Checkin' off my list...Honduras, Guate, Mexico!

Since I got one item knocked off my bucket list I had a few other items to cover before leaving Central America... three things relatively new but equally worthy of being on my bucket list:

-Scuba dive... with the intention of seeing turtles.
-Get back to Guatemala to see my alumni and friends.
-See all the countries north of the Panama Canal

First to dive. Finding myself if La Ceiba I lined myself up perfectly for a dive experience. Just an hour ferry ride away from La Ceiba is the Honduran Bay Island known for cheap an awesome diving- Utila. I had been talking/thinking about this since the last time I was down in Central America. So...I took of for Utila to get my PADI open water dive certification that came with some free fun dives after completion of the course. I didn't know how lucky I was until I got there with my choice in dive school. I did all of my training right off the doc one-on-one with my Spanish speaking instructor to learn the ins and outs of diving. It feels really great to be able to learn something so new to you in another language. Sometimes Spanglish was spoken to make sure there were no miscommunications, but still progress is being made on my part. Beyond that all the other schools started their depth dives in a pool and my first dives were all out in the open water started off with some practice exercises followed by a good 30 minutes of touring the reef.
I liked SCUBA more than I thought I would. You are breathing under water controlling the level you hang at by simply breathing AND looking into a world so different than our own. In the time of my six dives I saw loads of colorful coral and many varieties of animals. It was fascinating floating around and imagining what the fish were saying to each other throughout their communities of coral. I kid you not that I saw fish playing tag, fish on a first date, fish eating out, and so much more! The variety was impressive too, of course I love the brightly colored rainbow shaded fish, but seeing a sea horse, live lobster and sizable crabs, hermit crabs, eagle ray, sting ray, angel fish, and not to mention swimming with a turtle really made the dives. It was so impressive to see the massive creatures like the eagle ray and Hawks Billed turtle seemingly flying through the open water. There are words that can't really describe it, but they put on a good show for us and it was like a slow motion masterpiece happening right in front of me. Truly majestic.

Diving now has me day dreaming of more places to visit... as if that wasn't happening already- it is intensifying the problem.

Second to Guate. When I left the Dominican Republic my friends there said to me "Kodee, are you coming back? Everyone always says they are coming back and only one person ever has." When they said this I decided I had to fix that wrong and get back to Guatemala to visit my students, friends, and they lovely city I called home for about 5 months. After leaving Utilia with a fever and a lot less money there was no better place to be than home. I spent my week in Guate eating with my favorite people, watching and playing soccer, getting some Christmas and thank you shopping done, and practicing some of my new multi-cultural recipes.  It was so nice to be in a place where I was known on the street and people immediately noticed an improvement on my Spanish.

Lastly.... Mexico. The only place I had yet to visit north of Panama at least in the continental Americas. My plan to go to Mexico was completely random and mostly influenced by the cheap ticket prices out of Cancun and turned out to be the most luxurious experience of my trip. Out of Antigua I found the cheapest and most diverse way to get to Mexico- via the antique town San Cristobal de las Casas. Although I only was able to spend a day in San Cristobal I fell in love with the little Mexican town. With some people off my bus we sat in the chilly night and shared a bottle of wine and some tapas while getting some cheap tamales sold by boys passing on the street. We spent the next day wandering the beautiful architecture and the markets filled with colorful beans, live chickens, chile rellenos (my favorite Mexican food), paletas and super cheap scarfs and such for the cooler climate due to the altitude.  It was great to experience a bit of authentic Mexican culture before heading to the resort on the island of Cozumel. That is right... a week at a resort! Not exactly where most people end up when they are pinching pesos in Central America. I had karma on my side when a friend I met in Utila contacted me to tell me that he needed someone to fill the space of an already paid, all-inclusive, VIP status resort in Mexico- all the Kahlua flavored drinks I could ever want with beachfront access.  I figured I would be crazy to miss such an opportunity-so I met Nate at the ferry in Playa del Carmen to head over to our VIP experience. It was a super interesting  experience after seeing so many different class and economical struggles throughout my trip to end up here at the end where the trademark could be: too much, too big, and too nice (although that wasn't everyone's review.) I met a handful of interesting people at the resort. Although many people thought that Nate and I were on a honeymoon or married, the others would adopt me for random meals to exchange some fun life stories. But many people had a hard time understanding my independence and sense for adventure, but I am hoping through conversation I was able to open their eyes to some new cultures and what can be found outside the doors of a resort. With that said some of the best experiences were outside the resort. Although I was totally content reading by the beach; when we rented a open-topped jeep and drove the the rocky and wavy east side of the resort to have some killer margaritas with Jalepeño poppers and when I went in with some fellow Montanans and found some tasty 50 cent chorizo tacos in the pueblo definitely hit the top of my list. I also thoroughly enjoyed the sense of community that was created since from night one. We arrived with a few groups of people and held the nightly beach volleyball game at sunset. The last night we were even able to pull together a team Montana, for the first time ever while traveling Montanans outnumbered all other states represented at my place of residence!

Because of an ear injury I couldn't scuba dive with at the resort so I was more than ready to leave when my weeks time came up. I was restless and ready for a few more days of exploration before my flight stateside. I headed back to Playa del Carmen and spent the night afternoon getting my bearings and making sure to find the only swing-seat bar in town to enjoy a few good dark beers. Most of my travels I was lacking in the beer I consider drinkable, so I was super excited to sit down and enjoy that. The last day in Mexico I woke up with the sun and headed out to visit some of the famous cenotes of the Yucatan Peninsula. These are natural sinkhole pools lining the highway between all the hot beach spots between Cancun and Tulum. This was one of the most refreshing mornings I have had. The water was crystal clear and refreshingly cold. With my snorkel gear I was able to swim with the little fish that give you pedicures, cat fish, and some turtles. It was hard to pull myself away, but once I did it was worth it. Next stop the beach pueblo Akumal, which is famous for swimming with turtles (sea turtles that is) and sting rays. So I pulled up with my gear and full intentions to enjoy that. I got more than I bargained for... I met a local tour guy just getting off work and he coached me as to where I would get to swim with the turtles and then walked me over a laguna. This laguna is something you normally have to pay for, but he knew a secret path in so we got to explore and enter without and issues. We snorkeled around the biggest school of fish I have ever seen! Diving down and testing out their lateral line and awareness of  you was like some sort of mermaid dance. Super neat! From here I headed out to the beach and saw a ray and a handful turtles along with some pretty awesome coral. With a ceviche dinner and an killer sunrise the next morning it was the perfect and most fulfilling way to end my trip.

I am sure I will have some exiting comments as I reflect more and share all my stories, but until then this is all she wrote.