We have now been on the island of Utila in Honduras for 5 days and are loving the laid back island lifestyle!
We arrived to Utila on perhaps the most dangerous, scary and needless to say turbulent boat rides I have ever been on. We laughed when we first got on the boat and a crew member handed out plastic vomit bags to everyone on board-- this should have been a sign of what was ahead. The bags weren't as funny within 20 minutes when half the boat was using them! I am proud to say that Beth and I-- aka Team California-- did not use our bags and survived the crazy ride... although barely! I have never been so relieved to arrive to the shore. Amen.
Once you arrive on the island the next hurdle to jump is trying to find a dive school that fits your needs, budget, social desires, etc. Most people come to Utila to dive, as it is pretty much the only thing to do here in addition to eat and drink. Beth and I ended up at Cross Creek who offered us a fair rate, accommodations included and we really liked the set-up of the school. An added bonus to diving with Cross Creek is that they proudly employ the loudest and most outwardly joyful captain on the island... Captain Cookie! A true lover of life Cookie will tell you multiple times in a day... 'I am black, poor and ugly... but damn, am I happy!' Never sure how to respond to this statement-- we smile, laugh and enjoy his extreme optimism! Tonight Cookie is taking us on a sunset boat ride out on the ocean-- should be awesome! I am sure he will have some fine words of wisdom to share as the sunsets!
The waters surrounding Utila are absolutely gorgeous-- incredible reef, colorful fish of all shapes and sizes, dolphins, sharks-- you name it, Utila has it! Being a part of the dive school also allows us access to snorkel gear and kayaks-- also amazing fun! Being on Utila gives us the perfect dose of island life-- it has been great to stay in one place again for awhile. We still have a few more days here on the island and then we will be off heading towards Nicaragua, followed by Costa Rica. We have a flight booked from Panama City to Bogota, Colombia on December 1-- and with that we will say good-bye to Central America and begin the South American portion of our journey!
I find it so hard to believe that I have already been on my epic adventure for a month! The time has been flying by as the fun and exploration is taking place. I am REALLY loving traveling and am so excited for all that the months ahead hold. The truth is, traveling isn't always easy-- your stomach is never quite right, your bus always arrives late and leaves too early, when it rains--well, it pours and sometimes there are bugs in your bed-- or on the island there are crabs shimmying around your cabin. Sometimes the locals don't want to help or talk to you and sometimes they never shut up! Bathrooms are rarely clean and the sewage pipes can't handle toilet paper, so it goes into gnarly waste baskets. Minor cuts get infected, air quality can be poor and you always have to watch your back-- and your friends'. And lastly whatever you do-- don't drink the water! All of this said, there is nothing quite as remarkable and inspiring as visiting new places, trying new things, experiencing new cultures and meeting incredible people along the way that help shape the journey. I would not trade a moment of this experience for anything!
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