MY UTILA LIFE

2011-12-08T11:44:00.000-06:00

Darryl Leniuk for The Globe and Mail

Swim with a whale shark in Honduras

darryl leniuk

From Thursday's Globe and Mail

Published Wednesday, Dec. 07, 2011 4:07PM EST

Last updated Wednesday, Dec. 07, 2011 4:25PM EST

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/travel/vacations/adventure/swim-with-a-whale-shark-in-honduras/article2263571/print/

INTERESTING ARTICLE ABOUT WORLDS BEST DIVE DESTINATIONS....GUESS WHICH ISLAND WAS NAMED #3 ??

2011-11-09T07:12:00.000-06:00

http://opentravel.com/blogs/10-best-scuba-diving-destinations/

THE UTILA CAYS

2011-10-21T11:57:00.001-05:00

Pigeon (Suc-Suc) and Jewel Cays are two small islands about half a mile from Treasure Beach.
These are the only two permanently inhabited cays of Utila (several more are uninhabited), these cays are a fishing village and were the original settlements on Utila. Easily accessible by motor boat or kayak from Treasure Beach, the cays have several bars/restaurants, small grocery stores and Captain Morgans dive center.
Treasure Beach is shown the upper right corner of the photo. Look at that water & those coral reefs!!!
Great photo Brad, i've tried to get this shot several times when coming in to land on Utila but never with such good results.

SEAHORSES, SOUTH SHORE, UTILA

2011-10-10T07:14:00.000-05:00

TREASURE BEACH AUGUST 2011, CAY FEST ON PIGEON CAY, WHALE SHARKS & DOLPHINS

2011-08-12T08:56:00.002-05:00

yikes

What a beautiful month at Treasure Beach. The weather has been wonderful, low 90's with a refreshing sea breeze and the water has been a balmy 85f. Lots of whale shark sightings this month and there has been a large pod of spinner dolphins around the island for weeks, I think everyone has swum with them at least once.

There was a lovely day called "Cay Fest" on Pigeon Cay (5 mins by boat from Treasure Beach), lots of fun for the kids with games, races and contests and at night musical performances.

Treasure Beach looks lovely with all the flowering and fruiting trees coming into bloom at the same time (there is a continuous cycle of blooming but once a year everything coincides), so there is lots of fruit to eat.

There has been lots of whale shark sightings this month and a large pod of spinner dolphins has been all around the island for three weeks. They've been seen at Treasure Beach, Raggedy Cay, Northside, in front of Deep Blue Resort, even in town. Its hard to meet anyone on Utila at the moment who hasn't swum with them!

old fashioned egg & spoon race's

go oliver go

THE BRAVE LITTLE RAY

2011-08-04T14:53:00.000-05:00

this little chap has been hanging around treasure beach for the last couple of weeks. i've seen adult southern stingrays feeding like this before but never juveniles. there must be something pretty tasty under the sand at high tide !

RECOGNITION FOR THE PINEAPPLE HOUSE.

2011-07-11T11:54:00.000-05:00

Find Utila Vacation Rentals on FlipKey

WONDERFUL GUEST REVIEWS OF THE PINEAPPLE HOUSE ON TRIPADVISOR.COM

2011-06-25T09:05:00.000-05:00

http://www.tripadvisor.com/VacationRentalReview-g292020-d1451060-The_Pineapple_House_on_Treasure_Beach-Utila_Bay_Islands.html

GOOD NEWS FOR HONDURAN SHARKS

2011-06-25T07:21:00.000-05:00

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2011/06/honduras-creates-permanent-shark-sanctuary-covering-92664-miles.php

UTILA 1ST LIONFISH RODEO AND COOKOUT

2011-05-02T10:35:00.000-05:00

It was Utila' first Lionfish rodeo on Friday, organized by Bay Islands Conservation Association (BICA). Eleven dive boats participated and almost five hundred Lionfish were killed in a single day.
On Sunday there was a cookout at Chepes Beach, half a dozen of the top chefs on the island showed their stuff and all the fish were eaten.
We enjoyed sushi, soups, curries, ceviche, pan fried and potato cakes all made with lionfish, they're tasty little things.
Prizes were awarded to the people who caught the most, biggest and smallest Lionfish.
The event was very well attended and a good time was had by all, I think it was the social event of the season on Utila.

NIGHT SNORKELING AT TREASURE BEACH

2011-04-30T12:07:00.000-05:00

I snorkeled off of the pier last night, here are a few seconds of "Fridays Nightlife".

GREAT ARTICLE IN NEW YORK MAGAZINE ABOUT UTILA

2011-03-25T11:56:00.000-05:00

http://nymag.com/travel/weekends/utila/index2.html

NICE ARTICLE FROM THIS MONTHS AMERICAN AIRLINES MAGAZINE

2011-03-21T07:53:00.000-05:00

http://www.americanwaymag.com/joe-darling-whale-shark-oceanic-research-center-caribbean-sea

THIRTY SECONDS OF ZEN

2011-03-20T12:22:00.000-05:00

GETTING TO UTILA JUST GOT A LOT EASIER

2011-03-15T14:23:00.004-05:00

New Airline Service in Utila: CM Airlines!

New Airline Service in Utila: CM Airlines!

March 2011: CM Airlines now has a direct flight from San Pedro Sula to Utila on Saturday’s, departs at 3:00pm to arrive at 3:35pm and return on Saturday’s from Utila to San Pedro Sula at 8:40am to arrive at 9:15am.

$220.00 usd round trip, per person.

This schedule connects with AA-Continental and Delta Airlines which fly in and out of San Pedro Sula.

The Let-aircraft is operated in this route, has a capacity of 19 passengers and 1100 pounds of luggage.

Charter flights are also available from Tegucigalpa-San Pedro Sula, Roatan and Utila.

Bookings are being handled through Alice of Worldwide Travel Agency Email: alicewwtravel@yahoo.comor cellular: 9-891-1960.
for more info go to www.UtilaGuide.com

TODAYS MOMENT OF ZEN

2011-03-15T13:30:00.000-05:00

My friend Coonie arriving for dinner. Thai curried shrimp and rice noodles by yours truly.

