From the US to Honduras... From Open Water to Instructor...

Been here a month!!!

2009-03-12T16:13:00.002-06:00

Well, as usual, I can sometimes be slow at updating this... Well, we've been here a month and everything is going great. We spent 4 weeks fun diving, a couple days overseeing an open water student course, and just started our Instructor Development Course yesterday. Things are so relaxed on a daily basis here, it's just awesome. I will compose a little more tonight or the next evening to post here, but I wanted to at least get this up right now.

Utila pictures

2009-03-01T14:09:00.001-06:00

Photobucket Album

Utila pictures

2009-03-01T14:08:00.001-06:00

Photobucket Album

2009-02-12T15:52:00.000-06:00

Alrighty arrived in san pedro sula @ ramon villeda airport... stood in line 10 minutes for immigrations, then got bags (just like san antonio's baggage claim system), immigrations gave 90 day visa, didn't even ask a single question, stamped and go... once we got our bags, tossed them through a scanner at customs, out they came the other side, and on our way we went... aparthotel villa nuria was waiting for us with a sign with my name on it... very quick, professional... the apartments were cheap, $75 a night, better condition than some places I've seen in the states, and the complex is guarded like a light security prison - huge steel gates and concrete walls manned by two security guards - definitely more secure than any apartment complex in san antonio - i'd feel more comfortable leaving my car parked here than i would at most apartment complexes up there.. (being I've had two cars vandalized at two different complexes, I don't have a very good track record though)... No internet tonight, it's 2AM, and there is no network available at all... as a side note, my phone says there is a PCS style mobile network, though I obviously don't have service through them... guess the parents will have to wait until tomorrow to hear we made it here safely... as will this blog update...

alright, now we made it to la ceiba... woke up at 7:30 this morning, had some really good oatmeal and fruit at the villanuria restaurant (for free, actually as well)... they dropped us off at the airport, where we checked in with Islena, which is the same as Taca... We spent a few minutes in the airport, had to go through security that was harder than American security was to get through in San Antonio... They were very critical of some makeup Diamond had in her bag, luckily, the guy was nice enough to tell us they sold zip lock bags right around the corner, which we through that stuff in, and we were allowed to pass... Time to board our flight... down the corridor, down an escalator and out onto the tarmac... It's a decently sized turbo prop plane - not too terribly uncomfortable, but it was pretty warm in the plane despite having the vents open... Cruising altitude was 9000 feet, but we didn't get a whole lot of scenery once outside of the valley that San Pedro Sula sits in... 25 minutes later, we land in La Ceiba, get our bags, and two baggage carriers help us with our stuff and to find a taxi... after shoehorning our luggage into a late 90's Geo Storm (aka Toyota Corolla), we take an almost 1 hour taxi ride to the ferry. It wouldn't have been nearly as long, but there was road construction which just had everything stopped for a while. Lets talk about driving here for just a second for those that might have wanted to rent a car. Nuts, just crazy, I tell you. It is definitely different than driving in the US, both good and bad. On the good side, it appears everyone drives this way and there aren't many accidents, and the poeple are very accepting that just everyone drives like crap. On the bad side, however, no one really follows any sort of traffic rule, so it's a little unpredictable. Oh well, we're alive, now, sitting at the Utila Princess dock, waiting for the boat to show up. We've got some time, it's 1:15 right now, and the ferry leaves at 4:00... One thing for sure, everyone has been very helpful with luggage and such - I'm sure it's driven by the possibility of tips, which I have done... just got our tickets for the ferry... 800 lempiras, about $43 for the pair of us... Obviously still waiting for the ferry, we are talking about the necessity to avoid all of this if Diamonds parents are to visit us... Although I'm sure they would survive, I doubt we'd ever hear the end of it from her mother.

Part of the way there... Day 1!!!

2009-02-10T18:55:00.002-06:00

Well, don't have a ton of time to write and update this, but we're sitting in the Fort Lauderdale, Florida airport, waiting for our flight to San Pedro Sula, Honduras. The first leg of our journey went off without a hitch, nice smooth flight, on time and everything... We landed and deplaned at 7:15, eastern time, and our next flight to Honduras leaves at 10:25 for a 12:55 AM arrival time (central standard time) in Honduras...

almost there! we can't wait!

3 days to go...

2009-02-07T09:30:00.000-06:00

Well, we've only got three days left. The past couple weeks have been calm, though I am constantly going over everything in my head to ensure this is as trouble free as possible.

We have three bags, each weighing right at the limit of 50 lbs each. We have one smaller bag that will probably weigh well under the limit at 35 lbs. These 4 are getting checked in luggage through to San Pedro Sula, Honduras. We are also each carrying a backpack, and we'll have one carry on. It really wasn't as bad as I originally thought, but there are some things that we are leaving behind, for sure.

