While you and I would have a bit more noise to contend with than the narrator in picking up these sounds, thankfully there are quiet moments when we do. Quiet island moments when we hear what we otherwise would not. Imagine yourself on a wharf at the lagoon in French Harbour at dawn. What is that sound? Imagine wild pigeons cooing in the mangroves, their gentle calls carrying over the dark water.

Since you have taken the trouble to be at the wharf on the lagoon at dawn, listen some more. Hear that sound? That little racket compared to the pigeons? Those are the ching-chings, roosting in mangroves as well, fussing as they begin to take on the day. Then, in the pause between the ching-chings’ racket and the pigeons’ cooing, a sudden, violent splashing erupts in the middle of the lagoon—the sound of a school of mullet escaping a barracuda.

Before taking the pathway to the lagoon, walk along French Harbour Road up the point. In the quiet, you will hear little rippling waves silently and smoothly brushing the white sand just feet from the edge of the seaside road. You may not see them, but there will be small periwinkles clinging to rocks that are half in, half out of the water and green with thin moss. Shiny sharks, each only inches long and with oversized heads and mouths, lie motionless with their stomachs on the sand. They lie hidden between the moss-covered blades of turtle grass in the shallows.

The island abounded with wild hogs, pigeons, parrots and other wild birds.

As a child growing up in French Harbour in the 1970s, quiet could also be found in the middle of the day when the sun was high in the sky. While standing in the mangroves along the canal, you felt your feet gripping the mangrove roots as you steadied yourself, watching a man from the Hill clean a fresh catch of conchs. He had returned from the lagoon and the green and blue waters beyond and had tied his dory in the shade of the mangroves. There, he finished his work before paddling to his home only minutes away.

First, he uses the back end of a carpenter’s hammer to poke a hole at the top of a conch shell. Then, using a butter knife, he expertly pushes the conch from the shell. As he dresses the conch meat with a butcher’s knife, the man carefully checks each slippery, de-shelled conch. You are not certain why he is looking so closely at and poking the de-shelled conchs. Then it comes to you — he is looking for conch pearls. Having had no luck finding pearls, the man completes his work. He then throws the conch waste into the middle of the canal — five heaping mounds in his large, cupped hands. You watch the light-colored conch waste slowly descend in the dark canal water. Your stare intensifies. You know what will soon come.

Tarpon suddenly descend to eat the trash in frenzy. The canal water boils from their sudden turns beneath the surface. Water splashes as tarpon jump above the surface. A few large dog teeth snap, joining in the melee. The smaller and more timid fish eat the trash that settles on the muddy canal bottom.

Those are some of the sounds one hears on a quiet day in Roatan. I look forward to the next time I am in the Bay Islands. For one night, surely, I’ll go to sleep early just to be in French Harbour before dawn.

The Smiling Sandy Bay’s Entertainment Duo

Both Walter and Dwin were born in Sandy Bay, a place where many island musicians have their roots. “My father was a music man. I watched them play and I just kept right on,” says Walter about Norman James, his saxophone-playing father. James speaks with a soft, cracked voice. Walter started playing music in his teens. He played the drums, then moved to playing the guitar and eventually lead guitar.

On 1970s Roatan there was no TV or internet, but sounds of musical instruments were all around. One of Walter’s brothers was a trumpet player, and the other played the guitar and banjo. After his brother passed away, their sons: Jimmy, Joseph and Jonny continued the family tradition on music.

As a young man, Walter ran away from the Honduran army and settled back on the island and begun performing. Saturdays were dance nights on the island back then. In the 1970s, he already played for tourists at AKR. “We had Allan Flowers; Polin Galindo wrote songs,” remembers the old times Walter.

In the 1970 and 80s, many island one-man bands or two-man groups entertained the entire Roatan population. There were many solo artists and bands playing all over the island, especially on Saturdays.

Dwin Osly Bodden was born in 1991 in what he believes is Roatan’s music center – Sandy Bay. “If you dig down deep you will find that 80% of musicians are from Sandy Bay.”

At 13-14 years of age he started at 13-14 years old with gospel music at the church of God, “My maternal grandfather, Robert Gorfry, played bass guitar,” recalls Dwin who now sings both gospel and secular music.

If you dig down deep you will find that 80% of musicians are from Sandy Bay.