SUNSET UNDER THE WATER AT TREASURE BEACH

2011-03-15T13:22:00.000-05:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9PlBmoJ42M

My latest effort at documenting the underwater world around Treasure Beach, best watched full screen!

GOOD WORD OF MOUTH FOR THE PINEAPPLE HOUSE

2011-01-29T10:18:00.001-06:00

We're really happy that The Pineapple House has seen some return guests and friends of previous guests recently. We've had a lovely group from Italy that returned after only a six month absence, return guests from Canada and another group from England who's friends were with us last September.

This is only the second year of renting out the house but it looks like we're going to be a lot busier than last year. We are almost completely booked in March and have confirmed bookings eight months out into August. With enquires already coming in for next Christmas, it would seem the word is out about the Pineapple House on Treasure Beach, good news!

MORE INTERNATIONAL PRESS FOR UTILA

2011-01-18T11:36:00.000-06:00

A nice little mention in Britain's Telegraph Newspaper about where in the world to see whale sharks.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/picturegalleries/8266633/Diving-Giants-of-the-deep-and-where-to-find-them.html

WHY I CHOOSE UTILA AND NOT ROATAN

2011-01-08T12:50:00.002-06:00

People often ask me why I chose Utila and not Roatan?
Roatan is easier to get to, Roatan has more restaurants etc. etc.
With carnival cruise lines new Mahogany Bay terminal completed, Roatan now has an addition two cruise ship berths and now can accommodate up to four cruise ships and their 15,000 passengers per day.

Sounds exactly like what I was trying to avoid when hunting for caribbean property. It's getting harder and harder to find beaches, let alone islands, that aren't over run with these hoards everyday.
Look at these pictures of Roatan.

Why did I choose Utila and not Roatan? Isn't it obvious.

GOOD MORNING 2011, YOU LOOK BRILLIANT.

2011-01-03T19:23:00.001-06:00

FAREWELL 2010, YOU WERE A GREAT YEAR.

2011-01-03T19:21:00.000-06:00

SATURDAY DECEMBER 18TH 2010

2010-12-24T11:46:00.001-06:00

It's pretty hard to get into the Christmas spirit when you wake up to this view but I'm not complaining!!
It's taken me a year which maybe a record but I finally finished my Dive Master course this week with the help of my instructor Juca.
My goal for 2011 is to work on my underwater video skills and to produce some amazing footage.

MORE GREAT PRESS FOR UTILA & THE BAY ISLANDS.

2010-11-09T14:47:00.000-06:00

http://www.news.com.au/travel/travel-advice/stowaway-to-a-secret-island/story-e6frfqfr-1225945197826

This interesting new article is from the Australian press, "the world's six best secret islands" and of course the Bay Islands are included!!!

AN EMBARRASSMENT OF COCONUTS.

2010-11-05T09:29:00.001-05:00

capt. crusty

With tropical storm thomas heading north to Haiti it looks as though another atlantic storm season has passed Utila by. Rainy season has been upon us since september and thats the best time to get plants and trees into the ground, three months of rain gives them a good chance of survival. Every year I plant a dozen or so baby palms at this time and this year I'll be looking at getting some flowering plants around the houses to add a bit more color. The palms that I planted a few years ago are getting coconuts for the first time along with the older palms which are full, Treasure Beach has an embarrassment of coconuts right now. New banana and plantains are beginning to bunch as well. So far I haven't found the perfect flower that blooms often and yet is strong enough to survive the salty air, long hot days and the hungry crabs, but I'm not giving up. After my travels in Ecuador and Honduras I'm starting to resemble capt. crusty, time to get back to Chicago for a haircut and more frequent shaving (or so my wife says).

ECUADOR TRIP

2010-11-05T08:39:00.007-05:00

click here for my ecuador movie

A group of us with ties to Utila just returned from an amazing trip aboard the Humboldt Explorer, diving our way around the northern isles of the Galapagos. Organized by Andy Philips of U.D.C., a good time was had by all onboard, it really was a lot of fun. Although the group came from Britain, Australia, Italy, U.S.A., Brazil, Austria, Singapore and Indonesia, we have all worked and/or lived on Utila at sometime or another recently. A great get together with a fantastic group of people.
Wolf and Darwin islands were absolutely beautiful dives, big topography, big currents and big creatures galore (I've never had a dive briefing before that included " two divers have already been lost at this dive site this year"??? We found out later that actually three divers had died this year at that site!!!). We were lucky enough to dive with large schools of hammerheads, huge whale sharks, seal lions; we even saw orcas.
My lovely wife and i also toured the highlands of mainland Ecuador and the beautiful capital city of Quito. We really liked Ecuador.
I was then lucky enough to spend three weeks in Puerto Lopez on Ecuador' southwestern coast volunteering on a giant manta ray conservation program with Mark Harding's Project Elasmo and Dr. Andrea Marshall of the Foundation for the Protection of Marine Mega Fauna. We stayed with a great group of guys from Exploramar Diving, they're based in Quito and Puerto Lopez. Being in the water with giant mantas everyday was quite an honor, they're very curious about humans and would sometimes stay with us for 15-20 minutes at a time. When you look them in the eye it's obvious there's intelligence there. Sadly, legally sanctioned no fishing zones in and around Ecuador' national parks are not being enforced. All the diving we did was at Isla de la Plata, eighteen miles by boat from Puerto Lopez. Isla de la Plata is a national park sometimes refered to as "the poor mans Galapagos", a national park with a two mile no fishing zone around it. Yet everyday fishermen and tourists on sport fishing charters plied the waters above us as we dived. Many of the mantas we saw had terrible scars from entanglement and we cut fishing line from many individuals. We also removed hundreds of feet of abandoned fishing nets we found wrapped around the reef within five hundred yards of the national park rangers station (the guys we had to pay each day for our park entry fee). The fishermen even used the calm bay in front of the rangers station as a mooring while they repaired their nets!! It's yet another country whose marine life is being decimated by the greed to satisfy the asian market for shark and ray fins.
Hurry to Ecuador, it's a lovely country and the diving is fantastic but sadly at the rate they are fishing sharks and rays, there'll be none left in a few years.

