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Published: April 13th 2006
With our feet buried in Honduran sand, Dad and I sighed with relief after a long 2-day journey across three countries by planes, boats, and buses. There is no travel more exciting than when the plans are spontaneous and very flexible. The following is a run down of the means by which we traveled, the bumps we ran into along the way, and finally the results of a successful mission.
To accomplish our goal, at least one leg of the trip needed to be by air. Much to our surprise, the domestic flights were rather inexpensive and allowed us to cut our travel time considerably. We took a small aircraft (15 passenger capacity) from Northern Belize to the Southern tip of the country (Punta Gorda), which made stops in each major town along the way. We made 6 landings in total, and some on very short and questionable runways. Flying enabled us to view the entire coastline of Belize, and we even caught a glimpse of Francis Ford Coppola's vacation home in Placencia. In Punta Gorda, we just missed the morning ferry which meant we had to wait 4 and a half hours till the next boat left for Guatemala.
After our long wait, we made the hour trip by water to Puerto Barrios. Next we took a shuttle bus through a small section of Guatemala to the Honduran border (Corinto). We made our money exchange from Quetzals and the Belizean dollar over to Lempiras ($1=18.89 Lp). We then hopped a chicken bus for an hour and a half ride to the oceanside town of Puerto Cortes. By this time the sun had set and we called it a day. The next morning we took a shuttle bus to San Pedro Sula, the second largest city in Honduras. At this point, we changed to a larger bus and made a three hour trip along the coast to La Ceiba. We passed through banana, pineapple, and coconut plantations and got to see how the people of Honduras live. The poverty is not as severe as that in Guatemala and the transportation is much safer and slower. In La Ceiba we decided to fly to the Bay Islands instead of taking the ferry, because of time and the small difference in price. We still had to wait 3 hours for the plane to leave, but the boat was even longer. We finally
arrived on the Bay Island of Roatan just before sunset. We checked into the
Sea Breeze Inn and then enjoyed a delicious seafood dinner to celebrate. Man oh man, I even got tired just writing about that journey, but I must say that it was well worth it.
Roatan, which is the largest of the Bay Islands, is covered with hills of tropical vegetation and beautiful white sand beaches. Over the years, Americans have bought up land all over the island and are turning it into a resort/vacation getaway. I must say I like the islands scenery and atmosphere even more than that of Belize, but before too long I'm sure it will be just as crowded. Roatan is more expensive than its neighboring islands and will only be getting higher. I did get a chance to go diving the second day with
Coconut Tree Divers, but not too deep. I tried to sign up for the 120ft dive, but it was a no go. They told me I had to be an advanced diver, so I was bumped to the 60ft depth, stupid safe people! My dive wasn't a real eye opener. We went really slow observing coral and then some more
coral. After talking to a few people, Dad and I discovered that the nearby island of Utila was much cheaper and was a haven for Giant Whale Sharks this time of year. Yes, now that is what I'm talking about! Dad, being the awesome father that he is, recommended that I go ahead and take the advanced course so I can do the dives I really want. Oh yeah, and he offered to fit the bill. Boy am I spoiled! Dad and I packed up camp and prepared to head over to Utila.
The following day, Dad and I took the ferry inland to La Ceiba (2hrs) and then over to Utila on another boat (1 hr). Reaching the island by noon, we realized quickly that we had made the right decision. This much smaller island was not as fancy nor pretty, but it had a traveler’s atmosphere, cheap food, and dive shops at every turn.
Utila is known to be one of the cheapest places to dive in the world and has access to the same barrier reef that Belize enjoys. Whale shark sightings are hit or miss, but just two weeks ago Ben and Bex (The British
couple I hung w/ in Santa Cruz La Laguna) informed me by e-mail that they had seen one here and said that it was unbelievable. I'm so jealous!
On the boat ride over, I read up on the different dive companies on the island and found one that sounded just right. According to my Lonely Planet, the
Utila Dive Centre is not for the nervous diver because they draw a young crowd and are a bit edgy - perfect!! As Dad and I stepped off the boat, we ran into this cute French girl (Ariane) handing out information for the same dive center that I had just researched - hello!! After introductions, Ariane found us a place to stay and got me enrolled at the dive center for the next two days. The advanced course consisted of five specialty dives and two for fun, not to mention homework. The five specialty courses/dives were deep diving, underwater navigation, night diving, wreck diving, and peak performance buoyancy. The following is a brief description of the highlights of each dive.
*Deep Dive- We made our way down to a depth of 100ft where we got to feel the mild effects of Nitrogen narcosis
(the intoxicating effect nitrogen produces when you breathe it under pressure). Our Dive Master (Nick) tested our coordination and showed us the visual effects of color loss at this depth.
*Under Water Navigation- We were tested on plotting courses, measuring distances, and compass skills. Nick took us out on a swim, got us disoriented, and then had us find our way back to the boat. This is my least favorite of the courses, but probably the most important.
