We’ve had some minor prep work to do such as buying Tigger shoes. He hasn’t worn footwear in a LONG time, unless you count booties for his fins when he goes diving. We also do not own a pair of pants. Nighttime temps on Utila are around 23-24 degrees, in Bogota 9. Needless to say shorts and thin T-shirts aren’t going to be very helpful there. Tigger is also used to the laid-back Caribbean style. When at a restaurant he’s usually free to walk into the kitchen, climb the building columns, make forts of throw pillows, etc. That kind of thing doesn’t fly many other places, so he is in for a bigger amount of culture shock than even me.

Here are just some of the things I will miss about Utila:

• Diving! Duh! I have been in the water almost every day in the last 8 months.  I’m going to miss that big time!
• The aformentioned island lifestyle and attitude.
• The safety.  Utila is one of the safest places in the world. Tigger has had unparalleled independence here.  He has basically free rein of the entire island.  There aren’t many places in the world where I could let him have the run of the place at any time of the day or night and not worry.  He has developed a level of resourcefulness that I don’t think would’ve happened in any other situation.
• The people. Okay most of the people, especially the locals.  Utilians are a tough breed.  While the UNN (Utila News Network, aka every local) is the fastest communication system in the land, they generally have a “let live” attitude. If you aren’t hurting anyone else, then you’re good.  Hurt someone and. . . get a quick boat out of here.  They’re an awesome people.
• The sound of trash talking and domino slamming as I walk past a local hangout every day.
• The sound of the Utilian (what some foreigners refer to as Caribbean English) accent.
• The way the island suddenly springs to life with a fury of activity when the supply boat comes twice a week.
• Feeling like a local even though we were here less than a year.
• How I can pretty much walk to any place on the island in almost 30 minutes or less.

What won’t I miss?

• Sand flies.  Those little suckers pack a mean bite.
• Lack of decent produce.  I don’t know why it’s so hard to get good produce on a tropical island, but it just is here.

Surprised at how short the last list was? Well, Utila really is an amazing place.  Sure it has its little quirks, but that’s been endearing. It also helps separate the people who can’t hack small island life from the people who adore it.  Most of the people you talk to who are transplants here, or temporary transplants, stay because they like it not because they’re “stuck.”

Bottom line:  If you’re considering coming to Honduras at any point, make sure you give Utila a visit.  Just do yourself a favor and don’t set a departure date.  “I’m leaving tomorrow” is one of the most hilarious statements we hear.

Tigger and I were enjoying an afternoon snorkel around the dock at the dive shop where I work.  We have a seahorse that tends to hang out at the nearby docks, and we went to go find it.  After striking out we turned around to head back when I suddenly noted motion near my face.  To my surprise it was a rather large green moray eel, its mouth opening and closing inches from my face.  We were in extremely shallow water and with nowhere for it to hide which made this even more surprising.  I quickly backed away and put one of my fins between us.  The eel swam away and I continued to watch it.  It was acting extremely bizarre, swimming to the surface and sticking its head out of the water then swimming around some more.  It came close to me two more times before it suddenly swam to the bottom and lay in the sea grass.  A few seconds later it was swimming erratically again, and then it would faceplant into the grass.  Finally it just lay there.  I told Tigger I thought it was dying.  And then I waited.

I’ve spent the last several years, before beginning our nomad existence, working with the dying and their families. It’s rare that I ever feel completely helpless at a death.  I view death as a sacred, beautiful time that I am blessed to be a part of, in spite of the sadness it often generates for the loved ones.  I am able to be a comforting presence in a time of turmoil, a seed of peace in a maelstrom of chaos. But this time I felt completely helpless.  A dying person reaching out can often be comforted by simply holding their hand.  I can’t go over and stroke an almost 2-meter green moray eel and be assured I’ll still have a functional hand.  I can’t speak to it softly and tell it it is loved, that it’s okay to continue their Journey.  Often at a death I will send out loving energy and visualize them completely wrapped in an aura of peace and love.  Would it work for a moray?

As I watched it seemingly gasping, I was taken back to an animal hospital room where just over a year ago I was stroking my precious little Pepe and telling him how much he was loved and what a good boy he was as I watched the light leave his eyes.  He looked at me with so much trust in his eyes that I was forced to question if I had made the right decision.  But this would be little help to the moray.

I remained as I’ve done so many times before.  I moved further away unsure if my presence would add to its stress, and then I watched as its breathing slowed further and then finally stopped.  Then I finally exited the water.  The experience stayed with me for days.  Even when Pepe was being put to sleep, I didn’t feel helpless.  I could comfort him.  I could tell he felt my love.  But this time what I could possibly do?  That feeling was something so foreign to me. I’ve embraced it, but the experience has remained with me.

Have you ever had a time where you felt completely helpless? What did you do?