A LITTLE BREAK DURING RAINY SEASON

2010-10-29T10:54:00.002-05:00

Tropical storm Richard skirted by a few days ago and Utila is now the thick of rainy season. There has been rough seas and plenty of rain but when we get a break in the weather it's gorgeous!

OUR NEIGHBORS, THE BROWN PELICANS

2010-10-29T10:21:00.003-05:00

Our new sunbathing deck is quite the hit with the pelicans. They sit on it all day and lazily dive bomb the schools of bait fish that gather in the shade of the dock. At the moment they're in their summer plumage and when seen up close I can't help but think these guys must be related to dinosaurs.

AHHH...VIEW FROM THE VERANDA, WEDNESDAY OCT. 6TH, 11.45AM.

2010-10-16T10:57:00.001-05:00

NICE ARTICLE FROM SUNDAYS CHICAGO TRIBUNE

2010-10-15T10:57:00.002-05:00

Utila, Honduras... an expatriate paradise

Honduran island popular with divers lures some people who never leave

Sunset over Utila, Honduras (Adam Laverty/Utila.com)

By Lauren Viera, Tribune Newspapers

1:57 p.m. CDT, October 5, 2010

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UTILA, Honduras — The Honduras we think we know is a small Spanish-speaking country wedged somewhere between North and South America, between the First World amenities of its capital and the Third World poverty of its countryside, between an affordable cultural vacation destination and a risky stop in politically unstable terrain.

But there's a tiny piece of that country, not quite 25 square miles' worth, that is so rare and different that the few who have been there tend to want to stay forever — and many have.

Utila, the name of this remote island and its main town, is counted among the country's trio of Bay Islands but refuses to fit into the Honduran stereotype, if there is one. There are Spanish speakers, but there also are German, French and Norwegian speakers as well as variations of Garifuna and Carib and Creole-accented English that are neither here (New Orleans) nor there (Cayman Islands). It's easy to understand why "Utila" is pronounced differently depending on who is saying it. It's anchored in the Caribbean Sea by an ancient volcano that has since retired to a hill, yet it defies comparison to other Caribbean islands, including its Honduran neighbors, Roatan and Guanaja.

It's neither First World nor Third World; it's simply otherworldly, secure and peaceful.

Before a weeklong visit earlier this year, a friend residing there offered what I took to be a fantasy footnote.

"Utila is an island of pirates and runaways," she teased by e-mail. "Everyone is from somewhere else."

By the time my ferry pulled into the island's modest Municipal Dock on the late afternoon trip from the mainland, I realized she had been quite literal. The small welcome wagon included people of all shapes, sizes and colors.

Dogs barked at throttling motor scooters and whirring golf carts piled with groceries, construction tools and children, all dangerously vying for space on the alley-wide roads. As on most small islands, the ferry landings on Utila dictate rush hour, and I was in the thick of it.

Then, after everyone had kissed their hellos and made their way toward one of the three main roads branching out from the dock, traffic cleared and the pace slowed. For good.

Slow is a way of life on Utila. Despite the aforementioned scooter and golf-cart traffic, which has increased only in the last few years, walking is feasible almost everywhere one would want to wander. Pending weather, two daily ferries and endless scuba dives are scheduled, but everything else is relative. There are few clocks, fewer wristwatches. There is the sun, there is the moon. There are roosters, there are discotheques. And like clockwork, these elements dictate the waking and sleeping hours of the island.

One doesn't go to Utila to make plans anyway. There are no resorts or hotels to speak of, and there was no tourism office that I found. It's not paradise, but it's beautiful, in a decrepit sort of way. Unlike Roatan, whose population of 30,000 seems enormous compared with humble Utila's 7,000 or so residents, Utila seems to get by on charm alone. There are tourists, but most of them are scuba-obsessed backpackers in search of some of the cheapest Professional Association of Diving Instructors certifications in the world. They rent rooms by the night from dive shops and buy their breakfast at Bush's Supermarket instead of loitering with the locals at the Munchies restaurant. Most of Utila's visitors stay for a few days, a week or, if they're lucky, a month, and then move on.

Unless, of course, they don't.

Ask residents how they came to live on Utila and always, without fail, "It's a long story."

Presuming she or he isn't a descendant of the Dutch, French or English pirates who came and went for a few hundred years between Columbus' arrival and Honduras' land treaty with Britain to take ownership of the island, it starts with a vacation. A few amazing dives later, a decision is made to postpone the return ticket, choosing instead to stick around to see what kind of life might be carved out of the brain coral and the clear green sea in which the whale shark, the largest fish on Earth, calls home.

Most Utilans are known by first name and nationality only: Jen the Canadian, John the Norwegian, Nicole the German, Clara the Czech, Gunter the Austrian.

Gunter is so tan and leathery he could pass as luggage. He free-dives (sans oxygen) every morning to 90 feet. On one occasion when our paths crossed, I asked him how long he can hold his breath. "Long enough to survive," he said, telling me about the "half-men" on the southwestern tip of the island, crippled by the bends.

Capt. Morgan's Dive Shop is run by Kevin from Louisiana, who, like everyone else on the island, wound up here more or less accidentally. One afternoon, I pressed him for details, and after two white lies, he shook off the tourism charm and spoke soberly.

"The real story comes down to two words: What if," he said, looking out the front door of the shop into the sea in the distance. "I never wanted to ask myself 'What if' later in life."

IF YOU GO

Getting there

About 18 miles north of the mainland, Utila is among Honduras' Bay Islands. There is a landing strip to receive flights from the Bay Islands, but unpredictable weather makes scheduling uncertain. Your best bet is to arrive via the Utila Princess passenger ferry, with twice-daily service to and from the mainland port of La Ceiba for 400 lempiras (about $21).

