The Far Side of the Reef
Sunday February 01, 2004

This is central command reporting live from the island of Utila, Honduras, as part of the Bay Islands. A Mecca of scuba divers, solar seekers, and travelers alike who converge in a paradise of white sand beaches, crystal clear blue water, and da big bang beat that slaves the heat of the day into euphoric spice.

Utila has a high mix of local White, Hispanic and Black people, who speak tongue twisting Caribbean Rasta lingo that craves the mood of this tropical paradise. There is nothing weirder than passing by a group of old white men yelling at each other in this "Jamaican" style accent! The island women look sensual, luscious, curvy, and voluptuous like lollipops, with soft braided hair. The island makes me think of the movie "Blue Lagoon." There is no need to rush here, time moves like a gentle warm breeze, and our skin is thick with humidity, and foreheads packed with beads of rolling sweat. I can't stress this enough, but we feel absolutely euphoric.

Mitch and I have met up with 3 others travellers on our way through Guatemala; Lishan, a girl from Calgary, Annabel, and Mike from the UK. We just recently moved to a small house with a kitchenette, and private bath, with the luxury of a hot shower! Utila is bliss. We have come, and we do not ever want to leave. The rapid pace of our previous travels has turned into a journey of melting molasses matched by a holistic state of feverish happiness. All five of us have undertaken scuba diving, the underworld where fantasy and reality mix like a cool margarita. Mitch, Annabel, Lishan and I have started our PADI Open Water Scuba course, and Mike is continuing his quest to becoming a Dive Master. This will be our introduction to a magical world of the aquatic community, permitting us to dive anywhere in the world up to 18 meters, or 60 feet.

on the way to the dive site...

...dive site... you can see the coral

With regulators in and oxygen flowing, we descend to 30 feet at a water temperature of 27 degrees Celsius. Under water for 45 minutes, we swim about like astronauts, with coral that looks like blown up bubble gum and cotton candy to all our sides. The coral displays reddish, purplish, bluish, and yellowish tones, and sits architecturally free, multi level, and multi dimensional. You are five years old, and it is playtime.

dan "the safety man" and also our scuba instructor

signal, orient, regulator, time, equalize, descend

The water is so warm and clear that only pictures could describe the true effect. Scuba is a new realm. It is something out of the ordinary that hits your senses and receptors like a fanged tooth tiger gnawing at your limbs with fierce atrocity. It is a world of radiance. Luminescent colours of the full spectrum that inhibit the intensity to fully satisfy the absorption of your visual capabilities to their maximum power. It is florescent, bubbly, and spongy. You see fish that were once only dreamed of, and better then the imagination could ever dream of. As one swims by you that has large green scales, with a reddish dorsal tone, yellow and blue florescent tail tones, you feel connected to its gracious spirit. You feel welcome, as if your souls were always meant to meet, and you wave as you glide above the elusive creature.

THE FOLLOWING PICTURES WERE TAKEN WITH A $20 UNDERWATER DISPOSABLE CAMERA!

Among others are the ever so beautiful purple and yellow Fairy Basslets, Yellowtail Snappers, Yellowtail Damselfish, Sergeant Majors, Townsend Angelfish, Porcupine fish, Sea Cucumbers, Squid, and Sea Horses. Each one is special in its own nature, moving leisurely like a tourist on a mid days stroll, yet staying vigilant of your presence, able to turn in a sharp jerky motion should you come too close for comfort. But each passes as if to say "Hi who are you... what are you doing here... okay, I guess its alright if you stay so long as you do not touch anything."

ain't she gorgeous... ain't she beautiful Fairy Basslet (look real close) the queen of the ocean

Breathing underwater is something unexplainable. The natural instinct to breathe with your nose and not breathe under water is pushed to the limits and reversed altogether it seems. All of a sudden your mind opens a door to a new world of discovery. Your brain submits to a new set of rules and dimensions, graphic modules, and creations. This... is the world of scuba.

look out!

On day five, and our last dive we head to the north side of Utila, where the best diving takes place. We dive beside a rusted boat wreck, spot Eagle Rays and a Hawksbill turtle. While diving close to the maximum allowable depth I look at my depth gauge and it reads "60 feet." I slant my body downwards and slip a couple feet below, my gauge reads "62 feet," and all I can think is how I love breaking rules! I look up at the surface, watching bubbles slowly rise to the top, and with perfect harmony I feel locked deep in a strange but pleasant world. The boat heads to another location, and on the way we are lucky enough to experience something people come especially for, in Utila. A Whale shark! The largest fish in the world. With snorkels on and sitting at the edge of the boat, we jump in at the sight of the massive 30-foot, 10 tonne beast, swimming just 15 feet above it for over 10 seconds.

A few days later I am joined by my friend Alison with memories of scorching sun, and exploration of a metropolitan fish community. The sea was rough the day of our quest and so we swam till our exhaustion, closer to the Airport coral in search of new discovery and vivid imagery. Later, watching her wash clothes by hand in a primitive two bucket system opened up a new realm for me for true backpackers protocol. Still fresh to the game of travel, I knew I could learn lots from an experienced adventurist. As we parted the island of Utila, Alison departed on a voyage on a sailboat with her friend Lena heading south along the Honduran coast of the Caribbean to the Corn Islands of Nicaragua.

We were looking for the juice, and in Utila it was found.