Hello folks, sorry for the delay in updates but island life includes the internet going down frequently! Today so did the electricity and the water!
Goodness it has been so long since I last wrote that I can't remember what I was going to tell you about. Let's start with the cockroach!
Ok so its 2.45 am and something wakes me up, I thought I felt something moving in my hair. I hoped it was my imagination but I felt it again. Leaping out of bed I ran and turned the light on. Nothing in the bed, I run into the bathroom. Looking in the mirror I found that all the hair on the left side of my head had come out of my hair band. I couldn't understand what had happened! It certainly was quite a sight. Then I lifted up my hair and saw something. Shaking my hair out quickly I saw a cockroach fall to the floor!!!!! Needless to say it didn't live very long but oh my god! So there I was at 3am setting up my mosquito net. I hadn't really needed it before as I have barely seen any mozzies here but I'm sorry, I put my foot down at having cockroaches wandering around my head all night! I should point out at this point that I hadn't seen any in my apartment before and I haven't seen any since.
Terrie and I went to visit the Iguana reserch station and it was very interesting. Turns out there are quite a few reptile species on the island including 3 iguana species, but only the Black Iguana, or swamper, is endemic to Utila. There are some real issues being faced by the iguanas (and all wildlife) on the island, the greatest being habitat loss due to over-development. There are also issues with all the rubbish, and the fact that the Utilians eat them despite it being illegal.
A few days later i thought I'd try the trail that leads across the island to Rock harbour on the other side. It all started off well, passing through stunning green fields and seeing lots of birds that I haven't seen around town. Then I hit a forest trail, lovely! Reminded me of Costa Rica, until I passed a rubbish dump. Not an official one. Man it would take a huge amount of work to clear up. I was so upset I couldn't even bring myself to take a photo. But I got past that area and it went back to being beautiful again. Lots of lizards and crabs scuttling about. Suddenly I turned a corner and found myself in true mangrove country. Unfortunately this also meant it was calf-deep in mud! I did try to continue but iy was hard to keep track of the trail with all the water so I turned back. I did wander off (foolish perhaps!) in another direction for quite a way and it was just brilliant to be back in a tropical forest again, and there were some seriously impressive trees. Sadly my little compact couldn't cope with the lighting issues so I wasn't able to get any usable pictures. Thanks to my time in Costa Rica I seem to have acquired a pretty good sense of direction because I found my way back to the trail easily enough and headed home, muddy but happy.
Since then I've been mostly holed up in my apartment due to a mixture of rain, and then catching a cold and getting a touch of montezuma's revenge at the same time! Lucky me! That has pretty much caught us up to date. I did my scuba review last week to refresh my skills. But I'm a bit wary of all the dive shops set up out here. It's not like anywhere else I've ever been. I'm thinking of maybe not doing as much diving here as I had originally planned. I can't do the Advanced underwater naturalist course that I wanted as the guy has had to rush home for a family emergency, and it turns out the whale sharks don't just come at this time of year, they are here all year round, oh and the full moon has nothing to do with it either! at least they haven't found a connection here. Oh well! I can still go out and look for them, it's just unlikely I'll get lucky. Last sighting was 30th January. They see more in March and April because the Lonely Planet guides say that is the time to see them so more people arrange to go out looking, rather than there actually being more sharks around at that time!
Eeep! It's getting late here and I had better go grab a plate of the local food (rice, beans, tortillas and either grilled pork or chicken) and head up the hill to my home. Hope everyone is well. I'll try and post again a little sooner next time! Internet and electricity permitting!
Bye for now....
Tuesday, 3 March 2009
Monday, 23 February 2009
Bienvenidos a mi casa! Welcome to my house!