The Happy Boys due have been together four years. They play at the regular tourist spots: La Placita, Sol y Mar, AKR for the tourists and charity events. Roatan music scene is heading for tourist entertainment route.

The Happy Boys also travel. They have been to Cayman Islands several times, they performed on Utila, Guanaja, and the Mosquito coast. “We play reggae, soca, country and western, Merengue, Cumbia, we are quite versatile,” says Dwin. They don’t write their own songs however. “We mostly follow music, not writing,” adds James.

He ate some of the food she left out for him and went to his room to get his passport, but couldn’t find it. He began to search the room, and eventually found where his wife had hidden it. She did not want him to go.

When Mr. Cleary arrived in French Harbour, Mr. Jackson was still asleep. His companion Victoria Jones did not want Cleary to wake him up, as she did not want him to go on the trip either. Darwin had been up all-night drinking and was frustrated with the many delays he was experiencing Cleary Jones woke Darwin up anyway and they left and boarded the Night Hawk. By 5pm, the entire crew was present for departure: Darwin Jackson, Daniel Gómez, Cleary Jones, Roy Bodden, Felix Bodden, Dick Dixon, Sam Collins, Charles Hyde, Arlenton Godfrey, Nathan McKenzie and an American Scott Harris.

A Hybur ship sailed from French Harbor to Belize on Monday evening, December 20. When they arrived Tuesday morning, Captain Willie Elwin Inquired about the Night Hawk and was told she never docked. He called Captain Myrl Hyde in French Harbor to contact Albert Jackson and let him know that something was wrong. The Night Hawk was not in Belize. A search was organized, which included planes that flew between Roatan and the Belize Cays, but nothing was seen or found.

A few days later, some 50-gallon drums were found drifting ashore on Utila. One of the drums had the initials E.C., which stood for Evans Cooper. He owned a store in Oakridge and had sent drums to buy Kerosene in Belize on the Night Hawk. On inspection, you could see that the drums had been on fire. All kinds of rumors swirled around. One theory was that in the rush to sail, the stove fell into the sea while it was still connected. Perhaps the fuel line was not connected properly to the gasoline engine, and it either caused a fire or an explosion.

Some 50-gallon drums were found drifting ashore on Utila.

When the Night Hawk disappeared, I was in Nicaragua, shrimping at the time. When I got back home in April of 1972, the rumors about what happened were still the main topic of conversation in the small town of French Harbor. I decided to see what I could find out about what happened for myself.

I went to visit a friend, Mrs. Iva Whittaker, whom I had known since I was a child. Our families had been friends for generations. She lived on Big Bight on the North side of Roatan, on a hill with an unobstructed view of the ocean. As it got dark, she was in her yard making a fire to deter sandflies. She saw a flash on the horizon, and a fire that burned for a while. She was home alone, so no alarm was made. Big Bight was very isolated at that time, and I believed what she told me.

My theory is that when Ida saw the flash, around sunset, the men on the Night Hawk would have likely been making coffee. When they lit the stove, it exploded, causing the fire to spread very quickly. This spread instantly to the engine room, where the fuel lines and gasoline were located. This caused an even bigger explosion, which was the Flash that Ida saw, followed by the fire.

Other rumors were that they were hijacked, and the boat set ablaze. There were reports that the crew had been seen in Cuba. The Night Hawk and crew met their fate that night about ten miles north of Big Bight off the North side of Roatan.

Competition of Bringing in Maritime Passengers to Roatan is Heating Up

The daily maritime transport of several hundred passengers, sometimes as many as two to three thousand, between Roatan and the mainland is a multimillion-dollar business. Paya Magazine estimates that the annual gross revenue from moving such passengers is well over $10 million. The customer base for the island-to-mainland ferry market is plentiful as Roatan has well over 100,000 residents, Utila around 7,000, Guanaja about 14,000, and there are typically an additional 4,000 visitors staying in the archipelago at any given time.

On October 3, 2023, Dream Ferries inaugurated its Roatan to La Ceiba passenger ferry service. “The island has grown 10x [times] over the last ten years, but the ferry service hasn’t really improved,” said Kenny McNab, founder and CEO of Dream Ferries. A young, driven Roatan entrepreneur, McNab also owns several key island businesses, including a chain of BIP (Bay Island Petroleum) petrol stations, BIP Gas distributors and Dream Ferries.