Roatan is a very popular tourist destination, and the fact that it has a decent international airport (RTB) doesn’t hurt that at all.  There are direct flights going there from Canada and the US as well as other countries.  In addition, Roatan boasts a fairly busy cruise ship terminal.  It is the largest of the Bay Islands.  There is public transportation as well as a very handy taxi colectivo system.  Taxis are expensive getting from the airport or cruise ship terminal, but otherwise getting around the island can be done for fairly reasonable prices.  If you pick up the free tourist map, they even have the colectivo prices listed which makes things rather nice.

Food, like most things, is more expensive on Roatan, but you will also find a much greater variety than on Utila.  They also boast a couple of grocery stores offering American products like Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, Lindt chocolates, and so on.  If you’re on a short vacation, this probably doesn’t matter to you, but if you’ve been traveling for a long time some Ben & Jerry’s or some good chocolate just hits the right spot.  We also enjoyed the Chinese restaurant near the big, well-stocked grocery store Eldon’s.

Activities are in abundance, especially if you enjoy tourism faves like ziplining, canopy tours, and horseback riding.  Naturally scuba diving is a favorite, and Roatan has a truly awesome shark dive that is quite affordable.  In addition, Roatan is home to one of the very few private submarines in the world.  For a healthy sum of money you can ride in the submarine down to depths of 3000 meters.

View from our balcony at Casa del Sol

On the flip side, Roatan is tourist central.  Cruise ship passengers are all over the island.  Most restaurant menus don’t even bother listing prices in Honduran lempiras but use US dollars instead.  The wide gap between the poor and the wealthy is a yawning chasm.  A recent visitor to Utila went to Roatan and then immediately came back stating that it reminded her too much of Pensacola, Florida:  “I kept waiting to see my mother come around the corner wearing a sundress.”

Utila is much less developed and smaller.  Here cars are a rarity.  Most traffic is pedestrian, bicycle, or scooters.  There are no McMansions.  While there is a lot of tourism on Utila, it is mostly diving related and tends to attract a MUCH different type of traveler than nearby Roatan.  Utila seems to be content that it has more restaurants than it did a few years ago, and even better that it has 24-hour electricity, but it doesn’t seem to want to be another Roatan or other cruise ship magnet.

You can walk from one end of the town to the other end of the island in about 45 minutes.  If you don’t want to, though, there are some tuk-tuks that will gladly cart you around the island, usually for about $1.50 per person.  Spend any amount of time here, and you’ll quickly know the names of a large amount of the island’s inhabitants, expat and local alike.

While there are some good restaurants here, you won’t find haute cuisine.  You won’t find “good shopping” here either.  In fact it’s pretty darn limited sometimes.  You also won’t find white sandy beaches with attractive Latin Americans bringing you cold drinks as you relax in your chaise.  At least the beer you can buy at the private beach will be cold.

Roatan's ferry feels like sweet luxury

I will give Roatan a slight edge on Utila with its diving, however.  They have stronger currents if you like drift diving.  Because of the regional shark creche, they have a really fun shark dive (just contact any local dive shop and request a reservation).  Their marine preserve is larger, and as the island’s economy is more and more focused on tourism it has helped avoid overfishing of the reefs so that fish are more abundant and larger than at many of Utila’s dive sites.  They have more large wrecks than Utila as well.  I’ll say they win in this category by a very slim margin.

In the end it comes down to what type of travel style you like.  If you want to be in another country but not too far away from the comforts and conveniences of home, like running hot water, then Roatan is your place.  If you prefer a laid back, small island community experience, then you’ll want to come to Utila.  On a tight budget? Utila is your choice again.

Shopping:  Give up on “good shopping.” There are no malls or big stores here.  Delco is the island’s version of Walmart.  You’ll find it heading down Main Street as if you were headed to the public beach.  It’s just a short distance past Parrot’s Dive Center on the left side of the street.  For groceries you have several choices.  Mermaid’s (yes, it’s a grocery store as well) is smaller and also cheaper than most of the stores.  For some reason I also have the best luck with finding good fruits here.  They’re closed from Friday night until Saturday night.  Bush’s is much larger and more expensive, but they are also where you find the most variety, including the bag of mixed greens.  They’ll also process a cash advance on your credit card for you.  They open earlier than most of the other stores and also close earlier.  Just down the street across from Babalu’s is  Tienda Javier.  They have a decent selection of food items at fairly good prices.  Tienda del Pueblo down near Munchie’s supposedly is the best place to buy meat.  I haven’t really bought a lot of meat other than lunch meat so can’t say yes or no. At many of the stores you can put down a deposit for a 5-gallon container of purified drinking water and then bring it back for a fresh one for only L40 (about $2).  You’ll get your deposit back when you’re done switching out bottles.  A gallon is usually around L25, so you’ll save quite a bit of money going the 5-gallon route.  If you’re rather discerning about your toiletries and hair care products, I have been advised by several people that Rivera’s by the bank is the best place for those items.

If you’re coming through on the holidays and think you might want to have a nice ham or turkey for dinner, do yourself a HUGE favor and stop at a grocery store in La Ceiba.  I bought our Chrismakah turkey there and saved about 50% from the turkeys on sale at Bush’s (which cost about $48).

