Vieques, Puerto Rico…. What is there to say about a place that few know about; except that the US Navy has bombed the living crap out of the east side of the island for over 40 years; used the western side of the island for a munitions depot, and forced the local residents to live in a small area between the two areas? Hmmm… Vieques is a sleepy little island just off the eastern end of PR, about 6 miles southeast of Fajardo. The island is very beautiful, but most of it is on lock down due to the restricted areas [View Full Entry]

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Nothing like the boss suggesting we need new Underwater footage to promote the company. “OK, boss I’ll take one for the team. Where do I have to go? Oh, the Cayman Islands? Well, I guess so. An entire week you say? Well that really screws up my schedule, but if you insist.” So I’m off to Grand Cayman, a week of diving and with a new HD camcorder no less. I spent my Friday and Saturday taking in the sites of Grand Cayman: the Turtle Farm, the local pub, and of course, Hell. Yes, you heard me right, Hell exists and [View Full Entry]

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Many of you have been asking what I have been up to, well mainly working in the office of the dive company, but I just returned from a nine day trip to Cay Sal Bank in the Bahamas. Cay Sal is a small series of islands and blue holes about 20 miles northeast of Cuba and has some great diving if you are into blue holes and sharks. I was asked to go on our support vessel to help install a new mooring for our large boat and scout for new dive sites, was it really necessary to ask? We went [View Full Entry]

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After returning to the States I journeyed to Colorado for a few days of snowboarding at Breckenridge and the Arapahoe Basin (A Basin); however, before I could enjoy the snow I needed to get my dilapidated vehicle from the Florida Panhandle to Atlanta, Georgia. I stopped in Tallahassee to have lunch with a friend who generously provided me with directions from Mapquest.com. Now Mapquest and I have a longstanding relationship that works something like this: I ask it for directions to a destination for which I know not and it provides me with a list of turns, street names, and colorful [View Full Entry]

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As with most travelers on there first outing to an unfamiliar country, I was introduced to many new customs, sights, and experiences. Some of these go beyond description, others I could have done without, but whether they were good or bad there is no doubt they will not be soon forgotten in the years to come. The following is a small list of knowledge I have gained in my travels. 1. Never, never ask, “What’s that smell?” 2. When using Central American transportation you can always fit in just one more person. 3. The best place for a chicken bus to [View Full Entry]

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After spending a week in Roatan, finding out the marina where my boat is at is closing, and losing my ATM card; I started my journey back home. I spent my time in Roatan diving and lounging around the island. After tiring of the commercialism and high prices of everything except the diving, I headed over to Utila for two days. Utila has a much more relaxed atmosphere and I enjoyed my time there so much more. Hopping on a bus to San Pedro Sula, Honduras, I found myself awaken to the heat of the afternoon sun. (I would like to [View Full Entry]

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Two days in Rio Dulce and I meet a gentleman who is heading to Roatan. He offers me passage on his sailboat. The Lynn B III is a beautiful 68 footer with teak decks and an amazing interior. We have an amazing sail to Livingston down the river and spend a few hours on land getting supplies and clearing customs. As we fill the dingy with our stocks of soda and beer. Four familiar faces appear on the dock. Fellow travelers I had met in San Pedro and Rio Dulce. They had just arrived in Livingston and were on their way [View Full Entry]

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Rio Dulce, the city almost by the sea. Wondering how to spend my time, I go and visit the Castillo de San Philippe. The fortress was built during the 1500's to combat pirates who were raiding the merchant ships along the river and to protect the town. It is fairly easy to get to the site, just jump in a taxi. Returning is a different matter all together. I find it necessary at this point in my story to mention that the fortress is four miles outside of town. I found myself contemplating this very dilemma over a bottle of water [View Full Entry]

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What can be said about Semuc Champey? Every traveler I have met has said that it is quite possibly the most beautiful site in all of Guatemala. After visiting the crystal waters I would have to agree. The falls and pools of water range from aqua marine to emerald green in color. The pools are an excellent temperature for swimming and the view from El Mirado is spectacular. Further upstream is the tunnel where the river rushes underground through, you guessed it, a tunnel. So how do you top off an amazing day of hiking and swimming in pristine waters? Bridge [View Full Entry]

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So after another marathon trip across Guatemala, I find myself in Lanquin, just outside of Semuc Champey. I made it to Copan yesterday, but since there was so much rain the shuttles had stopped running to Lanquin. I stayed in a beautiful little place called Hostal de Dona Victoria. It has a nice garden courtyard which is surrounded by an overhang filled with wooden sculptures and a collection of masks and other unique items. This morning I hopped a shuttle up to Lanquin. Now here's the thing. When you jump on a chicken bus you expect to be pummeled by as [View Full Entry]

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