Gualby Nation : Utila, Honduras

We arrived the morning of June 3rd and checking into the country was easy and could be completed by just the captain (my favorite). We took a small nap to recover from the overnight we had just completed. We hadn’t done one in quite awhile so we were a bit rusty, and sleepy, from the three hour sleep increments. We woke up refreshed and ready for some town exploration.
The town of Utila has a surprisingly large number of young, European backpackers slumming around the bars and dive shops. The town has a young and bohemian feel to it. While Con was doing some quick shopping in the well stocked grocery store, I was eyeing some bikinis at the shop next door. I leaned over the fence from the sidewalk and started glancing through the first non-mom style bathing suits I had seen since Miami while making sure the dogs didn’t get too close to any of the fabric, when I was approached by the young, Canadian owner. She invited me and my two dogs inside the fence and promptly gave them both some love. She was friendly and easy to smile; we started chatting and laughing right away. She told me about the cool places to check out in town, referencing some chill bars on the water and then some late night party places on the weekends. It’s always nice to meet someone right away that instantly gives you a good vibe of the town and information on local places to grab a beer and food.

Later that night we checked out Tranquila, a true to reputation very chill and cool waterfront bar. Ted and Shannon joined us for some beers and then back to our boat for a delicious birthday dinner of bacon wrapped filet mignon, salad, and cheesy baked potatoes, followed by a wonderful, homemade rum cake from the Salty Dog. The night was lovely.

The next day we headed out in the canoes to check out the split between the two islands that were under the one umbrella name of Utila. Earlier that morning, Con and I had gone for a walk in town and picked up some street food to throw in the cooler for the day’s paddle. Street food is always our favorite pick, especially in a new town. It’s cheap, consists of fresh, local ingredients, taste usually ranging from good to ridiculously delicious, and it’s a reflection of what the people that live there eat. And usually the lady selling her tasty snacks is adorable, and either smiles sweetly at us or flirts with Conor and that only adds to the experience. That morning we picked up some beef and chicken empanadas and they were close to the ridiculously delicious range of the spectrum. They are called pastels here but are the same concept as empanadas and they cost about 10-12 Lempiras, which is 50-60 cents.

The paddle mostly consisted of a small, long brackish creek surrounded by mangroves that lead us to the deserted other side of the island. We had a nice walk on the beach, a swim and then paddled back and ended the day with another swim around the boat. I like the pace here.

Conor noticed that Utila is the first place we have been to where a man can end a hard working day, tie his boat up, walk five steps to the bar, order a beer, light a joint, pass it to the man next to him, who he does not know, without saying a word except a simple greeting, and he loves it.
M.