Honduras' major airports are Toncontin International Airport in Tegucigalpa (TGU) and the less expensive Ramon Villeda Morales International Airport in San Pedro Sula (SAP). Both serve major airlines via Atlanta, Houston and Miami; and affordable luxury bus service is available to and from La Ceiba.

Staying there

On Utila, modest, affordable accommodations and eateries abound, as well as dive shops and opportunities for scuba certification. Renting a bicycle or motor scooter is feasible, though most of the island's populated areas are accessible via long, slow walks.

Information

Visit Utila's official Web site, AboutUtila.com.

LIFE IS GOOD

2010-07-27T13:04:00.000-05:00

Sometimes it takes a vacation (or moving to another country) to remind us to stop......... and smell the flowers, watch a sunset, or just remember how beautiful the world really is. Somehow those moments just come more often on Treasure Beach.

OUR NEW SUNBATHING/STAR GAZING DECK

2010-07-14T10:17:00.001-05:00

With the dock completed we now have the perfect spot to watch the boats go by and the sunrise and sunsets over the caribbean sea. The deck above the boat house is the ideal spot to catch a cool ocean breeze when sunbathing (don't forget sunscreen) and is my favorite place to star gaze and watch the bioluminescent fish on the reef at night. I've even slept on the deck at night several times, although not deliberately.

THE SUN AND THE MOON

2010-07-09T14:06:00.001-05:00

Late afternoons usually find me out on the pier at Treasure Beach. After a hot day the cool ocean breeze is a god send and the late afternoon light has an amazing quality about it. As the sun starts to go down the reef comes alive and you never know what you might see swimming past. The cycle of sunrise and sunset, the moonrise and its waxing or waning really sets the rhythm of my life here, something I rarely even notice when i'm back in the Chicago.

RETURN TO COPAN RUINAS

2010-07-06T10:34:00.008-05:00

My wife and i recently visited the Mayan ruins at Copan and once again we had a marvelous time. We rode the Hedman Alas bus from La Cieba ($30 for a first class ticket) and were thoroughly impressed with the service and the comfort of the Mercedes Benz buses used. We stayed at Hacienda San Lucas just outside of the town of Copan, it's beautiful and in my opinion the best hotel and restaurant in Honduras. The Hacienda oozes old world charm and the nature is breathtaking (great bird watching). Flavia the hotelier is an amazing woman (she spent thirty years in the U.S. before returning to the Hacienda that her grandfather built) and her family and staff are delightful.
As in past trips we hired a guide at the site of the ruins ($40 for 3-4 hours) and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and the company of our guide. Apart from the ruins themselves, the nature and the way it's grown on and around the site is beautiful (the ceiba trees are enormous), a little bit of Ankor Wat in Central America. If you visit, be sure to go to the onsite museum, it houses probably the greatest collection of mayan stone carvings in the world. Copan may not be the biggest city of the Mayan civilization but it was certainly a center for the arts.
A perfect Honduran vacation? A week at Treasure Beach followed by a couple of nights at Copan gets my vote!

MY FAVORITE LUNCH SPOT

2010-07-05T09:26:00.007-05:00

My favorite place to eat lunch on Utila is the Purple Pelican on Pine Point beach. It's one of only two buildings on about two miles of water front and its the perfect spot for a long leisurely break. I like to kayak from Treasure Beach (it takes about half an hour) the water is so clear and there are hundreds of big orange starfish, it's truly spectacular. The Purple Pelican is built over the water so it gets a nice cooling breeze most days. Kurt and Amy (owner and manager) have put up a volley ball court and lots of sun beds on the beach, so it makes a great place to spend an afternoon, eating, drinking, snorkeling, relaxing. And paddling back to Treasure Beach on a kayak helps to burn away some of the fish taco and beer calories !!
If you've come out from town, stay later and watch a spectacular sunset over the sea and cays, something you won't see in town.

WHALE SHARK LOVE

2010-06-09T13:28:00.004-05:00

If you're lucky enough to see them, diving or snorkeling with Utila' whale sharks is a life affirming experience. I'm praying that none of "my" whale sharks are up in the Gulf of Mexico right now (many of Utila' sharks travel up to Belize and the Gulf), they love to feed at the surface and that would mean certain death. Sorry about the quality but this video was shot entirely on a little point and shoot digital camera.

ALL ROADS LEAD TO TREASURE BEACH

2010-04-19T08:17:00.004-05:00

Actually no roads lead to Treasure Beach but its been a truly international crowd here lately. The first three months of the year have seen guests from Italy, Canada, France, Britain and the U.S. (Nappa Valley). It's always fun to see peoples faces when they first arrive, they've usually had a long day of travel and when they pull up in the boat and see the house and beach, big smiles all around and i can practically feel them ahhhhhhhhh.

BUILDING A DOCK

2010-04-18T08:29:00.003-05:00

Our new dock/boat hoist/deck is now finished. The deck is the perfect spot for morning coffee, sunbathing, catching a cooling breeze and star gazing at night (i've already fallen asleep on it several nights), plus it's a safe harbor for our boat the "H.M.S. Bendable".

FEEDING TIME AT TREASURE BEACH

2010-03-23T11:03:00.003-05:00

A couple of days ago a huge school of bait fish spent the day hiding under and around the pier (despite the fact we were working there, hammering and sawing loudly). At the end of the day, as usual I went out to watch the sunset. Word must have got out about the bait fish and just as I arrived at the pier the attack began. I quickly ran to the house and grabbed the camera. In less than five minutes it was all over. The pelicans, juvenile barracuda, needle fish and a couple of five foot tarpon has sent the bait fish fleeing to deeper waters, at least those that hadn't already been eaten.

