more butters

The one and only Butters. Officially my niece Michelle's chihuahua, this amazing little creature has charmed and wiggled his way into everyone's heart here at Paya. His personality is at least thirty times his diminutive size! We often ask ourselves, "How did we ever manage before Butters came into our lives?" There's never a dull moment with this bright, sweet, lovable, larger-than-life little spirit around!

The last photo (of Butters being Butters) comes courtesy of my mom, Lurlene Cooper. She snapped it using her smartphone. Paya Bay Resort, Roatan, Bay Islands of Honduras.

honoring love

Honoring ten years of sharing their lives, longtime clients who have become family friends - Dorice and Tim - had a commitment ceremony on Bliss Beach this evening. They asked that my mom, Lurlene, be their witness of honor and their ring bearer. They also requested specifically that I officiate the simple, new age ceremony they desired (a brand-new experience for me). It was a beautiful, joyous, heart-warming event. I wish these two wonderful friends much happiness as they continue their life adventure together.

Ever upward, ever outward, Dorice and Tim! It only gets better.

Paya Bay Resort, Roatan, Bay Islands of Honduras.

photo of the day

Bliss Beach looking all amazing at sunset. Paya Bay Resort, Roatan, Bay Islands of Honduras.

the frequency of good

If you are complaining about things in your life, you are on the complaining frequency, and you are not in a position to attract what you want.

Get on to the frequency of good with your thoughts and words. Firstly you will feel good, and secondly you will be on the frequency of receiving more good.

- lessons from The Secret 

chillin' at zen rock

A special guest enjoys one of the new chillout stations that overlooks Bliss Beach and the bay. We call this station "Zen Rock." It's a great spot to feel the primal, rhythmic, invigorating energy of the ocean. As waves crash on the rocks below, they send their powerful energy upward, through the massive rocks, and then -- literally -- through every cell in your body. The stronger the waves, the more powerful the energy transfer. Many walk away from this experience feeling charged and buzzing from The Mother's familiar, life-nourishing vibrations.

Paya Bay Resort, Roatan, Bay Islands of Honduras.

my el-bee-ee

I'm working on my LBE degree...
...Leading by Example.

- overheard

stone floor

Master Builder Miguel Padilla and his assistant Francisco Corrado work on laying the stone floor of the Black Iguana beach bar. The previously laid stonework in the background looks dull and opaque because it is covered in stone dust from the cutting process. The recently laid stones in the forefront give a better idea of how naturally colorful the floor will be once it is washed and sealed.

Paya Bay Resort, Roatan, Bay Islands of Honduras.

life is change, nothing ever stands still

When things change in our life, often we have resistance to the change. But if you understand the structure of the Universe, life, and creation, then you will understand that life is change, and nothing ever stands still. Everything is energy, and energy is in continual motion and change. If energy stood still you would be gone, and there would be no life.

Change is always happening for the good of you and for everyone. It is the evolution of life.

- lessons from The Secret 

the (bi)polar

The oddly-named Polar (or, as we wittily/cattily call her, the BiPolar) returns to the resort from a trip to Pigeon Cay in the late afternoon.

Paya Bay Resort, Roatan, Bay Islands of Honduras.

we've named it!

We've named the beach bar on Bliss Beach currently under construction at Paya Bay Resort. The name honors the spiny-tailed black iguanas that find refuge at Paya Bay.

live today

Tomorrow never comes. There's always a "tomorrow."

Live today.

- overheard

a life that we would not change for anything

When a big change occurs in your life it forces you to change direction. Sometimes the new path may not be easy, but you can be absolutely certain that there is magnificence for you on the new path. You can be absolutely certain that the new path contains things that you could not have experienced otherwise.

When we look back at a negative event that occurred in the past, we often see how in fact it transformed our life. We see how that event directed us toward a life that we would not change for anything.

- lessons from The Secret

amour :: lieben :: love

Marilou and Christian lovingly experience the beachside plunge pool on Bliss Beach.

Paya Bay Resort, Roatan, Bay Islands of Honduras.

beach bar update

The new beach bar on Bliss Beach continues to take form in a very rustic, eco-conscious way. All the stone used in this project is being gently and respectfully "harvested" right here on the property, making this structure authentically Paya Bay! This fantastic venue is due to be launched by mid-June of this year.

