Utila

As promised, I wanted to share some pics of my weekend getaway with Karolina to Utila. Utila is one of three Bay Islands of Honduras, Roatan and Guanaja being the other two. It's easy to compare Utila to Roatan, where I went for my first island vacation back in November. The island is small, about 13km long and 5km wide and is the closest to the mainland of Honduras. Almost everyone on the island lives in one settlement on a curving bay.

Utila has a slow, welcome pace and is much smaller than Roatan. It is a backpacker's paradise and a dive town where there is cheap accommodations, food, and diving courses on every corner. The beaches and snorkeling aren't as good but the strong local presence and culture make for a unique, refreshing island experience and party scene. Oh, and by the way, most of the locals are like pirates. Old, white pirates.

To get to the island, Karolina and I woke up very early to catch the bus down to La Ceiba. We planned to catch the 7:45 am bus so that we could make it to the port via taxi by 9:30, when the boat leaves. The bus didn't come nor did any rides until 8:40 am. We hopped on the super crowded bus and almost made it to Ceiba but were delayed with a flat tire. It happens. Frequently. As the bus stopped, we hopped off with 25 minutes left and caught the first cab that passed us down the dirt road. The cabbie drove slowly but we made it with 2 minutes to spare. Stressful but successful!

The Utila ferry was like a Tuna Can. I should have taken a picture. The boat rocked back and forth for the entire hour and quite a few passengers got sick. I guess its normal because the workers were more than prepared with paper towels and vomit bags.

We finally arrived on the island, changed into our bathing suits and took a walk from end to end of the main drag.

It was HOT. When we finally made it to the beach, we couldn't wait to jump in the warm, clear blue water! It was so refreshing!

Post-beach, were were wiped out. We headed back to our hotel to hang out and read on the hammocks. Yes, the hotel porch overlooked the water.

The next day we spent at the beach and exploring around town. Utila Town really feels like a beach town in North Carolina... it is warm, colorful, and relaxed with a touch of hick!

We came upon this incredible place called TreeTanic. Who needs LSD with this imaginatively landscaped bar and garden that goes on forever. Forever. It's mad little assortment of arches, shelters, bridges, tropical flora, luxury cabins, and Alice In Wonderland style decor made it the most unique place I've ever seen. Schef, you would have LOVED it. Here are some pictures:

I wasn't kidding. You felt like you were transported into some magical storybook and can't get out of the maze. I took a video with my Flip but unfortunately, can't upload it to the blog. Not too surprising!

Remember when I mentioned the island was full of local pirates? They drove four-wheelers and scooters, by the way. This was a sign advertising one of their hotels - notice that lights and water are included! Amen for that! But "24 hours..."? I wonder what the "..." means!

Karolina and I spend 3 days and 3 nights on the island, relaxing and enjoying a culture different than the cuenca. It was an excellent escape and all expenses, including the ferry to and from Ceiba cost under $100. That's my kind of vacation! Plus, I'm tan! Yay!