settling in

to say this place is a little wacky is probably an understatement.  but i suppose that is what we all love about it here.  there are so many little anecdotes to tell, but when i sit down to write i can’t think of anything to say.  like the time my spanish was so bad, the house cleaner and i had an horrendously awkward day of interactions.  and the local guy who greets visitors off the ferry with a nice “I WANT SOME AMERICAN PUSSY!” (he also, i have learned, is harmless… and often actually protects the ex-pats from shady utilans.)  one time a crab crawled on my foot and i was so scared that i cried the rest of the night until i fell asleep– and a week later met a psychotherapist from the states who offered to help me overcome my fear.  there are the cooky people who have been here too long, been burned too many times, and have a different outlook on the place.  there are the traveling backpackers who come to do their scuba certifications, or the ones who have been diving here before and can’t stay away.  this place draws such a variety of different types of people from all over, so it is an adventure in and of itself just to sit and talk to people who come here for one reason or another.

it is known around town that there are several common “lies of utila.”
1. i’m not drinking today
2. i’m leaving tomorrow
3. i love you
i must admit, i have been guilty of lies 1 & 2.  it surprises me, but most people i know seem to have broken them as well.  so be aware, when you come, that you wont be alone should you decide to extend your trip, or enjoy sipping cocktails on the beach even if you plan to take the day off from drinking.

there are little things to get used to like the lack of choices at the grocery store and unfamiliar methods of doing things, but overall it has been an easy transition– all things considered.  on the flip side, there are things like the world’s largest underwater human pyramid that i was a part of (i’m a world record holder y’all!)  and as im sure you are all learning, the diving off my front porch doesn’t suck.  so the boat rides and snorkeling and water life help outweigh the hard times, making settling into this wacky place just a little easier. 🙂

ocean skies

one week down!

ive made it a whole week!  technically a week and a half.  i did finally get my bank account yesterday after jumping through a lot of hoops… apparently when there’s only one bank on the island, you pretty much just have to do what they say.

a few other things ive learned in the past week: money is a little different here.  the currency is a lempira.  L100=5USD.  the common bills to carry around are L1-L500, meaning the sheer number of bills around is a lot higher.  and then there’s coins below that!  so not only are you carrying around bills equivalent to a nickel up to 25$, there’s also coins.  not everywhere takes credit cards, so people carry around cash a decent amount, there’s just a lot more of it to get you just as far. a box of cereal is 9-13$.  a handle of rum is 12-15$.  whoa, whoa, lets back up.  did everyone catch that?  you read correctly, a box of cereal and a handle of rum are almost the same cost.  at least Honduras has their priorities straight?

another difference: water usage.  we catch all of the water we use, which means when it doesn’t rain, our water levels get a little low.  i feel like we are much more conscious of the water we use, which is great.  but this also means that when i shower, i turn off the water to shampoo, and turn it on to rinse, turn it off to soap turn it on to rinse, etc.  luckily its warm here, so i dont mind the on and off.

on that note, im on a new diet, everyone!  its called sweating.  its where you eat food, and then you sweat constantly.  so thats exciting.  i dont do scales, but i can definitely feel a difference.  i think im also a bit more active here as well, since i tend to hermit in the winter in colorado.  i do have a/c in my bedroom, and where i usually work has a/c.  but many of the businesses and restaurants around dont always run a/c since electricity here is EXPENSIVE!  so it gets pretty warm.  dont worry– when you come visit we can run a/c in your bedroom too!

we went on a search for whale sharks thursday, with no luck.  it was still a nice way to get out and start the morning with a nice boat ride and a solid dose of seasickness.  i kid, i kid– it really was a great boat ride around the east end of the island.  Since we had no luck we hopped in the water for a dive when we got back home– here are some of my photos!  yes, i’m still learning, no they are not great photos, but you know…  im trying!

corals

parrotfish

stoney coral

reef

bluebell tunicates

sponge starfish

red hind grouper

beginnings

well, the adventures are beginning already.  what im learning is…. sometimes things take a long time to get accomplished in 3rd world countries.  a friend warned me of this before i got here and i thought, HAH!  no sir!  he must not know me.  if i have anything to do with it, it will get done, and get done quickly!

well, turns out i dont have anything to do with it.  so, i have spent 2 days getting a whole lot of nothing done.  and it took a looong time to do all of that nothing!  but, thats ok.  here’s one of the stories:

i was so excited that i came prepared and organized with EVERYTHING i needed to open a bank account right!?  wrong.  i came with 1 bank reference letter stating i am a client in good standing, and 2 letters from businesses stating i am a good client.  a very important part of this process is a stamp.  the letter MUST have a stamp in order to be a valid letter.  (yes, i could probably go buy a stamp for a dollar of a butterfly, and it would probably count… as long as its a stamp.)  a friend literally told me, have them stamp is crooked so it looks like a stamp, and if you need to, smear it a little while it is still wet, just so they really know its a stamp.  true story folks.

here let me post a happy photo in the middle of my story so you have something pretty to look at.  here’s me on my way to my house from the airport with all my bags!

ok, continuing…  turns out i need not 1, but 2 bank reference letters (does everyone have 2 bank accounts??), 2 business references, and 2 personal references.  friends on the island called around for a few favors and got me the other letters i needed, other than the bank letter.  i went through several calls with various banks and credit cards, only to find out no one is around to sign and fax anything.  finally i got that taken care of which was exciting.  the bank on Utila approved the letters and sent to the parent bank in the capitol city to approve.  so i went to the bank this morning, certain it would finally happen!  false.  apparently it has to be an original letter, not a fax.  so i said, well im here inside the bank, so i cant get an original signature…  because im here.  not in the states.  alas, no luck.

these must all be new policies, because i know someone who opened an account a month ago with just the 3 letters.  so… not really sure what the next plan is.  a) i dont actually really have anyone in the states to get letters from because my banks are all online other than the 1 i already have, and b) even if i did, im here.  not there.

so, all that is to say, sometimes things function differently in other places than the u.s.  🙂  but thats ok.. i’m open to having the experiences, even if things are a little slow going.  thats what im here for!

the good news is, the whale sharks have been out the past few weeks!  so hopefully we will go on a boat ride this weekend for some fishing and a search for dolphins and whale sharks to swim with.  sounds pretty fun to me, right?

im still working out some kinks with my cell phones, so keep an eye out for some updated contact information page.