WORK ON THE DOCK CONTINUES

2010-03-15T08:09:00.002-05:00

I've been a bit m.i.a. on the blog lately but there have been lots of guests staying at Treasure Beach this month and facebook seems more convenient for most people. Anyway, now that we have a break from guests for a couple of weeks work can continue on the new boat slip and the deck above. The views from the deck are spectacular, an ariel view of the coral reef, plus the beautiful sunrise and sunsets. I'll post some photos in a day or two.

PREPARING FOR EASTER ON THE CAYS

2010-02-16T09:20:00.004-06:00

At this time of year the fisherman on the cays start preparing for Easter (Santa Semana) and that means drying salt fish. The smell on the cays is certainly pungent as every wall, fence and roof is covered in fish drying in the sun. Once it's ready most will be shipped to mainland Honduras where it will be eaten as part of the Good Friday celebrations. Santa Semana is a huge holiday in Central America and definitely the busiest tourist time of the year on Utila. Hundreds of young holiday makers will arrive from Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala and Nicaragua, as well as many Utilians living abroad who come home for the party.

COMING SOON A NEW BOAT SLIP AND LIFT WITH SUNBATHING DECK ABOVE

2010-02-03T10:58:00.003-06:00

"Let me tell you ..... we gonna pound ................. and we gonna pound ................... and we gonna pound ............... And when we done a poundin' .................. dem posts be way down in there ............. real good........... you betcha' .............. Solid wi' out a doubt"

peter my foreman

FLYING BACK TO UTILA

2010-01-17T09:33:00.002-06:00

Treasure Beach and the Utila Cays are an amazing sight from the air (and especially nice when you ask Sabina the pilot to circle nice and low to take photos).

RAINY SEASON/DIVE MASTER BEGININGS

2009-11-12T12:57:00.004-06:00

Well rainy season is upon us, last week three days of torrential rain and more of the same this week. However when the rain stops and the sun comes out i get to see this view again and it never gets old. I've spent the last two weeks working on my padi dive master course which has been a lot of fun and i even got to assist Juca teaching a padi advanced open water course. I'll be hitting the books while i'm back in Chicago and will pick up the practical part of the course again when i return to Utila.

OUR FIRST BANANAS

2009-11-01T12:57:00.003-06:00

We planted some young banana shoots (donated by our night watchman "El Pastor") in February and they've just sent out their first fruit. Really beautiful and i had no idea that each baby banana had a flower on it, kind of like a courgette (zucchini). Hopefully we'll be around when they are ripe, i love bananas and the potassium stops me getting leg cramps when i dive!

THIS MONTH AT TREASURE BEACH

2009-10-06T17:12:00.017-05:00

Every year on the nights leading up to the September full moon, the land crabs come out of the jungle and migrate down the beach to drop their eggs into the sea. There are literally thousands (the pics don't do it justice), they're even up the almond and sea grape trees. Every night for a week or so we watch this amazing sight that is like something from a National Geographic episode, it will either intrigue you or freak you out!

There have been lots of guests at the Pineapple House this month. we had a group of eight (four couples) from Pennsylvania for a week at the beginning of September. While they were at Treasure Beach five of the group completed the p.a.d.i. advanced diving course. Congratulations to Sean N. and company, it was really nice to welcome you to Utila and thanks for sharing your lovely photos.

Another group of four guests stayed for the last two weeks of the month. Christi, Allan and friends really got into the no phones, t.v. or outside distractions and got thoroughly decompressed from their busy lives climbing the corporate ladder in New York City. Christi became a certified open water diver and the whole group wiled away many hours snorkeling our house reef. All the friends agreed that it was very hard to leave Treasure Beach and that they'd loved the Pineapple House.

Without doubt one of the high points of the month for me was watching a pod of pilot whales pass between Treasure Beach and Diamond Cay just before sunset one afternoon, beautiful.

LION FISH ARRIVE ON UTILA !

2009-09-06T20:21:00.005-05:00

well i guess it was inevitable, they're showing up all over the caribbean. however, seeing two on one day, at different dive sights, was still a big surprise. we saw our first utilan lion fish (juveniles) on dives one morning last week, one at "the pinnacle" on the northside and another at raggedy cay on the westside. we tried to get them with a knife but they're slippery devils and to be honest we were worried about getting stung. they certainly are pretty though.

TREASURE BEACH VACATION RENTALS

2009-08-04T09:06:00.003-05:00

I've just finished editing this short 2 minute video showing the homes available for vacation rental at Treasure Beach, check it out.

A GOOD DAY

2009-08-04T06:02:00.005-05:00

there's something about being in the water with a whale shark that just makes my day (manta rays have the same effect).

UTILA MARINE LIFE

2009-08-02T10:26:00.004-05:00

an overview of what you can expect to see diving and snorkeling on utila (or just sitting on the pier at treasure beach).

UTILA....THE LITTLE ISLAND THAT COULD.

2009-08-02T09:13:00.003-05:00

although the bay islands have been unaffected by the current political situation in honduras, it's inhabitants have strong feelings about what's been happening and the way in which it's reported in the media.

i especially like the sign that says "honduras is an example to the world. we don't have oil or money but we have balls! we want peace and freedom, viva honduras."

TREASURE BEACH, UTILA.............THE MOVIE !

2009-07-27T10:40:00.004-05:00

although i'm a klutz on the computer, even i could do this with the help of my trusty mac.

JUCA COMES TO CHICAGO

2009-07-27T10:26:00.005-05:00

while travelling to europe for a family wedding, honduras' top diving instructor mr. juan carlos castillo molina stopped off in chicago to see honduras vs. u.s.a. in the world cup qualifier. there were so many honduran fans in chicago for the match (2-1 over u.s. fans) that when i took him sight seeing around my town, he met more people he knew than i did!

we'll be diving with juca again in three weeks when we all return to utila. i can't wait !

NEW OCEAN KAYAKS

2009-07-15T14:20:00.012-05:00

currently in transit from the u.s. and arriving at Treasure Beach soon, one double & one single ocean kayak. guests can now paddle to their hearts content! lunch on the utila cays or at the purple pelican on pine point beach are now just a paddle way. amazingly beautiful and you'll burn all the calories that's for sure. please don't forget to bring your mask and snorkel but most importantly, sunscreen and a hat!

