Cuz It's You-Tih-Lahh!

Think of Michael Jackson's tune featuring the longest and craziest music video ever made, and couple it with the name of the island I'm currently residing in: Utila. It's easy to see that “Thriller” could be put to some serious Caribbean use if we were to change a few words here and there. We'd have a Utilian anthem I reckon.

Since I've been somewhat absent and lazy in my updates of late, there are a few things that need to be mentioned from the happenings of this lovely July in Honduras. Indeed the best place to start is the flight to San Pedro Sula from Miami, on which I sat next to a Honduran named Luis who was with his mother and daughter. To cut a long story short, Luis offered to put me up in a local hotel and stay the evening with his family in San Pedro before I made for La Ceiba the next day. Such generosity is something I have not been afforded in ten months of travel and I was very grateful for his hospitality and help with my first couple of days in his country - thanks Luis!

My first few days in Utila were spent at the Mango Inn, a lovely resort style setup where I was to settle and make new friends, discuss at length and in depth the shortcomings of the current American government, and eat good pizza. It was time to move on, however, once I had finished my Rescue Diver course and move in with a couple of Canadian guys I met on the ferry over here - Matt and Ryan. You'll be seeing a lot of pictures of them don't you worry.

So it was time to start my Divemaster course at the Utila Dive Centre, but unfortunately a minor diving injury kept me off scuba for about a week and a half, giving me time to complete lovely exams and the like. Matt and Ryan have a friend, Chris, at the Underwater Vision dive shop neighbouring - and rivalling - UDC. Ah, the Utilian dive shop politics..

Most days here are spent diving in the day followed by a visit to the two big pier-style bars here: Coco Loco and Tranquila. We've had some big nights there and they're always worth a look-in on the way home, since Utila is a small and communal island it's often you'll meet some of your mates for a drink, or two. In fact one of Utila's three lies is ‘I'm only having one tonight' - never happens. That's in addition to ‘I'm leaving tomorrow' - it's an easy island to lose yourself in for weeks, months, and sometimes years. And ‘I love you' - of course you do, sunshine. Don't say you weren't warned!

As Peter Kay puts it, there is definitely a new tasty sensation here, called baleadas. Essentially they are made of refried beans, cheese and rings of pickled onion housed neatly in a soft taco. And for 7 lempira (about 22p) you can't go wrong. We have a tally in our house between the boys and I'm currently in the lead with forty three since I've been here. Respect.

We've had a few big events since being here, the first being Utila's Full Moon Party. This was the same day I also decided - with help of friends - to don another Mohawk, which I'm still sporting. The haircut was all the sweeter when I turned up with people not recognising me with my hideous barnet. Needless to say it was a fantastic night and morning with G's top fire shows, a mauling by sandflies and a quick morning swim in the beach to cap it all off.
The ‘Utila Carnaval' kicked off last week, from which time the island comes to life at night with street parties and late night baleada stands. It started with the coronation and selection of Honduran beauties, such as Miss Utila and Miss Honduras 2005 - it was spicy. Although we did find ourselves singing along to Celine Dion; a little unnerving in retrospect.

Alfred, a local instructor at Underwater Vision, had a ‘wrestling party' at his place. With his gigantic speakers and mammoth sound system, he entertained a lot of people who weren't particularly interested - and he's the first to admit it - in WWF or WWE or whatever, with his amazing enthusiasm for the whole spectacle.

So apart from the partying and goings out, the diving is also spectacular and the people at UDC are great. I've been thoroughly enjoying myself over the past three-and-a-bit weeks at the shop and on the boats. I've seen loads of cool fish whose names I can never recall, I've dived wrecks on enriched air, I've mapped dive sites, I've assisted instructors in classes, and carried dozens of sodding oxygen tanks. It's been a good laugh so far and I'm sure my last month in Utila - and my penultimate stop on my year of travelling - will be great while I'm here, savoured as I'm leaving and remembered once I've left.