Roatán... Ringing in the New Year´

By now, if you have read my blog at any point and for any duration, you know I always encounter some type of drama. Travel-related drama. Not necessarily brought on by myself but not prevented by myself either. I don't necessarily mind it, because it creates experiences that end up becoming the more memorable moments of my trips. Heck, they even get majority of the attention of my posts sometimes.

This trip was no exception and I foresaw it from the start.

Leaving El Salvador for Honduras

When I arrived in Roatán at the start of my trip, I had sufficient time to make it to the Útila Dream ferry office to purchase my ticket. When I arrived, I purchased a round-trip. I was handed the two tickets (thankfully never lost) and looked at the return time. "The return time is 10:10?" "Yes," replied the Ticketmaster. "I have a flight at 12:10 that day. I don't think that will be enough time." "You should be fine," with another positively affirming response. I knew this would not end well, as the ferry arrived to the dock late for my first trip, and left even later. Thirty minutes later than the stated departure time. And sure enough, the ride took exactly one hour. As long as my return left on-time (at 10:10 AM), there wouldn't be a problem. The helpful thing is that the dive shop where I stayed was in eye shot of the Útila dock, and I was there/not diving during at least one time each day to keep track of its comings and goings. About half the time it was punctual in every aspect. The other half of the time, not so much. But usually no more than ten minutes past the scheduled trip. Only a couple times was it like my original experience.

Coxen Hole, Roatán, Honduras

Coxen Hole, Roatán, Honduras

The first thing I asked after settling my check-in was about the ferry. Again, I got positively reaffirming statements about being on-time for my flight. And this included from the charter flight office across the street from the dive shop. A charter flight. I considered getting a ticket, setting me back about $300. But i hesitated, and hesitation kills. More on this in a bit.

Bites from mosquitos and sandflies. They itched like crazy

I didn't really go into detail about Útila in the previous post. What a stunning place. One day I hiked to a place called Pumpkin Beach, aptly named for its proximity to Pumpkin Hill. Legend has it that the character Robinson Crusoe was marooned on Útila and found refuge in a cave located in Pumpkin Hill. I learned that as I trekked through and pulled my sandals out of a muddy trail. How fascinating! I always thought that he was a made up person, based on a live-action film Disney made in the 60's or 70's that I grew up watching. (It got me thinking about the Swiss Family Robinson, another tale sensationalized by Disney during the same time. It must have been a time when people were obsessed with Pirates. Could there be truth to that family, too?). That day affirmed to me that biting insects do indeed exist on the island, and was confirmed later that night when I witnessed a pack of bats swarming a tree in front of a church. Or was it a hardware store? In either case, if you visit the Bay Islands, bring plenty of sunblock and insect repellent. You will need it, especially if you have fair skin and "sweet blood" like me.

West End, Roatán, Honduras

I didn't do much exploring of the rest of the island because I was so focused on diving. The one thing I did gather is that Útila is a place where people return. Or stay. Or return for extended period of time. It has the kind of vibe you'd expect of a Caribbean island. Relaxed lifestyle. Everyone knows everyone. Business in the day and party at night. Seriously, party at night. Stayer's know the theme nights of each bar and restaurant. My final night was a beer pong tournament at a bar called "Captain Morgan." The median age of all teams-- somewhere in the late 20's to early 30's. A few happened to be in their 40s, if my estimation abilities are finely tuned.



The people of Útila have pride of where they live, and its rightfully justified.

My impression of the two islands is that they offer totally different things. Útila is for singles, childless / retired couples, or families with older or adult children. Roatán is for younger families (think about 4th grade girls with braided hair) and backpackers. Útila is for people who want to dive and party. Roatán is for people who want a comfortable travel experience. Útila you will only find crotch rockets (I saw one being operated by a five year old), 4-wheelers, and other ATVs; it's a small enough island. Roatán is populated with cars, vans and trucks; you would need some form of transportation to navigate between cities. However, both places are accommodating for gringos who do not speak Spanish. Ugh, it kind of disgusts me that native-Spanish speakers default to English for traveling gringos. "Please don't be surprised that I could actually speak and understand Spanish," I always think to myself." And please respond in Spanish if I begin in Spanish, too, please."

I settled my account at the BICD, and walked to the ferry. Again, it was scheduled to leave at 10:10. Passengers began boarding at 10:10. I knew it. I was fucked, royally. Still people tried assuring me that everything would work out. Yeah, they always do but not always in the way you hope or expect them to. I ended up meeting the owner of the Útila Dream company. He told me that when he runs the boat, he can make it between islands in 45 minutes flat. Unfortunately he wasn't running the boat that day.

My first snowman in years!

