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Following our couple of days chilling out in Livingston we were ready to get our bags back on and face the outside world. With the aim of getting to the Bay Islands and the challenge of doing it as cheaply as possible the five of us set off... arriving in La Ceiba nearly twelve hours, one boat, one fried chicken breakfast and four buses later. Mission accomplished!
Got the overpriced tourist ferry over to Utila Island and were met by a barrage of over-enthusicastic dive school reps trying to sell us pretty much the same package for pretty much the same price. As we were in a group and being low season we were lucky enough to get our hands on ´The Cottage´, billed as the Mango Inn´s luxury accomodation complete with air-con, kitchen and our own private terrace. Needless to say going back in to dorms was a bit of a struggle! A week of learning to breathe underwater and not sink to the bottom or float to the surface followed and finally on Sunday eve, we qualified as Open Water divers, which scarily means Jess and I can now go off on our own and get lost in the corals without an instructor. Did a couple more dives; a hungry turtle and eagle ray being the hi-lights! Unfortunately no shark as yet but may pop up in Panama!
Being by the coast again meant great cheap seafood, amazing bbq tuna steaks, barracuda and snapper, needless to say our kitchen and fridge wasn´t really used except for accidently making Plantain Porridge one morning and keeping the rum cool. Great couple of nights out with Leah, Marc and co nearly falling of my bar stool in Tranquila Bar and then watching the England - USA game in a bar full of yanks.
After a week on Utila and being evicted from the cottage after finishing our course we realised that we really don´t have that long left and still many bumpy roads to go so thought we better get moving. Another long bus journey with two typical Honduran meals (both exactly the same despite one being breakfast and the other dinner)... Fried Chicken, Fried Plantain, Beans, Cheese and Tortillas. Honduras isn´t famous for its cusine suprisingly.
Next stop Lago de Yojoa as we´d read about a Hostel in the cloudforest with its own micro-brewery and apparently legendary blueberry pancakes on the breakfast menu. They lived up to their reputation. Nice lake aswell.
Next day hit the Pulhapanzah Falls to do a bit of Indiana Jones action, swimming/climbing/jumping through the 43m waterfall. Best shower in a long time. And tired me out nicely for the stunning journey to Tegucigalpa, the featureless Honduran capital which doesn´t appear to have launderettes.
Another big day of travel onwards across the boarder to Nicaragua and Granada. Worst boarder crossing so far, took forever but eventually made it, very hungry to Hostel Oasis, the only hostel i´ve ever seen which offers a free ten minute phone call home, providing your not from Denmark. Not quite sure what they´ve got against the Danish but it must be a long story.
Honduras had suprised me with how Americanised it was, fast places everywhere and massive four by fours on the roads. Nicaragua, still recovering from the civil war twenty years ago is still a little rawer and definately not so polished which I kind of like. Really friendly people so far, Jess and I, while getting lost down the back streets today met some great characters, all confusing us further with their directions. Really wish we had longer to stay here, but unfortunately Panama is beckoning, another trip hopefully!
- comments
Leah Great blog Lozza. Was Hostel Oasis worth stopping in as we might make it there? Enjoy Panama, let us know what the diving is like. x