CCV 05 report

[bradb21]

Now, Brad, to be accurate, you stayed at FIBR near CoCoView, but from where we spent our two weeks, it looked an ocean away.

Vendors come to CCV daily and bring things from the island primitive to the exotic.
and shop at CoCoView.

Yes, but having gone on a shopping trip on the last day I can report on the majority of the stuff being junk. Just like most other carribean islands and mexico. Unless maybe they only sell the good stuff at CCV?? I mean how many beads and cheesy shirts can you buy? There are definately better places in the carribean if you're planning on shopping.

Somehow I don't think you travel to Roatan for the shopping?

 

[Doc]

Yes, but having gone on a shopping trip on the last day I can report on the majority of the stuff being junk. Just like most other carribean islands and mexico. Unless maybe they only sell the good stuff at CCV?? I mean how many beads and cheesy shirts can you buy? There are definately better places in the carribean if you're planning on shopping.

Somehow I don't think you travel to Roatan for the shopping?

Absolutely not. Nor for the nightlife. You go for the macro critters.

But I say again... you may have gone shopping in the West End or Coxen hole. You did not get to see what is displayed at CoCoView. I have been going to Roatan resorts since the early 80's. I know what is offered on the Bay Islands as souvenirs and I know what is allowed in as vendors at CCV. There is a difference!

 

[NightRaven77]

Hey there Dee.....

Thanks for the report....looks like you all had a blast....

I taken a look at your pics and am not very good at identifying marine life....so if you would....what exactly is this pic Black slug looking thing

I am going to be at CocoView for the 1st time June 18th.....so if there is any advice you can give or any tips to make my trip a memorable one would be much appreciated....we are staying at the Playa Miguel Beach house #8

NightRaven77

 

[H2Andy]

i believe the black slug looking thing is a flatworm

but don't quote me on that, i am not good with invertebrates

 

[bradb21]

Absolutely not. Nor for the nightlife. You go for the macro critters.

But I say again... you may have gone shopping in the West End or Coxen hole. You did not get to see what is displayed at CoCoView. I have been going to Roatan resorts since the early 80's. I know what is offered on the Bay Islands as souvenirs and I know what is allowed in as vendors at CCV. There is a difference!

I don't doubt your knowledge of Roatan. My point is.... I don't believe shopping is going to keep H2Andy's wife happy for the duration of their stay. How much time can you spend looking at trinkets and cheesy shirts at CCV's shopping area? Maybe an hour a day, unless the shopping area at CCV is the size of the Mall of America. I'm not trying to put down your beloved CCV or Roatan, just trying to tell Andy that is wife will probably need something else to do besides shopping. From reading your other posts on this forum I know you serious you take it when somebody says anything bad about CCV, I don't know if you are a part owner or something, but... I'm not trying to put down CCV and only saying it's not the shopping meca of Central America. I don't know what one would do there for more than two days if you weren't diving and I feel sorry for non-diving spouses.

Sorry to hijack your thread and those pictures are incredible.

 

[Dee]

Night Raven....it's a Leopard Flatworm. Sorry for not adding the ID's yet, still working on more pics, but I'll get to it.

In my haste to get a report up, I forgot to mention a few things. We saw dolphins twice. The first group was Spinner dolphins. Most of us dropped in to snorkle with them but they weren't very friendly, just cruised past. The second group the second week were the larger Bottlenose dolphins. They were very friendly, swimming around in circles coming very close. We spotted two small babies in with them.

We had perfect weather for both weeks, gentle winds and glassy flat seas. There was a huge tropical storm that lost power as it hit land in San (El?) Salvador. We got all day gentle showers on Friday the first week, it was a welcome relief from the heat.

As for the shopping....What's offered at CVV by the venders invited there is vastly superior to what can be found in Coxen Hole and the West End Tourist holes, lately aimed at the cruise shippers. That stuff is the same that I can find in any tourist shop around Galveston.

Andy...as Doc mentioned, Enriques jewelry could hold it's own in any gallary. I add a piece of it to my jewelry box every year. Your wife may enjoy one of the shopping excursions available that goes to other places becides the tourist traps.

 

[Debraw]

Great trip report Dee! I absolutely loved that last picture of going through that crack in the reef. It is just beautiful! I know what you mean about not wanting to fiddle with the camera. I left mine behind on this last trip to the Flower Gardens. I had just had enough of it already. Glad your back!

 

[Zebra mussel]

Hey Roatan Man...Black coral as a by-catch from Trawling shrimp? Do you really believe that? He must be siening very close to the reef and very deep,which means he is snagging lots of other things too. Regardless of the source,I find it alarming that you are creating a market for the Black Coral. I know people need to make a living with limited resources,but by purchasing these items, you are helping create a market which will lead to further distruction of this beautiful and rare living organism. I respect your knowlege of the island for that I give you an A+...but for your ethics,I cant say the same. Im sure I will get a response to this post trying to justify buying products made from a rare and endagered animal. Sorry if I ruffled any feathers...that wasnt the intent.

 

[Doc]

Hey Roatan Man...Black coral as a by-catch from Trawling shrimp? Do you really believe that? He must be siening very close to the reef and very deep,which means he is snagging lots of other things too. Regardless of the source,I find it alarming that you are creating a market for the Black Coral. I know people need to make a living with limited resources,but by purchasing these items, you are helping create a market which will lead to further distruction of this beautiful and rare living organism. I respect your knowlege of the island for that I give you an A+...but for your ethics,I cant say the same. Im sure I will get a response to this post trying to justify buying products made from a rare and endagered animal. Sorry if I ruffled any feathers...that wasnt the intent.

And I do agree.

This is why I do not eat shrimp nor anything from the sea.

Et tu, Zebra Mussel?

I have personally seen to it that one well known local merchant distinctly got the message to quit selling turtle products, after he ignored polite warning. That, you see, is an international law issue. Unfortunately, coral is not so protected. (Euphamisticaly called "live rock" in our stateside fish/aquarium shop commercials)

And know this- the artist is not the trawler. But I have been with him when he buys the stuff as by-catch. Does that make it right? No, but neither is the 97% of any catch that is sloughed back into the ocean through the deck scuppers, dead.

In regards to the shopping portion of this thread: I think it's very important to draw the distinction between shopping on Roatan in general, versus the select artisans and vendors that have visiting displays at my "beloved" CoCoView. Yes- they are a "juried art show". Still- you better be there to dive, nothing else.

 

[mjnansen]

Sadly most items available in the island shops are imported from Guatemala, Bali or Mexico. Honduras does not have a lot of handcrafted items made in Honduras, and even fewer artisans call Roatan home. This is slowly changing, and the opening of new stores reflects this. One of my favorite for nicer souveniers, art and jewelry is Waves of Art in West End (in the yellow victorian house). Also Conah's mall in West End has a few nicer shops. Castle Cameo has beautiful cameo jewelry if you like that sort of thing, and the fused glass jewelry that I really like can be found at Waves of Art or the shop at the View. The other Honduran goods to bring home are Lenca pottery and wood carving. If you are traveling to Copan, you may want to look at stone work as well. There seems to be a much larger selection of Lenca at much better prices on the mainland, so you may want to spend some time shopping if you go to Copan. With Lenca pottery prices and quality vary greatly, so shop carefully!