direct your passion wisely

Most people don't realize how much passion they put into what they don't want. When you speak to a friend and you tell them all about an "awful" situation, you are putting passion into what you don't want. When you react to an event negatively, with the response that it is "terrible", you are putting passion into what you don't want.

You are a beautiful passionate being, so make sure you direct your passion wisely.

- lessons from The Secret

love 'em

Present, future, and 'the veteran.' Three of my favorite American political stars.

Photo: Huffpo

water from air

(CNN) -- Wind turbines have long produced renewable energy but a French engineering firm has discovered another eco-purpose for the towering structures. Eole Water claims to have successfully modified the traditional wind turbine design to create the WMS1000, an appliance that can manufacture drinking water from humid air. The company aims to start rolling out the giant products for sale later in 2012, initially focusing on remote communities in arid countries where water resources are scarce. "This technology could enable rural areas to become self-sufficient in terms of water supply," says Thibault Janin, director of marketing at Eole Water.

- Full story at CNN.com

Wow. Remarkable human ingenuity.

tropical serenity

One of my favorite views from the Paya Trail. The beautiful Picacho Peaks can be seen in the background. Paya Bay Resort, Roatan, Honduras.

quote of the day

Religion is for people who are scared to go to hell. Spirituality is for people who have already been there.

- Bonnie Raitt

splash!

On the Paya Trail, near the tip of the crocodile's nose.

my roatan is becoming so hip

Check out this cool island event I was invited to this weekend. It's so yoga chic. I'm loving Roatan's cosmopolitan new flair!

road trip!

Celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary, special guests Hector and Marcela rode their BMW cruiser from Guatemala City to La Ceiba, Honduras (see map below) and then brought the motorbike by ferry to the island. Pretty cool road trip! First time we've had guests arrive at Paya in this unique, exciting way. Marcela and Hector are two warm, wonderful people. Lots of bright, yummy, delicious energy. It's obvious to the observer that they remain very much still in love 25 years into their romance. I bet they know The Secret.

Map shows their approximate route to Roatan. Image courtesy of Google Earth.

Que buen onda son ustedes mis hermanos centroamericanos!

secret cove 2.0

Paya Bay's grounds team has been doing some excellent upgrade work on the Secret Cove area!

jungle + sea + sunset

A late-April sunset as appreciated from a jungly section of the Paya Trail. Paya Bay Resort, Roatan, Honduras.

2013 paya calendar published

Paya Bay Resort's 2013 calendar has been published on our Web site! Our naturist friends will note that it's a very green calendar! Our most naturist year ever! Click here to view next year's Paya Calendar.

Remember, you can get 2012 prices by booking your 2013 getaway now, putting down a deposit, and then paying your full balance before Dec. 31, 2012.

The 2013 seed has been planted... C'mon naturist community, let's make 2013 rock!

If not now, when? If not us, who?

gratitude can transform

Remember, if you are criticizing, you are not being grateful. If you are blaming, you are not being grateful. If you are complaining, you are not being grateful. If you are feeling tension, you are not being grateful. If you are rushing, you are not being grateful. If you are in a bad mood, you are not being grateful.

Gratitude can transform your life. Are you allowing minor things to get in the way of your transformation and the life you deserve?

- lessons from The Secret

visualize with intent

Dreaming is not enough. You have to go a step further and use your imagination to visualize, with intent! Forget everything you've ever been taught, and believe it will happen, just as you imagined it. That is the secret. That is the mystery of life.

- Christine Anderson

spontaneous art

While working on a project, Cesar Villanueva, a member of the Paya Bay's Landscaping Team, was moved to create this spontaneous garden sculpture using an interesting rock he discovered, natural coconut fibers, charcoal, and seeds that commonly drift in the Caribbean Sea.

Inspired. Original. Ingenious. Natural. Beautiful. Thought-provoking.

Art.

video: tai chi

After the sunset yoga session, one of Paya Bay's guests practices tai chi at the Ananda Pavilion. (Yes, he's nude).

gaining momentum

The project of constructing restrooms for Bliss Beach and the Ananda Pavilion continues to advance. Miguel Padilla, the master builder, surveys the progress in the first photo. Paya Bay Resort, Roatan, Honduras.

quote of the day

"I tell him, 'Baby, my cash money!'"

- A Colombian hooker escort tells her side of the story to the New York Times in an interview in Colombia. She and the Secret Service agent argued after he initially offered to pay her about $30 for services rendered. Thirty dollars! Dude, that's what you tip your mechanic for a brake job! Certainly not an adequate amount for a night of hot Colombian monkey love.