Ahhh the wonders of nature.

2009-06-19T16:29:00.005-05:00

forget about watching t.v. when you're at treasure beach (actually i don't have a t.v.). get outside, you just never know what you might see when you're sitting on the pier waiting to watch the sunset!

NIGHT SNORKELING AT TREASURE BEACH

2009-05-26T11:18:00.002-05:00

one of my favorite things to do in the evening is to snorkel from our pier. you never know what you might see and it's as good as any night dives i've ever done. the sea is very other worldly at night and when there's no moon (and my dive light is turned off, or broken!) the phosphorescence is magical.

MI PEQUENO AMIGO

2009-05-19T09:17:00.004-05:00

our night watchman has a little dog named camilla who's taken quite a shine to me (or my couch) lately. back in january when she first started patrolling our beach at night she wouldn't come near me. then one night i came home and found her asleep on one of the couches on my veranda. now she's my best buddy and hangs out with me every evening and usually sleeps on the veranda outside my bedroom at night. she's a great watchdog and chases the crab hunters off of our beach every night (she likes to "play" with the crabs and doesn't like the competition) and is most insistent that nobody goes on our pier except the treasure beach residents. camilla, mi pequeno amigo (i think that means, my little friend).

THE PINEAPPLE HOUSE IS FINISHED !

2009-05-19T08:31:00.020-05:00

i'm so proud of the new house we just finished, it's beautiful. the pineapple house has four bedrooms, three bathrooms and a huge kitchen/living/dining room. i spent the last few days living in it to make sure that there's no little electrical or plumbing tweaks needed but all was perfect. like the coral house that i completed last year, the pineapple house really takes full advantage of the prevailing east wind to naturally cool the house. the big veranda that wraps around the house stays shady all day and is the perfect spot for siestas and what an amazing view!

WHALE SHARKS AND DOLPHINS AND MANTAS, OH MY.

2009-04-09T08:35:00.016-05:00

beth and i have had an amazing week of diving and snorkeling. we've seen three whale sharks, including a forty footer that we snorkeled with twice. it was feeding at the surface on a bait ball created by a big school of bonito and was joined in the feeding frenzy by manta (or perhaps mobula) rays and some very big wahoo. what a sight, beth estimated the whale sharks mouth to be at least five and a half feet wide (she used her body as the measuring tool) ! we also snorkeled with a pod of spinner dolphins which was a fantastic experience, they are absolutely beautiful and amazingly fast. however, not all the action has been out in the deep blue water, at treasure beach this week we've also seen southern rays, tarpon, spotted eagle rays and a moray eel. all-in-all a great week to be in the water, which has been 80 degrees!

AHHHHHHHH.....MI CASITAS

2009-04-01T10:51:00.005-05:00

the coral and pineapple houses now have beautiful water front casitas, the perfect place for that afternoon cerveza. it's like a corona ad come true! ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

MOVING FURNITURE INTO THE PINEAPPLE HOUSE

2009-03-31T14:35:00.006-05:00

yesterday the thatchers came and put the roofs on the beach casitas/palapas. now we have large shady, palm leaf covered places to enjoy the sea breeze while staying out of the hot caribbean sun. at the same time we started to move the kitchen , bathroom cabinets and furniture into the pineapple house, exciting times !

STAFF LUNCH SATURDAYS

2009-03-19T11:08:00.004-05:00

I started a little tradition during the construction of the Pineapple House, “staff lunch Saturdays.” I usually do a fish or chicken Thai curry with rice and it’s the first time I’ve ever cooked for more than 6-7 people. It’s a fun way to do something nice for the guys, after all, they bust their humps for me in the hot sun, six days a week and never complain. Plus I get to feel good too. When I remind them on Friday at knocking off time that its staff lunch tomorrow, they all cheer! They’re a great group of guys and a real bunch of characters, most of them have been with us for 3 or 4 years now (I know they all look like kids but they’re all in their twenties).

As usual our foreman Peter Howell and the crew have done an amazing job on the Pineapple House, the fit and finish of every post and beam is perfect. Aside from the beautiful woodworking done on site, Peter has also made me some beautiful furniture in his woodshop on Pigeon Cay. I have to say the bedroom furniture, bathroom counters and kitchen cabinets I designed have all been constructed impeccably by his cabinetmakers, I’m really pleased.

As much as I look forward to Treasure Beach no longer being a construction site, it’ll be strange not to have the crew around the place everyday. Hopefully we’ll all be starting a new job next month, a water front restaurant about a mile west of Treasure Beach for our friend Sebastien, a chef from the south of France.

THE BIG PUSH TO FINISH THE PINEAPPLE HOUSE !

2009-03-16T11:35:00.005-05:00

this week we're putting the final touches on my most beautiful project to date, the pineapple house at treasure beach. paint touch ups and landscaping today, followed by the installation of the kitchen cabinets and appliances, bathroom sinks and moving in the furniture and lighting. an exciting week for me and the crew.

i'll post more images next week when the furniture is in x

COPAN, well worth a visit.

2009-03-14T14:02:00.007-05:00

The trip to the mayan ruins at Copan was fun and really interesting. the ruins are well worth a visit and i highly recommend using one of the guides that work at the site, ours made it incredibly interesting and informative ($40 for 4 hours). the museum is a must do, it holds a lot of the most beautiful and powerful sculptures, as well as a recreation of the main alter, painted as it would have been, when the city was inhabited thirteen hundred years ago. we stayed at a very nice little b and b called "casa de cafe", the rooms were simple but comfy and the breakfasts were really good, all for $40 a night. we had dinner one evening up at hacienda san lucas. try to get there at around 5.15pm for a lovely sunset view across the valley, river and coffee plantation. our meal there was the best honduran food i've ever had. my Mum headed back to england via miami and after i'd seen her off at san pedro sula airport i took the bus back to la ceiba, jumped on the ferry and headed back to utila. it's time to wrap up work on the pineapple house. all that's left to do now is install the kitchen cabinets, landscape and move the furniture in. the fun part of the job !