The Roatan Dream catamaran that services the Roatan to La Ceiba route is the company’s newer, larger vessel. Measuring 140 feet and weighing 186 tons, it can seat 300 passengers and has a total capacity of 520. “We see the need for better connectivity between the islands,” says Kenny McNab. “Our next goal is to connect the islands.”

Until October, Galaxy Wave practically monopolized maritime passenger transportation to and from Roatan for three decades. The only brief period of competition took place 1998-1999, when a boat named The Nautica, owned by Ervin Dixon, competed with Galaxy on the Roatan to La Ceiba route.

Galaxy launched in May 1994 when their boat Tropical undertook its initial voyage between Roatan and La Ceiba. The captain of the boat was the company’s founder, John McNab, Kenny McNab’s older cousin. Today Galaxy is run by John McNab’s two children, Jennifer and Ron. Jennifer McNab serves as the company’s general manager. Ron McNab, who is also the current mayor of Roatan Municipality, serves as the operations manager.

Customer base for the island-to-mainland ferry market is plentiful.

Galaxy has been playing things very close to the chest when it comes to their next moves. Based in Dixon Cove, the company operates two catamarans that run twice daily to La Ceiba and on weekly schedule to Guanaja: the 2006-built 160-foot Galaxy Wave, with a passenger capacity of 450, and the 150-foot Tropical Wave, capable of seating 350. It seems a logical next step for Galaxy to introduce a bigger, faster, and more efficient boat for their Roatan to La Ceiba route. “Safeway has been serving our community and clients for 30 years, innovating and evolving right along,” said Jennifer McNab. “We plan to continue to do so while providing the best service we know how.”

In mid December 2023, Galaxy made a strategic shift, evolving from a maritime passenger company to encompassing both maritime and air travel. Galaxy acquired a substantial stake in CM [Cielo Maya] Airlines, an airline that boasts a fleet of six airplanes. CM Airlines serves eight destinations within Honduras and, in partnership with TAG [Transportes Aéreos Guatemaltecos], offers international flights to Guatemala, El Salvador, and Belize.

CM Airlines, with a hub in San Pedro Sula, now considers Roatan as its secondary hub. Following this acquisition, Dream Ferries faces competition not only from Galaxy Ferries but also CM Airlines for its Roatan, La Ceiba, and Utila routes.

The Galaxy Roatan to La Ceiba ticket is priced at $35, or around Lps. 860, subject to dollar fluctuation. Dream Ferries offers a competitive edge by pricing their tickets for the same route at Lps. 800 per passenger, and Lps. 720 if purchased online. “We have to compete with the airlines. It has to be cheaper for you to take the ferry than to fly,” says Kenny McNab.

The increased competition has greatly benefited Roatan residents. The options for travel to the mainland have doubled, and now there’s even the option to transport two cars to and from Roatan on the larger Utila ferry. “We saw an opportunity to come in with newer, more efficient boats, and with a different schedule,” said Kenny McNab. “There are a lot more options [now] for locals and for tourists.”

The Dream Ferries features newer catamarans with more efficient designs. The Roatan Dream and the 104-foot, 295-passenger Utila Dream are powered by two propellers, in contrast to Galaxy’s catamarans, which are driven by four motor jets. “I have been all over the world and I have seen what they are doing and what we are not doing,” says Kenny McNab. “Step up your game or cease to exist. (…) It’s good for us and it’s good for clients.”

Roatan passengers have certainly taken notice. “It’s super clean, and there is great attention from the staff,” said Paola Dolmo from Coxen Hole, commenting on her first voyage with Dream Ferries. “They even bring umbrellas to you so you don’t get wet getting out.”

Kenny McNab has made strategic land purchases for the Dream Ferries terminal, located directly adjacent to Galaxy terminal in Dixon Cove. He plans to build a hotel for business travelers right next to the terminal. Dixon Cove is on track to becoming a central hub for passenger travel, cargo, and business accommodations in the Bay Islands. In the future, passengers might be able to walk just a few yards from a Dream Ferry to the Galaxy facility to the east.

