The Sandy Cay Rock

Well, back from isla paradise adventure. Sooo good to be home!

Below’s what I wrote in the Tela Bus Terminal + SPS Terminal on my way home hoy:
…I’m in Tela terminal once again-this time alone. This marks the end of extended Vaca. Foggy-headed after what seems like weeks doing nothing but tanning, swimming, snorkeling, drinking, dancing and playing with fellow PCVs and new friends. The private Isla Sandy Cay, off the coast of Utila, was honestly a pequeño paraíso. I arrived in la Cieba on the 5th and met up with friends @ the pier to take the ferry over to Utila—a funky little diving-spot with hippie-like vibes and transient beachgoer/backpacker-town feel.
The group of us only stayed there one night and the next morning we went to wait for Barry (Son of owners of the isla) to come pick us up and drive us over to the island. We were waiting for over an hour and we didn’t know what Barry even looked like, so I started asking people if they knew barry, and then I asked this random dude if his name was Barry, and he was like “yeah…but how do you know me?” and I was like, “Well, I am Elaine’s friend,” (thinking this would spark recognition b/c Elaine rented the isla) but he said “Who’s Elaine?” (This is when things were obv. amiss. And I asked: “Don’t you own a private island, Sandy Cay?” and he replied: “Uh, no…” and so…I said: “Oh, ok, then I guess you’re not the Barry I’m looking for!” Random…I mean, how many Barrys are there, really?
So finally the real Barry shows up, and we take a quick and wet boat ride to the isla.

And can I just say: Amazing!

I was just blown away with how pristine and beautiful this little mass of land was--a simply perfect untouched place! It was certainly small (less than 10 minutes to walk around the entire exterior) but for the size-group we had, it was a good fit. The islander group was a mix of mostly H12ers, H11ers, 2 siblings, and 2 friends. We spent the days enjoying the small topless beach the girls initiated, going snorkeling in the surrounding coral reefs (which housed an insane amount of underwater world wonders), playing tons of games (drinking and non-drinking), some went deep diving on near-by islands, but mostly the time was passed just hanging out, chatting and drinking.
The snorkeling was one of the most exceptional things—the variety of fishes and their movements, the coral formations, the color of the water, this entire silent world that has existed and evolved long before we came to be…I just loved the sensation of trying to be a part of that world—or more like becoming a spy or intruder trying to swim along with the schools of fishes, or float above their coral-housing complex with all the marine-life inhabitants going about their normal business…and you feeling like this huge obese mammal-creature just trying to blend in and observe.

Its back to work tomorrow. But so far, 2009 has been a very good year...