I figure one of the following happened: (a) Mr. SS agent awoke and was willing to pay the agreed to amount, but only had $30 left in his wallet from all the night's partying; (b) He was so drunk that he passed out and there was no hot monkey love, therefore he only wanted to pay a "sleep mate" fee; (c) Hot monkey love took place but he was so drunk he can't remember any of it, therefore just a "sleep mate" fee; or (d) He woke not remembering anything about last night, sees the woman in bed next to him (clueless she's a sex worker) and is like, "Oh shit! My wife's gonna kill me!"; and then thinks he can make it all go away by being a gentleman and offering to pay the lady her "please leave now" cab fare.

"Baby, my cash money!" Ayayay! Not a fun way to start a seriously hungover day!

"Baybeeeee... My cash money!"

video: lucky and butters at play

Butters (the little chihuahua) loves to take on Lucky (the big dog). Lucky is incredibly patient and gentle, and Butters is astute and relentless. They are fascinating and hilarious to watch. Filmed at Paya Bay Resort.

black widow watch

Argentina is to renationalise YPF, its biggest oil company, ousting the Spanish group Repsol as majority shareholder and prompting a furious row with Madrid. In a move likely to have significant investor and diplomatic fallout, Cristina Fernández, Argentina’s president, sent a bill to Congress on Monday to put 51 per cent of YPF in state hands.
[...]
Following an emergency government meeting, Spain’s foreign minister José Manuel Garcia-Margallo said Madrid was considering measures against Argentina, which would be announced in the coming days. “This has broken the cordial climate that existed between Spain and Argentina,” he said. “Spain had worked with Argentina during its hardest hours.”

- Financial Times

She can't have the Falkland Islands, but damnit she's going to grab something. Many Hondurans are not big fans of Ms. Fernández. She staunchly supported Hugo Chavez's nefarious efforts to take control of our country in 2009. The objective of this ALBA project was to give to Chavez complete control of the northbound narcotics air trafficking routes. (This speaks volumes about Ms. Fernandez's moral character, doesn't it?)

It's interesting how, unable to get the Americans and Canadians to support Argentina's baseless, hysterical claim on "Las Malvinas," she dramatically stormed out of the recent Summit of the Americas (kind of high school behavior, don't you think, Cristina?). Surely she knew going in to the summit the North Americans were not going to jump on her silly "Malvinas" bandwagon. Something is not right with this one. I'm sure Hillary's her match, though (Mrs. Clinton celebrates after kicking some Buenos Aires butt in Cartagena.)

Photo: Proceso Digital. I know the arrogant, image-conscious señora presidenta hates this unflattering photograph. All the more reason to use it. In the immortal words of Gregg Talbert, one of my most cunning and vicious (in "the good way") Louisiana friends, "She's evil and must be destroyed!"

island sign

Wait... what?! Island signs often make us think (and smile!).

Photo: Kathy and Bob

let the stress go

You cannot bring what you want to you if you are feeling stress. Stress or any tension at all is something you have to remove from your system.

You must let the stress go - it is the only way you can bring what you want. The emotion of stress is saying strongly that you do NOT have what you want. Stress or tension is the absence of faith, and so to remove it all you have to do is increase your faith that in every single moment the Universe is unfolding precisely as it must in its constant process of delivering whatever intention you've declared for yourself.

- lessons from The Secret

Classic example: Can't find your house keys. Don't get angry, upset, and stressed-out (i.e, "I strongly feel I do not have what I want! And, what's more, I want the whole world [Universe] to know how upset I am!"). Equally unproductive, don't go into victim mode and say or think self-defeating thoughts like, "I'm so forgetful," or "I'll never find my keys." Remember, for the Universe "your wish is always and instantaneously my command." Be careful with what you think, declare, and what type of energy you are "broadcasting." Once a person has chosen to dive into the nightmare of an anger-and-victimhood "rabbit hole," it could take a while for him or her to emerge back into the sunlight. If ever... Sadly, some people spend entire lives lost in dark mental tunnels. Tragically, some have even forgotten what sunlight is or that it even exists.

Perhaps, a better approach when faced with a challenge is to simply declare an intention for a greater good. Continuing the example, "I'm happy and grateful my house keys are in my hand." Then, do yourself a huge favor and walk away from the stressful situation in peace and with optimistic faith. Let the Universe work its magic. Before you know it, your keys will be in your hand. In the process of that occurring, you will very likely have some amazing, unexpected learning experience that you would have never had, had you not "lost your keys." As life continues to unfold, you'll soon realize why the lessons learned from the "detour event" were crucial and necessary for the ongoing manifestation of larger intentions you may have declared for your life.

The effectiveness of a positive mental energy shift is a logical, universal truth. It works every time. And for much more important and challenging situations than lost house keys...

party scene chatter

Party Person One: "You seem a little drunk... Have you been drinking water? It's important to stay hydrated."
Party Person Two (slightly slurring): "There's water in vodka, right?"