We are both certified Divemasters now. We ran a little late getting that done, but, it's done and that's all I care about right now. I bought a digital copy of the PADI Instructor Manual, a CD packs much smaller than a 1000 page binder. But, I got a little creative. As I thought it would be beneficial to also have a paper copy, I resized the entire thing and printed it on 5.5x8.5" paper. It's essentially a half size instructor manual (and the print is still decently sized). It cost me $60 in ink, two small binders and a ream of paper, and took three days to do (on and off) but it's tiny in comparison.

Lets talk needles. I HATE needles. I hate giving blood, I hate getting shots, etc. Diamond could care less. Oh well. Anyways, Immunizations. Ugh... For Central America, the Center for Disease Control recommends vaccination against a bunch of things, but we weighed our options and went for Hepatitis A and Typhoid Fever. Hep B really only transmits through sexual contact and blood transmission, which we will not have to worry about. Typhoid Fever is a pretty serious disease, but the immunizations have a 50-80% coverage. Needless to say, it's not very common in the immediate area we are going to, but I'd rather be safe than sorry. The other common one is Malaria. Unfortunately, there is no immunization for Malaria. Instead, we will be taking Chloroquine pills once a week the entire time we are there, and for 4 weeks after we leave. We should have been better prepared and done this a couple weeks ago, but I digress, it kinda got put aside.

Yesterday, we went to the store and got some personal items, made sure had toothpaste, deodorant, razors, etc. I'm sure all of this will be available in one form or another, but it'll be nice to take our own with us for familiarity sake in the beginning. Yesterday, I also made copies of all of our documents - passports, drivers licenses, social security cards, insurance. Copies to keep with us and copies to stay here at home. I also e-mailed them to myself just in case both original and copies were to be lost, we can reprint them from any internet terminal. We always hope it doesn't come to this, but you can never be 100% sure.

Today, I have to get my car ready for storage - change the oil, top off all fluids, inflate tires to max pressure, get some mothballs to scatter around the car, and fill up the gas tank with premium (I already use premium, but gas loses it's octane rating over time), and add a fuel stabilizer to the gas. Also going to clean all the crap out of the car, and take window covers with me. The Lexus is staying at a friends house for the duration (or until I'm sure we aren't coming back anytime soon), and the Maxima is for sale, and will stay with Diamonds parents until it is sold.

Tonight we are having a little going away party at our house, then going to hit up a bar or two afterwards. Tomorrow will be a major day of packing our stuff for storage - clothes, junk, whatnot. Then Monday, hopefully will be a brainstorming day making sure we have everything. Monday night, Diamonds parents are taking us out to eat. A good night of sleep (hopefully I can sleep at all, hell, I'll probably be up all night), then Tuesday, we'll be at the airport at 1:30 for a 3:30 flight to Ft Lauderdale.

As time gets closer, I get more and more excited... We've waited over a year for this opportunity!

Just some pictures...

2009-01-19T23:13:00.000-06:00

agh... no time right now, but there are pics coming...

Gave the notice at work...

2009-01-18T21:22:00.000-06:00

Gave my three and a half week notice at work this past Saturday... They didn't really wanna let me go, but, not much choice in the matter...

Anyways, Feb 7th is mine and Diamond's last day of work... I can't wait... Won't give us a whole lot of time, but a couple days is all we need...

It's been a great year at Firestone for me, and Diamond just passed her 1 year anniversary at her work as well... Kinda hate to leave, but at the same time, this is an opportunity I couldn't imagine passing up!

The time is FLYING by!

2009-01-07T18:40:00.000-06:00

Alright, so, it's been 2 months or so since my last post here, and I figured it was time to update everyone... Where to start where to start... well, we started packing... dive stuff weighs a lot... like a lot a lot...

We paid for 4 bags to travel with, and of course we each get a carry on and a personal item. Everything we are taking has to fit in one of these bags. Not only does it have to fit in one of these bags, but the total weight has to be 50 lbs or less per bag or we have to pay the over weight fees (and even then it's like $50 for 20 more pounds in one bag). Kinda ridiculous, but I suppose I do understand to a point. Needless to say, our largest bag fits most of our dive gear (everything but the regulators and wetsuits), but when weighed, we were around 65 lbs... After some sorting, I decided to put some of the heavier things in a carry on, and in a second bag, moved some of our wetsuits into that bag. It's basically a big puzzle - how to get everything to fit and get the weight distributed evenly. I obtained a portable scale specifically for this task for $25 from Duggan Diving - this thing is awesome - much easier than trying to get the weight distributed on a bathroom scale. Diamond is freaking out a little that she can't take her millions of pairs of shoes, but, is succumbing to the size/weight requirements (its shoes or clothes, her pick)

As life in the real world continues on, Diamond is getting her eyes laser corrected tomorrow (PRK) so that she doesn't have to worry about contacts and/or a prescription mask... Her doctor told her that PRK is a better option, partially due to the way her eyes are and partially because it will be the better option for a full time diver. She still has her job and all is going well, I think she even told her boss about our plans. At my work, I continue to bite my tongue. As much as I would like to think I'm irreplaceable, the truth is that I worry a little that as soon as I give my notice, that a replacement will be moved from another store to take my place. I'm giving my notice January 17th, knowing that I may work until the end of January, or possibly up until the 7th of February. That's my for sure last day no matter what.

