Well, I'm still missing out on the whale shark experience, but I've now experienced a pretty good earthquake. It was a 7.1 on the Richter Scale, and my apartment building on stilts was a-wobbling. The quake was off the coast of Roatan, which is the island northeast of Utila. As far as I know so far, no serious damage occurred in Utila, though there were certainly casualties other places in Honduras. We were all shaken awake at about 2:30am, and every tiny movement after that woke me up.
I just wanted to write this quickly so everyone would know that I'm safe. Now I have to run to assist on another rescue diver course. It's a shame I have to go barefoot since my sandals broke on the way here this morning...
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Whale-shark-a-palooza
Don't get excited. I didn't see one. After assisting on a couple of consecutive courses and getting sick, I took a day off and had a nice lie in. Slept a solid 12 hours until I woke up sweating on an opressively humid day. It was perfectly lovely until I headed over to the dive shop to review my physiology material and write the exam. There, I learned that one of the morning boats found (and snorkeled with) four whale sharks. What a piss off! I take a day off, and people sight whale sharks.
Annoyed, I went about my business and wrote my physiology exam. Then the afternoon boats came back. One boat, which happened to be filled with other DMTs (divemaster trainees), managed to find six whale sharks. *sigh* I actually hit one of my friends here when she announced this information while dancing around in front of me. She had asked me the day before if I'd go on a fun dive with her, and I said I needed to get some rest because I was coming down with a cold. I would have been on that boat.
Honestly, I think one of the most difficult things I have to deal with here is making choices. There are always at least two spectacular things I could be doing, and I need to choose one of them. Normally I find that one option would be more appealing than the other, but when you're left with choices like 'go on the party boat with everyone from the shop down to the cays for the afternoon' or 'go fun diving on the resort boat with only three other people when you haven't been diving in a few days,' it's far too difficult! (I chose the diving, by the way. I'm glad I did it, but sad that I'm yet to see the cays.) Yesterday it was a matter of whether I should begin assisting on a rescue course today, or sign up to go out on the boat that's most likely to find more whale sharks. I managed to choose the rescue course, which I think was very responsible of me, but I'm going to be unfit to be around if many more people see a whale shark before I do.
To complete the whale shark day, we had a staff meeting and whale shark presentation last night. There's a whale shark research foundation here in Utila (http://www.utilawhalesharkresearch.com/), and they were explaining more about how to behave safely around whale sharks and how to help with their research. It was very interesting, though slightly annoying to be surrounded by people still glowing from their first whale shark encounters, and I won a baseball cap. At the very least, I got that. My face keeps getting too much sun on the dive boats, so I've been looking for a baseball cap to buy. Everything I've found so far has been too expensive for my liking, so it was lovely to get one for free.
Now I'm off to pick up my laundry. I finally broke down after a month of hand washing and paid to have it done. I think it's going to cost me about $5 (I haven't paid for it yet), which I find ridiculous. I guess I'd pay close to the same at home, but I still have Southeast Asian prices in mind for laundry. If it can't be done for $1-2, then it's too expensive. ¡Adios!
Annoyed, I went about my business and wrote my physiology exam. Then the afternoon boats came back. One boat, which happened to be filled with other DMTs (divemaster trainees), managed to find six whale sharks. *sigh* I actually hit one of my friends here when she announced this information while dancing around in front of me. She had asked me the day before if I'd go on a fun dive with her, and I said I needed to get some rest because I was coming down with a cold. I would have been on that boat.
Honestly, I think one of the most difficult things I have to deal with here is making choices. There are always at least two spectacular things I could be doing, and I need to choose one of them. Normally I find that one option would be more appealing than the other, but when you're left with choices like 'go on the party boat with everyone from the shop down to the cays for the afternoon' or 'go fun diving on the resort boat with only three other people when you haven't been diving in a few days,' it's far too difficult! (I chose the diving, by the way. I'm glad I did it, but sad that I'm yet to see the cays.) Yesterday it was a matter of whether I should begin assisting on a rescue course today, or sign up to go out on the boat that's most likely to find more whale sharks. I managed to choose the rescue course, which I think was very responsible of me, but I'm going to be unfit to be around if many more people see a whale shark before I do.
