It's no surprise to me by now that whenever things seem to be humming along here, something will inevitably show up to shake things up!
What's new?
The last couple months have seen a lot of changes here on Roatan, especially in regards to the diving industry. Crackdowns on dive instructors working illegally (this is a can of worms I'm not interested in arguing about today - but to all the hecklers: I have my residency so please shut it), massive fee increases and new requirements for operating permits for dive centers, and a new tax plan from our illustrious mayor which currently includes a $10,000 USD permit fee for foreign dive instructors just to be able to work as a dive pro (not counting the $2500-3000 that residency costs, and you need to get that first to be allowed to work, which can take upwards of a year). I don't even make $10,000 USD a year as a dive instructor here, so that number seems pretty creative - word on the street is that this is a pretty direct message to foreigners that they are not wanted in the dive industry here. Don't ask the municipality how they plan to fill all these positions with only 14 local instructors and nearly 100 dive pro positions here.
Local Honduran dive pros (who, by the way, make the exact same commission as foreign dive pros and most of whom do not have to pay 'gringo rent' with their salary) did not escape the wrath, and are now looking at a $2,000 USD permit fee. All of these numbers are absolutely outrageous for locals AND foreigners alike. No one here makes that kind of money. Targeting the largest tourism activity on the island and issuing these 'fees' which penalize the people bringing tourists to the island and having them return again and again (and these tourists also rent hotels, eat at restaurants, go fishing and ziplining, take tours, etc.) is one of the stupidest moves I've seen here on Roatan, and that's saying a lot. No permit fees for bartenders, fishing guides, zipline guides, etc. all of whom work in tourism and make decent money and tips. There are 150 pages of new taxes for the municipality and this is only the beginning - many other sectors are affected.
I normally try to keep quasi-political stuff off my site as I end up receiving threats online and in real life, but this latest batch of efforts to expunge foreigners from Roatan is getting to the point where I want people to know about it - I want TOURISTS to know about it - so people can make an informed decision about visiting the island and what activities they're going to participate in. Right now the businesses on Roatan have formed a committee and are pursuing legal action against the municipality on various grounds to try to get these new changes revoked. Some hotly contested items have been put on hold for two weeks while they sort it out. So we shall see where this ends up!
While Roatan and the diving industry sort out their battle, I'm taking some time off the island to see where it all ends up. I don't want to be somewhere where I'm putting in so much time and energy to promote the island/diving industry and help visitors have the best time so that they come back again and tell their friends, and having it returned by essentially trying to force me and many others off the island.
I'm heading to Canada this week for a couple months and then I'll see what's happening here after that. If they've sorted it out, I'll be back. If not, I won't - I'm not paying thousands of dollars to work in diving after I've already spent thousands of dollars to get my residency to work legally here. It's a slap in the face, especially after I've spent my time and energy helping to train locals in diving for free (as have many others).
I haven't been 'home' for about a year and a half, so I'm really looking forward to seeing my family and friends. And, obviously, eating EVERYTHING. I have some other career paths that I'm going to be looking into while I'm there, and I am taking some time off work to complete some courses that I've been trying to work on for months. I will also be trying not to freeze into a solid block, as it's the dead of winter in my hometown and I don't even own any pants.
So, with all that being said, let's get on to the roundup for months 40 + 41:
1. Gratuitous diving photo:
Let's be clear - if you give me your camera underwater to take photos of you, you're gonna end up with a ridiculous Rika selfie somewhere on that camera. Guaranteed.2. Posts from the last month(s):
I managed to squeak out quite a few, and was really happy with the quality of the posts I've been producing lately. I hope you guys enjoyed these. All were shared extensively on social media and are quickly becoming my most popular posts!
- Roatan Review: Blackwater Night Diving with West End Divers
- GUEST POST - My Dream Underwater List
- Roatan Review: Barefoot Cay + Barefoot Divers
- My Diving Christmas Wishlist
- What Type of Diver Are You?
- GUEST POST - How to Pack For Your First Diving Adventure
- What to Do on Roatan: A 1-Week Itinerary
- Dutty Love, Drunk in Love and Delusional Love: Dating on the Island
- What to Do on Roatan: A 3-Day Itinerary
3. Coolest thing I've found on the internet this month:
Um, kitchen island with a tiny ocean? Yes, please. Take my money.
Remember, you can see all my roundup posts by clicking here or on the 'roundup' label below!
Guys, make sure to follow me on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter ... there's lots of extras posted there that don't make it onto the blog. I also have Google+ if anyone even uses that? And I'm on Bloglovin', so you can follow me there too! Plus it makes me try to post more than once a month. So there's that.