Couple other added mentions here - we got our plane tickets for the morning after we arrive in San Pedro Sula to fly to La Ceiba. Then from La Ceiba, we'll be taking the Utila Princess to the island. One issue here - we get in to San Pedro Sula around 1 AM, but fly out at like 9 AM or so... I personally think we should just hang out at the airport - we have to go through customs which could take some time anyways, but she is thinking hotel... I don't see the value of taking a taxi in the middle of the night in a very strange place to a hotel for a couple hours of sleep, but, we'll see what happens... Another added mention is insurance. Obviously our insurance coverage through our work will cease, so we got travelers insurance. Bought 3 months worth, and plan on renewing as we go. Came out pretty cheap - $150 for the pair of us for the three months and it covers all medical and dental expenses. We did not get any type of option for trip insurance as our itinerary isn't exactly set in stone and we can change at any time...

I'm sure there is more... I'm gonna update this a little more often if possible... Stay tuned!

So, I'm a computer guy at heart...

2008-11-02T20:22:00.000-06:00

Funny how it works - I'm a techie, but we're moving to where there is significantly less tech than here...

So, I'm taking some of it with me... I figure we won't have HBO or Showtime, so, we're loading up our laptops (yes, we both have one), and an external drive I just bought (1tb) with plenty of stuff to keep us occupied - movies, tv shows, etc... I also got some webcams so that we can see and converse with our parents from afar... I figure it only takes internet access to get connectivity, which is definitely cheaper than making a call, and we also get to see one another...

There is cell phone service on Utila, but without doing the research, I'm sure it's not very cheap to call the US... Anyways, we've got Skype installed on the parents computers, and it's already on our laptops as well, so it'll be easy for the parents (both sides) to use, hopefully ;) This way, they'll get some practice before we go...

100% Committed

2008-10-30T10:41:00.000-06:00

It's now October. In San Antonio, we've done a lot. We got our Advanced Open Water and Nitrox certs this spring, followed immediately by Emergency First Response, and right after that we did Rescue. We got our Rescue certification in July, and immediately started on Divemaster. Here, we had great experiences with two dive shops. All of our training, we are doing with an instructor at Dive World on Thousand Oaks - Josh Nowitz. He's a younger college student, but is a great guy and a great instructor as well. We got our Nitrox cert through Duggan Diving. Both shops are great, friendly, and have been extremely helpful.

Thankfully, Diamonds parents have been awesome for us - we've been able to save and pay all our old bills and such, while preparing for the move. I have been in touch with Andy from Utila Dive Center a lot since we moved, and just yesterday, I paid our deposit of $200 per person for our IDC which is the Assistant Instructor and Open Water Scuba Instructor courses combined. We reserved our spot for the March 10th class, with the Instructor Exam following right behind it. Once we're done with that we'll do our Master Scuba Diver Trainer internship for more experience and more certification.

There are a couple things you have to have by this time, or close to it. We already have our passports, though her name needs changed on hers, but that is getting mailed out today. Our divemaster certification is just a few weeks away, so that is a certainty as well. Deposit is paid to reserve our spot in that months class (it appears the classes sometimes fill early, especially for the early months). We have our DAN diving insurance already, and we've got a little money saved up. I just bought our plane tickets (one way) to San Pedro Sula, Honduras. San Pedro Sula is still a little ways from Utila, so, we'll take a small plane to Utila. I have not made those reservations just yet, though I have found our schedule for all of this so far.

Keep in mind, this is not as commercial as the United States is, so dealing with things not being 100% is going to be a reality.

So far, we have plane tickets on Spirit Air (remember, trying to keep prices down). We fly at 3:30 PM from San Antonio to Fort Lauderdale, Florida. From there, we fly at 11:30 PM to San Pedro Sula, and arrive at 12:55 AM Honduras time. Honduras time is -6 UTC/GMT, and they do not observe daylight saving time (thank goodness). What that means is that during the summer months, Honduras is on the same clock as Mountain time, and during the winter, it matches up with Central time, US. We were able to get tickets for roughly $200 per person, including all the baggage fees and such.