The design of the Dream Ferries terminal stands out for its minimal use of walls or barriers, embodying a different concept of how a ferry terminal should look and feel. Similar to their setup in Utila, passengers on Roatan can now purchase a Dream Ferry ticket and proceed directly to the boat. Dream Ferries opts not to spend time scanning for weapons or drugs, resulting in cost savings for the company and time savings for passengers. “It’s an open concept design, access is more free. If you want to come up to the ferry and take a photo, you can,” said Omar Martínez, manager of operations at Dream Ferries.

Kenny McNab launched the Dream Ferries project in 2013 with his friend Richard Watler. “He saw the need for improved service from Utila to La Ceiba,” said Kenny McNab. Watler, a Utila native who had lived in New Orleans for most of his life, was also a golf buddy of Kenny’s. “It took us six months to design and 18 months to build,” said Kenny McNab. The inaugural service started on October 29, 2015, with the route from Roatan to Utila via the Utila Dream ferry beginning in early 2016. The company launched its ferry service with a brand new 104 foot Utila Dream, capable of accommodating as many as 240 passengers. “It was a struggle at first. I remember days we had one or two passengers,” Kenny McNab recalled. Watler sold his share to Kenny McNab about a year after the launch of the Utila Dream ferries. “The competition was heated when we started,” Kenny McNab remarked.

The company responsible for building the two Dream Ferries catamarans is also a partner in the business. Midship Marine, based in New Orleans, operates a yard specializing in the design and construction of lightweight aluminum watercraft up to 225 feet long. Midship Marine has a track record of notable projects, including the construction of the 118-foot Utila Aggressor II and a ferry servicing the route between Puerto Juaréz, Mexico, and the islands of Isla Mujeres and Cozumel.

There is plenty of room for growth for ferry services in the Bay Islands. “The long term mainland [goal] is car passenger [ferries],” said Kenny McNab. “Roatan has a lot better roads now than before. (…) We are already moving cars on Roatan Dream.” The Roatan Dream catamaran can carry two cars, charging Lps. 9,000 per car, with the driver traveling for free. It’s an attractive option for tourists coming with a luxury vehicle to Roatan. According to Martínez the ferry moves around three vehicles a week.

Kenny McNab is exploring using Puerto Cortés port as a base for reaching Roatan. “The car passenger ferry would have to operate out of Puerto Cortés,” he said. “It would be a five hour run, compared to an hour and a half.” While Puerto Cortés is an extra 47 miles farther from Roatan than La Ceiba, its port ties in to a brand-new road network in Honduras and offers much better port facilities.

He plans to build a hotel for business travelers right next to the terminal.

The Roatan to Puerto Cortés route would circumvent the congestion and delays of travelling to La Ceiba, and makes travel to Roatan more feasible for visitors from San Pedro Sula, Tegucigalpa, and even Guatemala. The La Ceiba port has faced challenges with inconsistent dredging of the port entrance, leading to issues with vessels scraping the bottom, needing to turn around, or even sinking. “If it wasn’t for that, we would have even bigger boats,” said Kenny McNab.

There are still additional passenger and car passenger ferry routes that could be developed. One such route is Roatan to La Mosquitia. With thousands of Misquito natives living on Roatan, a passenger service to the less accessible Gracias a Dios Department is in demand. Island Shipping, based in Brick Bay, is another player in maritime transport along Honduras’ north shore. It’s possible that this company could expand to passenger services on their already existing services between Roatan and Puerto Cortés, or even Puerto Lempira and Cauquira.

Dogs, Cats and Horses in Dire Straits, Again

Facing this dire circumstance, a dedicated group of volunteers led by Tanya Walter, who moved to Roatan two years ago, took action. “I have the skills and I can help,” Walter said.

The shelter, currently staffed by eight volunteers, is in desperate need of resources. Animal crowding, incessant barking, and foul odors create stressful conditions for both animals and humans. The weekly food bill alone amounts to $3,000, not including additional costs for medical care, supplies, and medications.

Many of the dogs have never left the shelter, according to Kimberly Gow, a volunteer with veterinary training. “Some [dogs] have been locked up in pack situations for years,” said Gow. “I’ve met animals that have never left this shelter. I have one at my home right now.” Gow took in a small dog that has never seen anything else. “He doesn’t know what anything is right now. He doesn’t know what stairs are; he doesn’t know what a house is. He has no idea,” she says.