To complete the whale shark day, we had a staff meeting and whale shark presentation last night. There's a whale shark research foundation here in Utila (http://www.utilawhalesharkresearch.com/), and they were explaining more about how to behave safely around whale sharks and how to help with their research. It was very interesting, though slightly annoying to be surrounded by people still glowing from their first whale shark encounters, and I won a baseball cap. At the very least, I got that. My face keeps getting too much sun on the dive boats, so I've been looking for a baseball cap to buy. Everything I've found so far has been too expensive for my liking, so it was lovely to get one for free.
Now I'm off to pick up my laundry. I finally broke down after a month of hand washing and paid to have it done. I think it's going to cost me about $5 (I haven't paid for it yet), which I find ridiculous. I guess I'd pay close to the same at home, but I still have Southeast Asian prices in mind for laundry. If it can't be done for $1-2, then it's too expensive. ¡Adios!
Monday, May 25, 2009
Dive Slave
Somehow, I have nothing to say right now. Every day is busy, some so much so that I feel stressed out. I am on vacation, not working, doing scuba training, and living on a tropical island, right? The other day I was feeling frantic because I had wanted to write my physics exam the day before, had no time that day, barely managed to check my email after about 5 days of not managing to do so, had no time to go fun diving (ie. diving for pleasure, not as an exercise or assisting on a course), had to get prepared to assist with a class, and had no time free in the evening for some reason because that was already booked up. I can't even understand where all my time is going... I guess there's sleeping, drinking, dancing, etc., and two dives can take about 5 hours when you include boat setup and travel to and from the dive sites. I think I might now be the definition of "dive slave".
Beyond frantic busyness of nothing, there's a whole lot of nothing happening. I've been trying to go see a whale shark presentation that goes on every Sunday evening for a few weeks now, but something else always gets in the way. I also really, really need to do laundry, but it just isn't happening. I think I might take a few days off training to rest up and get things done.
All my time lately has obviously been spent on diving. I've now written 4 of my 9 exams, and I'm just about ready to write physiology as well. Part of the divemaster internship also involves assisting on courses. So far I've helped out on a Rescue Diver course and an Open Water course. The Open Water was moderately stressful because it was my first time dealing with uncertified divers, but I learned a lot, and that's the whole point. Now it's (thankfully) over, and I'm taking a break. ZZZZzzzzzzz....
Ooh, someone just mentioned Mexico. How's the swine flu doing? I have been completely isolated from current events because this island just seems to live in a daze, separate from everything else. I'm enjoying the lifestyle, and not sure how I'm going to readjust to my regular busy schedule when I get back. I guess I'll figure it out when I need to. Please keep in touch! Ciao!
Beyond frantic busyness of nothing, there's a whole lot of nothing happening. I've been trying to go see a whale shark presentation that goes on every Sunday evening for a few weeks now, but something else always gets in the way. I also really, really need to do laundry, but it just isn't happening. I think I might take a few days off training to rest up and get things done.
All my time lately has obviously been spent on diving. I've now written 4 of my 9 exams, and I'm just about ready to write physiology as well. Part of the divemaster internship also involves assisting on courses. So far I've helped out on a Rescue Diver course and an Open Water course. The Open Water was moderately stressful because it was my first time dealing with uncertified divers, but I learned a lot, and that's the whole point. Now it's (thankfully) over, and I'm taking a break. ZZZZzzzzzzz....
Ooh, someone just mentioned Mexico. How's the swine flu doing? I have been completely isolated from current events because this island just seems to live in a daze, separate from everything else. I'm enjoying the lifestyle, and not sure how I'm going to readjust to my regular busy schedule when I get back. I guess I'll figure it out when I need to. Please keep in touch! Ciao!
