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Published: March 21st 2010
So whats happened this week?
Well this week gone was my last week at the Iguana Station, been a bit like leaving a job, do less than you usually do but enough to keep yourself sane.lol
Monday did feeding in the morning and managed to sneak off to La Pirata in the afternoon to watch the Pompey Liverpool game, shame to hear we have lost league points but hey better than losing them next year!
We walked to Rock harbour through the mangroves again this week on Tuesday. Still no sign of pregnant female iguanas heading to the beach, may be the late wet weather we have been having.
First wet season normally ends end of Feb. with April being driest but nearly end of March and we still have been having rain. Nice though to have some cooler days particularly for sleeping at night.
Linus and I got hammered Tuesday night at Tranquila Tuesday (20 lims for a beer or rum and coke) but think the two large tequilas we were given after our meal at the Mexican restaurant and the beers in the
afternoon at La Pirata might have had something to do with it!
Last Saturday night a local dude died after falling down the elevator shaft at La Pirata, from the second floor, think he was drunk and opened the lift door but no lift!
He died later in hospital on the mainland, apparently people moved him around after he fell, which obviously not a good thing!
One of the dive shops ran a “beer Olympics” on Wednesday starting at 1430 and went on til gone midnight! Events included tug o war over a paddling pool, beer pong, beer racing and mud wrestling to name a few.
I was doing tours in the afternoon even though it had been raining some people still visited the station, so we did not go down until about five, by time we got there it was like a frat party everyone hammered from the drinking games!
Had a few rum and cokes to catch up but had a bit of a dicky tum so left earlyish to go back to the station and be near a safe toilet! Weird really as been fine
since I been here, maybe something going around?
Some of the other guys stayed and did catch up, lol, one lost his shoes and ended up cutting his trousers into shorts! Found two of them asleep on the balcony in the morning!
Made and fitted some shelves for the school house with Tim and we also repaired a wooden bench Thursday daytime then in the evening the Iguana Station hosted a movie night as a fundraiser in Dave’s restaurant, the movie was Baraka, a cool 1 hour 40 mins movie with no words just music and images of the planet.
On Friday we were up early to meet other people outside La Pirata at 0800 to carry out some beach clean ups on three beaches Ironbound, Blue Bayou and Big Bight. I went to the Iron Bound one which was the longest walk.
Took some pictures of before and after the clean up, still looks a bit messy as seaweed and driftwood still there, we may go back and burn whats left. We managed to fill 60 sacks with rubbish, mainly flip flops, plastic bottles and polystyrene.
After the beach clean our group went to the “Freshwater Caves” for a dip, had to jump in in my pants as did not take swim shorts.lol Was pretty cool place, not very big and quite difficult to walk over rocks and coral but worth it. Water is not really freshwater is slightly salty but I suppose “The slightly salty water caves” would not have the same ring to it lol.
On Saturday there was a Reggae Party on one of the nearbye Cays, Water Cay, but i opted to not go as tummy still bit suspect and not sure of facilities on the Cay.
So went down the public beach and met up with Mandy (picture of her dreads in a previous blog!) and her boyfriend Gabriel and also met up with Char and Andy while at the beach. We went to watch the sunset from La Pirata washed down with a couple of Salvas.
The rest of them went to the reggae party and some did not get back until 2 in the morning as boats bringing people back were limited after dark, they had been there
since 12. Made the right choice as no toilets there! Some people were staying there the night, nutters!
After returning to the station and having a nice cold shower we went down to Babalou bar, the one with the jetty over the water so you can chill and watch the fish swimming. Think i posted a picture of an eel in last blog. While we were there we saw a 1m wide stingray swim past but did not have my camera.
I have enjoyed my seven weeks here at the station, probably enjoyed the first four or five more as there was more to do especially as the Wishy Willy centre was still being built.
Have done many things including feeding iguanas many times, giving tours to visitors, helping finish school, painting the school, laying and fitting electrics, burning rubbish (and pooh paper!) leaky week wih Dave (sink waste, new taps in the kitchen, water tower inlet valves leaking and a ballcock fitted to the water tower) 4 transect looking for iguanas, several beach visits for pregnanat iguanas, the gardening several times and beach clean up to name a few!
As well as meet some great people also volunteering at the station.
However think seven weeks is enough and ready to move on, well move down the road lol. Found myself a new place to stay for the next four weeks, moving there today (Sunday).
Quite strange how I managed to find the place (or it find me!), I was walking into town after looking at several places to stay, most were not available for holy week and Easter week (week after holy week) as busy times for island tourism (spring break).
So popped in to Utila Real Estate office, which was closed but a lady upstairs called out to me and asked me to pop up. She had a nice apartment available but it was 600 US as 2 bedrooms, however she had a friend there who said she just arrived last week and she and her husband have properties to rent.
So i followed her down towards Blue Bayou West of the main town near the public beach. Got there to find a building with beach front in front of it, air con, hot shower, bug
zapper light, front porch with hammock and swing bench, TV with dvd player and the use of a kayak! Bit like a studio flat i suppose but in a great location.
All for 300 US for the month! Plus have to pay electricity, which Utila used to be the 4th most expensive! She reckons 4$ per day. Reason expensive is because power now supplied via a diesel generator on the island and no competition!
I will post some pictures of the beach house on next weeks blog.
So next four weeks are gonna be filled with reading books, laying in hammock, kayaking, snorkling and visiting La Pirata! There is also a bar called Driftwood nearbye to beach house with free Wi Fi so need to get my iphone working.
Bit of a hassle changing up traveller cheques to pay my rent, have been getting them changed by the Hendersons, a little shack on the main road in town, they generally act as wholesalers for beer and soft drinks on the island, sell ciggies and change trav cheques.
But he does not always have money and normally will only
do 100 bucks a t a time! Queued up at the bank for 45 mins just to be told that they don’t change them!
Terry still following me around, hope he does not find me at my new place! He is a lovely loving dog but don’t really want the hassle! He has discovered an escape route from the balcony, as we lock him up there sometimes, he jumps through the banisters onto the steps!
Time to go now and hit the beach, or maybe go and watch the barcelona game at La Pirata! Then pack my rucky and walk to my new home.
larf
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hey! have only just caught up with your travels. sounds wicked! hope you're enjoying new dog-free pad. enjoyXxX