The crisis was foreseeable. Janessa Baar, founder of Roatan Rescue, was evicted from the Politilly property a year ago but chose to ignore the eviction. The local community, initially unhappy with the shelter, has since come around. “They realized we are here to help the situation other than making it worse,” said Gow. “They started to pitch in to help us.”

The volunteers have improved the situation since mid July when things were completely out of control “The dogs would get outside of the fences and run around the neighborhood,” said Walter. “It was not a sustainable situation.”

According to shelter volunteers, Janessa Baar, the founder of Politilly’s Roatan Rescue, has lost interest in the facility. “The owner had left the island and didn’t seem to be coming back,” said Gow. Communication between Roatan Rescue volunteers and Baar has been sporadic.

Baar is a colorful character who has shared her life story on social media, claiming a past addiction to drugs before finding Christianity and founding Roatan Rescue. “God is the reason RR started, and He has not brought us this far to only come this far,” Baar wrote on social media in 2021.

The shelter faces a bumpy road.

The current state of Roatan Rescue raises questions about whether the project failed due to incompetence, poor planning, bad luck, or if it was merely a vehicle to raise money. Paya Magazine reached out to Baar for comment but received no response.

Roatan Municipal Council member Nidia Webster has filed a police report against Janessa Baar and expressed strong opinions on social media. “Janessa Baar came to Roatan using the name of God and defenseless animals to line her pockets with thousands of dollars by brainwashing people out of their hard-earned cash,” Webster wrote.

The shelter faces a bumpy road as stray dogs and cats remain in limbo on Roatan. “Technically, it’s illegal to run an animal shelter here,” said Walter. “There’s a law stating you can’t euthanize an animal for population control.” While each Honduran municipality is responsible for stray dogs, existing laws offer no guidance on how to manage them.

Sammy Cortés, chief of the Sanitation and Health Department for Roatan Municipalities, acknowledges that the island lacks laws or strategies for managing abandoned or suffering animals. “It’s difficult to manage strays without laws,” Cortés said. He referred to the 2022 “Plan de Arbitros,” which the municipality follows for its operations. The closest relevant law, Article 148, paragraph 4, pertains only to vagrant cows and horses, which are to be picked up by the municipality, held for three days, and then auctioned off. The municipal law offers no guidance on how to handle abandoned or sick dogs and cats that have no economic value.

Shelter volunteers believe that focusing on adoptions is the key to resolving the issue. The program has already seen success, with 16 adoptions occurring on September 12 alone. The most significant adoption effort to date came from Mrs. Leah of Milton Bight, who adopted 16 dogs—one for each of her children and grandchildren. “She’s going to have her grandchildren collect garbage to pay the adoption fee,” said Gow.

As of mid-September, 76 dogs and cats have been adopted from the shelter. “These are significant numbers, but we have many more animals,” said Gow. Additionally, five animals have been re-homed. Andrea Izaguirre, from Jasper Animal Shelter in Utila, has taken 10 cats from the island.

Focusing on adoptions is the key to resolving the issue.

In another positive development, all seven horses housed at the shelter were relocated to a farm in Big Bight on September 13. Despite these successes, the shelter still faces overwhelming challenges. “It’s chaos. We have a plan, but it changes daily based on new issues we encounter,” Gow added.

The major adoption initiative is still in the planning stages. The volunteer group aims to assess, microchip, and vaccinate all animals to launch a full-scale adoption campaign by mid-October. “The strategy is to bring the animals to communities, churches, and schools. That way, people don’t have to come to us; we go to them,” said Walter.

The “Cuero y Salado” National Park with a View of Utila

The Cuero y Salado National Park is located 10 kilometers west of La Ceiba, along the coastline facing Utila and Roatan. Designated as a protected area in 1987, the Foundation of Cuero y Salado was established in 1989. The park spans 32,700 acres and features a diverse range of ecosystems, including forests, grasslands, mangroves, beaches, and sandbars. The Cuero River winds through the park before emptying into the Caribbean Sea, and it also branches off into multiple water channels that serve as habitats for manatees.

