Semana Santa trip

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I am recalling a trip which happened a good few weeks ago in March. For our week off group of us decided to go to the smallest bay island Utila. This time of year in Honduras is known for being chaotic traffic-wise as often Hondurans flock to the North coast for a week in the sun. So we prepared ourselves for a long journey... However the bus ride to La Ceiba was fine! As was the first ferry crossing, it seemed Roatan was the number one attraction out of the 3 Islands. We had decided to rent a house for a week, costly, but good as we could chill out in the evenings and sometimes cook our own food, the prices were verry expensive, all tourist prices. The language on all 3 Islands is primarily English, and as i found there is a diverse number of people visiting the place, from all over the world. Most i imagine (including me) visiting for the chance to scuba dive.

First impressions of the island were as i imagined it to be, busy.. with many a gringo trapsing around with biig rucksacks, a pretty laidback place, with people milling around on bicycles, golf buggys wissing around and scooters. Seeing a bike made me smile! So one thing i did almost straight away was hire a bike and cycle around the island.

After a day or two of visiting the beach, (quite small but still very nice all the same) i decided to start my Open water qualification, you earn this in 3 and a half days. In which you study for an exam, and have to practice skills and dive down to 18metres. This consumed much of my time, you have to study 8-12 then you get to go in the water from 12-4pm. The first few days were a lot of practicing how to take your mask on and off underwater, taking your BCD pack off etc. One you got the formalities over with the diving became fun, and the last day we got to visit some amazing shaped coral reef, and swam through little tunnels, it was like being in the Little Mermaid! After a week in Utila we decided to vamos back to Tegus and work!

On another one of my weekend trips away i visited a local town near Tegus called Ojohona with a Honduran friend, Oneyda. I went along with her mum and two cousins Alet and Catherine, who were particuarly enthusiastic to meet me! i visited her house in Comayaguela (the VERY dangerous part of time) of which i have strolled around a couple of times! Her house, probably like many of the places here was basic, but i get the impression people here value other things much more than material possessions , i suppose they have no choice really. We got the bus to where i thought was Ojohona,but first... they took me to a Evangelical church service, religion is very important to Hondurans, once i say i am Agnostic they are quite taken aback, or think i am "very interesting". I didnt mind going to the service, we sat inside and listened to the singing, then crept outside to investigate the surroundings, which were a small climbing frame and a chicken coup!

After a 50min wait or so by the roadside, making up English words in the dirt with sticks with the 2 little cousins, the bus finally came for Ojohona. The town was veryy small, and had quite a few shops selling ceramic pottery and two very white churches. We strolled around for a while, then ended up going quite shortly afterwards! Back onto the very packed bus, often blaring out reggaeton,hehe.

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