MY UTILA LIFE: May 2009

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

NIGHT SNORKELING AT TREASURE BEACH

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.

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

MI PEQUENO AMIGO

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 !

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!

UTILA : MY TOP TEN PICKS FOR FOOD & DRINKS

DRIFTWOOD INN - great for a cool breezy lunch on the dock, bruce on the b.b.q. at night (his brisket is famous on the island but i like the beer battered snapper). a favorite amongst the expats, horse shoes on the sand & u.s. sports on t.v. sunday afternoons.
LUNCH AT THE CAYS- wether you choose beau's "fishburger" or mr. hermans "cay view", no trip to utila is complete without lunch on the cays. everyone goes for the fish burgers but i prefer the chicken or lobster (in season). great places to spend a surface interval, bring your camera.
MANGO INN-best pizza on the island, authentic thin crust italian style from the brick oven. beautiful gardens, watch the hummingbirds feed by day, bats at night.
THE INDIAN WOK- consistently good indian/asian cuisine, a welcome new addition to utila.
THE PURPLE PELICAN-my new favourite place for lunch. located at pine point one of utilas prettiest beaches. nice food, beach chairs and lovely water (i've never seen so many starfish). stay for a couple of hours, eat, drink, swim and relax.
THOMPSONS BAKERY- the place to stop on your way to that first dive of the day. great coconut bread and cinnamon rolls.
TRANQUILLA BAR- a favorite of backpackers and locals, great place to sit on the water and watch the sun go down. an eclectic music selection fuels the party as the evening progress', an institution on utila.
TREETANIC BAR- located in a treehouse on the grounds of the jade seahorse. atmospheric , hip bar thats a favorite of the divemasters and younger expats. things usually get going around 10pm,. nice crowd, good vibe.
ULTRA LIGHT - great falafel sandwiches and chicken schwarma . very reasonably priced, quality middle eastern food.
UTOPIA RESORT- for a special evening out of town, chef hugh prepares the best food on the island (probably honduras), his menu changes daily . try the blackfin tuna if its available, amazing ! accessible only by boat from town, contact the hotel to make reservations and transportation arrangements.