The measures taken by the Honduran government in 2020 and 2021 to protect its citizens from the COVID-19 virus have had some unintended consequences for the park. The lockdowns led to the closure of the Cuero y Salado tourist train, which now sits abandoned behind a fence in La Unión. Previously, this simple but reliable train would depart for the park entrance at 7 a.m., 9 a.m., and 11 a.m. daily.

“La Burra” remains the only way to reach the Cuero y Salado.

Visitor numbers to the park have dwindled significantly. There is no signage directing people to the park from the main highway near La Unión. Two communities are situated near the park, and residents use motorcycles or burros to bring in supplies from the nearby town of La Union. As of mid-2023, the only way to reach the Cuero y Salado station for locals is via a narrow path running parallel to the former train tracks, which is just wide enough for a motorcycle or bicycle.

For visitors, “La Burra” remains the only way to reach the Cuero y Salado station. As primitive as railway transport can get, “La Burra” consists of a wooden platform set on two train axles, which themselves rest on wooden planks. The vehicle is propelled by a person riding a motorcycle, who pushes it along with one foot.

The burras are privately owned. For Lps. 700, a local individual propels the burra the 7-8 kilometers using a 125 Genesis motorcycle. The metal narrow-gauge train tracks are worn, and their spacing varies. The vibration of metal on metal reverberates through the passengers’ backs as they travel.

As the burra approaches a small bridge, the motorcycle rider gives it an extra push, allowing it to coast across to the other side. The century-old narrow-gauge train track winds through cow pastures and fields for several kilometers before reaching the station, which serves as the tourist departure point for the park.

At the end of the train line lies the small village of Salado Barra, where residents are descendants of workers from the Standard Fruit Company. The community features old wooden houses built on stilts. There is a school, as well as the headquarters of the Cuero y Salado Park, which serves as the departure point for boat tours into the park.

Motorboats can be hired for two or four hours, accompanied by a guide knowledgeable about the flora and fauna of the trees and forests surrounding the waters.

The park’s biggest attraction is the bashful manatees, which are also the most difficult to spot. These shy creatures are most often seen during early morning boat rides. “Last year, one manatee was found dead, likely from natural causes, as no cuts or impacts were found,” says the guide. “It took 20 men to pull it ashore. It was examined and then buried.”

The crocodiles are nearly as elusive as the manatees, but they are more numerous and can often be seen with their heads above the water’s surface, even at midday. The crocodiles lay their eggs on the sandy islands that separate the park from the sea.

Hundreds of crocodiles reside within the park’s boundaries, and their red eyes can be spotted just above the water’s surface during nighttime tours. The shy American Crocodile, which can grow up to 20 feet long, is sometimes seen basking in the sun on the sand. In 2023, the first-ever recorded attack on a human by a crocodile occurred in Cuero y Salado. A person was hunting a crocodile with a harpoon when the reptile acted in self-defense, slashing the man’s leg open. This unprecedented attack baffled many as crocodiles usually stick to a diet of fish and feed at night, avoiding humans unless provoked.

Giant white mangroves tower over the canals, reaching heights of up to 40 meters. Red mangroves are smaller and line the narrower branches of the canals. Coco lobo trees and coconut palms also manage to thrive along the water’s edge.

Large trees serve as vantage points for dozens of bird species attracted to the brackish water of Cuero y Salado. The loudest bird calls come from the omnivorous Montezuma Oropendolas, which can be heard and seen living in hanging woven nest colonies on large trees adjacent to the mangroves. These striking birds produce loud “cack” and “crrrk” calls.

Several families of Howler monkeys, consisting of 10 to 20 individuals each, spend their days foraging for fruit or simply resting. Their only natural predator is the jaguar, whose tracks have not been seen in the park for many years. White-faced monkeys can also be observed in the park.

Several families of Howler monkeys, consisting of 10 to 20 individuals each, spend their days foraging for fruit or simply resting. Their only natural predator is the jaguar, whose tracks have not been seen in the park for many years. White-faced monkeys can also be observed in the park.

Another community located in the park is Boca Cerrada, which is much more remote and situated on the banks of Thompson Lagoon on the west side of the park. Although Cuero y Salado has fallen somewhat into disrepair, the animals inhabiting the park don’t seem to mind.

