Utila - Blogabond

The next morning Emily, Marcus and I began a very long day of travelling which started with a boat to Puerto Barrios, then a taxi to the border followed by a bus to San Pedro Sula and then another bus to La Ceiba. We started at about 8:30am and didn't stop moving until about 9:00pm that evening - we were all pretty exhausted so we checked into the nearest hostel ready to head to Utila the next day. It turned out that pretty much everyone in the hostel was doing the same thing so we all shared taxis the next day to the port which worked quite well and then all boarded the Utila Princess to take us across the water. An hour later and there I was, on the little island that Lals has called home for the past six months - I had loads of butterflys about seeing her I was so excited! There were loads of people at the dock from all the different dive schools trying to get you to go with them so I sought out someone wearing an Alton's t-shirt and jumped in their pickup so they could take us to the dive shop. Lals was on the morning boat so she didn't get in until about 12:30pm but when her boat came in I was standing on the dock jumping around like a child! It was quite an emotional reunion but fantastic to finally see her home. As soon as I had stepped off the ferry I could immediately understand why she has not been able to leave. The town is adorable and full of lovely wooden houses on stilts and the hustle and bustle of a little seaside port. Alton's itself is also great - it's pier stretches out into the water and has a double level area at the end strung up with hammocks. The top deck is perfect for sunbathing, whilst the lower deck is where everyone hangs out during the day to read their dive books etc etc.

I started my Open Water Course the next afternoon and am now a fully qualified diver up to 18 meters! Alton's give you two free fun dives (fun dives are what the qualified customers come to do) with the course so Lals came as my Dive Master and we just went off swimming on our own. It was the best feeling being deep under water with Lals showing me all the fish and different coral - can't wait to do it again before I leave. It's about $50 a fun dive so I think I'll wait until Jonny and the boys get here before I splash out on another one so we can all go together.

Since qualifying I have to admit that I have been living a life of luxury, sunbathing and swimming in the crystal blue waters during the day and sipping on rum coctails at night! Lals' flatmate left last week so she very kindly let me stay in her spare room until her new flatmate moved in. I felt like I was in a tropical Rhosneigr! I am having the most fabulous time here and I know it will be hard to leave but after Utila I'll be heading to Nicaragua where I am sure many more adventures await me! Until then ........

written by

veritykent on March 30, 2009 from Utila, Honduras

from the travel blog: Up, up and away

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