Thursday, May 21, 2009
The Demise of the Horny Roaches
I arrive home late after another day of diving. I need to shower and eat quickly before going to a party that some other people from the dive shop are hosting. I go to use the toilet, and find two small roaches on the floor. Admittedly, my most hated activity at the moment is walking into a dark room and turning on a light--it almost always results in finding a roach scurrying away. My first thought for these roaches is 'run off into the cracks where I can't see you.' Then I remember the request from my roommates to spray any insect life found within the apartment because they take over so quickly. Feeling a little guilty, I grab the black can of aerosol death to bugs, and spray the roaches until they keel over.
Now it's time for a shower. I undress, take off my glasses, and step into the shower. I turn on the water to rinse quickly, and tilting my head back to get my hair wet, I see a dark spot up in the corner that seems different than usual. I consider the spot, and decide to turn off the shower, drip all over the bathroom, and grab my glasses. Upon further inspection (this time with eyesight), I let out a yelp. Two of the biggest roaches I've seen since Asia are mating in the top corner of my shower.
I quickly wrap myself in a towel, grab the can of death to bugs (and maybe humans), and spray the heck out of the roaches. They know they've been caught in the act, but are incapable of running away. They fall off the wall, scurry around the floor of the shower still attached to one another, and one finally dies. The live roach now has a dead roach attached to it, is freaking out because it's beginning to die but cannot get away, and crawls right into my nice pink shower puff. At this point I lose courage entirely, run out of my apartment dripping in a towel, and find my neighbours in the hallway. I ask if they are more brave than me and willing to help with a cockroach situation, and three of them troop into my little bathroom to check out the scene.
Once finally under control (ie. all signs of roach life are removed from my apartment), I timidly get back into the shower. I'm now late to meet a friend before heading to the party, so I give up on the notion of cooking myself supper, and grab a baleada on the way. All I can think the rest of the evening is that the roaches would have gotten off much better if they hadn't been so caught up having sex.
Now it's time for a shower. I undress, take off my glasses, and step into the shower. I turn on the water to rinse quickly, and tilting my head back to get my hair wet, I see a dark spot up in the corner that seems different than usual. I consider the spot, and decide to turn off the shower, drip all over the bathroom, and grab my glasses. Upon further inspection (this time with eyesight), I let out a yelp. Two of the biggest roaches I've seen since Asia are mating in the top corner of my shower.
I quickly wrap myself in a towel, grab the can of death to bugs (and maybe humans), and spray the heck out of the roaches. They know they've been caught in the act, but are incapable of running away. They fall off the wall, scurry around the floor of the shower still attached to one another, and one finally dies. The live roach now has a dead roach attached to it, is freaking out because it's beginning to die but cannot get away, and crawls right into my nice pink shower puff. At this point I lose courage entirely, run out of my apartment dripping in a towel, and find my neighbours in the hallway. I ask if they are more brave than me and willing to help with a cockroach situation, and three of them troop into my little bathroom to check out the scene.
Once finally under control (ie. all signs of roach life are removed from my apartment), I timidly get back into the shower. I'm now late to meet a friend before heading to the party, so I give up on the notion of cooking myself supper, and grab a baleada on the way. All I can think the rest of the evening is that the roaches would have gotten off much better if they hadn't been so caught up having sex.
Friday, May 15, 2009
Gone to the birds
Honestly, I was thinking of writing something earlier, but it has completely slipped my mind. Fortunately, something else worth writing about just walked into the internet cafe. There is a man here in Utila, who I suspect is Canadian (usually wearing something stating "CANADA"), that always has a parrot sitting upon his shoulder or his head. We're talking average, large, green, pirate-style parrot. The funny thing is, I've never heard the parrot speak, but the man spends his time speaking like a parrot, to the parrot. I'll walk by, and he might say something like, "Ooh, look, pretty girl." I don't even know what to think about this, but it makes me laugh. This island attracts the strangest variety of people who seem to want to escape the real world, and they wind up stuck here for years. Is this the real-world Never Never Land?
I'm fascinated by all the other airborne creatures that can be found here as well. There are plenty of bats, hummingbirds, swallows, and pelicans. My current hobby is watching pelicans hunt for fish. At least one can usually be seen from the dive boat close to shore, and since you usually take up to an hour to let all the nitrogen out of your system between dives, this affords plenty of time for pelican-watching from whatever bit of shade I can find on the boat.