- Funny exchange overheard in West End, Roatan this weekend. West End is the island's party village. Fun place to spend a night or two.

photo of the day

Another example of the distinctive natural beauty one finds at Paya Bay. This photo was taken on the Sky Trail near the Ananda Pavilion.

the amazing mr. jim

Jim Jones, professor of architecture at Kansas State University, and his lovely wife, Judith (also a university professor), are long-time family friends. They recently built a vacation home on the Bay Island of Helene. Prior to having their own island getaway, the couple have been loyal guests of Paya Bay (visiting once or twice a year during the last ten years). They still spend a day or two with us at the beginning and/or end of their Helene escapes. As the photo below suggests, Mr. Jim is an avid fisherman!

Jim loves Roatan and its people. He tells me, "People here just get along really well. There is much racial diversity, yet I don't sense the interracial tensions I've sensed in other places." Jim harnesses his brilliant creativity to think of crafts local people could make to participate more directly in the tourism industry and supplement their incomes. Using local materials, he's found an easy way to construct models of motor-dories, a.k.a. "cayucos" (long boats made from a single tree trunk with an inboard motor that are an idiosyncrasy of Bay Islands culture). He is currently displaying examples of his model motor-dories at Paya's restaurant for comments and suggestions. The bright colors and attention to paint detailing are part of the uniqueness of these long boats. Owners usually take a lot of personal pride in their dories.

Back before roads and cars (not so long ago... when my parents were in their 20s!), motor-dories were the way most locals moved around the islands. The dories are the original eco-boats: their two-stroke motors are super fuel-efficient. Their missile shape is hydrodynamic and surprisingly stable. Depending on the horsepower of their motors, dories can be quite fast. Constructed from a single tree trunk, they are structurally super-strong, virtually indestructible, and  - if properly maintained - can last for generations.

I personally love Jim's model motor-dories! They're beautiful! Bravo, Mister Jim!

blog worthy

Special guests relax and take in a spectacular tropical sunset in the post-shavasana afterglow of this afternoon's yoga session at the Ananda Pavilion, Paya Bay Resort.

After I asked for permission and took this photograph, someone asked, "Are you going to post this picture on your blog, Davinci?"
I replied, "Maybe..."
Another person then asked humorously, "Are we 'blog worthy'?"

The wittiness of this question made me LOL and smile. I LOVE a good sense of humor delivered by a sharp tongue! This humor/sharp tongue combo is the domain of Bette Midler, Margaret Cho, and every exceptionally talented drag queen whose stage name you can actually still remember*.

* Stage ladies I still remember fondly from my Atlanta days: Charlie Brown, Bubbalicious, The Lady Chablis [Savannah], and Mary Edith Pitts... (TMI?)

living is hot, it's fast, it's often brutal

There is only one way, really, to get into a state of living, and that's live! There is no substitute for an all-out, over-the-ramparts, howling charge against life. That's living. Living does not consist of sitting in a temple in the shadows and getting rheumatism from the cold stones. Living is hot, it's fast, it's often brutal! It has a terrific gamut of emotional reactions.

If you are really willing to live, you first have to be willing to do anything that consists of living. Weird. But it's one of those awfully true things that you wonder why one has to say it. And yet it has to be said.

- L. Ron Hubbard

This guy's legacy is nothing if not controversial (but, then again, so was "heretical" Christianity two thousand years ago). Irregardless, Hubbard's contributions to greater human consciousness are worthy of contemplation, analysis, and debate. After all, it's glaringly obvious to The Aware that the one thing the world's legacy 'organized religions' have in common is that -- without exception -- they are all based on science fiction, fairy tales, astonishing delusions, repulsive manipulation of the ignorant, and mind control through fear. Surprisingly, there are a few nuggets of useful wisdom to be gleaned from each of them. "Even a stopped clock is right twice a day."

positive energy

Jan and Melissa, the fabulous new divemasters at Tropical Island Divers. Paya Bay partners with TID to offer scuba diving as an optional adventure activity. Whether you want a full week of diving or just a few dives, Paya and TID can make it happen for you.

Photo: Mindi & David Little

life through gold tinted lenses

This afternoon I presented my friend Lisa the gift of some cool, mirrored, Speedo swim goggles in honor of her love of the sea and swimming (Lisa tries her best to swim in the ocean every single day! An admirable and healthy habit I'm trying to emulate). My good-natured mother, Lurlene, tried on the goggles for a silly, humorous moment. I've always LOVED my mother's trademark sense of humor!