MUM ARRIVES ON UTILA

2009-02-25T09:15:00.006-06:00

this is my mums first visit from england to utila and i'm hoping it won't be her last . after yet more rain this week (this has to be the longest rainy season on record), the sun is finally showing its face again. despite the wet days, time is flying by and my mums three + week visit will be over, too soon. we've been swimming and fish watching (her highlights so far have included squid and octopus), had lunch on the cay and we have walked to utopia resort for dinner a couple of times (mum got a ride home through the jungle on an atv, a first for her). she loves our house on the beach, this week i'm in charge of cooking and mums in charge of tidying up (works for me). beautiful star gazing from our pier last night, mum is looking for a shooting star as she's never seen one, i think we can probably arrange that. in ten days we travel by road across mainland honduras to the mayan ruins at copan, should be an adventure!

THE THREE AMIGOS COME TO VISIT aka "welcome to hondo"

2009-02-12T07:58:00.002-06:00

i've just wrapped up a weeks visit by three of my oldest and dearest friends, David, Mark and Buzzy (or Arturo, as he likes to be called on the island) . great fun was had by all(shame about the weather, the rainy season has lasted two weeks later than last year), David kept fit by running the length of the island and back every day and taking photos but actually he seemed rather relaxed which was exactly what he needed. Buzzy discovered a love of snorkeling , saw many spotted eagle rays and got some great video of an octopus one night (i shall say no more about Buzzy, i'm saving the rest for a book or "a family event") and Mark....well Mark made the week. he was sozzled from sun up to sunset and is probably going to experience the d.t.'s when he gets home (he set a record at Utopia Resort for the most shots ever consumed). a witty raconteur, Mark WANTED to rake the beach and sweep the verandas everyday, bonded with my construction crew even though he speaks no spanish and left his room cleaner and better furnished than when he arrived. it was like watching him set up our huge trade show booth in the old days. a great week, the first time we've all hung out in at least two years. my current business partner Roger, was amazed that after all these years and all these business', the four of us were still such great friends. i hope they'll all return soon . i'm exhausted now, feels like leaving after a week in vegas, not utila. i guess i just can't party like i used to.......but i ain't giving up!

rated p.g. for language... Buzzy got every excited.

THE RETURN OF SPOTTED DICK.

2009-02-11T13:19:00.008-06:00

most days last year at sunrise and/or sunset a spotted eagle ray came to feed at treasure beach. often he'd be in the shallowest water and would come within a foot or two of the beach, it was so predictable that friends would sometimes come by to see him in the late afternoon. i hadn't seen him this year and was getting a bit worried that maybe he'd met an untimely end. yesterday afternoon the sun finally came out and the wind shifted to the east, so i went to sit on the pier and enjoy the sunset. the water was calm and very clear but i noticed an area by the pier that was very cloudy and knew that meant only one thing: something was digging in the sand. for the next thirty minutes i got to watch "dick" foraging for shrimp, crab and lobster. he's grown a bit since i last saw him and his tail must be six feet long now. cheers, nice to have you back dick.

JUCA'S GONE WILD !

2009-01-30T13:58:00.009-06:00

everyones favorite divemaster juan carlos, aka ricky ricardo, aka juca, has been going through the idc (scuba instructors exam) for the last week and a half in utila town. its very serious stuff with the examiners flown in from the u.s. and although juca claims its nothing but work, work, work, the reality is there's an awful lot of partying at the end of each day (divemasters are infamous boozers). seems one night he (or a friend?) had some fun with the clippers and not just on his head. he has a group of twenty divers arriving from the states on saturday and three of my friends too, should give everyone a surprise that first day out on the dive boat!

2009-01-29T08:37:00.003-06:00

well it looks as though the rainy season may have finally come to an end. sunshine for four days now and a new moon and stars at night. the school of squid i'd been snorkeling with in the evenings seems to have disbanded , just a few stragglers still around. it seems they liked the dark cloudy nights with no moon or stars better. the pineapple house is progressing nicely, the ground floor bedroom floors are being tiled now and i have more plants arriving on the supply boat today. this house is going to be the best one yet, absolutely beautiful. addios amigos x

2009-01-23T09:53:00.006-06:00

hola , well its still a bit rainy and the west wind has been blowing for a week (very unusual, the east wind is the norm) but we had some sunshine yesterday which allowed me to paint some gingerbread trim that's going on the coral house. we had a beautiful sunset last night, the two catamarans are anchored in the calm waters between treasure beach and the cays. germans on board cruising the caribbean for a couple of months. it seems our end of the island is becoming a popular place with the sailing set, there's been up to six of them here at a time this month, they like our calm waters and they make the view even prettier.

january showers make flowers

2009-01-15T10:24:00.004-06:00

i'm back at treasure beach after spending late november and the beginning of december on my honeymoon with beth, my gorgeous new bride. we were in the maldives and had a lovely time, then back to chicago before christmas and new year, brrrr. its good to feel the sun again and see my utila friends, peter, amanda, john, bine, hugh, ryan and roger. january is the tail end of the rainy season on utila and the weather is very changeable, well its either sunny or rainy anyway, its always warm. i've been doing some planting and in the last couple of weeks i've added a dozen baby coconut palms and some bird of paradise around the coral house, next i'll be adding bananas. the construction of the pineapple house is going great and we're starting some of the interior painting this week, fingers crossed if everything arrives from the states in time we'll be completed by the end of february. its a great house and it feels nice and roomy, i kind of hope someone wants to buy the coral house so i can keep the pineapple house instead.

snorkeling has been good and a school of squid have been hanging around the pier all week, snorkeling with them at night is especially fun, they are very curious and are definitely interested in me, they change colours constantly like chameleons of the reef . there has been lots of whale sharks this month, the second year in a row that january has been a good month with lots of sightings and tagging being done by the researchers in town. henry and victoria have opened harbor house out on pigeon cay and its very handy, a gym/restaurant/bar/internet cafe, the food is good and it's a nice spot to eat lunch or watch the sunset, definitely a welcome addition to the neighborhood !

