grow upwards toward the sky.

Mahogany fruit, growing up toward sky (By J.M.Garg - On work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2614980).

The fruits can measure up to 40 cm in length. Each fruit capsule could contain 71 winged seeds, which can be 7-12 cm long.

Mahogany seed (By Vinayaraj - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=19077056 ).

9:33 AM - Roatán: Carambola Gardens - plant at base of tree (telephoto 93 mm).

9:34 AM - Roatán: Carambola Gardens - sign for "Red Hibiscus - Chinese Rose (Rosa-Sinensis) Family Malvaceae:

"This is a plant with showy flowers containing 300 different [subsp]ecies native to tropical Asia and grows in tropical and subtropical re[gions ] worldwide. The flowers are large, showy, conspicuous, trumpet-sh[aped, wi]th five or more petals, color from white to pink, red, orange, p[each, yellow, blue, and] purple, and from 4-18 cm broad. Flower color in certain sp[ecies?] H. mutabilis and H. tiliaceus, changes with age.

"Only the single Red flower hibiscus is considered of medicinal value, edible and rich in iron."

"In Honduras it's a popular garden plant and cultivated throughout the Bay Islands and on Roatán as well."

9:35 AM - Roatán: Carambola Gardens - Ti Plant.

The Ti Plant (Cordyline fruticosa) is also called Good Luck Plant, Cabbage Palm, Palm Lily, Hawaiian Ti Plant, or Hawaiian Red Sister. Is a tropical broadleaf evergreen plant with colorful palm-like leaves. There are ti plant cultivars with foliage in shades of pink, green, purple, red, and streaked variegated forms with streaks of hot pink, cream, white, or shades of purple.

9:35 AM - Roatán: Carambola Gardens - Ti Plant and (blurred) sign for "[Royal Palm]," photo identified by its green crownshaft and later photo of same plant and sign.

The Royal Palm (Roystonea regia) is also known as the Cuban Royal Palm or Florida Royal Palm. It is native to Mexico, the Caribbean, Florida, and parts of Central America. The trunk is stout, very smooth, and grey-white in color with a characteristic bulge below a distinctive green crownshaft.

Royal Palm: the distinctive smooth green crownshaft and rows of circular leaf scars are clearly visible (By SKsiddhartthan - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=67401400).

9:36 AM - Roatán: Carambola Gardens - signs about "The Cocoa Tree," "Cocoa Pods & Beans," and "Processing the Cocoa Beans"(mild telephoto 58 mm).

9:41 AM - Roatán: Carambola Gardens - cinnamon tree with sign (the spice comes from the bark).

Cinnamon is a spice obtained from the inner bark of several tree species from the genus Cinnamomum.

9:43 AM - Roatán: Carambola Gardens - Flying Bird Plant.

A sign later in our tour identified this as Flying Bird Plant (Heliconia trichocarpa).
Heliconia is a genus of flowering plants native to the tropical Americas. Common names for the genus include lobster-claws, toucan beak, wild plantain, or false bird-of-paradise. The last term refers to their close similarity to the bird-of-paradise flowers in the Strelitzia genus.

At this point, our guide Bill prepared a snack for us based on local plants, including pineapple, bananas, and papaya, at a small hut in the woods.

9:44 AM - Roatán: Carambola Gardens - Bill preparing a snack.

9:48 AM - Roatán: Carambola Gardens - Bill with prepared snack.

9:48 AM - Roatán: Carambola Gardens - our prepared snack (mild telephoto 93 mm).

MT 9:51 AM - Roatán: Carambola Gardens - our prepared snack and the knife Bill used.

After the snack, we had a few minutes of free time to explore the nearby part of the gardens on our own while waiting for our bus to come for us.

9:59 AM - Roatán: Carambola Gardens - sign by "Mahogany" tree.

10:00 AM - Roatán: Carambola Gardens - sign for "Soursop" plant (hard to tell where this plant is in the jumble of vegetation).

10:00 AM - Roatán: Carambola Gardens - Flying Bird plant.

MT 10:02 AM - Roatán: Carambola Gardens - Flying Bird plant (telephoto 80 mm).

10:00 AM - Roatán: Carambola Gardens - "Star Fruit" tree with sign; Ti Plants in left background.

MT 10:04 AM - Roatán: Carambola Gardens - Ti Plants.

Then we rejoined the group at the gift shop.

10:05 AM - Roatán: Carambola Gardens - large tree by gift shop (bottom part).

10:06 AM - Roatán: Carambola Gardens - large tree by gift shop (top part).

Around 10:10 am, the tour conductor said our bus would not be there for another 20 minutes. So the two of us went back on the trails on our own and caught a few things we had missed before.

10:09 AM - Roatán: Carambola Gardens - Ti Plants and sign for "Royal Palm."