My divemaster training is going well. It's only been three days so far, but being tested and evaluated always makes me happy. So far there have been exams on divemaster-conducted programs, and on using the PADI Instructor Manual to look up standards and other information. Today it's supervising certified divers. These are all written exams, of which there will also be decompression theory, physical, physiology, use of a recreational dive planner, and maybe some more... Yesterday, we had a performance test of demonstrating the 20 skills that are taught in the PADI Open Water course (your basic introduction to diving, and certification). These are skills like hovering underwater without moving, removing your mask and putting it back on underwater, breathing from someone else's air supply, etc. We're graded on how well we can demonstrate them to beginners and show all the critical aspects, because divemasters are allowed to give Scuba Tune-up courses (a refresher of skills for people who haven't been diving in a while). All in all, it's wicked fun. Oh right, and I am currently a failure at hovering underwater and other buoyancy control skills. Looks like I need some practice. I did pass 16 out of 20 skills though, and Utila Dive Center uses higher standards than PADI for a pass.
And now I'm off. I've got class, and then the exam I mentioned above. Wish me luck! Not that I'm concerned... Anything you fail, they just work harder to teach you, and then you're allowed to take the exam again. I guess this means it's possible to buy your way into being a divemaster, even if you aren't well-suited to it. All you need is to work hard enough. Of course, I'd like to think I'm a bit more of a natural than that...
I'm fascinated by all the other airborne creatures that can be found here as well. There are plenty of bats, hummingbirds, swallows, and pelicans. My current hobby is watching pelicans hunt for fish. At least one can usually be seen from the dive boat close to shore, and since you usually take up to an hour to let all the nitrogen out of your system between dives, this affords plenty of time for pelican-watching from whatever bit of shade I can find on the boat.
My divemaster training is going well. It's only been three days so far, but being tested and evaluated always makes me happy. So far there have been exams on divemaster-conducted programs, and on using the PADI Instructor Manual to look up standards and other information. Today it's supervising certified divers. These are all written exams, of which there will also be decompression theory, physical, physiology, use of a recreational dive planner, and maybe some more... Yesterday, we had a performance test of demonstrating the 20 skills that are taught in the PADI Open Water course (your basic introduction to diving, and certification). These are skills like hovering underwater without moving, removing your mask and putting it back on underwater, breathing from someone else's air supply, etc. We're graded on how well we can demonstrate them to beginners and show all the critical aspects, because divemasters are allowed to give Scuba Tune-up courses (a refresher of skills for people who haven't been diving in a while). All in all, it's wicked fun. Oh right, and I am currently a failure at hovering underwater and other buoyancy control skills. Looks like I need some practice. I did pass 16 out of 20 skills though, and Utila Dive Center uses higher standards than PADI for a pass.
And now I'm off. I've got class, and then the exam I mentioned above. Wish me luck! Not that I'm concerned... Anything you fail, they just work harder to teach you, and then you're allowed to take the exam again. I guess this means it's possible to buy your way into being a divemaster, even if you aren't well-suited to it. All you need is to work hard enough. Of course, I'd like to think I'm a bit more of a natural than that...
Monday, May 11, 2009
Settled and Safe
Things are going well here. Since my last post, I found an apartment, committed to staying there for one week to try it out (though I like it so far and will probably stay my entire time in Utila), and I've been diving just about every day. I must say, the luxury of being able to sleep in every morning, roll out of bed, wander to the dive shop, and hop on a boat at lunchtime is pretty well divine.
As for safety, I finally joined DAN. That is the Divers Alert Network, and they provide diving-specific insurance that most insurance companies exclude. Upon discussing insurance with other divers here, I realized I very well might not be covered for treatment in a hyperbaric chamber if I need that one day. So I checked with RWAM (my current travel insurance provider), they exclude such costs, and I signed up with DAN. Now if anything every goes wrong and I need to decompress at a rate of $450/hour, I won't have to dish out for it myself. Not that anything will go wrong, because I am a safe diver.