Cell phones:  Utila is interesting.  Apparently you are required to show a Honduran ID to purchase a SIM card on the island.  This can be circumvented in a few ways.  You can go to the other Rivera’s down near the fire station.  You’ll pay quite a bit more here than on the mainland, but you won’t be asked for an ID either.  If you want to go to the cheaper phone store near el centro, you can also swing by the little red shack next to La Cueva where Mr. Henderson will loan you his ID card.  Yes, it has to be a Honduran ID card but not necessarily yours.  The easiest, in my opinion, and by far cheapest route is to stop at the mall in La Ceiba before you come to Utila and go to one of the cell phone stores there.  You may be asked to show your passport.  I bought Tigger a phone there, and it was $15 cheaper (yes that’s USD) than what I could find on the island.  And that was for the most basic phone they had.  If you are bringing your own phone, know that for some reason even some unlocked phones that should work on the network here don’t, so you may have to buy a cheap phone if you really want to have mobile access.  You should try the SIM card in the phone before you buy it since it may not work.  I’ve used my Honduran phone to call the States more than once, and the rates are actually quite good.  That is for a pay-as-you-go phone system, and you can buy minutes at practically any store on the island.  Tigo and Claro are the biggest companies servicing the island.  From what I’ve been told Tigo’s signal seems to be better around the island than Claro.  If you get Tigo they usually run a triple saldo special on Thursdays meaning that if you reload your phone with L100 they’ll pretend you paid L300.  You can expect to get at least 3 free text messages from Tigo a day with various offers.  Yes, it’s irritating, but at least you aren’t charged for them.

Visas:  When you came into Honduras, you probably were given 90 days.  If you’ve done research you are familiar with the CA-4 region which says you can only spend 90 days within the 4 Central American countries comprising Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, and Nicaragua.  Well, here’s a treat for you:  Guatemala and Honduras really don’t care how long you stay as long as you are here on a current visa.  Don’t relish the idea of having to take the vomit comet back to the mainland and take a bunch of buses to do a border crossing? No problem!  Just pop into the friendly immigration office by the ferry dock and tell them you’d like to stay in their wonderful country longer and ask if they can help you out.  You can extend another month for relatively cheap, but then you’ll have to do a visa run to stay longer.  OR you can pay the nice young man L3000 and later that day, or the next, you’ll be able to return to pick up your passport with its nice new 90-day stamp.

Medical care & meds:  If you already take prescription meds and may need a refill, again stop in La Ceiba at one of the big pharmacies there.  You’ll save a LOT of money and have a better chance of finding it there.  There are 2 main pharmacies on the island, but they often are fairly limited in what they sell. Dr. Jennifer next to Buccaneer’s at her clinic La Fe has some pharmaceuticals as does the Centro de Salud up the hill from the crossroads.  The pharmacy near the bank is able to process things like stool samples should you develop a relentless intestinal issue.  If you need medical care, there are a few options.  If it’s something potentially serious, then your best bet is to go to the Community Clinic across from the Methodist church.  This is the clinic with the American doctor known as Dr. John.  Be prepared, though. You won’t get a well-groomed man in a nice, crisp white lab coat and a stethoscope draped about his neck.  Instead you’ll get a guy with long stringy hair wearing camo shorts, hopefully a shirt, and probably no shoes with an. . . . interesting bedside manner.  He’s quite the character, but islanders, locals and expats alike, swear by him.  If it’s less serious the other options include the Spanish-speaking Centro de Salud.  If you’re sick enough to want to go see them, you’ll probably want to take a tuk-tuk.  It’s quite the walk uphill otherwise.  They usually charge around L150 for a visit.  Dr. Jennifer is a sweet lady who is much more accessible but also more expensive.  She charges L400 for a consult (L350 for scuba medical exams).  If you need basic stuff like antibiotics, many of the grocery and convenience stores carry a supply.  Just ask at the cash register, and they’ll show you what they have.  One tip: If you by ibuprofen in the blister park, double check the dosing.  They typically are 600-mg tablets instead of the more common 200 mg in the States.

An occasional hazard on the nearby airport landing strip

Dental:  Honduras has very good dental care.  On Utila there are a few options.  There is a dentist located in the large building across the municipal center (where you come off the ferry), but I don’t know anything about them really.  Another option is Dra. de Ricard across from Bambino’s grocery store, but I would not recommend her.  She has an unusual affinity for simply pulling a tooth.  If you get her to try to do a filling, you’ll probably discover why she prefers pulling them.  If you have an emergency and the other dentist isn’t available, she’d be worth the visit to get the situation calmed down until you can get to La Ceiba, but don’t let her drill your tooth.  For anything more involved, get to the mainland and see Dr. Florencia Portillo de Ponce.  All the expats I’ve spoken with swear by her.

Have questions I didn’t answer by now? Feel free to comment here, and I’ll do my best to answer them for you.