“Life was great back then,” remembers Mr. Austin nostalgically. “My first memory is of playing maypole and playing baseball on the same spot where the baseball field now is.”
Little Austin received little basic education on Utila and as a teenager he was sent to a high school run by Jamaicans in San Francisco ‘Frisco,’ Colón. The mainland school had an island flair as it employed teachers from Roatan and Bonacca. Mr. Austin graduated with a diploma and soon was offered a job at the United Fruit Company.

He was there for four years, graduated with a degree and was soon working as a “timekeeper” for United Fruit Company in La Lima, Cortés. His boss was the infamous Walter Turnbull, of the United Fruit Company. Mr. Austin decided to increase the pay rate of the workers from 19 to 20 Lempiras, he said Turnbull was furious. “He shouted: “Boys you cannot do that,” says Mr. Austin.

He lasted two years until the general strikes of 1954. The civil disorder began when President Juan Manuel Gálvez proposed a national eight hour workday and extra pay for work on holidays. The workers labor strike first began in Tela in April of 1954 then spread to the docks of Puerto Cortés. The protests eventually halted 25,000 of the company’s workers in Honduras and 15,000 workers from Standard Fruit. After 69 days the strike was resolved with increased pay and recognition of labor unions.

Mr. Austin eventually married Jane Bodden, an Utilan, but was hardly home. The absentee marriage never really worked, and Mrs. Jane moved to Miami.

He landed a passage on a boat heading to the US from Tela. Mr. Austin started working on “five hatcher ship” running passengers and cargo between Florida and Brazil, Buenos Aires and Tierra del Fuego. “I had 22 birthdays in Tierra del Fuego,” says Mr. Austin. He worked on the ship as AB (able seaman) sailor until 1976.

In 1959 his ship was docked in Havana harbor when the Cuban Revolution broke out. Castros “Barberos” were entering Havana and Mr. Austin found himself in a middle of a shootout. “There were bullets flying everywhere,” remembers Mr. Austin. “We hid under the bed of the hotel than sneak out back to the ship.” To give him a better chance at reaching safety Mr. Austin dressed up in woman’s shawl.

I am most proud of my children.

When he finally returned to Honduras, he found work at a cattle farm in Limoncito, Colón. After two years he arrived with 62 heads of cattle on Utila. He married and ended up having nine children.
“The bible says honor your father and your mother,” says Mr. Austin pensively. He has a wrinkled, white skin and deeply set-in eyes. “I am most proud of my children,” says Mr. Austin. “I have nothing to regret.”

Mrs. Norma Smiles Remembering Years of Hard Work

Mrs. Norma Gloria Bush Hinds was born on March 18, 1930. Mrs. Norma has seven grades of education. Some of schooling came from Jim Rose, an Utila author who taught both at the public and private schools. At 12 she began to study the piano with Annie Lauren, a local music teacher. It took her several years, but Mrs. Norma persevered and became very good.

Her mother was Edith Bush, a home maker. Her father was Lorene Bush, a butcher, who every Friday slaughtered animals for the thousand Utilans that lived on the island. Mrs. Norma remembers her father as being violent and at 12 she moved out of the house to live with her grandmother.

If I had to go to the mainland, I am nervous.

At 18 Mrs. Norma married Will Hinds. Her parents were against the marriage, but Mrs. Norma lived with her grandmother and that allowed her more independence. “He was a big man. He never lost a battle, he used to fight a lot,” “He never cheated. He was always by my side.” says Mrs. Norma remembering her husband.

Mr. Will was a farmer and harvested plantains, chatas and bananas for a living. She would help to balance the home’s finances by baking bread, cakes and buns. Her specialty was coco cake and sweet potato cake. Sometime in the 1990s the couple began building cabins for rent to supplement their income.

Of her nine children, two have died and only one still lives on Utila. Her other six children live in the US. Mrs. Norma has been to the mainland to give birth and for medical treatments, but she dreads the passage. “I am afraid of salt water. If I had to go to the mainland, I am nervous,” says Mrs. Norma. “I don’t like boats and planes.”

Mrs. Norma barely walks as her spine curls from the scoliosis. She takes the occasion ride to “the bush,” Utila’s back country to look around and take a break from the hustle and bustle of Cola de Mico.

She still occasionally plays the piano at the Seventh Day Adventist Church. “I am proud to know that I am serving the Lord,” says Mrs. Gloria. “My conscious in life is clean.”