Well folks, it's me again. Goodness I don't really know where to start. What a strange little island. The town is very busy, lots of travellers and backpackers mostly here for diving. So many dive shops you wonder how the hell they get enough customers to survive. Lots of rubbish which is such a shame, although they keep the main street pretty clean. There are issues with what to do with rubbish and their new recycling plant is ready but not open. It's a problem that is seen all over Central America. People just throw their rubbish anywhere they can and it's like they can't see it. It is much their cultural upbringing as their education I think. It was even bad in Costa Rica which has such a wonderful reputation for conservation and eco-lodges. Much of the island has been bought up by Americans who divide the land into plots and build on them. It won't be that long before it is all houses, either for ex-pats or for holiday homes, aside from the mangrove and savannah on the west end of the island which can't be built on. It must have been wonderful about 10 years ago.
The Utilians that I have met have all been friendly and helpful and I love their creole accent, remind me of Jamaica but is mostly easier to understand. There are lots of people here from the mainland now (come to supply the tourist industry probably) so quite a lot more spanish is spoken than there used to be.
I've been feeling very anti-american ever since I saw all the realty offices and their pictures of the island all divided up into plots. But they are not all bad. Terrie and Jeff who own the lovely Cafe Mariposa (fabulous fresca drinks with big glasses of safe-to-drink ice and lime and the wonderful nachos that can be seen in the photos!) work hard to use only glass bottles which can be recycled and to reduce and reuse as much as possible.
Anyway, I'll get back to my rant soon. So back to my actual travels. Cynthia the Australian and I headed to Coopers Inn for our first night. Basic rooms and shared bathroom for $10 a night. The people who run it are very nice but the shower was a nightmare, in fact calling it a shower is an insult to showers! More like a dripping tap! The following day, Saturday, Cynthia helped me trek around town looking for apartments. Starting to panic as finding everything a lot more expensive than planned or already full. Lots of places were also closed. There is a religion here that has Saturday as the Sabbath. Is it the Seventh Day Adventists? anyone know? I've seen one of their schools here. Anyway, one of the most promising places, Countryside, was closed so I had to leave it till the following day. In the afternoon we headed to the Bandu beach which you pay $3 to use. Not a bad place, the entry fee keeps the numbers of people down and the place was pretty clean. Was lovely to get in the water. Saw plenty of fish, including a huge barracuda who kept eyeballing me. But the snorkelling wasn't that great. By the time we realised we needed to walk way out over some rocks to reach the actual reef it was a bit late to try. But that is where the palm trees in the photos are.
Yesterday morning I went back to Countryside and picked up a lovely little apartment for $314 for 5 weeks. I have a private bathroom with a decent cold shower, a tv with cable (watched the Oscars last night! ok ok I slept through most of it!), and a little kitchenette. I'm really pleased with it and sooooo glad to be able to unpack finally and not have to lug my bags about anymore.
Is the island what I expected? No, not any more. Too much development, too much tourism and not enough concern for the environment. There is a Conservation organisation here who are fighting hard to improve things. I heard that they could maybe use a hand so now I am planning to get in touch and see if I can be of any use a day or two a week.
I'd better stop there as the post will be way too long and you will have all fallen asleep before you reach the end. Sorry about that. I've never managed to keep travel journals before and I'm kind of using this blog as my journal. Do feel free to switch off if you get bored!
Hasta pronto amigos y familia, talk to you soon friends and family. Big hugs to all.
The Utilians that I have met have all been friendly and helpful and I love their creole accent, remind me of Jamaica but is mostly easier to understand. There are lots of people here from the mainland now (come to supply the tourist industry probably) so quite a lot more spanish is spoken than there used to be.
I've been feeling very anti-american ever since I saw all the realty offices and their pictures of the island all divided up into plots. But they are not all bad. Terrie and Jeff who own the lovely Cafe Mariposa (fabulous fresca drinks with big glasses of safe-to-drink ice and lime and the wonderful nachos that can be seen in the photos!) work hard to use only glass bottles which can be recycled and to reduce and reuse as much as possible.