Dive Resorts:  I’ve been to both Laguna Beach Resort and Coral View Beach Resort and Dive Center and would recommend either one. I have also heard good things about Deep Blue [Disclaimer:  Deep Blue is a sister company of the dive shop where I work, but they do not know I’m doing this post] and Utopia.  Utila is also home to the live-aboard Utila Aggressor.  I enjoyed a nice tour of their ship and must say if it was in my budget range, I’d jump at the chance to go diving with them.

Tigger at the helm of the Utila Aggressor II

Dive Centers:  One thing you won’t find in short supply is a place that offers diving and dive courses.  While most offer great quality, there are some that stand out more in my mind.  I only recommend places that I would send a loved one to.   I’m listing them in alphabetical order, not in order of preference:

• Alton’s Dive Center:  This is a nice, busy shop right before the bridge. They are also home of the famous Booze Cruise complete with a disco ball on their boat.  Their instructors and divemasters are all passionate about what they do, and you’ll be in good hands.  It is kid and dog friendly and located in a quiet part of the island, though it sports its own nightlife right on the premises.
• Coral View Beach Resort and Dive Center:  If quiet and secluded is your speed, this is your top choice.  It is about a 15-minute walk from the town center and surrounded by residences.  It has some of the best snorkeling and shore diving on the island.  They also have a large salt water pool. Their instructors and dive staff are quite excellent, very friendly, well organized and will make sure you have a great time AND stay safe.  They are very kid friendly.  In fact I did my instructor training here, and they even made Tigger a “man cave” complete with TV, DVD, and a Wii so he would be busy and we could spend time together during breaks, etc., since the program was for 8 hours a day for 10 days straight.
• Deep Blue Divers:  This is a small shop that is very laid back.  You are close enough to restaurants, grocery stores, and nightlife but far enough from them that you’ll be able to get to sleep at night.  Staff are all professional and fun.  They are also dog and kid friendly.  There is also a resident cat named Trouble who is one of the most spoiled cats I’ve encountered.  [Disclaimer:  I currently work for Deep Blue Divers as a dive instructor, although they do not know I’m doing this post and have had no input on my comments.]
• Underwater Vision:  This is a larger dive shop that attracts a younger crowd and also people who enjoy a dive center with a vibrant social life.  Accommodations range from cheap dorms to private honeymoon-type suites.  Especially if you enjoy playing pool or volleyball.  Again, they have excellent staff who will ensure you have fun and a great time.

• Blackish Point:  These are a group of caverns with natural skylights on the popular north side of the island.
• Black Hills:  This is a sea mound with abundant sea life.  Recently one lucky group of divers had a whale shark swim over their heads while there.  It is a popular site with these docile sharks, so most trips out there also include a search for whale sharks if they’ve been spotted in the area (usually March and April).
• Pinnacle:  There is a nice swim-through called the chimney that is a popular dive for the more adventurous.  The entry is at about 36 meters, and it’s a nice short swim.
• Paraiso:  This is a beautiful spot with huge amounts of fish, both small creatures and larger ones.
• Airport Caves:  Another great site with some swim-throughs and small caverns.  There are often schools of very tiny fish in these areas, and if you just sit still you’ll get to become part of their school.  It’s also a great site for night diving and can be accessed as a shore dive.
• Black Coral Wall:  There are some very dramatic, amazing walls here, as well as some of the namesake rare black coral which used to be used as currency.
• Halliburton wreck:  This was an intentional wreck.  The visibility from the surface is often limited which makes for a fun descent.  As you follow the mooring line down the wreck slowly materializes beneath you.  I’ve been there probably 50 times at least and love it every time.   As you descend down the tower at the stern of the boat, if you follow it down to the starboard (right) side, you’ll find a skeleton of a baby pilot whale.  It’s a unique sight.  Around the wheelhouse you’ll find different items that have been left behind by divers.  It’s a tradition that if you’ve spent time on Utila, you leave something behind on the Halliburton before you leave. It’s interesting to see what some people have left.

Comida tipica:  This is your typical find in Honduras, other than fried chicken.  Baleadas are very popular (tortilla with refried beans, cheese, and anything else you’d like to add folded over and eaten with your hands).  My favorite place closed down unfortunately.  However, other good places for baleadas are: Thompson’s Bakery (up the hill from the crossroads), the baleada lady who is sometimes found in front of Main Street Bar (aka The Casino), Lidia’s, and Blue Shore Cafe (found at the Deep Blue Divers shop).  Others really like Doña Rosa’s.  I got sick after eating there as have several other people I know, but then again I know others who have eaten there a few times a week for years with absolutely no problem whatsoever.  My favorite comida tipica place is Thompson’s Bakery.  They serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner there.  The jonnicakes (kind of like a fried egg sandwich served in a wonderful coco bread biscuit) are good, and if you’re there when the cinnamon rolls are fresh THEY ARE SO GOOD!