This last photo gives a glimpse of the view one can enjoy from this idyllic spot located some 30 feet above our clothing-optional, private beach. Paya Bay Resort, Roatan, Bay Islands of Honduras.

black is the new black

This is an interesting series of photographs. I took them from the shore at Paya Bay. Apparently, the motor of these guys' cayuco had quit working or they ran out of fuel. Anyway, they are paddling back home from a fishing trip (most likely heading to the Garífuna town of Punta Gorda, which is about 3 miles from this spot). I was struck by the unusual coincidence that all the passengers were wearing black clothing in a cayuco also painted black. There was something very Hollywood-esque and Pirates of the Caribbean about this scene.

Note how the guy on the bow of the cayuco is using a long stick to help push the cayuco home. I suspect that the kid standing on the stern, besides enjoying the ride from a great vantage point, is also helping his boat mates identify and avoid shallow reefs and hazardous coral heads.

At this speed, home is still -- I'd estimate -- two hours away for these guys.

little hellraiser

Of course, I remember you, Davi! You were a smart little boy...
...A smart, SMART little boy!

- Nice compliment from someone I ran into yesterday who I hadn't seen since I was a kid.

I have to admit I was a terror from the moment I could skillfully engage this world. Little Davinci was an explosive combo of curiosity-triggering intelligence, unbounded self-confidence, and fearless audacity. No "trouble" was too big for me. What often saved me from harsher penalties (being put up for adoption, perhaps?) was that it was hard to believe such a cute, "sweet" little kid could be responsible for the havoc my "adventures" sometimes resulted in. When the facts left no doubt I was the culprit for some racket or upheavel in the neigborhood, the response was often: "Davi did THAT?! Oh my god, that's so unbelievably ballsy, creative, and funny! This kid is awesome!" These comments from neighbors and family friends were often accompanied by their hearty, incredulous laughter; glowing, approving glances and head nods in my direction; and encouraging atta boy! hair tussles or pats on the head. (They were probably also thinking, "OMG, this one's a little twisted!")

In retrospect, I now realize my parents deserve platinum medals for raising such a hell-raising little brat.

video: extranjero soy*

Professional kitesurfer, Marilou Lavallée of Quebec, and her German partner, Christian Burg, teach the joy and unparalleled freedom of the world's hottest, most exhilarating new watersport: kitesurfing. Paya Bay Resort, Roatan, Bay Islands of Honduras.

[*A foreigner I am - the song that plays in the slideshow video.]

amazing photograph

On the day I took that photo, I had noticed the unusual natural contrast it presented -- the two sides separated in a straight line by the riverbank. It reminded me of the yin and yang symbol, and I began to compose the concept for the photo in my mind. Then suddenly the white swans appeared on the black background, and the black figure was on the white surface. This moment inspired me, and luckily I was able to capture it.

- The work of Marcin Ryczek. Click on the image to enlarge and enjoy this spur of the moment masterpiece. Mr. Ryczek definitely has some good karma going on to have witnessed this magical moment from such an ideal vantage point. For me, among other thoughts, this photo illustrates nature's response to human kindness, caring, and generosity in an elegant, splendid way. Ryczek caught it perfectly.

good head, good heart

A good head and a good heart are always a formidable combination.

- Nelson Mandela 

in the bliss syrup

Marilou Lavallée basks in the bliss syrup. Paya Bay Resort, Roatan, Bay Islands of Honduras.

photo of the day

Christian and Marilou enjoy the view from a chillout spot on the Paya Trail. Paya Bay Resort, Roatan, Bay Islands of Honduras.

imagine...

...going for a walk and finding seahorses!

Photos taken at Buccaneer Landing. Paya Bay Resort, Roatan, Bay Islands of Honduras.

Photo credits: Special guests Matthew and Joanne of the United Kingdom.

bottled water: "the new social poison"

  Some 400,000 barrels of oil annually are used to manufacture the plastic that goes into the bottles that slake Australia's thirst for bottled water. In a 600ml plastic bottle, 200ml of oil has gone into its production. Imagine your water bottle filled a quarter of the way up with oil. That’s about how much oil was needed to produce the bottle.  For every 6 water bottles used only 1 or 2 gets recycled, the rest are sent to landfills or end up as trash on land, in rivers, lakes, estuaries and the ocean, taking many hundreds of years to disintegrate. After a yacht captain stumbled across the Great Pacific Garbage Patch in the late 1990s, scientists soon began finding similar patches of plastic waste in oceans Oceanic gyres (aka garbage patches).round the world. They've since identified at least five, each fed by currents that carry plastic bags, bottles and other trash into vast vortices of seawater known as gyres. Since most plastic isn't biodegradable, this trash keeps swirling around for years, often crumbling into smaller pieces but refusing to fully break down. Much like carbon dioxide emissions — which linger stubbornly in the sky as they fuel climate change — garbage patches have come to symbolize the effects of man-made pollution run amok.