Dive princesses

What makes you a dive princess?
1) you arrive on Roatan and think you will give it a try
2) you give it a try and kind of love it
3)You dive more and actually love it
4) whats that fish whats that little fellow poking out of the coral
5) now you really want to know what you are seeing and why they do what
6) sorry, you are hooked now
7) you don't wanna leave right now so you miss the ferry
8) bad weather, lets stay another day
9) I cant find my wallet
10) the Galaxy ferry at 7 am is too early anyway
11) Lets have a baleada since we missed the 2 pm ferry
12) We can have a dive since we are not going on the morning ferry
13) Group picture, we are really leaving. Okay. (Don't leave)
14) They left.....
15) But we know they left as diveprincesses, nothing less.
16) They went to explore the world, but know where they come from.
17) One fine day they will return.
18) I think 2 particular princesses know this story very well.
19) Is it then not why we love what we do?
20) Left for your comment
21) Did not forget the diveprincess who brought the crocs and did the walks

(this could also apply to a dive prince)

Where did Matthew go?

This is the story. Matthew was the first announced storm to come by Roatan this season (lets just forget about the actually really first one (TS Alex), because that one was too early in the season). We all follow the weather on different weather pages on the internet, since we are a dive community we have to be aware that the boats are secured and bilgepumps are working properly. Well by friday early afternoon it already was clear that Tropical Storm Matthew would make landfall on the coast of Nicaragua and venture inland to mainland Honduras, Which means the islands would go clear with a bit wind and rainfall.
Anyways, everyone goes by continuing on with daily life. Some looking forward for friday night out in town untill the authorities arrive with following announcement: Because of incoming storm, there will be a curfew from latest 10 pm, make sure to stock up on food and water as no vehicles will be allowed out untill saturday 6 pm.
Here are following emergency numbers and so on. Since when does RECO (electric company) answer their phones after hours? Anyways, this was around 5 pm, and Matthew was already zooming across the mainland and we still had peace and quiet.
Uwe did ask the authority person: will I get arrested for checking on our boat during the night? They assured that he would be fine. Uwe did not get arrested for the record.
We have been living here since 1999, and have been through quite a few northerns, tropical depressions, storms and getting the outerwinds from hurricanes and had never had a curfew put on us for that reason.

In a storm with wind and rain, it might be the safest time ever to forget to lock your door and go out walking the street or beach in the middle of the night. The potential looters and robbers will be cuddling up home where it is safe.

Well we guess the Islands had to follow the emergency regulations they have on the mainland. After all, they got all the rain and mudslides in the end.

Saturday everything was back to normal.

Now this week we have rain and it has been windy, but its not a TS , (its just miserable changing NNW/NW/SW), so we can run around in the night if we want to.

PS. Think Matthew went to Belize...

Christmas came early this year

After years of talking about getting a roof extension to give us some shade from the strong afternoon sun, it all turned very fast into action and reality. Big thanks to friends who helped us make this happen. Its AWESAME as Conal, divemaster, would have expressed it. A bit under 2 days and it was done. Amanda, instructor, supplied us with pics.
A lot of people were overseeing the work and the progress. Here Phil and Ken watching from above.
And here is the support team watching from across the road.

The pic'sare kind of in the wrong order, but at least I could finally upload them.
The roof is so nice. Come join us in the shade:-)

Marquito and Carmen are finally back home on Roatan

Marcos (our boatcaptain) and his fiancee Carmen are telling me once again to thank everybody who helped them getting through the months of uncertainty for their little boy, Marquito. Are the doctors going to remove the kidney or not? Is the new treatment they decided to try out gonna work? And on top of all these worries, Carmen herself had to have kidneystones removed.
Thanks again for all donations and great tip money to Marcos which went to help to pay the hospital bills.
Well, Carmen and Marquito are back on Roatan. Marcos is happy. They came for a visit today at the diveshop. (I know the photo got a bit too much sun}. As I understand, Marquito will still be on medication for a long time still. If no complications occur, they will first have to go back for a check up next year. So fingers crossed. He is a sweet little boy, who has been in and out of hospital many times over the last many months.

Mariposa Lodge

Great deals at Mariposa Lodge and Mariposa Pequena this month for walk- ins.

Min. 3 nights at the Mariposa Lodge for $35 a night (1-2 people), 3rd person +$10
Luxuary accomodation, hot water showers, TV with DVD (no cable, but they have a big selections of cd's), fully equipped kitchen, bottled water supplied, safe box in room, daily housekeeping.

Mariposa Pequena for $20 a night (1-2 people), 3rd person +$10
Shared bathrooms with hot water, shared spacious well equipped kitchen, ceiling fans, bottled water supplied, personal lockers, daily housekeeping.

Enjoy canadaen Sue and Mikes hospitality.

And its only 2 minutes away from Tyll's Dive!!!

New face at Tyll's Dive

Let us introduce Amanda and welcome her to Tyll's Dive.
Amanda is taking over from Kala who is going back to Canada mid June. We don't need to change on the board that we speak Canadian, since Amanda is also from Canada.

Luckily Clay and Lisa arrived from Arizona on thursday, after not having been here for about two years, and wanted finally do their advanced course. Here they are going over homework, and what they saw on the dive.

Feeling comftable busy is a good feeling

There is nothing better than have some nice people wandering in and out of the shop. Enjoying their dive experience with Mo and Rino.
After Semana Santa was over it got kind a quiet. But still had some great divers coming through from the cruiseship. People who do not like "cattle-diving".
Then Ernesto contacts us. Me and some friends are coming down for a few days. Always thinks he is from Nicaragua, bu everytime he has to correct me, no Guatemala, I lived in Nicaragua. But we remember always right that he likes the german football team from the last World Cup.
Ernesto is a diveenthusiast, and got a treat going out this afternoon one on one with Rino. And they spotted an octopus feeding on a conch. They told they wanted just to stay put and watch this. So rare to see.
And now we wait for them all to come back from the nightdive. Hope they saw "Strings of pearls".