Fast food (not that type):  You just got off the vomit comet after hours of traveling and you’re so hungry you’re about to gnaw your travel companion’s arm off.  Eating a bean-laced thick tortilla doesn’t sound appealing to you?  Head right over to Mermaid’s (turn right at the crossroads [the intersection after exiting the ferry] and walk for about 3 minutes).  The food is served cafeteria style, although you can order off their menu as well, but it’s actually pretty decent and inexpensive.  Tip:  Thursday night is 2-for-1 pizza night, but their pizza is super bland. Also they are closed from Friday at sundown to Saturday at sundown (they’re Seventh-Day Adventist).  If you’re not quite THAT hungry but still don’t want to wait around, just to the side of Captain Morgan’s is a little stand that sells pastelitos (basically meat-filled empanadas) that are pretty cheap.  Doña Rosa’s also has good pastelitos, but see previous comment.

Pizza:  There are a few options on the island.  But if you want good pizza you really only have 2 choices.  For super thin crust, and I DO mean thin, go to Pizza Nut, about 3 minutes past Mermaid’s.  They are only open after 5 PM.  It’s pricier than Mermaid’s but tastes WAY better.  Your best option is Skidrow’s.  Yes, the name sounds awful, and when you see the building you’ll probably challenge my judgment.  Trust me.  A friend from Chicago said their pizza rivals some of the best pizza he’s ever had.  Their pizza really is damn good.  They recently started serving calzones, and I’m hooked. I like those even more than their pizza.  While there consider sharing jalapeño poppers.  They are ginormous and extremely good.  They also have free WiFi, and if you don’t want to miss out on American football games, basketball, or hockey, this is the place to be.  While there consider earning yourself a Skidrow T-shirt by drinking 4 shots of the local herbal-infused rum called Giffity (and spelled numerous ways).

Steak:  The best places are La Piccola’s and RJ’s (only open Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday nights).  I have heard good reviews of Driftwood which imports their beef from the States reportedly; however, I’m not sure they’re worth the long walk.  The last few times I’ve been there they’ve had their kitchen closed for some random reason, and you definitely pay a premium for that imported meat.  RJ’s is less expensive and has wonderful portion sizes. You won’t leave there hungry.

Seafood:  RJ’s is in top position for this one.  Not only is their fish excellent, portion sizes are large, and it’s cooked to perfection, but they only buy the fish from fishermen who use sustainable practices, i.e., don’t fish off the reefs.  You’ll find it just before the bridge, right across from Alton’s Dive Centre.  They are open for dinner on Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday.  If you want a little more unique experience, stop at Babalu’s.  The fish is a bit overcooked, but they have a decent selection and an unusual setting.  Their rum punch is quite tasty, too.  Get the outdoor seating for some great sunset views or enjoy watching the fish from their floor “aquarium.”  Don’t be surprised if you spy the occasional ray or octopus going through.  If you like tuna, Main Street is another good option.  They have wonderful sauces, and their tuna is usually cooked so it’s still a little pink in the center.  They also have good portion sizes, and since they’re upstairs you don’t have issues with sand flies.

Ethnic:  The best in this category, and the best restaurant on the island in my opinion, is Indian Wok.  They serve Asian-inspired food and are also your best bet if you or your friends are vegetarian.  No worries, they have great meat dishes, too.  If you’re craving a salad, the Asian salad is AWESOME.  It is the only salad served in a restaurant on the island that has mixed greens (bought from nearby Roatan where it’s grown hydroponically, also available for purchase in bags at Bush’s).  You’ll find them next to Parrot’s Dive Center and Tranquila (one of the most popular bars on the island).  For Italian your only option is La Piccola.  The pasta dishes are reportedly prepared daily and are quite good.  They also serve some very tasty bread and have some decent wines.  El Picante advertises themselves as a Mexican restaurant, but that really means it’s Gringo-version Mexican.  The chips are pretty good, and they have some wonderful mixed drinks (try the Chimpanzee or the 800-pound gorilla).  Also a great place for sunset views while dining or drinking.  You’ll find them in the bright yellow building next to the bank.  Che Pancho’s is located at the bookstore/video rental store/cinema.  They serve South American-inspired food as well as Tigger’s local favorite of a bacon hotdog.  They are also my top choice for licuados (basically a smoothie or blended fruit drink).  My favorite meal to get there is the milanesa a caballo (chicken schnitzel served with 2 eggs sunnyside-up resting on top).

Cheap eats:  Want something fairly cheap but don’t care if it’s pretty much American-style food?  Big Mama’s has some excellent chicken poppers and chicken fingers.  I also like their mashed potatoes with gravy.  They’re super nice people and very family friendly.  Seven Seas has better fries and makes a wonderful bacon cheeseburger.  During hot weather they also serve shaved ice treats outside the restaurant.  Blue Shore Cafe has pretty good food with a menu that changes regularly and also has a nice selection of rum infusions.

