INGREDIENTS: 2oz rum 4oz pineapple juice 1 lime slice DIRECTIONS: Pour rum over ice in highball glass. Stir in pineapple juice and add lime slice. COMMENTS: The drink of choice on Roatan, Ron y Piña (rum and pineapple) is an deliciously refreshing way to toast the sunset. The mildly sweet, fairly acidic flavor of pineapple juice smooths out the rum’s bite while not overpowering the drink with sweetness. The drink can be made more tart by apply small squeezes of juice from the lime slice. Best with amber  or spiced rums, especially with Flor de Caña Gold 4 Year, an amazing “bottom-shelf” rum served in most Roatan bars.

Given that I’ve been gallivanting around the United States for the last two months, I’ve had a harder time coming up with relevant updates about my life on Roatan. Therefore, it’s come time for me to reevaluate the purpose of TheScubaGeek.com and implement some long-outstanding revisions to the site. Changes are coming. I’m currently working on an updated layout and structure for the site along with a bevy of new content. The updates will be slowly rolled out over the next two months, but for now here’s a sneak peak at what is under development: More Scuba. Dive site reviews, professional tips to improve your diving, fish facts, industry news, and more. More Geek. Web design advice, code samples, Photoshop » read more «

Tonight is Friday. In many parts of the Western World, Friday is a special night of the week reserved for mischief and mayhem. After languishing for five days at the office, monotonously battling the personal demons deviously conspiring unleash their tequila-fueled furor upon the week’s conclusion, five o’clock finally arrives. As the sun sets, a new weekend rises. For this one night, mere anarchy is loosed upon the world. (Then Saturday comes— recovery; and Sunday— repentance). On Roatan, mere anarchy is a pervasive state of mind. How else can one rest comfortably in a Third World country while the government undergoes a miniature coup? Oh, wait, that’s right: on the beach with a glass of rum and pineapple. I’m showering » read more «

“I’m leaving tomorrow,” she says. “And I’m not drinking tonight,” I reply, tipping my half-full glass of rum and pineapple towards her. “To the lies of Roatan!” A clink of glasses and we drink. The soft glow of Christmas lights encircling a palm tree casts her face in a stunning juxtaposition of gold and shadows. My eyes trace the contour of her face, mentally absorbing the image of her delicate features, willing my mind to embalm this moment in the timeless formaldehyde of memory. Our gazes lock. The glimmer of the beachside bonfire dances in her dark eyes. In a glance, we tacitly acknowledge the waning hours. Say ‘goodbye’, I remind myself.