Tonight we moved into our new apartment. It is directly next door to our old apartment and, because our current landlord is a bit of a firecracker, we decided to move after dark in secret (we've already paid for the month). Problem is, Kevin has a raging ear infection and is feeling terrible, so it was really just me moving. We are in the basement suite and, a couple of times, I'd drop something leaving the place and the upstairs lights would come on. I'd have to freeze with my heavy bags in hand until the lights went off again. Don't get me wrong, the place we were staying at was nice....but I discovered where the crab came from. Apparently it came in through a gaping hole in the ceiling by the shower. I can pretty much guarantee that is not the last critter that will be coming through there. It can easily fit a cat so I can't imagine what else it can fit. The place we have now is a one bedroom (not a studio) so Kevin can sleep while I enjoy my internet connection!! YAY!!! It's sooo nice being able to email and Facebook regularly again.
So today I finished my rescue course and I'm now a certified rescue diver!! I am totally thrilled. Unfortunately Kevin couldn't finish his last day because of his infection. He's on oral antibiotics and a steriod ear drop...along with tylenol 4 for the pain. He left it a tad too long and is in pretty rough shape. It really came on suddenly, but he'll be okay. I'm practically a doctor ;-) hehehe...Anyway, the last day of the course was intense. I had to "rescue" my instructor who was found unconscious at the surface of the ocean. I towed him into the boat against the current for at least 15 minutes giving him rescue breaths every five seconds. It was tough! Then, just as I found relief at the boat and took off my gear, two other people started panicking and drowning. I then had to swim out to sea with my snorkel, mask and fins to rescue them one at a time while the one tried everything she (my new friend Shona) could to rip off my mask. I can tell you one thing...the dive shop I'm at takes the safety very seriously. We went through drill after drill, practice after practice until we nailed each and every move. It is probably one of the most informative and useful courses I have ever taken in my life and it's made me a much better diver. I plan to go along on Kev's dives so he can rescue me....it's not really fair though because I had to save him a few days ago and tow him 200 metres during a drill. As you can imagine, there is a slight weight difference between us. It was a silent rescue as I pictured him eating burritos while I hit the gym back in GP. Anyway, I digress....
Things are much better here for us now...like I said, it was a big adjustment. Roatan is pretty far removed (in terms of political unrest) from the mainland, but every now and then you get a reminder. For intense, two huge military helicopters flew up and down the coast yesterday checking out the boats. I guess they were looking for drugs but machine guns above your head are always unnerving. Most people here are very upset with how the coup has been reported on....every single person I've asked is happy Zelaya was ousted. They say he would turn Honduras into a dictatorship and they feel the move is the first real act of democracy they've seen from the rest of their government. I find most of the locals and expats very well informed about their political situation. The coup has had a serious impact on businesses here in Roatan however...most people are too scared to travel even though the Bay Islands really are an entity unto themselves. It's slow and is bound to get slower as rainy season approaches. A lot of people are suffering because of biased reporting.
Our dive shop owner suggested putting me in touch with a few key people she knows to do some reporting out here, but I don't think that's a good idea for now. First of all, I don't know enough about the situation and second of all, there are Zelaya supporters here that wouldn't take too kindly to it. I'm here to dive...best keep it at that for now. The local police are very friendly though and they have a "tourist" police station not far from here. As far as I can tell, there isn't much crime aside from petty theft. Besides, Kevin and I are pretty much taller than everyone here and he's very intimidating. I feel very safe (aside from the damn taxi drivers!).
I'm going to try and add a few photos.....
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