Anyway, I'll get back to my rant soon. So back to my actual travels. Cynthia the Australian and I headed to Coopers Inn for our first night. Basic rooms and shared bathroom for $10 a night. The people who run it are very nice but the shower was a nightmare, in fact calling it a shower is an insult to showers! More like a dripping tap! The following day, Saturday, Cynthia helped me trek around town looking for apartments. Starting to panic as finding everything a lot more expensive than planned or already full. Lots of places were also closed. There is a religion here that has Saturday as the Sabbath. Is it the Seventh Day Adventists? anyone know? I've seen one of their schools here. Anyway, one of the most promising places, Countryside, was closed so I had to leave it till the following day. In the afternoon we headed to the Bandu beach which you pay $3 to use. Not a bad place, the entry fee keeps the numbers of people down and the place was pretty clean. Was lovely to get in the water. Saw plenty of fish, including a huge barracuda who kept eyeballing me. But the snorkelling wasn't that great. By the time we realised we needed to walk way out over some rocks to reach the actual reef it was a bit late to try. But that is where the palm trees in the photos are.
Yesterday morning I went back to Countryside and picked up a lovely little apartment for $314 for 5 weeks. I have a private bathroom with a decent cold shower, a tv with cable (watched the Oscars last night! ok ok I slept through most of it!), and a little kitchenette. I'm really pleased with it and sooooo glad to be able to unpack finally and not have to lug my bags about anymore.
Is the island what I expected? No, not any more. Too much development, too much tourism and not enough concern for the environment. There is a Conservation organisation here who are fighting hard to improve things. I heard that they could maybe use a hand so now I am planning to get in touch and see if I can be of any use a day or two a week.
I'd better stop there as the post will be way too long and you will have all fallen asleep before you reach the end. Sorry about that. I've never managed to keep travel journals before and I'm kind of using this blog as my journal. Do feel free to switch off if you get bored!
Hasta pronto amigos y familia, talk to you soon friends and family. Big hugs to all.
Sunday, 22 February 2009
What a journey!
Hello peeps, well I made it one piece. But only just! The flight from Heathrow was fun, good films, saw The Duchess and Vicky Cristina Barcelona oh yes and Madagascar 2!! Didn't think to sleep. Might have been a mistake. Huge crosswinds coming into JFK airport in New York made for one hell of a bumpy landing. Followed by 6 hours aimlessly humping heavy backbacks around the airport. Soon realised that it was really 6 in the morning UK time which might have been why I was fading fast!
Slept all the way from JFK to San Pedro Sula, much needed I can tell you, arriving bleary eyed at 7am to torrential rain! Realised then that raincoat was buried deep in the rucksack. Oops! Had to wait for a few hours for bus terminal to open so enjoyed watching the rain until it cleared and the first rays of sun appeared. Everything was fresh and green and brightly coloured with tropical plants. Got chatted up by a policeman, who very kindly helped me with my bags to the bus.
Nice bus, more luxury coach actually. Couple of stops and four hours later I arrived in La Ceiba on the North coast. Unfortunately I slept most of the way but whenever I did open my eyes there were stunning forest-covered mountains. Got a taxi to the ferry port, another wait...forgot that waiting is a huge part of travelling! The wait was worth it though as there were some great birds to look at, no not the two legged kind, I'm not that way enclined! Saw frigate birds, terns and a stunning osprey. Then a tiny ferry appears, not what I was expecting at all. Met some nice people whilst waiting, and ended up sitting outside on the front of the ferry with them. This proved to be a very wet experience as you will see from the slide show! But what a ride, got called a crazy pom by my new Australian friend for clinging onto the front whooping with delight with every huge spray of water that hit us. Two of my new friends are the owners of a very pretty cafe and offered all who get soaked a free drink!
So it's been a pretty good start so far. Have spent 24 hours here now, but will tell you about the island in my next installment.
Adios amigos!