THE THRILLER IN UTILA

2008-09-24T14:34:00.037-05:00

hugh "chef boy ar blaze " vs skipper " pretty boy " leonard

what better way to celebrate honduran independence day, than a boxing challenge ?

chef hugh and dive boat skipper leonard have been talking about this day for months . would they actually go through with it ? a hush came over the crowd as they pushed their way into the ring : a gringo vs. local match up. this was either going to be very entertaining or very sad.

the ferocity of the opening salvo took us all by surprise (there'd been a lot of bravado in the months leading up to the fight but they are friends) . with both guys standing toe to toe in the center of the ring and swinging hard it looked like chef hugh was going down and going down hard.

skipper leonard kept chef hugh on the defensive with a wicked series of combination punches that had chef hugh reaching deep into his gut for the strength to continue .

just as the still placid crowd had expected, looks like the gringo's gonna go down and out in the first round.

out of nowhere and from down low, hugh unleashed a wicked right cross, shocker....... "pretty boy" leonard hits the deck !

the silent crowd erupted and with them still ringing in his ears leonard was back on his feet in a second, THIS WAS GETTING GOOD !

with the crowd ignited by the surprise knock down and chef hugh

taunting him with the muhammad ali shuffle, leonard came back fighting like a man possessed . ain't no gringo chef gonna take out the "pretty boy" from sandy bay.

coming in low to avoid a roundhouse left , leonard gets inside .

hugh didn't

even see the right cross coming but he felt it !

time for skipper leonard to take cooking

boy to school.

chef hugh hit the deck hard , down and bloodied ............but not out .

up in a flash , sporting a cheeky grin and once again doing the ali shuffle , hugh continued to taunt leonard as the crowd egged him on . two knockdowns and we're still in the first round ,

the "thriller in utila" is living up to the hype .

and then the unthinkable , out of nowhere a torrential rain storm and the ref called the fight. the ring is too slippery.
rumor has it , an eccentric fight fan had put up a substantial purse which neither pugilist can collect on .................... until the rematch .

hemmingway would have enjoyed independence day on utila.

utila carnival (july '08)

2008-08-06T15:16:00.033-05:00

the end of july is carnival season on utila (don't worry Rio , we're not trying to de-throne you).
after two nights of neighborhood
celebrations saturday is the "big" parade and fireworks. with about 50% of the islands vehicles (about 15) and virtually all its citizens participating, utila carnival is tons of fun for locals and visitors alike. winding its way from chepas beach through town to the lagoon, it's very cute and a great time was had by all . most in the crowd followed their favorite float until the center of town was gridlocked and the kids in the drumming band got to really strut their stuff. it was nice to see so many of the expats involved (many are from new orleans , so its in the blood). during the day it's a family affair but at night things heat up and the bars along the water front are hopping, a prelude to "sunjam" only two weeks later .

COMING IN SEPTEMBER, utila independence day and the strange ritual of a boxing ring in the center of town and all challengers welcome !

my first five months of living at treasure beach on utila (jan.-may '08)

2008-08-06T12:53:00.017-05:00

i've had a wonderful time during my first five months on utila and i've really got to experience the good life in the bay islands of honduras . we are really happy with the construction of our house at treasure beach.
the man who sold us the land , roger white, held my hand during the whole process (my construction experience was in residential rehabs and high end retail store design in chicago), his tropical building expertise and friendship really made what could have been a nightmare, a dream . the construction crew did a great job under tough conditions (ie. 3000+ bags of concrete and sand plus 600+ rods of rebar all hand carried and shuttled by little boats to the beach and then hand carried to the job site in 90 degree heat , that alone took several weeks) . its very labour intensive construction as the only mechanical/elecrical tools that are used are saws. the guys showed up six days a week , very week , peter my foreman was awesome; a real craftsman .
after this first five months i've really learned to appreciate the design of our home, it really catches the prevailing east wind, which blows most afternoons . i have all the french doors open 24 hours a day and the shutters let the cool breeze blow right through the house , while keeping the bugs out . the only a/c i've had to use was in my bedroom at night and then only once or twice a week . most of the gringo's i've met here are running a/c constantly because of the "americanized" design of their homes or hotel rooms . the "grand bahamian" style home is really the way to go here on utila.
i've done lots of diving and decided "c.j's drop off" is my favorite dive sight, love the deep one's ! we saw whale sharks again which is an awe inspiring experience no matter how many times you get the chance.
fishing with junior diamond was fun and something i'm going to get a lot more serious about in the future, watch out wahoo !

i choose not to have a t.v. and i'm glad, instead i spent a lot of time enjoying the island nature and star gazing . the trees in honduras produce the most gorgeous flowers and every other week a different kind was blooming in the jungle behind treasure beach. however, the reef in front of our house was THE constant source of amazing sights , day and night . very week i saw something i'd never seen before . one night it was thousands of bioilluminesent jellyfish floating by , another it was a fish spawning with millions of glow in the dark eggs everywhere and big eagle rays gliding by eating them . many nights i would end up falling asleep on the end of the pier after watching that nights amazing events .

a small new resort called "utopia" is about fifteen minutes walk from our house and it was nice to have a place to stroll to . i usually spent a couple of evenings a week down there having dinner and drinks , the food is excellent , easily the best i've had in honduras . the chef hugh and the barmaid ryan became good friends and they would usually come to hang out and snorkel at our house on their day off .
living close to the cays is very convenient for buying supplies and for grabbing the occasional lunch at "fishburger" or "hermans cay view" restaurants. the caysians still live pretty much as they have for years, fishing everyday and collecting conch and lobster during season. leading up to easter every house on the cays had huge sides of fish drying on its roof in preparation for good friday. every time i visit the cays i see something i want to take a picture of.
well, i'm off to the states for a few weeks so that's all for now . i shall return to utila soon .