*Night Dive- This dive was like no other. Making our descent after dark, we traveled our way through the depths using special lights. We came across all types of marine life that you usually don’t see during the day. At the end of the dive, we shut off all of the lights and waved our hands through the water to witness the glow of tiny plankton (Sea Fairies) all around us. Night diving is definitely not for people who are claustrophobic; sorry Mom.
*Wreck Dive- Just off the shores of the island is the sunken vessel named The Halliburton. We made our way down 100ft and did an exterior sweep of the wreckage. We were able to go down
into the ships mid-section, but were not allowed to breach the interior cabins. Just three more wreck dives and I can get certified to enter wreckage -sweet!
*Peak Performance Buoyancy- This section of the course was the most useful. We all were tested on buoyancy control. Nick would hand us weight that we had to quickly adjust to without touching the ground. We also practiced hovering upside down with our heads slightly off the sea floor and swimming through hoops. Lastly, we split up into teams and played a game of frisbee keep away. Players were allowed to pull off the opponents mask, fins, or weight belt, but shutting off air was not permitted. It was like a scene from a James Bond movie. Eight of us fought for around 15 minutes with fins and masks floating everywhere. It was actually great practice learning to cope underwater with out a mask. By the end, everyone's eyes were blood red and burning, great fun though.
The two days spent in training were amazing. It is hard to believe that I am now certified for advanced diving when just a week ago I had never been down in the ocean.
The View Before the Night Dive
This was a shot from the rear of the boat just before we entered for our Night dive.I have logged 11 dives since last week and 7 of them were in the past two days. The crew at the Utila Dive Centre was great, especially Ariane. She's a sweetheart! I highly recommend this dive company to whoever is interested (
www.utiladivecenter.com), they're loads of fun. Oh yeah, I never got to see my Whale Shark. Oh well, I guess I'll have to come back another season.
While I was off in the ocean, Dad was on shore making friends with the locals. He visited the nearby iguana farm and sampled food and cigars across the island. At the end of our three day stay, Dad knew Utila better than most of the natives that were born and raised here, or so he thought. We both really enjoyed the island and plan on returning again someday. A lot of the residents here are travelers who liked the island so much they stayed. Others are here for a few months to get they're Master Diver cert. or just to enjoy the atmosphere. As for Dad and I, we could only squeeze in three days, even though we wished for more. Tomorrow we travel to Copan, which lies only 12km
Ariane the French Dive Master
My sneaky father ran into her when I wasn't around and told her that he needed her picture to give to me. from the Guatemalan border. Here we will tour the ancient Mayan ruins of Copan and relax before returning to Antigua for the festival.
Travel to Copan was quick and painless. Dad has decided that it is worth spending a little extra money for comfort and shorter travel times. We flew to San Pedro Sula instead of spending 4 hours by boat and bus. We then paid a taxi driver $100 to drive us 3hrs to Copan to avoid the cramped, humid bus. The town of Copan Ruinas (or simply Copan) is a cozy little village with cobblestone streets, red-tile roof buildings, and a peaceful atmosphere. The Mayan ruins are less than a mile away and have made Copan a primary tourist attraction in Honduras.
The Copan archaeological site is not nearly as large and impressive as the ruins of Tikal, but it has differences that make it unique. Unlike Tikal, the structures all have intricate carvings (glyphs) all over them. Large stelae stand tall throughout the plaza. These stone structures have inscriptions and carvings portraying the former rulers of Copan. There are no monkeys like in Tikal (shucks!), but there are parrots and large macaw birds perched above.
Dad Restrained in a Choke Hold
I made Dad pay for the picture incident with Ariane. Unlike all the other tourists at the site who were bunched around park guides, Dad and I decided to tour solo again. We were able to disassemble the entire history of the Mayan civilization just by guessing. Our facts may have been totally off, but it sure was entertaining.
Well that about wraps up our time in Honduras, and wow what a week! To my fellow backpackers, I must recommend Utila over Roatan if you must decide on one. Also, if you are a diver, go to the Black Hills dive site in Utila if you get a chance. There are all sorts of amazing fish there because of the currents and the giant sea turtles make an appearance often to feed on the miniature jelly fish floating all around (don't worry they don't sting). Next, we spend Semana Santa in Antigua, which will make for quite the fiesta. If you'd like you can click on the map at the top to see our travel path for the week. I must say I feel like a lot of you are right here with me because of all the e-mails and comments. Thanks and I miss ya! We're Out!
What a Scene on the Airport Runway
The staff at the Utila Airport was a little short-handed, so Dad volunteered to help out.
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non-member comment
Muchos gracia
Excellent story. I bet you don't regret the dive instruction sounds so awesome. Especially the tres belle french maiden. Oh la la! thanks for the inspiration.