Honduras Travels

At the Rotterdam Hotel I met two Canadians, Cindy and Drew, who were heading for the Utila ferry early the next morning. We all shared the cab which turned out to be the smartest move for the price to the ferry docks is fixed. Whether your one or five the trip will run you 6US, which for here is pretty steep.

It was an incredibly peaceful 40km boat ride. The “Galaxy” sits about 350 and barely 30 people were on the boat. There I met Juan, a US Army Corps Engineer, who lives in La Ceiba and is working on a new fresh water tank for the town of Utila. It is part if the Hurricane Mitch Relief projects that are funded by the States. He immediately warned me of the potential man eating Sand Flies that come out in force on the island. Boy, this was no understatement. I feel I have conquered something or at least developed a more leathery skin, no single month of blackfly season in Northern New Brunswick is as bad as a day on the island of Utila. But that said, this place is extraordinary. Set just off the coast of Honduras it is a SCUBA diving paradise. For next to nothing Drew, Cindy and I got rooms at the Cross Creek Dive Center. With the open water coarse that we’re taking they through in a couple nights free accommodations. Just outside our hotel rooms is Dave’s, which is by far the best restaurant in town. For about 4US I ate like a king. If anyone takes a trip here, this out of the way restaurant is a most. But once again the Sand flies will be there.

Utila is mostly a giant mangrove forest with a small, basically one street village on the southwest side on the island. The houses are very run down but this place has a truly unique character. Just listening to the people converse is a pleasure. Much of the English speakers descend from when the island still belonged to England. Like any other remote community the town stems from only a few original families. The Coopers, The Bushes, and the Altons are the most prevalent. When the sun goes down in this place it really begins to rock. The dives are over for the day and everyone congregates at Coco Locos, Bundu Café, or Tranquila Bar to party way into the night. Friday and Saturday are the best and I never met anyone in bad spirits. Watch out the next morning though, like myself, the hangovers are worse in the blistering heat of the Tropics. Oh god it was tough to get up to SCUBA. Though a plus is that everyone you meet has the same solemn “I will never drink again”, look on there face in the streets and on the boat.

Once you get use to the sand flies you begin to loose track of time and the next six days I spent here clicked by. I’m going to miss this place but tomorrow I head to Omoa and new beaches and the beginning of my trip to Tikal. I’m looking forward to the trip ahead and my first experience on a Central American chicken bus.