West End appeals to a range of budgets, but is known for being the more inexpensive area of Roatán. Thus, when I got up early for a contemplative stroll, I would be alone while all the backpackers slept off their various nighttime beach activities. Except for Sheldon and his big-ass camera waving cheerily as he passed me on the dirt road; he'd woken up early enough to shoot the sunrise.

I've never known why banana pancakes are considered a backpacker ghetto staple—at least that's how it sounds described by Lonely Planet—but I headed straight to Rudy's to sample his specialty. I was surprised firstly at being the only customer in the rather large restaurant, secondly at the all-Latino waitstaff (supposedly not the norm in the Bay Islands) and thirdly at the price—120 lemps for pancakes and café con leche! On the plus side, the pancakes were light, fluffy, infused with sweet banana flavor...they justly deserved their fame.

I rented snorkeling equipment from the Marine Park office, which offered a reasonable rate of $5 per 24-hour period, and the assurance that 100% of the fee went toward Park conservation & activities. English ex-pat Nick pointed out spots around Half Moon Bay with easy access to snorkeling. With a wicked grin, Nick's co-worker helpfully described all the sea creatures that could possibly maim or kill me, just in case I spotted them. His description of one breed's spike sliding through a rubber sandal was especially vivid.

As the name implies, Half Moon Bay curves inland, while the coral forms a straight line from point to point. It didn't seem worth anyone's time to swim out to the coral from the midpoint of the bay; I headed to Half Moon Cabins, a nice hotel with steps leading into the water from the seating area.

Despite what I'd read in Moon Honduras, I didn't find the snorkeling here to be particularly electrifying. It had nothing on the crystal-clear blue waters of Dahab, still the most amazing snorkeling I've ever experienced. There, the breathtaking drop-off allowed me to view variations in sea life from the surface to many meters down. In Roatan, the water was a greenish-yellow, the fishes' color less than brilliant, and the water was almost uncomfortably shallow. Thanks to the boys at the Marine Park, my usual anxiety of accidentally destroying coral was now combined with images of fish trying to kill me.

However, snorkeling is snorkeling, and I love being underwater. I clearly didn't fit in with the older clientele of Half Moon cabins, but the staff welcomed me to enjoy my lounge chair. With each subsequent entry, I loved it more.

I wandered around looking for lunch, nothing sounding particularly appealing. Prices were disappointing, even considering the high levels of tourism and difficulty in getting supplies and services to an island. I ended up at a place called Hot Chillies which served "Island Cuisine." My fish tacos weren't Baja style, but more like ceviche on top of grilled sopes. Interesting but not that great. My fries were terrible...I really need to stop trying to order fries. With a couple Fantas to slake my thirst, it came to 247Lps, again giving me sticker shock.

As much as I enjoyed any snorkeling opportunity, it was financially beneficial that I would only be in Roatan a couple days.

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