Have you ever heard of Utila? Me neither. Utila is a small bay island off the coast of Honduras, less than 7 miles long and 3 miles wide - in its width. The population of 5,000 (including 1,000 or 2,000 tourists at any time) resides mainly in the city of Utila, off the protected southeast port.
Our trip to Utila began with a three-hour flight from Atlanta to San Pedro Sula, Honduras. As I collected my luggage, I saw a large, healthy man struggling to remove a gold chain and cross it. He accepted my help and told me that crime is rampant in the city. After noticing that I was one of the few people who wore jewelry and that my diamond ring was getting different looks, I hid all my jewelry safely.
Delayed and canceled flights are the rule rather than the exception with TACA, the local airline. They earned the nickname "Take A Chance Airline". Instead of spending the night in San Pedro Sula in crime and taking the risk with TACA the next day, we opted for a four-hour bus trip to La Ceiba (the locals only say "say-ba").
After a night in Ceiba, the next morning we captured Princess Utila for the hour-long ferry trip to Utila. He also earns his nickname: the comet Vomita. TACA has flights to the island and we will make a chance next time and avoid the ferry.
Once on the island, however, surrounded by divers, relaxed and relaxed SCUBA divers, hippies and hippies, you will hear a mixture of English and Spanish spoken and a multitude of other languages. People from all over the world, many of them in their twenties, flock to the island to attend the world's least expensive diving certification courses in one of the island's many dive shops. I put my jewelry back on because crime is almost non-existent.
Although Utila is a Mecca for divers, surrounded by dive sites and coral reefs, snorkelers are not excluded. At the western end of the bay, 30 Lempira "lemps" (two and a half dollars) acquire the privileges of the pier for the day and the coral reefs are just a few minutes away. You can also rent equipment and buy grilled lunch, as well as other snacks and drinks.
With narrow and congested streets, cars are a rarity. Most of the city of Utila moves on foot or by bicycle, scooter, motorbike or golf cart. All are available for rent on the island.
Don't let Utila's notorious sand flies scare you. I have seen a lot of pale people with telltale red bruises up and down their legs, but with proper preparation you can avoid it. Just bring repellent and use it. A longtime resident has sworn in for a heavy coating of baby oil.
Hotels and rooms for rent are everywhere and, unless you arrive during the Sunjam festival in August, you can wander the city of Utila until you find suitable accommodation. Most are budget hotels geared towards the backpacker crowd. If you are looking for a full service luxury resort, go to the neighboring island of Roatan, not Utila.
Restaurants are also everywhere and sometimes require investigative work to find them. The structures on the waterfront are often three in depth. A street-side shop, a swim-up bar and an outdoor restaurant nestled in the middle. Signage is often missing or outdated. The Indian Wok, next to the Tranquila Bar, was good and the Munchies Café was always full.
Nightlife is abundant. Only a certain number can stay open late every night, so the bars coordinate with each other down to the playing field. I recommend Coco's (formerly Coco Loco) near the passenger pier (ferry).
It was from Coco that I met Sara, and there my adventures in Utila began seriously. Sara recently bought Coco's and I offered to go with her to Shelly Mac's, the nursery, to help choose plants for hanging baskets. There I met Shelby, the owner, who invited me to visit him on his 14-acre farm north of the city.
The next day, I walked up Pumpkin Hill and found Shelby's farm. I wandered to call him until one of the young people who tended the fruit trees pointed me in the right direction. Shelby did not warn me of his guard goose and my left thigh exhibited a nice blister pack of blood for a few days!
After a quick snack of fresh bananas and mangoes, we visited the farm. I admired the many fruit trees, Shelby's medicinal plants and much more, including pineapples, bananas, mangoes, papayas, limes and lemons ... never turning my back on the goose.
Shelby sets the daily news of Utila's only cable TV station, HQTV. He asked me if I would become his co-host that night. The miraculous fruit bushes were in full fruit and we would have filmed my first experience with them and interviewed people on the street. How could I refuse such an adventure?
I tried the miracle fruit and then I cut a lime. The miracle fruit changes the taste buds for several hours, making even the most tart flavors sweet. The lime tasted like a lime - delicious!
I got into the back of Shelby's small motorcycle and went back to Utila Town, where we invited passersby to taste miraculous fruits followed by slices of lemon or lime, talk to them and record all the time. That night, we saw my Utila television debut at the Mango Café bar.
Too early, another ferry trip to mainland Honduras was imminent. We transported an hour and twenty minutes on the Galaxy Wave to Roatan, which is three hours from Atlanta by plane. This also earned the nickname The Vomit Comet. Although now without appetite, we tried one of Roatan's all-inclusive beach resorts for the night and dreamed of Utila.