Breakfast:  Munchie’s and Buccaneer’s serve American breakfasts, as well as continental and tipica styles, and really that’s the only time we go to either one.  The prices are higher, they add on a 10% service fee, plus the 12% government tax, food is completely average, and the service is usually slow and poor.  At Buccaneer’s Tigger’s favorite breakfast is the American and mine is the Two Tank.  Thompson’s Bakery is an excellent breakfast choice.  If you’re jonesing for a bagel, though, head down to Camilla’s Bakery (aka Pizza Nut at 5 PM).  They’re made fresh every morning and are pretty tasty.

Ice Cream:  It gets hot in the Caribbean.  The best ice cream shop we’ve found on Utila is Kob’s located in the Bambino’s grocery store.  They typically shut down during the biggest lull in the tourism season (October through most of January), though.

My top 2 restaurant recommendations are Indian Wok and RJ’s.  If you don’t mind a bar scene, then Skidrow is another great option.  Want to cook at home? No problem. We’ll cover that in a later post.

Utila is one of those places that can easily grab onto you. Most people come here planning on being here for maybe a week or so. Many of them end up staying a month or longer. I like to compare it to the island from the TV show Lost.  Accept it’s easier to get on Utila.

Getting to Utila:  There are a few different options.  If you’re flying into Honduras, the easiest choice is to fly into San Pedro Sula (SAP). From there you can get a connecting flight that will bring you to Utila.  You’ll want to check with the airline first, though, since depending on the season flights are not daily and  usually then only run once or twice a day.  CM Airlines has the best online presence, although SOSA also offers flights to the island, though not as reliably.

By land you take a bus or taxi (costs $120) to La Ceiba (about 3 hours from San Pedro Sula).  Diana Express is the cheaper option and is pretty reliable. If you want a little more comfort, less stops, and a working bathroom on the bus, then you’ll want to take the Hedman Alas bus.  It will cost you about $20 more per person for that option.  Then you just have a potentially interesting ferry ride left. There are 2 ferries currently offering transport to the island; however, at this time I can only recommend the Utila Princess since it runs on a regular schedule (leaves La Ceiba at 9:30 AM and 4 PM). The other option changes their schedule frequently and only runs if they have a set minimum of passengers. Important tip:  If you are prone to motion sickness, you can get free Dramamine at the ticket window. Just ask for it and then take it immediately so it’s in your system. The Princess is often referred to as “the vomit comet” for good reasons.  When on the Princess, esp during hot weather, make sure you sit in the last 2-3 rows.  That’s the only place the air conditioning works well, and it’s less bumpy there.

If you have to stay in La Ceiba overnight or longer, I’d recommend Hotel Rainbow Village (try the pork schnitzel, it’s quite excellent) or Banana Republic (cheapest option, very safe, comfortable, near decent restaurants).  If you want to experience nightlife make sure to go to La Zona Viva.  It’s much safer and is restricted to foreigners per report.

Inside "the vomit comet"

If coming from Roatan, you can either fly direct or you have 2 other options:  Take Captain Vern’s 3-3/4-hour catamaran trip (check out my Roatan or Utila post coming soon) or take the ferry, which is AWESOME, to La Ceiba and then take the ferry to Utila.  Either marine option takes about the same amount of time.  The double ferry is a bit less expensive and somewhat more enjoyable in our opinion (Tigger regularly advises people to take the double ferry option).

Staying on Utila:  Almost every dive shop here offers accommodations.  If you are taking a diving course (which is probably why you’ve even considered coming here), your dive shop will provide free accommodations at the dive center.  Just know that that typically is a dorm room.  Don’t want to stay at a dive shop?  No worries, you have some very good options.  There are some all-inclusive resorts such as Laguna Beach and Coral View Beach Resort & Dive Center.  But there are many options from typical basic backpacker on up.  Be prepared to pay extra if you want air conditioning.  Electricity is SUPER expensive on Utila.  When you leave your hotel room, please turn the A/C off. Some places will fine you if you leave it running when you’re not in the room.

Some of the best choices for lodging are:  Rubi’s Inn, The Lighthouse Hotel, Colibri Hill Resort, and Mango Inn. Lazy Days is another one that gets great reviews from people I know.

If you plan on staying longer ( and you probably will end up being here longer), apartments and houses are very easy to find and are fairly inexpensive. Unless you’re planning on renting your own private island, which you can do here as well.  Apartments in the 200-300 USD per month range are easy to find.  You’ll see plenty of signs while walking around, but you can also use the island’s free apartment finder service (+504 3294-0026).  You may want to avoid the La Loma and The Bush areas.  Some people love them, but they are also areas that are either more remote or experience more theft.  Sandy Bay and The Point are the more common areas to find good housing.  Most places come furnished and include cable/satellite TV, water, and trash.  You’ll have to pay for your own electricity.  Electricity is pay as you go (ask a local how to get to UPCO, which is near the Church of God).  Paying L500 (about $25 USD) lasts us about 2 weeks without A/C.  They’ll give you a slip of paper that has a code on it.  You enter that code into your meter at home and voila!