Sunset at West End, Roatán, Honduras

The closer we got to Roatán  the longer it seemed to take to actually get there. When I was little, I could do this weird trick with my vision (and it still happens but only when I am severely dehydrated and/or sick), where I laser-focused my eyes on a point in space. That point gets closer while everything around it appears further, and I have a sensation of shrinking. It's like those movie or TV tricks, where a similar thing happens to a single character that receives bad news or has a sudden realization. The point is, we didn't dock until 12:35, 75 minutes after leaving and 85 minutes after we were supposed to leave (at the least). I made sure to be the first person off the boat, began running for the street to find a taxi and bumped into a taxista along the way. We negotiated prices. "How much?" I asked. "$10," he came back. "Okay." "We need to wait for other people to see if they are going there, too." "Twenty dollars if we leave right now. I have a flight very soon." Never have I ever seen a taxista more motivated, because he ran for his car and I had to keep up with him. Put one finger down or take a drink if that has never happened to you.

He rushed to the airport. Running between people and up to the counter, I made it with 40 minutes to takeoff. Just a little too late since the ticketing was closed. I asked if there was anything that could be done, and of course there wasn't. The lady was about to walk away and give me a number to call to rebook my flight. Luckily I said the right things about the insurance I somehow purchased for my flight (Avianca is not an easy airline, in all respects. It took me three attempts to book my flight successfully. I will never take a flight with Avianca again, so long as I can help it. They are the worst). She took responsibility to call Avianca's hotline and, HA!, she couldn't even get through herself. Over an hour and over $300 later, my flight was rescheduled for Monday. An earlier salida from Roatán and later llegada to Quito than my original flight. So much for having a little extra time to get back into a routine before the first day back; if I was lucky, I would get four hours of sleep. The night before Carnaval week. Our first day back was "day 4," where I am lucky to have a single period off, barring that I do not have to sub for anyone. (I got two-and-a-half hours of sleep, and did not have to sub for anyone!)

West End, Roatán, Honduras

One thing to definitely note about the airport on Roatán is that it is pure shit; you can't polish a turd, which they are clearly trying to do. I wonder if the USA has any kind of control/influence over the airport because (a) I had to take my shoes off for the security checkpoint, which I haven't had to do in ages; and (b) I couldn't even bring a closed bottle of soda in my carry-on. The scanner-lady told me I could drink it all before passing to the waiting area, to which I gave her the stink eye and said, "no, está bien." Once in the waiting area, my flight didn't appear on the departure screen and I approached the counter to ask. The gate-lady (it seems that women do all the working here, ¿si o no?) would hardly answer my question, as she walked away from me. In the future, I would fly to La Ceiba and take the ferry directly to Útila. That way I wouldn't have to deal with Roatán in the least. Yes, this is an airport you definitely MUST arrive two hours before your flight because it is poorly managed. Additionally, as my taxi pulled up to the main doors, one airline was at least 100 people long, winding out the entrance and then some.


I should have figured this airport would be a headache from the start, since the immigration/arrival area was heavily under construction (walls and windows were missing, and cement had yet to be laid for the floor in one part). First impressions are difficult to change, which is why I make sure to be very polite and patient with people I meet at first. Even if it can be Midwest-fake. If you don't mind airports, then this one should not bother you.

As I was checking into my Roatán "home," Georphi's in the West End, the owner and I chatted. I mentioned my situation and that I ignored my instinct to get a charter flight. She helped put it in perspective. Is it realistic to spend that much money for a brief flight? No. And considering that I didn't end up spending more than $150 over the charter flight price for my flight change/lodging/food, it wouldn't have been realistic.

Let's face it. I extended my vacation time. I wanted it in the first place and I got it. Just not how I expected. There are worse places to be for New Years than a beach so should I really be complaining?

My life is so rich, ever since moving to Ecuador. I was in seven countries in 2016 (not including airport-only stops... my number would be nine countries, then). From north to south: USA, Honduras, Ecuador, Perú, Bolivia, Paraguay, and Chile. How many of you can say that? How many of you have done that ever, or in total? I have been blessed with seeing the world, experiencing diverse cultures, meeting people of all walks of life. Which is why I don't understand the movements going on in the world. When will everyone just realize that we are all human beings. We don't need to share the same beliefs, backgrounds, religion, skin color, etc. but we do need to respect one another. I wish that all of you with travel goal in 2017 get to accomplish those. If you can't afford to travel to an international destination, find a local one where you've never been. Trust me, when you get out of your comfort zone you will find out some interesting things about yourself. And you'll (begin to) learn how much we really have in common with each other. Then, we can begin to say we will be accepting of others rather than merely tolerant. I hate that word... TOLERANCE. Tolerate this (sticks up obscene hand gesture)

While I spent New Years sipping Bud Light from bottles on the beach by myself (notice the alliteration and loneliness? LOL it was lonely but not sad), I made an actual commitment to myself. I want to be a better person. This means I need to take care of my relationships more. I also need to prioritize my health over all else, as 2016 showed me. And I need to accept that not everything I do will be perfect. I want to have a personal life and not feel like I am married to my work... okay. Then, I need to be okay with a lesson not being totally successful every time. It also means I need to commit to taking a break or a vacation more often. There is still so much of Ecuador that I have not seen, and this year I will see as much as I can and share those experiences with you, too.