Currently, we have all of our gear, and we've been happy with it all, so we are pretty much set there... It's a good idea to have your own gear and be familar with it's operation. I have also learned to service our own regs just in case there is ever a problem. We plan on taking some backup gear as well, we'll have one or two additional 1st and 2nd stages. Everything else is pretty reliable, and we have a backup depth timer in case a dive computer fails.

As of right now, this is current - I'll post more as I get info... Or if you have any questions, simply post a comment and I'll try to answer them in the next posting...

Our Vegas Experience...

2008-10-30T10:12:00.000-06:00

So, now we are in Las Vegas, Sin City! I've gotten a pretty good job as Sales Manager at the cities largest independent vehicle repair shop, and life is well. We have a nice house with a pool and we're doing pretty well for ourselves. After a few months of living together, we were married April 15th, 2007 on the Royal Caribbean cruise ship Rhapsody of the Seas, while in Port Galveston, TX.

Early 2007, I was given an ultimatum, Diamond told me that she would be SCUBA diving with her father on our cruise/honeymoon, and if I didn't get certified, I'd spend that time instead with her grandparents (who also went on the cruise with us). SCUBA was something I was always interested in, but never really got around to doing. So, I did some research and found a great little dive shop in Las Vegas called ScubaViews. The owners Bill and Marilyn Duckro were just awesome. They really did everything they could to get me certified on my hectic schedule. After some pool work and a couple trips to Lake Mead (in the middle of winter, 56 degree water temps), I was HOOKED! Shortly thereafter, I started doing more and more research on diving, became a member of the Scubatoys and Scubaforums forum lists. I learned everything I could, and even went on a trip to California to dive the coast prior to our cruise - every experience I could get I was going to do...

So, we got married, and shortly thereafter (think 2 hours later) we were on our way to Jamaica. A couple dives there and I was really really hooked on diving. Two shore dives in the Caymans the next day, then two drift dives in Cozumel the last stop of the cruise and I just wanted more. Diamond had told me about her experience a few years back when she stayed at the Iberostar on Cozumel for a week. Obviously, she got a lot of diving in that week, and became quick friends with one of the divemasters. He told her how he was going from place to place and getting to tour around diving everywhere. She had quickly looked into doing something like that, but never did.

Back in Las Vegas after the honeymoon, I looked for every opportunity to dive, but didn't really know a whole lot of divers and Lake Mead was the only place real close to dive - most of its good spots are accessible only by boat, which can be pricey. We did do a couple dives there though and it was fun, though she is not a fan of lake diving. One day, I got an e-mail from some place that wanted a ton of money for diving instruction abroad. I looked into it, and it sparked my curiousity a little. I looked into other places, options and actually got serious about it. I found a place in Honduras called Utila Dive Center. After some correspondence with Andy Philips, Instructor, I got Diamond in the loop, and asked her what she thought. At first, she was a little shocked that I would go for something like that, but quickly agreed. This was fall of 2007. We signed up for Advanced Open Water through Scubaviews. In the mean time, we just planned on saving as much money as possible, then when we had enough, going to Utila, Honduras to finish our plans.

Diamonds parents thought it was a cool idea and offered to give us room and board if we moved back to San Antonio. Plans changed at this time. Given scheduling, we decided that late December we would move back to San Antonio. We sold all of our big things - furniture and a bunch of other junk we had. Everything we owned now fit into our cars and a few boxes we shipped ourselves. We didn't get a chance to finish our Advanced Open Water course in Vegas either. We made a few good friends in Vegas and we miss them dearly, but right now we are happy in San Antonio.

In the beginning...

2008-10-30T09:59:00.000-06:00

I won't bore you with the details, but some will find how Diamond and I met in the beginning... It was summer of 2002, and I was working as a relatively new assistant manager at Discount Tire Company. I had moved to San Antonio, TX from South Padre Island, TX earlier that same year. The guys and myself had a store barbecue at one of the other assistant managers house. I showed up with my girlfriend at the time, and Diamond showed up as the girlfriend of one of my employees. We chatted a bit about cars and various things, but we were both committed in our own lives.

Fast forward to summer of 2003. My girlfriend and I broke up that prior spring. Diamond came into my work needing some help with her car. I helped her of course, and we got to talking - turns out her and her boyfriend that did not work for me any longer had broken up as well. We exchanged phone numbers and ended up dating from there... At the time, neither of us were in for a serious, committed relationship - we were both still fairly young. We dated each other, other people, etc. and she ended up moving to a little town a few hours from San Antonio. We kept in touch the whole time and there was always the attraction, even though we lived separate lives.

Fast forward some more to winter/spring 2006. Diamond has moved back to San Antonio, and we start seeing each other again, this time, more seriously. We really had a connection and both of us were ready to calm down a little. June 2006, on a trip to visit Las Vegas (brother lived there at the time), I asked Diamond to marry me and move to Vegas with me. Long story short, she said yes, and in September, I moved to Vegas, with her following right behind in October.