Since I last posted I’ve travelled to numerous places, but since Jill and I split ways we let the blog slide. It feels strange to write about my travels on our blog when she is not here with me. For a couple weeks I had a replacement travel partner– Lisa. We left Xela together heading for Antigua and Belize. Lisa is actually a gringa from Pheonix Arizona, so I guess we stayed true to the blog name. I won’t talk about Antigua and Livingstone, Guatemala because that was way to long ago for me to be excited about now. I made my way up to Belize because I needed to do a visa run. There is something in Central America called the C-4 agreement between Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador and Nicaragua. When you enter one country you are given 90 days, and you can’t renew it by crossing into another member country. Because I had spent 2 months in Guatemala, and was planning for a month in Honduras, I would have been denied access at the border of El Salvador. This is not always the case, I’m told the border between Hon-Guate is really relaxed and they do renew your visa, but El Salvador is strict and won’t recognize it. Entonces– I went to Belize.

T he one thing I can say about Belize is that it is NOT a backpackers destination. If you have the money to go scubadiving, fishing, boating of any kind, or visit the cayes/ stay on a private island, I imagine it would take the experience from a 3/10 to a 10/10. Without any of this you are stuck on the mainland where the beaches aren’t great, the food and drinks are nearly American prices and the only interactions you have are with older ex-pats. You wont meet other backpackers unless they are just passing through on their way from Mexico to Guatemala. But now that I’ve been scubadiving in Honduras, I would definitely go back to Belize (once I have the money). The reef is the second biggest in the world, it is really a world class location for Marine life. On top of this it is incredibly safe, a great stress-free vacation for those escaping the winter.

Utila, Honduras- I have been travelling by boat a lot! It was a very bumpy ride in a speed boat from Guatemala into Belize, another boat trip from Placencia, Belize to Puerto Cortez, Honduras. Then finally a ferry ride from the mainland at La Ceiba to Utila Bay island. Now, what to say about Utila. There is a catch phrase on the island that goes “Utila is an island of drinkers with a diving problem”. This couldn’t be more true. Your 7 am deep dive is going to get in the way of 10 Lempira tequila shots ($0.50) on Tuesday nights. But thats okay, as soon as you get off the boat and pack up your gear you will probably head over to Tranquila Bar (thumbnail photo) for a beer. If you do make it to Tranquila on a tuesday night, you are more than likely to end up doing a back-flip off the top deck. I lived right beside this bar, my hotel room was literally on the dock next to it. Tranquila is in cahoots with Parrots Dive center, of whom I did my Open Water Certification and Advanced Cert with.

Other cool spots in Utila:

Babalu’s– best seafood and best music in town, when you’re done eating you throw the scraps into the “fish tank” in the middle of the restaurant and it quickly becomes a meal, and a spectacle for you. A friend of mine saw a ray swim by here once.

Tree Titanic– I’m not even sure I can desribe this place with justice, but esentially the owner designed the entire place to look like underwater coral reefs. It took him somewhere between 8 years and 20 (I heard various stories). The main bar is elevated like a treehouse, with amazing wood work and wood carvings. Then below the property has a series of pathways, arches, pillars, courtyards and swings made from mosaic tiles, glass, coral and just about anthing else colourful or shiny. It’s a work of art, with nightly drink specials.

Nightlife aside, you go to the Bay islands for diving. Its the cheapest place in the world to get certified with 5 star dive shops and amazing people. Students get trapped there and end up as dive instructors. It is honestly hard to leave, I spent over 2 weeks there. I made some great friends and experienced an underwater world unimaginable. I did my advanced course so that I could dive down to a ship wreck, and do a night-time dive. It feels like being on the moon, I really miss the sensation of being perfectly buoyant.

The types of things to see

hawksbill turtles

eagle ray, southern rays, yellow ray

moray eels

octopus

reef squid

porcupine fish

lion fish

grouper fish

french angel fish

trumpet fish

~Allison

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