An adventure with my Dad

Last weekend my Dad and I traveled to Utila for a long weekend together...just the 2 of us! Ken was nice enough to hang back so that we could have some quality father/daughter time which was long overdue. It's hard to get all of that one on one time when you are only home for a few weeks at a time in the states around the holidays when everyone else is home too. I was so fortunate that he was able to come hang with me in Honduras for a few days.

We left on the ferry Friday morning and arrived in Utila around 10:30. After finding a hotel to stay in and grabbing some lunch we began exploring the island together (the one long main road that is). My dad became accustomed to the distinct smells of Utila rather quickly as well as the numerous run down buildings that line the streets. It is a nice island however the 4-wheelers and motorbikes overtake the small road making it hard to walk in peace. We relaxed at the beach for part of the afternoon before heading to a dive center for my dad to take a "crash course in diving" class for his discovery scuba lesson. We planned on going out for a few dives the next day together so that he could try scuba diving and see if it was something that he would enjoy doing. Dinner that night was at a great fish fry place called RJ's which is only open 3 days a week. We got lucky that it was open once when we were there. I got to try a king fish and my dad had the barracuda which both were delicious! It was also a full meal with rice, beans, salad, and of course some Salva Vidas.

Enjoying some rays

La Ceiba in the distance

Daddy/Daughter love

The next morning we got up early to head out to the dock for our dives. We left around 7:30 and were in the water by 8. My Dad quickly learned that scuba diving wasn't for him. He had some trouble equalizing his ears which makes it very difficult to descend underwater but he did finally make it about 15 feet under to practice some skills with me. The second dive I went on was just me and the instructor and it was very relaxing. A bit disappointed though that I didn't get to see anything outrageous, especially since some people got to see a HUGE sting ray (about 8 feet long they say). I just wasn't at the right place at the right time. The rest of the day was devoted to relaxing, napping, and eating. We went to a few different restaurants for some drinks while the sun was setting over the Caribbean before ending up at a great little italian restaurant for dinner. It was an early night once again for us since we both aren't night owls.

Getting the gear ready to dive

Woohoo!

View at lunch from the bakery

What a sunset!

On Sunday morning, our last day, we woke up early and walked to the other end of the main road to an old double story dock. The snorkeling is amazing here and we had the whole place to ourselves since it was so early. Although it was a bit wavy, we were able to enjoy ourselves in the water and we saw so many fish. It was the most I had ever seen. There were so many different types that I had never even seen before which was really cool. My dad also swam over a sting ray without knowing it and I was lucky enough to see it since I was behind him. It was really cool! It was a crystal clear day and you were able to see everything! We headed back on the afternoon ferry through all the waves (yuck!) but luckily neither one of us got sick (just keep your eyes on the horizon...thanks dad!).

It was an awesome weekend getaway and I had such a great time with my dad. Now I can't wait for my mom and John to visit us in 4 weeks!!