Roatán, Fonzie’s Bar, and Getting your eMail Hacked

NCL Norwegian Star

The day following our Belize adventure found us on the Honduran island of Roatán.  We knew from previous experience that there’s not a lot to do on Roatán, especially when it’s raining, and this was now our third consecutive port with our third consecutive day of precipitation.  We were originally schedule to hit a resort beach and do some barrier reef snorkeling, but by now I was fighting a head cold, I was tired from the previous two days of nonstop sightseeing, and the constant drizzle and cloudy skies were beckoning me to sleep in late.

A Tender Moment

Roatán Port

Roatán Port

So it was that we stayed in late and left the NCL Norwegian Star even later.  Our only real desire at this point was to snag a WiFi signal, check eMails, and get caught up with those we left behind.  Leaving the cruise ship area, we were directed to the nearest bar offering free WiFi — free for patrons, that is.  It’s a little two-story dive called “Fonzie’s,” and it’s on the beach side of the road.  We hiked on along the streets.

Roatán Pushcart

Roatán Vendor

After just a few minutes’ trek we made our way into Fonzie’s, only to be confronted by at least one young, obnoxious expatriate American with an apparent drinking problem.

Resting in Roatán

Colorful Roatán Wares

After purchasing the obligatory water-downed, fruity-flavored “rum” drinks, we opened up our iPads and began acquiring the signal.  I should have guessed right then and there was was up — obnoxious expatriate American’s “best buddy” had a large, expensive, untended laptop sitting on the bar churning away.  Additionally, the internet connections were p-a-i-n-f-u-l-l-y slow and highly erratic despite a strong signal.  Both Ursula and I had to log on multiple times for no apparent reason.

Rumoring in Roatán

Only later, in checking our eMails in Cozumel, did we realize both our account passwords had been hacked back in Fonzie’s on Roatán.  This required us to do something we had preferred to avoid — purchase shipboard internet minutes — so that we could change our passwords and once again secure our accounts.  Meanwhile, to everyone on our contact lists — no, we do not send out links through Fox News, and neither do we endorse berry-flavored dietetic supplements.

Roatán from the Ship

Thus, freshly hacked and blissfully unaware of that fact, we made our way back to the Norwegian Star for a trip northward to Cozumel, where we had planned a very special outing we’d never done in our past visits to this Mexican island paradise.

Roatán