Diving here has been lovely. At first, I felt disappointed because Southeast Asia offers about 20 times as much to see on every dive and is infinitely more colourful, but now I'm getting to appreciate the small things. Seeing a tiny starfish crawl across the sand, or spotting a well-camouflaged flounder or lizardfish is so much fun. The lack of colour is a shame, and I do miss seeing boxfish and clownfish and sea anemones, but there are other cool things to be found. I think the trunkfish is my new favourite--look it up! Oh yeah, that's right, it's triangular...
In other news from the island, a coke plane was chased down by the military a couple of nights ago. From what I hear, it eventually crashed, the pilot got out, and was shot dead. The next day, all the talk on the boat radios was of a man found floating on a drum in the sea. Now, rather than the three regular police officers that ride around the island (two on one motorbike, it's really cute), there are a couple of dozen Honduran military police officers patrolling. One of them was at the bar last night, having a drink, holding his gun, letting some girl wear his helmet. They're clearly very serious.
Now I'm off to the scuba gear dealers to see about buying some of my own things. I've had enough of misfitting rentals and always being left with the last pick. ¡Adios!
As for safety, I finally joined DAN. That is the Divers Alert Network, and they provide diving-specific insurance that most insurance companies exclude. Upon discussing insurance with other divers here, I realized I very well might not be covered for treatment in a hyperbaric chamber if I need that one day. So I checked with RWAM (my current travel insurance provider), they exclude such costs, and I signed up with DAN. Now if anything every goes wrong and I need to decompress at a rate of $450/hour, I won't have to dish out for it myself. Not that anything will go wrong, because I am a safe diver.
Diving here has been lovely. At first, I felt disappointed because Southeast Asia offers about 20 times as much to see on every dive and is infinitely more colourful, but now I'm getting to appreciate the small things. Seeing a tiny starfish crawl across the sand, or spotting a well-camouflaged flounder or lizardfish is so much fun. The lack of colour is a shame, and I do miss seeing boxfish and clownfish and sea anemones, but there are other cool things to be found. I think the trunkfish is my new favourite--look it up! Oh yeah, that's right, it's triangular...
In other news from the island, a coke plane was chased down by the military a couple of nights ago. From what I hear, it eventually crashed, the pilot got out, and was shot dead. The next day, all the talk on the boat radios was of a man found floating on a drum in the sea. Now, rather than the three regular police officers that ride around the island (two on one motorbike, it's really cute), there are a couple of dozen Honduran military police officers patrolling. One of them was at the bar last night, having a drink, holding his gun, letting some girl wear his helmet. They're clearly very serious.
Now I'm off to the scuba gear dealers to see about buying some of my own things. I've had enough of misfitting rentals and always being left with the last pick. ¡Adios!
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Who actually slips on a banana peel in real life?
Me. That's who. Fortunately, it wasn't a slip of the feet flying out from under you, landing on your ass variety. It was a quick, catch your balance again slip. But really -- a banana peel? Perhaps it's to be expected in a place where trees are laden with fruit, and kids throw brooms at trees to knock the fruit down.
I'm having a blast here in Utila. Sometimes life seems painfully slow, because not a lot happens, but it's a lot of fun for the most part. I've now completed my Rescue Diver course, and I'm ready to begin Divemaster training. The rescue course was awesome; just like lifeguard training, but with scuba gear. My exam went well, I accidentally let someone bleed out (that mistake will now NEVER happen again), and my partner and I performed the fastest search and rescue our instructor has ever seen. Training is fun because you get to dive and look at pretty things, as well as challenge yourself physically and mentally.
Not a whole lot else to report from here, really. I've been so busy and tired from my rescue course that I haven't managed much other than eating, sleeping, studying, and diving. Now I have a few days until I start my Divemaster training on Monday. I think I'll go on a few dives, explore the island a little more, and do a lot of napping in hammocks.
I'm having a blast here in Utila. Sometimes life seems painfully slow, because not a lot happens, but it's a lot of fun for the most part. I've now completed my Rescue Diver course, and I'm ready to begin Divemaster training. The rescue course was awesome; just like lifeguard training, but with scuba gear. My exam went well, I accidentally let someone bleed out (that mistake will now NEVER happen again), and my partner and I performed the fastest search and rescue our instructor has ever seen. Training is fun because you get to dive and look at pretty things, as well as challenge yourself physically and mentally.
