Stranded on an Island as a Hurricane Nears!

Well ... not exactly. But there is a storm headed this way.

And even that isn't enough to keep me from leaving this paradise! I am on the gorgeous island of Roatan, one of three islands that make up the Bay Islands, off the coast of Honduras. The water is crystal clear with different shades of turquoise and blue. Coconut trees are abundant and shade the white sand beaches. The island is occupied by a mix of Garifuna, native islanders and friendly expats. As I type this, a large Macaw squawks loudly right outside my window and a cat dozes on top of my computer. I've been looking forward to coming here for a long time and the primary reason being the affordability of getting my PADI Open Water certification.

Obtaining certification requires hours of classroom instruction, reading, four quizzes, a final exam, confined water dives, and four open water dives. It is definitely intense but I am glad to be doing something challenging and worthwhile. I have two more dives to go before I'm finished. However, they've been postponed until Monday because of stormy weather. But don't worry, there is no hurricane ... just mighty waves crashing on the reefs and strong winds.

Scuba diving is a whole new realm that one cannot imagine. When I first started breathing under water, I did not want to trust my regulator! The salt water was trickling into my goggles and stinging my eyes. I started to feel very anxious and wondered why the hell I ever wanted to do this. But I was immediately put to ease by my awesome instructor, Marco, who guided me through everything with patience. We practiced many different skills in shallow water and by the second day, were off diving along the incredibly diverse reef. I've seen turtles, squids, a barracuda, stingray, giant conches, fishes in a myriad of colors and sizes, huge lobsters, starfish, and even got stung by a jellyfish! Ouch! The pain quickly subsides though, and later you can treat it with terrific smelling vinegar (sarcasm there).