Getting around:  It’s easy to walk anywhere on the island, but there are places to rent a bicycle, scooter or golf cart (the most expensive option).  There are VERY FEW cars here and none for rent.  If you’re tired of walking, you can also take a tuk-tuk.  You can get around almost anywhere on the island for about $2 per person.  You can either flag them down or ask someone to call one for you.  Unless you’re a large group, I’d call Alejandro (+504 9509-1865), especially if you need an early morning ride to the airport. He is extremely reliable.

Check back in a couple of days for more on visiting this great Caribbean getaway.

Life on the small island of Utila has overall been a great experience.  I’ve been able to dive a LOT (went from 14 dives to 104 in about 2 months), and Tigger even earned his junior open water certification, so we’ve had the chance to dive together which has been pretty awesome.  In fact he was with me for my celebratory 100th dive, and a hawbill turtle also showed up to mark the occasion.  And if you’re wondering, yes I kept to the tradition for the 100th dive.  But a lot that hasn’t been so much fun has also happened while here.

For starters after a month on the island I discovered that someone used our card info, which apparently was lifted from an ATM machine with a fraudulent card reader on it , to withdraw money from my bank account.  Luckily I caught it the day they did it, so an immediate block was put on my account.  I use a PayPal card as backup, but there was a problem since I had logged into my account from Honduras even though I had been regularly updating them about our travels.  That took about 3 days to clear up.  Then the challenge of getting my replacement card began.  Utila has no street addresses, and apparently FedEx doesn’t like that.  After almost 1-1/2 months, I finally got a replacement card by sending it to a friend who was in Canada visiting family and was coming back to the island.

We had a splendid visit with Erica & Shaun and while enjoying a farewell meal with them one of my very old fillings broke.  I figured no sweat and wasn’t too worried when I discovered it would cost about $30 to replace it.  Then the drilling began.  Another long story short, I’m now looking at a crown and root canal.  Apparently the filling had been leaking for a while, and the inside is quite decayed.  Thank goodness it happened in a country where dentistry isn’t going to equal a couple of months’ rent.

Then there was a bit of a hassle with a local company trying to pull a fast one on me.  Thankfully I knew someone who knew someone, and I was able to go visit with the local version of the US Judge Judy who informed me I had absolutely no worries and advised me quite colorfully to . . . assert my rights.

There was some other smaller stuff as well.  Granted nothing horribly earth-shattering:  No one lost their life or had to be medevacked or anything, but it’s been a lot in a short period of time.  While I’m sure Honduras doesn’t have it in for me, it has been a place of lots of challenges for sure.  Yes, we grow with challenges, if we’re open to the experience, but oy!

At least it timed some things right.  Wonderful friends enabled us to continue to be able to live while I sorted out the PayPal mess, and many other offers came in to help as well.  My tooth has not rotted to the point where it hurts me, and even with a temporary filling I’ve had no pain or discomfort from it.  We never went a day without having enough to eat, had a roof over our heads, were able to continue to have electricity, etc.  And I had to suck it up and allow others to help me.  Why is that sometimes the hardest lesson?

But in the midst of the rough spots, we’ve had far more positive.  We were able to spend 4 weeks with our friends who have become like family to us.  They were here when I finished my divemaster which was the culmination of a lot of work.  Since then I have also successfully completed the instructor development course and instructor evaluation and am now a scuba instructor (once PADI processes my paperwork).  Most importantly Tigger and I are closer than ever.

We’re coming up on our 3rd month of being in Honduras.  To celebrate getting my instructor certification, and just to get a much-needed break, we’ve left our small island home to explore more of the mainland for a few days since it’s low season (which means the dive shops aren’t that busy right now).  After having time to reflect during the ferry and bus ride and then having lobster & filet mignon for dinner last night, along with a proper martini, I’m sitting here writing my post while looking over the treetops from the hotel restaurant and seeing the beautiful Caribbean sea.

Honduras and I are on better terms.  There is more of it I still want to see, and I need to get to know more of her people, but no matter what the final verdict is when it comes time to leave Honduras for other parts, she’ll always hold a special place in my heart.

It began easily enough. Like always I researched our options for travel before settling on our final choice. We could take a bus to Livingston/Rio Dulce, then a boat to Puerto Barrios, then a ferry to Puerto Cortes, Honduras, and then hop a bus to San Pedro Sula (SPS), hop another bus to La Ceiba, stay overnight, and then catch a ferry to Utila. Basically plan on 1-1/2 to 2 days depending on when you depart and schedules. I was so happy when I discovered there was a direct bus going from Flores to SPS! That would cut our traveling down to just under 1-1/2 days. Score!