Not a whole lot else to report from here, really. I've been so busy and tired from my rescue course that I haven't managed much other than eating, sleeping, studying, and diving. Now I have a few days until I start my Divemaster training on Monday. I think I'll go on a few dives, explore the island a little more, and do a lot of napping in hammocks.
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Snail Soup
Well, conch soup to be precise. It's a specialty here on the islands, and a few of us turned up at a bar that was serving it last night. I, torn with indecision about how to define my vegetarianism, decided to eat it. It was extremely tasty, made with coconut milk, sea snail, rice and lots of vegetables. Admittedly, I only had half of my bowl (which was rather large); though I'm not sure whether it was lack of appetite or psychological disturbance that stopped me from finishing it.
This morning I went on a couple of dives. Saw some sea turtles, eels, and lots of angel fish and the usual. It was lots of fun, and great to be back in the water. My Rescue Diver course was meant to start this evening, but the Emergency First Responder course ran too long so I'm forced to wait until tomorrow morning. I'm bored out of my mind waiting to have something to do, while everyone else around me is taking dive courses. The island is very laid back, but I'm still trying to slow down after a term of full-time studies and working two jobs. Clearly, I need more practice lying in a hammock and sleeping.
Not surprisingly, I've already got a sunburn (on hands, feet, and face -- everything ELSE was carefully covered), and I'm being eaten alive by mosquitoes. For now I'm off to cover myself in insect repellent and aloe, and try really hard to do a lot of nothing. Perhaps I just need better books to read...
This morning I went on a couple of dives. Saw some sea turtles, eels, and lots of angel fish and the usual. It was lots of fun, and great to be back in the water. My Rescue Diver course was meant to start this evening, but the Emergency First Responder course ran too long so I'm forced to wait until tomorrow morning. I'm bored out of my mind waiting to have something to do, while everyone else around me is taking dive courses. The island is very laid back, but I'm still trying to slow down after a term of full-time studies and working two jobs. Clearly, I need more practice lying in a hammock and sleeping.
Not surprisingly, I've already got a sunburn (on hands, feet, and face -- everything ELSE was carefully covered), and I'm being eaten alive by mosquitoes. For now I'm off to cover myself in insect repellent and aloe, and try really hard to do a lot of nothing. Perhaps I just need better books to read...
Friday, May 1, 2009
Landed
So... time to test out blogging for the first time. It won't be so different than my email journals, I don't think; you just won't be forced to read this by having my liturgies turn up in your inboxes all the time. This way, it's entirely upon you to choose to come and see what I'm up to.
After a lovely 27-hour journey, I made it to San Pedro Sula, Honduras on April 29. Got lost in town, spent the night, and headed towards La Ceiba the next day. The plan was to go straight to Utila, but the local bus took much longer than expected, and the last ferry of the day was missed.
This morning, bright and early, I made my way to the ferry with a number of others from the hostel, and took a very rocky ride to the island. I'm now set up at a hotel for the next week (free with my dive course), set to go on my first dive tomorrow morning, and I'll be a Divemaster before I even know it. Just catching a glimpse of the water from the dock of the dive centre was enough to leave me pining to be in the water.
Now I'm off. But check in again, and maybe I will have bothered to write some more...
Adios!
After a lovely 27-hour journey, I made it to San Pedro Sula, Honduras on April 29. Got lost in town, spent the night, and headed towards La Ceiba the next day. The plan was to go straight to Utila, but the local bus took much longer than expected, and the last ferry of the day was missed.
This morning, bright and early, I made my way to the ferry with a number of others from the hostel, and took a very rocky ride to the island. I'm now set up at a hotel for the next week (free with my dive course), set to go on my first dive tomorrow morning, and I'll be a Divemaster before I even know it. Just catching a glimpse of the water from the dock of the dive centre was enough to leave me pining to be in the water.
Now I'm off. But check in again, and maybe I will have bothered to write some more...
Adios!
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