Utila Island

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This blog is to tell you a bit more about the island of Utila.
The island is one of three islands called the Bay Islands about an hour boat ride NE of Honduras in the Caribbean Sea and its only 7 miles by about 3 miles in size.


The island was discovered by Christopher Columbus and the islanders still speak a sort of english carribbean spanish mix! the locals seem very friendly. The roads are concrete and seem like golf course paths! There are only a few trucks on the island the majority use push bikes or mopeds and quads and golf carts are popular, with a few tuk tuk taxis. You need to listen out so as to not get run over!


The island was created by volcanic activity which caused the coral bed to rise above the sea so there is evidence of volcanic rock and fossilised coral, which is very very sharp and difficult to walk on!


The majority of the island is flat at about a metre or so above sea level, the highest point is only a few hundred feet, Pumpkin Hill, named as there are squash plants growing up it (squash is a type of pumpkin?)


The island has a mix of eco systems with mangroves, dry and wet jungle. It is also home to many types of wildlife and fauna, was told there are over 300 types of butterfly alone and also has one of the worlds rarest birds on the island (cant remember its name!)
usually see humming birds each day and an occassional scorpion and as you can see in the picture sometimes a tarantula, this one was found when Ellie one of the volunteers went to get me an electric drill from the workshop.


Nearby to the station there is a water tower which supplies the whole island, a guy comes up twice a day to turn the water on and everyone on the island has to turn their valvs to fill their water towers! We take visitors to the station to the tower as it is the second highest point on the island so great for views and pointing out parts of the island.


It is also believed that pirates / bucanners used the island as a hideout including the likes of Captain Morgan, it is also said that the local travel agent Morgans is a descendant of Cpt M! There are also stories that CM hid his treasure somewhere on the island.


The reef system is the second largest reef in the world, if you include the Belize reef as part of it. Because of this it is very popular for diving, the main tourism income on the island so ther are lots of dive schools, Utila Dive Centre is the largest and is well known in the diving world for the quality of its instructors. I have signed up to do my PADI Open water and am starting with my familiarisation today, only costs 170 US dollars.


The weather tends to be hot at 30 degrees day time and 20 at night, some days are cloudy which is nice but generally very sunny and hot. Most things seem cheap on the island especially alcohol! You can get a Salva Vida 4.8% local beer for 30 lims (1 pound) in a bar and this wednesday a popular bar called Tranquila situated on the beach over the water had a anniversary celebration and were selling Rum and cokes or Salva for 15 lim!


Tranquila seems to be the most popular bar and also Coco Loco next to it. Other cool bars are Babalou which has a opening over the water so you can sit and watch the fish and squid swimming around, Tretanic bar which is amazing where a guy has spent many years creating a bar in the treetops with mosaics and patterns bridges etc all over the place, will have to put some day time pictures on as the night time difficult to show. There is also a bar called Bar in the bush which we went to last night as one of the volunteers leaves tomorrow.


There are also a few good restaraunts such as Daves where you can get two pork chops, mash, rice and salad for 150 lim, so quite cheap to eat. You can buy a T bone for about a pound in the meat market, but bit tough needs to be marinaded i thinks! Of course there are no franchised restaraunts such as McDonalds so the island is cool in that unique.


A few of us walked up Pumpkin Hill last Sunday, being the highest point has some great views. I managed to wear another dodgy hat, after not being able to find myself a hat i like, the nearest i came to finding one was a nice blue hat but then noticed it said I Love Jesus on the front, now pink or yellow hats i can deal with (also wore a Bling one this week) but you have to call a line somewhere!lol


Hope that did not bore you! Next blog to come soon to tell you more about the iguana station and what we do, also we visited the Bat caves this thursday evening so have some photos of that.


I have access to my email and facebook at the station now but is too slow for downloading the blog photos, also as have my diving this weekend bit limited with time. Strange really seem to be really busy either working at the station, on "expeditions" or in the bars.lol

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Photos

The high street
Only a few trucks mainly tuk tuks and golf carts!

The 8 pin plug!
Found when taken from the workshop

Comments

[anonymous]

Hi Hun Thanks for the educational blog! The photo's look great and I can understand a little more of what island life might be like. It looks like nothing else I have ever seen, which is great - exactly what you are looking for when you are travelling. Hope that the camera is behaving itself. Looks like good quality pics. Glad that you are keeping busy and meeting lots of people. Sounds like the island is a bit of a party town too. You'll never want to leave! Just stay away from the poisonous spiders! I have just come home from Tasha's b'day drinks at a new Irish bar on Osborne Road. Every one is loving reading your blogs and glad that you are having such a great time out there. They are all really chuffed for you! You have great friends. Pompey beat Southamption 4-1 today in the FA cup so everyone was happy - especially Nigel. I was laughing at how drunk he was but Debbie was not laughing with me! Bit wierd being with them without you but glad that I went along. Anyway I'll stop babbling. Looking forward to reading your next blog! Dee:)

[lee gibbs]

go on mr attenborough
reckon you could get a job designing holiday brochures when you get back, very informative, well done larf!!