At least that’s what I thought until we boarded the bus at 6 AM. When I bought my tickets I made sure to ask a series of questions multiple times to different people. Unfortunately, they were all “in” on the subterfuge.  “This bus is direct, right? It won’t stop for passengers along the way?” Of course. It only makes 3 stops at actual stations. No stopping for extra passengers like the chicken buses.  “There are bathrooms on board?” (It’s a 9-hour ride.) Oh yes, it’s first class.  “A/C?” (If I’m paying good money, I want A/C dammit). Yes, yes! It’s first class.  Bathroom, movie, direct bus.  “And it’s a 9-hour ride? No switching buses?” Correct. It’s 9 hours, no switching buses.  The chicken bus wasn’t that much cheaper and added another 4 hours, so I opted to pay a higher rate. And discovered everything but our arrival at SPS was a bold-faced lie.  It did stop for anyone who flagged it down. There were no bathrooms, no A/C.  It didn’t stop for a meal break at Rio Dulce as we were told it would, and we had to switch buses (which turned out to be a bit better as it was slightly more comfortable).  Tigger and I survived off of sodas and small snacks I had packed in my daypack until we arrived almost 12 hours later in SPS. Yeah, the trip took a lot longer than 9 hours.

By the time we finally arrived at SPS I was in a sour mood.  The relatively cheap tickets to our next destination made things more pleasant, but I was still fighting being overly grumpy.  By the time we arrived in La Ceiba, we had been traveling for about 15 hours, most of that on buses. I was exhausted, surly, and still had to work for a couple of hours.  Our taxi took us to a place he assured me was safe.  The owner spoke perfect American English and obviously was either American or had spent a lot of  time there.  That explained the higher price than other hotels I had checked on in the area, but they had WiFi and A/C, and I was exhausted.  Our closet, er, room did have an A/C unit, but it wouldn’t have cooled down a matchbox much less our closet.  The bathroom faced the street and, to my surprise, had no drapes or covering for the window so anyone on the street was going to get a treat they probably wouldn’t enjoy. They brought in a 2nd fan, though, so that helped a bit.  I did my work and then passed out.

After getting up early and getting ready to meet our taxi to the ferry, the hotel owner asked if we wanted breakfast. Sure, I said.  It was decent enough until he informed me afterward it was $10. Umm, I could’ve gotten a MUCH better breakfast on the street for easily half of that! No time to argue as taxi driver was there and pacing.  I handed the owner some money.  He handed me the change, and since we were in a rush I just stuffed the bills in my pocket.  On the way to the ferry I counted the bills and discovered I had been short changed by about L.50 (only about $2.50, but still).  Now I was really grumbling under my breath.  It didn’t help when the taxi driver informed me our agreed-upon rate was per person.  Now I was close to saying all the words floating around in my head for the last 24 hours.  Discovering the ferry’s listed prices on their website were before taxes, and had also recently gone up, had me almost banging my head against the wall since it added quite a bit more to the fare than I had planned.

After being sealed inside the catamaran to take us to Utila, I discovered the air conditioning units on the boat were a freakin joke.  We had no fresh air and were seated inside a floating tin can in Caribbean heat and humidity for a 45-minute bumpy ride on choppy water.  My one consolation upon arriving on the island was going to be someone waiting to pick us up.  They didn’t show up.  Then when we arrived at our alternate lodging, a Couchsurfing place, I discovered our host wasn’t there, wouldn’t be there for 2 days, and apparently no one got that they were supposed to give us a room.   Honduras was beyond getting on my nerves at this point.  If the ferry hadn’t already left the terminal, I would’ve been tempted to get back right on it and head back to Guatemala.

Now that we’ve been here for several days, have my feelings changed? I’m trying not to let a bunch of poor situations color my opinion of an entire country. Also, I don’t feel I can make a decision about how I feel about Honduras based on our stay on Utila.  The islands are definitely a different world from the mainland, and in this case even more so.  Most locals are of British descent, and the common language resembles Patois (aka Creole on Caye Caulker).  Utila is mostly international.  The island “flavor” is still here, but it isn’t really typical Latin America.  So I will hold my opinion for when we return to the mainland and begin exploring there more. Even if that means another round in the steam bath tin can known as the Utila Princess.

Words to the wise:  If you’re coming here from Guatemala and not going to fly, try taking the Linea Dorada bus if you want to avoid the chicken bus type of travel. It’s a LONG ride, and in the end you won’t save a ton more money by taking the cheaper local buses.  Even a lot of locals take Linea Dorada.  The down side, however, is they don’t go straight through to SPS.  You’ll have to catch another bus from Rio Dulce, but that’s a town worth checking out more anyway.  If you’re super tired when you get to SPS, you may want to pay extra for the Hedman Alas buses.  It’s about a 4-hour ride to La Ceiba, and if you’ve been on the road for 2 days or so, you may find it worth your money.  Otherwise Diana Express is the most recommended local-style bus, and it costs about $5 per person. You don’t need to make advance reservations, and their buses make frequent trips to La Ceiba.  When you arrive in La Ceiba, I would strongly recommend avoiding Hotel El Estadio at all costs.  The Banana Republic Guesthouse is a much better bet, is safe, comfortable, and inexpensive. There are plenty of other reasonable choices in downtown La Ceiba, though.