La Ceiba is a busy town, with plenty of dorises. We knew Roatan would be expensive so we had to get some cash from the bank. There aren't many cash machines in Honduras, and the ones there are don't take visa cards, so queuing up inside is necessary. We spent the night behind a petrol station just outside town and the next morning we fitted relays to the landy lights before visiting an internet cafe staffed by two wicked dorises and managed to fix our laptop despite the distractions.

The passage to Roatan took just less than two hours in the heavy swell which made walking around the boat difficult for us Landylubbers. Getting through the throng of people and insistent taxi drivers, we met up with a couple of backpackers who shared our cab and lowered our costs. West End is supposed to be the best place for the beach and a bit of action too so we found a hotel right on the beach for $10 a night. With the hotel being reasonably cheap we were disappointed by the restaurant prices which were three or four times that of the mainland. Things looked up the next day with the hiring of some snorkel gear. The reef is only about 30 metres from the beach and is teeming with fantastically coloured fish of all shapes and sizes. We snorkelled until it was too cold then went out again in the afternoon. It made the trip to Roatan all the more special.