Fascinating Short Stories and more
about Roatan by Lorenzo Dee Belveal
Lorenzo
Dee Belveal, often known on
Roatan as Mr. Dee was one of the first resort developers building
Spyglass Hill Resort near Punta Gorda long before the current tourism
development. Lorenzo first arrived in Roatan in 1967. He also was
instrumental in getting the first roads built on the island.
Lorenzo had a long history as a writer, and I think as a
newspaperman. Until he died a few years ago he had a
fantastic
website about Roatan, including the risks of property
ownerships
for foreigners. Most of his advice was wise, though rarely
followed. When Lorenzo built the Spyglass Hill resort, there
probably were fewer than 100 American expats living on the island and
only a dozen or two foreign yachts would visit the island each year.
As a
result, he knew the locals and their customs very well and wrote
wonderful short stories about them. Before his website
disappeared after his death, I downloaded his stories. I have
tried to contact family to get permission to post them, but have been
unable to find any relatives. So, I am putting his stories
back
up on the internet, so that many more people can enjoy them.
Maybe some of the "new" expats on Roatan can learn
a bit
about how it used to be and a bit about the real islanders. Betsy
and I lived about 1/2 time on Roatan froim 1982 to 1998. Most
of
that time was before the cruise ships, most resorts, before a paved
road, electricity,. telephone and television. Like Lorenzo,
we
lived with the locals and absolutely loved it. It is not the
same
now.