Blogs from Roatán, Bay Islands, Honduras, Central America Caribbean - page 18

Today made the trip! PILOT WHALES EVERYWHERE!!! Today was an early day - Todd and I woke up to do a dawn dive at 6am, followed by a quick bite to eat and then off to the dive boat for a day we'll never forget! The dive was good (as are all the dives here), but our surface interval this morning couldn't be beat! We were greeted by a pod of Pilot Whales. We donned our snorkel gear and went for a swim with these awesome gentle giants. The pod started out small - 3 adults and a smaller one, which eventually grew to 11 total! It was absolutely unbelieveable . . . a once in a lifetime opportunity we had the pleasure of sharing! Besides the pilot whales that made the day, as well as ... read more

=) Can't wait!... read more

The ride from Semuc Champey was an adventure in itself! A collectivo, a vehicle about the size of a large van, is a main source of transportation in Guatemala. With 21 people crammed into it, we started our trip to Xela. The driver could serioulsy enter the Indy 5oo the way he was racing down the windy, bumpy roads, taking corners so fast that the tires were screeching. Even the locals on the collectivo seemed a bit nervous at is driving. The driver must have sensed his passengers apprehensivenss as he turned up the bass in the music to mask the screeching sounds. For about an hour we just held on, trying not to look at the road as our crazed bus driver zipped in and out of cars and music almost deafened us. A couple ... read more

From the coastal town of La Ceiba, Honduras, I caught a $50 ferry over to the Island of Roatan, one of the famous Bay Islands. I traveled over with a new friend from NY, another solo female traveler coming from two months volunteering in El Salvador. We stepped off the ferry and stuck out our thumbs, aiming to catch a ride to the backpacker-tourist side of the island. Five pickup trucks later we arrived in West End (free transport was much better and more interesting than the $20 taxi service offered at the ferry dock). We ended up walking a bit also, with our packs and everything, and added to the fact that some invasive germ was causing my body to react feverishly, by the time we reached the cheapest hostel on the one-road strip, ... read more

Roatan Island, Honduras Our day started out with a quick breakfast & then up to the top deck to take pictures of our arrival to Honduras. Today the plan was to shop for a bit, come back to shop, then leave on our excursion -- Glass Bottom Kayaking & snorkeling! Am told that Roatan Island is one of the 'richest' in Honduras. By the first block, one could see that it was still very 3rd world. Lots of little wood shacks with no fans or air conditioners, pot holes in the paved roadways, tons of vendors & little bars on the water. Lots of blocky yellow & turquoise buildings with lush trees & plants lined the street-way. We were there first thing in the morning for them (we went by ship-time), so lots of kids were ... read more