10:09 AM - Roatán: Carambola Gardens - sign for "Pendent Heliconia - Flying Bird - Heliconia trichocarpa - Platanio:

"Are exotics from Tropical America and cousins of Bananas & Gingers. The tropical American species are most colorful having brightly coloured bracks in red, orange, yellow, pink & green. Flowers are humming bird pollinated." (mild telephoto 93 mm). [See note from earlier photo of this plant.]

10:11 AM - Roatán: Carambola Gardens - Flying Bird (Heliconia trichocarpa) (mild telephoto 79 mm).

10:12 AM - Roatán: Carambola Gardens - Flying Bird (Heliconia trichocarpa) (telephoto 130 mm).

MT 10:18 AM - Roatán: Carambola Gardens - Don with (bamboo?).

MT 10:20 AM - Roatán: Carambola Gardens - MT by wooden bridge, with bench.

MT 10:20 AM - Roatán: Carambola Gardens - closer look at MT by wooden bridge.

10:20 AM - Roatán: Carambola Gardens - Ti Plants at left, with tall plant (ginger flower?) at right.

10:20 AM - Roatán: Carambola Gardens - close-up of tall plant (ginger flower?) at right (telephoto 130 mm).

10:21 AM - Roatán: Carambola Gardens - fuzzy pink flower (mild telephoto 79 mm).

MT 10:23 AM - Roatán: Carambola Gardens - tall plant (ginger flower?) at left and fuzzy pink flower at right (mild telephoto 37 mm).

10:24 AM - Roatán: Carambola Gardens - Flying Bird (Heliconia trichocarpa) (telephoto 130 mm).

10:25 AM - Roatán: Carambola Gardens - red flower (ginger plant?).

10:25 AM - Roatán: Carambola Gardens - spiky pink flowers.

MT 10:25 AM - Roatán: Carambola Gardens - MT under large palms.

MT 10:26 AM - Roatán: Carambola Gardens - closer look at MT surrounded by large palms and other plants.

MT 10:27 AM - Roatán: Carambola Gardens - close-up of Flying Bird Plant (our best photo of this, after several tries).

We returned to the cruise port (Dock 1) at 10:50 am.

11:00 AM - Roatán: cruise port - orangish red flowers.

MT 11:01 AM - Roatán: cruise port - spiky pink flowers.

MT 11:08 AM - Roatán: cruise port - colorful broadleaf plant (mild telephoto 38 mm).

MT 11:13 AM - Roatán: cruise port - plant with small flowers.

MT 11:14 AM - Roatán: cruise port - Croton Petra plant.

MT 11:16 AM - Roatán: cruise port - Don by brightly painted pillar.

MT 11:17 AM - Roatán: cruise port - decorated pineapple (mild telephoto 53 mm).

MT 11:20 AM - Roatán: cruise port - Don and MT by sign for "Town Center at Port of Roatan" with Royal Caribbean Symphony of the Seas cruise ship in background.

11:21 AM - Roatán: cruise port - huge mural of native woman on tower.

MT 11:23 AM - Roatán: cruise port - huge mural of native woman on tower (mild telephoto 30 mm).

MT 11:26 AM - Roatán: cruise port - Don by another huge mural of native woman on other side of tower, with Royal Caribbean Symphony of the Seas cruise ship in background; MT at bottom left by tower.

11:21 AM - Roatán: cruise port - that huge mural of native woman on other side of tower, with Royal Caribbean Symphony of the Seas cruise ship; MT at bottom left by tower.

11:23 AM - Roatán: cruise port - Royal Caribbean Symphony of the Seas cruise ship with Viking Star in background.

Around 11:45 am, we went to the Pool Grill (Deck 7) for our regular lunch of seared ahi tuna, onion marmalade, and wine.

We watched the movie "Bullet Train" on the TV in our room from 1-3 pm.

The Viking Daily newsletter said that passengers needed to be back on board by 3:00 pm, as the Viking Star prepared to set sail for Puerto Limon, Costa Rica (603 nautical miles, after a full day sailing the sea).

3:34 PM - Viking Star: view of cruise port from our balcony shortly before departure.

4:08 PM - Viking Star: view back to Roatán from our balcony with the ship on the move, leaving a wake.

At 4:24-5:29 pm, we went for a walk around the jogging track on Deck 2.

5:27 PM - Viking Star: sunset near the end of our walk.

MT 5:32 PM - Viking Star: sunset near the end of our walk.

Around 6 pm, we started to the Restaurant (Deck 2) for our pre-ordered dinner, but on Deck 2 we met a couple that had been on our tubing excursion the previous day. They were going to the Theater (Deck 2) for the "Legends" performance by the Viking resident vocalist at 6:30. We decided to go to that before dinner.

At 7:30, we went on to the Restaurant for dinner.