Slept all the way from JFK to San Pedro Sula, much needed I can tell you, arriving bleary eyed at 7am to torrential rain! Realised then that raincoat was buried deep in the rucksack. Oops! Had to wait for a few hours for bus terminal to open so enjoyed watching the rain until it cleared and the first rays of sun appeared. Everything was fresh and green and brightly coloured with tropical plants. Got chatted up by a policeman, who very kindly helped me with my bags to the bus.
Nice bus, more luxury coach actually. Couple of stops and four hours later I arrived in La Ceiba on the North coast. Unfortunately I slept most of the way but whenever I did open my eyes there were stunning forest-covered mountains. Got a taxi to the ferry port, another wait...forgot that waiting is a huge part of travelling! The wait was worth it though as there were some great birds to look at, no not the two legged kind, I'm not that way enclined! Saw frigate birds, terns and a stunning osprey. Then a tiny ferry appears, not what I was expecting at all. Met some nice people whilst waiting, and ended up sitting outside on the front of the ferry with them. This proved to be a very wet experience as you will see from the slide show! But what a ride, got called a crazy pom by my new Australian friend for clinging onto the front whooping with delight with every huge spray of water that hit us. Two of my new friends are the owners of a very pretty cafe and offered all who get soaked a free drink!
So it's been a pretty good start so far. Have spent 24 hours here now, but will tell you about the island in my next installment.
Adios amigos!
Sunday, 15 February 2009
p.s.
Malaria tablets taste disgusting!
Oh and please ignore the slideshow for the time being. I wanted to get it in place on the page, but as soon as I have some real trip photos I will be showing them instead of blog page elements!
Oh and please ignore the slideshow for the time being. I wanted to get it in place on the page, but as soon as I have some real trip photos I will be showing them instead of blog page elements!
4 more sleeps!
Amazing how time flies! I can't quite believe that my adventure begins in just a few days. I have found a great way to deal with the panic that washes over me from time to time. I sit transfixed watching some amazing wildlife webcams that I have found that show live streaming footage from Ecuador, Africa and the Belize reef. They are well worth taking a look at, you never know what you might see!
Click here for the one in Ecuador. It is mostly hummingbirds but you can sometimes see toucans and the wonderfully snuffly-nosed coati, a Latin American mammal that is related to the raccoon.
Click here for the Belize reef. They have been making some repairs and adjustments to this cam over the last few days so if it doesn't work, go back again soon. It's wonderful watching the fish and I saw a stingray the other day :)
Last but definitely not least, whilst not remotely related to my current trip, the cam in Africa is amazing. I've seen so much wildlife on it, including giraffes, warthogs, elephant and antelope. Click here to check it out :)
I'm not sure which of the other National Geographic Wildcams are live/working at the moment as some of them are seasonal.
No other trip news to report at the moment, aside from the occasional panic attack, my biggest concern right now is whether or not the walking shoes I bought will actually arrive in time! I'll try and post again on Wednesday, which is packing day, and maybe even get a photo of the chaos zone that is my bedroom!
Adios amigos!
Click here for the one in Ecuador. It is mostly hummingbirds but you can sometimes see toucans and the wonderfully snuffly-nosed coati, a Latin American mammal that is related to the raccoon.
Click here for the Belize reef. They have been making some repairs and adjustments to this cam over the last few days so if it doesn't work, go back again soon. It's wonderful watching the fish and I saw a stingray the other day :)
Last but definitely not least, whilst not remotely related to my current trip, the cam in Africa is amazing. I've seen so much wildlife on it, including giraffes, warthogs, elephant and antelope. Click here to check it out :)
I'm not sure which of the other National Geographic Wildcams are live/working at the moment as some of them are seasonal.
No other trip news to report at the moment, aside from the occasional panic attack, my biggest concern right now is whether or not the walking shoes I bought will actually arrive in time! I'll try and post again on Wednesday, which is packing day, and maybe even get a photo of the chaos zone that is my bedroom!
Adios amigos!
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