Austrian Artist Soaked in Utila’s Beauty Through and Through

Gunther has been Utila’s staple since the country was a dictatorship in 1970s. His life is a piece of art itself. It is a collage of life experiences from the time when he was skiing for the Austrian downhill ski team, and when he searched for treasure on Utila with underwater treasure divers. Utila of the 1970s was unspoiled, relaxed, and full of mystery. While the crew didn’t find any treasure, Gunther found that the island itself could be his treasure.

Half a century later Gunther is still full of energy, grit, and humor. Gunther is soaked by the Utila spirit through and through. Barracudas, sharks, and angelfish are what inspire his art. On his wooden pieces Gunther chisels the fish’s scales, eyes, and texture. He uses a poly-acrylic casting resin to give the wood a shiny finish. “I want to imitate the beauty of the underwater scenes. Painting has always been my passion. It is the closest thing I can do to simulate the underwater beauty,” said Gunther.

What is imaginary to most, is an integral part of Gunther’s life.

Another canvas Gunther uses for his art are conch shells that he paints on with nautical themes and mounts on a piece of wood. He loves maps and cartography. He carves out wood to resemble the shape of Utila and then he pours resin inside the openings.

Gunther gets some of his inspiration on his deep SCUBA divers along the island’s north side. And Gunther’s deep, is indeed deep. “You race down full speed with minimum breathing,” Gunther says about his deep dives. What is imaginary to most, is an integral part of Gunther’s life. The Duppy waters dive site on Utila’s north side is one of his preferred dive record setting places. He has been to 127 meters in his SCUBA gear and then spent “plenty of time” decompressing.

Gunther Kordovsky’s art is part of the permanent exhibition and store at the Co-op artist gallery in Sandy Bay, Utila. The gallery was established in 2017 and now exhibits art from 15 members.

Annie Bodden Looks Back at Her Adventurous Life

Mrs. Annie was the oldest of 10 children. John Alons Bodden was her father, her grandmother was Hester Diamond Flynn and her Grandfather was Hester Diamondy Flynn. “We were all family: happy, jolly people,” remembers the 1930s Mrs. Annie. “The people were poor. The clothes you had to sew them yourselves. Everybody walked, or rode horses.”

The island education was basic, but solid and provided a great starting point to a person’s life. “I was told never to forget it: “there are five things to remember. To whom you speak. How you speak. When you speak. Where you speak. What you speak,” remembers her school days Mrs. Annie.

Her subjects were taught by a Belizean. “[Honduran] government didn’t want any English to be taught here,” remembers the 1930s Mrs. Annie. Until the sixth grade the education was all in Spanish and taught by mainland school teachers and there were a few Spanish workers who migrated to the island. Utila counted around 300 souls who spoke and thought in English.

“It almost blew the house down. We were scared to death.”

Mrs. Annie ended up meeting her husband when she was 21. A letter correspondence followed, and the relationship blossomed. “There was no kissing, no courting,” remembers Mrs. Annie. Finally, a marriage date was set for December 30, 1949.

Her husband was US Navy World War two veterans. He was a mechanic and moved to Honduras to work for the Standard Fruit Company as a head mechanic in their “Taller” – workshop. “He was the first Hand radio operator in Honduras,” Mrs. Annie remembers her husband.

Life was simple, and nature was a big part of it. Sometime the biggest part. “It almost blew the house down. We were scared to death,” Mrs. Annie remembers the 1955 hurricane. “The walls were cracking. But the good God has helped us.”

The couple had three children: two boys and a girl. They moved as Standard Fruit Company required her husband’s skills all over Honduras’ northern coast. Mrs. Annie spent seven years in Coyoles, another nine years in La Ceiba and 14 years in San Pedro Sula.

Today Mrs. Annie lives in a modest one-story home in Utila Town. A photo of her great-great grandmother: Merceta Ann Werner, who came to Utila from England via Belize, hangs on a wall less than a foot from a well. That well, part of the sitting room is vital to many homes around her. It’s PVC tubing supplies water to a dozen of nearby homes.

“I am a peaceful person raised in a Christian home,” says Mrs. Annie as she sits in her armchair gazing and smiling out onto a quiet Utila street.