As I mentioned earlier Roger was once again abandoning me in a foreign land (it’s getting to be a bit of a habit, first Mexico, then Australia and now Honduras, am I missing something here???) so we were heading further up the coast to Barefoot Cay Marina.

I was not comfortable being alone on a mooring (even more so since Beaujolais’ recent walkabout) added to which I am still not terribly confident piloting the dinghy (don’t ask why, lack of practice  probably) so I would have been a virtual prisoner for a week, which in my book was not an option. So we had booked into a marina for the week.

The wind was starting to get up so we brought our departure forward. As we turned the headland, it hit us full on the nose ( nothing unusual there, I hear you say) but as Beaujolais bucked like a rodeo horse, the dinghy, which was hoisted on davits, started to tilt and was in danger of  tipping over.

We had not secured her on the ‘cat’s cradle’ which stabilises her. So it was that Roger, one hand hanging onto the boat, climbed aboard the dinghy while I managed the davits, lowering the dinghy so he could clip on the restraints. All the while Beaujolais was frolicking in the waves like a wild stallion (will she ever forgive us for leaving her so long??) so it was not the easiest operation, but together we managed it.

My hero stepping into the cockpit, sweat pouring off him, which reminds me, we really should join a gym next time we’re home.

We called the marina to send a launch to guide us in as it was rather rough and they had told us they would do so, so why make things difficult??

Santos, the marina manager guided us safely alongside.

The complex is beautiful, simple, but very well designed and built.

With it’s own lagoon and reef and snorkelling from the beach, it looked like paradise.

Now before you all start hating us again, let me tell you for a fact, that paradise is nothing more than a state of mind!!!!

Why?, I hear you say, because, there is always a price to be paid.

In the case of Barefoot Cay Marina it is a case of rampant sand flies!!!!!

Oh yes, I believe they are also referred to as no see um’s, because you don’t usually see them. They are no bigger than specs of dust and look like that…..normally. But not at Barefoot Cay, oh no, here they come out in swarms so you can see them, but you can’t hide!!!!!

They recommend you cover, and I mean COVER yourself in cactus juice, which does help.

They spray the area 3 times a day with a non toxic spray to keep them at bay. They rake the beaches daily to stop them breeding. But the little blighters still manage to eat everyone in sight.

 There are no sacrificial lambs here, everyone is fair game. It looks more like quarantine than a resort, everyone covered in red blobs (and I do mean covered). Then next month, the sea joins in as the thimble jelly fish arrive, because the sea lice are proliferating, ah paradise!!