Photo: (The One and Only) Lisa Bronkhorst

sun salutations

Prior to this afternoon's yoga session, Alexis, an angelic little guest, demonstrates her mastery of the sun salutations at the Ananda Pavilion.

In the last photo she looks at her dad with a quizzical, "Well?... How did I do?"
So cute!

Nirvana continues to manifest at Paya Bay.

completing the trail

Paya Bay team member Cesar Villanueva (see first photo) has been leading the effort to complete the last section of the Paya Trail (the section that goes right to the tip of the Alligator Head rock formation). Beautiful work these guys are doing.

Click on the resort map to see where this work is taking place.

that is all

We live in illusion and the appearance of things. There is a reality. We are that reality. When you understand this, you see that you are nothing, and being nothing, you are everything. That is all.

- Kalu Rinpoche

brick by brick

Miguel Padilla, Paya Bay's most excellent full-time master builder, stands proudly at the construction site of the new restrooms that will serve both Bliss Beach and the Ananda Pavilion.

be a ray of sunshine

Write down all the great things about everyone you know. Make a huge list of all the wonderful things about you. Compliment people wherever you go. Praise every single thing you see. Be a ray of sunshine to everyone you meet, and make their day better for having seen you. Say "Thank you" at every turn. Walk, talk, think, and breathe appreciation and gratitude.

When you do this, your outer life will change to reflect your inner state of being.

- lessons from The Secret

payarazzi

Special multi-visit guests Bob and Kathy were first to arrive at today's Wine & Cheese Welcome Reception at Paya's Ananda Pavilion. They granted me permission to take this awesome photograph. Great lines and symmetry in this capture. I love how the natural patterns of the wood floor stand out.

More photos from this afternoon's welcome reception...

roatan international

I ran across this great photo of Roatan's airport (airport code RTB) on the website airliners.net. The runway at RTB measures 2,240 by 45 meters (7,349 × 148 ft) allowing the island's airport to service aircraft as large as Boeing 767s. During the European high season, charter flights from both Milan, Italy and Spain use equipment of this size. The most common large aircraft observed here, however, are United's and Delta's Boeing 737-800s regularly used for their respective non-stop service to the island from Houston (IAH) and Atlanta. In this picture, the Mahogany Bay cruise terminal can be seen in the background.

It is my understanding that this world-class airport infrastructure was largely financed and built by Spain. Yes, Spain! Perhaps the Spanish have recently felt twinges of historical 'guilt' for having plundered (some use the perhaps more appropriate word raped) their former Central American, South American, and Caribbean colonies of many valuable, easily-harvested natural resources (gold, silver, valuable minerals, precious stones, exotic tropical timber, cash crops, etc.; carrying out this brutal, savage, blood-soaked exploitation nearly always in combination with the unspeakable, Church-condoned and -enabled true abomination that was slavery and other forms of forced human labor).

Just a smidgin of historical knowledge of the horrors of the colonial period in the Americas makes one realize that the massive number (up to 95% percent in some areas) of indigenous New World people who rapidly succumbed to the region-wide epidemics of 'European diseases' were the lucky ones. The word genocide barely begins to describe the soul-shattering hell that was colonial North, Central, and South America for the native (pre-European) people of these lands. When the natives were decimated by massacres, disease, and/or relentless labor, the carnage continued with their replacements: West African slaves.

Perhaps the humanitarian Scandinavian and the perpetually guilt-ridden German diplomats in Brussels have influenced (twisted the arms of?) Spanish EU officials into acknowledging their nation's colonial "wrongs," and suggested the Iberians initiate the necessary karmic process of attempting to somehow make amends and somewhat neutralize these unfortunate historic grievances. The more bitter and cynical among us might also conclude this beautiful airport is simply the result of a multinational conspiracy of political corruption and multimillion dollar contractor kickbacks (Wall Street-style capitalism?). As always, the answer is, at the very least, some combination of 'All the above.'

Regardless of the reason, in the last three decades, successive Spanish governments (from both sides of the political spectrum) have made significant reparations-type infrastructure investments in various 'offspring states' in Central and South America. These actions of recognition, solidarity, and brotherhood with the largely 'out-of-sight, out-of-mind' inhabitants of their former colonies have given me a newfound respect and esteem for the Spanish people. In the particular case of Roatan's airport, one thing I know absolutely is that I'm grateful.

Gracias por nuestro hermoso aeropuerto, hermanos españoles!

Photo: Nelson Mejía.

quote of the day

Don't worry about what people think about you, because they aren't thinking about you.

- unknown

paya landscapes

Just came back from a walk on Paya's nature trails. Still testing and getting familiar with my new camera. These walks always remind me why so many people fall in love with this extraordinary place that is my home.

Photos taken today at Paya Bay Resort, Roatan, Honduras.