Dawn broke early in the Caribbean, my eyes sprang open with the sound of gentle surf on the iron shore outside our balcony. I quietly put on my walking shoes to not awaken my roommates, Mom and Karen. Karen opened one eye enough to recognize and join the exploration of our new environs. 
It was nice for our first town experience to be while it was still in sleep mode. Many dogs roamed, and a few men as I practiced which morning greeting was local. "Buenas" won out over "Buenas Dias" and "Hola."West End town is so adorable with it's one dirt road along the shore with thick marine rope as speed bumps, colorful wood shack tiendas (stores), grass palapa roofs, multiple docks for local fishing and dive boats.
Thick, rich Honduras coffee greeted us back in our room as Mom was awakening to the new day/new place on our balcony
overlooking the Caribe. Our view is blue Caribe and jagged coral "iron shore." "If the shipwreck doesn't kill you, the shoreline will!"
Our five resident deer greet us and await fruit scraps from our "typicos" breakfast of tortillas, beans, eggs, sausage, salsa and fruitas.Fueled up, we all venture into the water for a snorkel. Mom reluctantly faced her challenge of the ladder water access. She got to the bottom rung of the ladder and awaited an up swell to do a back flop into the Caribe. We were greeted by a great new family of fish, brilliant Emperor Angel , regal Queen Angel, whimsical Trunk fish, comical Cow fish, intimidating barracuda, grouper, lobster, crab and others. Stag horn, Elk horn, ribbon and brain hard corals provide the base, barrel and other sponges add whimsical shapes and color, as dynamic soft corals sway with the current; the brilliant fans, fuzzy drip sand castle, wavy, spiny, flimsy branches and fingers of soft corals tickle the water. The water is refreshing and warm, we explored for 2 hours until coming back to Terra firma. But, not so quickly. First, to get mom up the ladder with lots of coaching to avoid the urchins, reaching to the lowest rung (which is high), then to time it all between small surges. It was a true team effort, if not for the hilarity it may have been a quick, easy landing. But we added a bit of laughter to the situation.
We spent the afternoon poolside, bobbing on our rafts and gazing over the infinity edge.
Our routine happy hours accompany the sunset at Green Flash Cantina, our Land's End Resort bar. Hunger lured us into town, a 10 minute walk for a wonderful Thai dinner on dockside restaurant. Our after dinner stroll revealed the cantinas warming up for a happening Friday night scene. The Latino Caribbean rhythm of the music captured 
us and got us dancing in the streets, Mom waving her cane to the rhythm. People loved us and adorned us with a collection of Mardi Gras beads.
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