Diving, Bus Rides, and Hammocks

Okay. Finally in a town where internet is readily available. I have 40 minutes to write down what we have been up to for the past week!

On Monday, June 20th, we left the island of Utila. Before jumping to the next destination, here is the breakdown of our time in Utila (Thursday the 16th to Sunday the 20th):

Thursday: Watch a couple of scuba videos. As our instructor, Oliver, would say, "They're cheese." We then had to take quizzes on what we watched (or, what we had read in the books they gave us the night before. Nick and I were good students and read ahead like we were supposed to). After all the boring stuff, we learned all about the equipment we would be using and how to put it together and take it apart. We then went just off shore to do our confined water skills. We spent almost 2 hours underwater, watching Oliver demonstrate the skill first and then repeat it back to him one at a time. (There were three students: an English guy, Kieran, Nick, and me) We all passed.

Friday: More videos and quizzes. Then our first open water dives! We did two dives in the afternoon. They bring out two tanks for each person, so that you dive once, come up, exchange tanks and dive again. Each dive lasts about 45 minutes. Between these two dives we saw a barracuda, some squid, an eel, and countless amount of fish and coral. It was amazing!

Saturday: We had two more open water dives in the morning. Saw about the same in terms of underwater life. (Nick and I were hoping so badly to see any of the following: dolphins, whale sharks, eagle or manta rays, turtles, any shark, really, and an octopus. Sadly we didn't see any of these....so I guess we'll just have to go diving again!) We also had our final exam to finish the course. Nick had the highest score in the class. At night we sat on the top (it was a 2-story pier) of the pier and had some beverages. Something caught Nick's eye, and upon further investigation, was decided that it was an Eagle Ray! It was huge, swimming so swiftly through the water. We watched it for about five minutes until it swam off into the dark sea.

Sunday: Part of the price of the scuba certification package included two free fun dives. So, we went out one last time with Oliver, searching for the great beings of the ocean. Unfortunately it wasn't the clearest of conditions on this day, so we didn't see anything new. It was still fun, though. And as Nick later pointed out, diving is one of the most peaceful activities. You don't think about anything other than the coral and the fish. There is no worrying about jobs, school, where we'll be next, how we'll get there. Nothing. Occasionally I would think about the best way to de-smudge my mask while underwater, but that was the most stressful thought. (If you are curious, to take care of that problem I decided to flood my mask purposefully and then clear it out by tipping it slightly open at the bottom while blowing air out of my nose. Belinda, you are probably the only person reading who will probably vividly enjoy this description.)

Other things we did while in Utila when we weren't scuba diving included: eating baleadas, the staple food of Honduras (a tortilla, filled with a combination of meat, eggs, beans, cheese, sometimes sour cream, and any other delicious things they decide to put in it), sharing a bungalow with our friend Penelope the gecko, walking to find a place called Pumpkin Hill that was supposed to be a good lookout spot but failing miserably to find it, and eating a lot of PB and Jelly. A lot. We bought a loaf of bread and a jar of each and consumed it all in the days we were in Utila.


Monday, June 20th: Most of the day was spent traveling. First the ferry back to the mainland (taking Dramamine before was one of the best decisions of my life) for one hour, taking a bus from the port city of La Cieba back to San Pedro Sula's bus terminal for about 4 hours, and then a bus from San Pedro to Lago de Yojoa. Once in Lago de Yojoa we made our way to Cortijo del Lago - a peaceful, quiet, beautiful place set right on the largest lake in Honduras. It was like being up north, only better, due to the mountains in the background. The place is in the middle of nowhere, so we slept, ate, and hung around their property for two days. We saw the biggest toad in the world. It seriously was about the size of a grapefruit.

Tuesday, June 21st: Woke up to birds chirping and then spent an hour or so reading in the hammocks in the sun room. After breakfast we napped for two hours. Why? Because we can. We are not on any set schedule. We don't have to be at any specific place at any specific time (except, of course, for our flight back to the US). After our nap, we read some more in the hammocks (I finished Water for Elephants and loved it). The afternoon consisted of renting a canoe and paddling around lake for about two hours and more reading in the hammocks. There must be something in the water here (well, obviously, which is why we don't drink it) because what I believe to be grasshoppers are also gigantic. We have been taking pictures, although I won't be posting any until I am back on my own computer. Look then for proof.

Wednesday, June 22nd: We hopped a short bus to a new hotel, still in the same area of Lago de Yojoa. This one was called D & D Brewery (which you can google, if interested). We got off the bus in the main area of town, and had to take a tri-wheel taxi to the Brewery. We walked to Bio-P-Argue, or "Paradise" as the sign says. There we walked on trails for a few hours. This place is part coffee plantation, part lime tree orchard, contains big trees and rivers and streams. Back at the Brewery I had my first beer in years...and LIKED it! It was an apricot ale.

Thursday, June 23rd: We took a bus from the Brewery to Pulhapanzak Falls - a huge waterfall. We stayed there for a couple of hours before heading back to the brewery. On the walk to catch the bus I asked Nick if we could stop for ice cream. Then, out of nowhere, is an ice cream truck! Fate!

Friday, June 24th: We woke up early and caught a bus from Lago de Yajoa back to San Pedro Sula. Our last time being in that bus terminal, which we are not even the slightest bit saddened by. We then took a bus to Copan, which is where we will remain until about Monday. So far, from what we have seen, this city is really cool. It has cobblestone streets, red tiled roofs, and a central park. Some poor soul is doing our laundry tonight and we pick it up tomorrow. On the agenda while in Copan includes seeing the Copan Ruins, going to Macaw Mountain to see a bunch of colorful birds, and anything else our little minds come up with!

The food is good, I don't mind the temperature, and it seems to rain every night (but the rain hasn't affected our plans ever). We will be on again before leaving Copan.

Off to make Macaroni and Cheese. We decided to buy some food at the supermarket to try and save money.