This New Years found me surrounded by water on Utila, one of Honduras´Bay Islands. Utila is known for being a ¨backpacker´s haven¨ of dive shops and cheap hostels. It is also one of the least expensive places in the world to get your Open Water Diver´s Certification. It was for all of these reasons, that a group of nine of us found ourselves in on the island, diving, drinking (responsibly), and dancing our nights away. It is true that Utila´s main drag is filled with dive shops and expat establishments, but there is so much more to the island, its people and their collective cultures. While I was only on Utila for 8 days, I could easily see myself staying for 8 weeks... and may just do that somewhere down the road. For now, I hope to get back soon - I had an amazing time and met some amazing people- what better way to start a new year!(I had just cleaned off my memory cards to take pictures, but apparently the universe had other plans. All of the pictures are thanks to a friend. Thanks Reghu for documenting a great week and letting me enjoy it sans camera!)
Left: The boat that we took between La Ceiba on the mainland and the island of Utila. Right: The Utila shoreline
Accomodations were simple: $6 a night with cold water showers.The food was not! We dined on lobster, king fish, redsnapper, shrimp, and fresh pasta nightly!
Right: King fish in a white wine sauce- so good, $6!
There are more than 15 PADI certified colleges of diving on the island, each with its own flavor. Right: Our group after our first day of 12 hrs of videos, discussions, and exams!
Our 2nd day, we were in the pool and then it was out into the water beyond the dock to practice basic techniques! The sexiest part of suiting up was the 12 to 26lb weigh belts that each of us wore to ¨help us sink¨
Dive rule #1: Keep breathing... good idea Dive rule #2: Always swim with a buddy... where´s YOUR buddy?
While there are tons of amazing things to see, our special underwater camera didn´t capture too many of them :) We quickly learned; however, that under the sea is a great place to dance! (especially when you are too tired to stay up all night)
New Year´s Eve found us hopping around the island, dancing on swaying two tiered docks, and watching fireworks over the ocean. It was surreal!
It was an amazing week, filled with meeting people from across the globe, learning new things, and letting loose.
Happy New Years All!
While there are tons of amazing things to see, our special underwater camera didn´t capture too many of them :) We quickly learned; however, that under the sea is a great place to dance! (especially when you are too tired to stay up all night)
New Year´s Eve found us hopping around the island, dancing on swaying two tiered docks, and watching fireworks over the ocean. It was surreal!It was an amazing week, filled with meeting people from across the globe, learning new things, and letting loose.
Happy New Years All!
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