Adios Central America

I awoke this morning and was momentarily confused about where I was. There were no new bed bug bites, no black flies swarming, no firecrackers and bombs sounding, no fresh coffee brewing. Then, the realization - I am home.

After leaving Utila, I decided to make a quick visit to the Honduran town of Copan Ruinas, which is located near Mayan ruins of the same name. The town itself is very charming, with trademark cobblestone streets and Mayan Artisan Centers lining them. Linka Indians, in particular, have a very distinct style of pottery and I made a significant financial contribution to their people.

The ruins themselves are very beautiful. Experts put them in the same category as Chichen Itza in Mexico and Tikal in Guatemala, which are supposedly the best. Not having visited the others, I can't be sure, but they were incredible. I spent the day wandering through this ancient city envisioning what life must have been like for the people who lived there. Every rock and tree root had a story to tell.

Yesterday, I left Guatemala at sun rise with Volcan Fuego belching smoke and lava in the distance. It was very beautiful and sums up everything that I've come to love about Central America in three short weeks - it's beauty and volatility. There is so much I didn't see, and I was sad to leave, but emotion overwhelmed me when the US customs agent in Miami welcomed me "home."

Under the Sea

Winter in the Caribbean, in general, and the Bay Islands, specifically, can be terrible. Relentless rain covers the islands for days on end making it impossible to stay dry. My time in Utila has proven typical of January and, with the exception of 2 sunny days, it has been cloudy and rainy all week. I keep expecting to see fish swimming in the deep puddles.

It seems that the best solution to avoiding the rain is to get in the water! Utila is the perfect place for this as there's not much other reason to be on this island unless you plan to scuba. Despite very rough seas, which have stranded many on the island as the ferry cannot travel, I was able to complete 7 dives over 3 days. What I saw was spectacular! (Pictured is one of my favorite dive sites from land, Lighthouse Reef.)

Getting under the water was challenging as waves crashed over our heads, tossing the boat unpredictably around, making it nearly impossible to hold onto the guide line attached to the boat for our safety. However, once we descended into the depths of the ocean, things calmed considerably and opened up a whole new world to explore. With few exceptions, visibility was great at 30 meters and I marveled at this wonderland. Diving is so peaceful...a group sport though you feel largely isolated, hearing only the sound of air rushing through the hoses into your mouth and the bubbles as you exhale.

Hand signals between buddies provide communication and we all marveled at beautiful fish and reefs together. My efforts were rewarded with two sightings of Hawkbill turtles, which are so graceful. It was nearly a spiritual experience to watch them effortlessly glide through the water, turning to watch us with mild curiosity. I saw small rays, lobster, horseshoe crabs, jellyfish *OUCH!* and more fish than I can name.

My favorite dive was, surprisingly, the night dive. Boarding the boat at 5 PM, I was anxious about diving in pitch black. I tend to be a little uneasy in familiar surroundings when it's dark, so my apprehension was heightened. Once you descend, it's amazing how the collective lights of the group's torches illuminate life not present in the day time. Vivid reds gleamed in our lights and we saw not one but two octopus, octopi?. We all turned off our torches at the end and were able to see bioluminescent plankton glowing blue and white through our masks. The dive was over all too soon and we surfaced to torrential rain that made us all wish we could sink back down into the inky blackness.

The only disappointment was the lack of whale sharks. They have been spotted regularly on the north side of the island. But, the seas were too rough for the captains to pilot boats to that side, so searches were impossible. I leave this beautiful island tomorrow, already making plans for a return trip and more underwater exploration.

Honduran Wonderland

It's been quite a while since my last post and so much has happened that I'm not sure a post can do it justice. I left Rio Dulce last Sunday on a boat headed towards Livingston. The river itself is a tropical paradise and there was much to see on the two hour journey. The boat made a stop at a natural hot spring in the middle of the river and I was able to swim for the first time on my trip. We saw children paddling in kayaks, a fort built to control river access and am iguana spotted from an impossible distance by our boat driver.

Arriving in Livingston, I no longer felt like I was in Guatemala. It's on the Caribbean coast and feels as such. The people, called Garifuna, are beautiful. They have very dark skin and speak their own language, which is a combination of Spanish and others. It was quite challenging for this Spanish novice to decode! After one night in Livingston, which included the elusive Coco Loco and high intensity punta dancing, it was time to surrender to the call of the islands.

Utila is one of 3 Bay Islands off the Honduran coast. It was an excruciatingly difficult journey to get here, which included a boat, van, shuttle, 2 buses and another boat over 18 hours, but entirely worth it. I arrived too late on New Years Eve to dive, so this afternoon is my first opportunity. I have 7 dives scheduled over the next 3 days, including one tomorrow to the North side of the island where whale sharks have been frequently spotted very recently. I'll also dive tonight in an attempt to overcome my fear of the dark!

New Years was wonderful and spent with an international group of new friends/fellow divers. Australia, Holland, Germany, America and England were well represented in the motley crew that spent the evening together, creating wonderful memories.

Honduras is so different from Guatemala. There is no trash, the trees are lush and the landscape green. The people mostly speak English as tourism is very prevalent here. I love it here and yet the mystic beauty of Guatemala is calling to me. Part of my heart will forever remain in that incredible country.

I am also beginning to feel the call of home. I'll leave this beautiful island paradise on Saturday to begin the journey back. What an amazing trip this has been...one that has renewed my spirit and given me so many other gifts along the way.