An underwater adventure

Our journey continued northword into Honduras, to the capital called Tegulicigalpa. The city is in the central highlands making it a bit cooler, and it is surrounded by pine clad mountians. The next day we traveled west to the Caribbean Sea and stopped at a coastal city called La Ceiba. We rested the night and jumped on a boat to an island called Utila. Utila is located 50 KM off the coast of Honduras and is one of the three Bay Islands 'Islas de bahia'. Once again we found ourselves in a beautiful, tropical, Caribbean island. And once again the culture changed from Spanish to Jamaican english. Christopher Columbus landed on the Bay Island in 1502 and encountered an indian population that he thought to be canibals. These island were also the place where the famous pirate, William Walker, raided Spanish treasure ships. Now the island is the favorite destination of those that seek to explore the vast underwater world. Utila's claim to fame is that it is the cheapest place in the world to get SCUBA diver certified.

We arrived at the island and found a place to stay at Cooper's Inn. The highlight of this place was that is had two fans and a little kitchen to cook meals. All of this for a wopping 6 dollars a night. The dive shops were lined up along the small town streets giving you dozens to choose from to get your certification. The next day we started our course at the Bay Islands College of Diving. We had a New Zeland instructor named Stephanie and for the next four days we spent the mornings in the classroom and the afternoons practicing SCUBA diving skills in the ocean. The feeling of submerging underwater and taking your first breath is amazing, ecspecailly in the crystal clear Caribbean waters. We decended 60 feet down and hovered weightlessly above the colorful reef. The reef was masive, sometimes towering 70 feet above the sandy ocean floor, and we gazed down at the kalidiscope of colorful fish and coral teeming with other life. In a small hole a green Moray Eel peeked his head out and as we looked further a Barracuda with it's sharp gangley teeth swam by.

The next night Jon went for a night dive on a black moonless night. The swells crashed against me but as I sank beanath the surface there was calm. It is a strange feeling decending into the blackness with only a light to illuminate your surroundings. We started with 12 other divers but 20 minutes in I found myself with just one other person. At one point we turned off our lights and gazed into the blackness. The world around me glowed. Small shrimp cruised by looking like tiny fireflies, as my hands disturbed the water around me the phytoplankton would illuminate and glow before my eyes.

Before I knew it my tank was down to 500 PSI, time to go up. Rising onto the surface out of the calm and into the wind, swells and currents we searched for the boat. \168I think it is the flashing light over there,\168 I called. As we approached I realized that it was the lighthouse and not the boat! We found another green light that could be our boat and started kicking on our backs toward it. My patner Tim was tiring and our lights powered by Honduran batteries were almost dead. My anxiety was alleviated as I saw the green light come closer and closer. The boat had spotted our lights. Rescued at last!!

Utila has been our favorite stop thus far. We know we say that about everywhere, but it just keeps getting better and better!

Mom and Dad sorry my emails keep getting gobbled up in cyberspace. The last 2 I have sent tell me there is a socket error. It is very difficult to email because the internet is so slow here. I miss everyone and hope this message finds its way to you. Mom, I will call you on mothers day and I hope to talk to you then. We will be heading into Guatamala tomarrow and we saw the Copan Ruins today. It has been good to read your messages. With love

Jon and Katie