Snorkel Club

Staying on Utila, and not diving, made us feel lame and left out. Not because we were super jealous or bored, not at all, but because every person that visits or lives on the island is dive obsessed. Bars and restaurants are owned by dive shops, where their divers go. We could only really go to a few non-affiliated places because the first things anyone asks is "are you diving? Well why not? You should dive with us." or "are you diving? With who? Why? You should be diving with us. You're not welcome here." There was really too much drama and politics associated with diving, and the tourist oriented area is run by them, and segregated from the locals who live in poor neighborhoods in the swamps. Our couchsurfing host even got kicked out of his dive shop for not being "loyal enough" to drag all the people he had staying with him over there, and subsequently got into a big fist fight over it. So with the other 6 people who were staying on Sameer's floor, we created the Snorkel Club, because we're too cool for you.

We had a great time with our host, and the many guests. We didn't have to go to a restaurant for one single meal, because of all the food we bought and how easy it was for everyone to chip in and have a feast. We lazed on the beach, though the only one that was sandy and easily accesible cost $3 for use. We also snorkeled from another public, much rockier beach with lots and lots of coral all the way up to the shore. Unfortunately, we're some kind of clutz couple, becuase on the way out to the deep end, which was pretty hard to get to if you think about walking on coral in flippers and 6 inches of water, we got smashed around by the waves and cut up by the coral pretty badly. The girl we went with had no problem at all and didn't even know what we were talking about. But then we did see pretty fish, and right at the end of the reef it just drops off to hundreds of feet deep. A cool sensation to feel like you're floating in the middle of the ocean, like a shark could sneak up on you anytime. But I guess that's why people like scuba diving so much!

I was offered a job at Tropical Sunset, a bar, for sticking around during Semana Santa when it gets even crazier. But we couldn't stay with our host for the next few weeks, and room rates would just ruin our budget, so it didn't work out. It would have been a good way to stick around for the holiday, but nothing to make money from.



Now we are in another Carribbean town named Trujillo, where Colombus first set foot on America. It has a pleasant atmosphere in the centre, but we're camping at a place that's 7 km out of town, so I wish I could get to know it better. At our place, they have their own beach, which is very calm and not nearly as hot as the waters off of Utila (86 degrees!) But I'm always wary of foreign owners who make their hotel site all exclusive, where you must buy meals and drinks in their restaurant, or pay $4 for their shuttle back into town, becuase it is in the middle of nothing. Today we walked, hitched, and bussed to the centre. Whatever, it's a good way for us to save money during Holy Week, where it's pretty impossible to find any hotels that aren't triple the normal price, and completely full.

Next we'll spend Easter in the capital before booking it to Managua.