Today I bid farewell to the beautiful island of Roatan after stopping by the dive shop to close out my tab. Included on the bill was $42.oo for a weight belt which came unbuckled at the beginning of a dive and sank 130 feet to the bottom of the ocean. Thankfully it didn't fall on one of the divers below....I think they charge even more for that!
I did manage to find the weight belt, by the way, lying right beside the shipwreck where we were diving, but getting it to the surface proved somewhat problematic. Coincidentally, that's what the captain of the shipwreck said too. Speaking of ship captains, my journey from Roatan to Utila was aboard a catamaran skippered by Captain Vern, a colorful character who plies the waters between the two islands, ferrying tourists and divers back and forth.
He's knowledgeable about all things nautical and is extremely skilled at handling the double-hulled craft. For example, he keeps a cooler of cold beers on board, as well as a varied assortment of music. During the four hour crossing we heard everything from Jingle Bells to Joe Walsh. And while we're on the topic of Joe Walsh, Captain Vern is a dead ringer for the legendary guitarist...dontcha think?
Captain Vern
Joe Walsh
No sooner were we under way than I began to feel queasy. Four hours is a LONG time to be seasick, but I quickly got up front (I think Captain Vern called it the bow) with my eyes fixed on the horizon and a breeze in my face. The sea-sickness soon subsided to a manageable level...somewhat akin to how I usually feel on New Year's Day.
Others were not so fortunate, however, and before the voyage was over, there was vomit all over the back of the boat...Captain Vern was very stern about not puking upwind from the rest of the passengers. It was really fun to try to guess who was gonna up-chuck next, and in the process get to know my fellow travelers:
He looks a little like the writer Hunter S. Thompson, dontcha think?
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