Begging Lizards

One begging iguana, anyway. Life is good here on Utila, and I'm always busy. Since most internet places close at 8:00pm, I find I just don't have the chance to get on the internet anymore. I've been busy finishing up my divemaster training (just need to get signed off tonight, and I'm pro!), partying (this IS Utila), sleeping, eating, working, and trying to ride a bicycle without killing myself.

I bought a bicycle last week for about $40. I should be able to sell it for the same amount when I leave, providing it doesn't get stolen. My bike does have a lock, so it should be alright; but stolen bikes on this island are very common. At least that is practically the worst crime around here--drug trafficking aside. Having a bike makes getting around town SO much easier, and I look forward to exploring more of the island in the coming days. Naturally, I've already fallen off the bike and bruised my foot and ripped it open a bit on the pedal. What can I say? Graceful as always. This accident happened as I left my friend Sara's house. I got on my bike, pedalled about once, and toppled over into the ditch. At least my pathetic accidents happen at low speeds... I've almost healed already.

Working is something else I've taken up. I work at the bar at Utila Dive Center, serving beer and snacks for the most part. There is virtually no preparation on my part, which is good because people keep making fun of my ineptitude in cooking. I make a whopping $1.60 Canadian per hour, and get to keep my tips as well. Really, it's just a nice way to keep myself busy, socialize, and earn enough money for food for the day. If I wanted real cash, I would work at a restaurant for double the salary and extra tips (but then I'd actually have to work...).

The last part of divemaster training I had to complete was mapping a dive site. Sara and I did this together. We went to a site called Laguna Beach a couple of times, collected all the necessary information, and spent yesterday drawing up the map. We met for breakfast at a restaurant with an iguana garden out back. When we first sat down, I noticed there was one iguana up the hill basking in the sun. Over the three hours we spent there eating breakfast and working on our map, the iguana wandered about slowly eating leaves, wandered down the hill, and started eyeing us up. After this quiet begging from a distance went on for some time, our server fed the iguana some lettuce leaves, and we threw it some leftover fruit salad. Once the iguana had its fill, it wandered back up the hill, and took up its original position in the sun. I can't say I've ever had an iguana beg for food from me before.

Plans for the rest of the summer are now occupying my mind. I'm trying to figure out where else in Central America I wish to visit before returning home. Naturally, this all depends on how much money I have, and how much time I have available. I would definitely like to visit at lease a little bit of Guatemala, El Salvador, and Nicaragua, and I'm considering a trip into Belize for visa reasons (otherwise I'll just have to pay to renew mine when it runs out on July 27). I think I might stick around here in Utila until early-mid July, and then spend the rest of my time travelling. Since I'm already in Central America, I can't really see going home without exploring it. Also, for those of you who don't know yet, I'll be in St. John's from September 2-9. Actually, a few of those days will be spent out of town at a wedding, but I expect to see you all there in early September.

Now I should go. The hose at the dive shop was disconnected when I got back from my dives this morning, so I didn't even managed to get the salt rinsed off of myself. Time to shower and finish some Enriched Air Diving homework. I'm doing a specialty course to learn to dive with higher than normal percentages of oxygen (this allows you more time at greater depths since there is less nitrogen to build up in your body, but doesn't make the entire dive time any longer than it would be on regular air because you still have the same volume to breathe).

And last, but not least, there continue to be tremors here. Nothing spectacular, just some interesting shakes from time to time. Apparently, there were two quakes this morning while we were underwater. One was 6.6 and the other 5.6. Can't say I noticed the quake though.