2012

2012.
What this year will bring us we can only wait and see.

Will the electric company RECO keep charging high fuel adjustment surcharges all year around?
Will the West End road project ever get finished? And if so, will residents and visitors think of it as a big improvement or a total fiasco? ,

Will The Tax People come back in even bigger force and audit businesses twice a day instead of every second day for a month?
Will any of us ever fully recover from 2009's Zelaya fiasco?
Will the world go crazy because of the Mayan Calenders ending?( Maybe a calender ending might just mean its time to get a new calender.)
Too many speculations for the first month of a New Year.
Some things seem never to change though, like the prices for diving and courses, and the availability of baleadas, rice, beans and chicken. At least we have this to hold on to so we can have some stability
in our daily life.

Looking very much forward to see a lot of you again this year for diving, hanging out, a game of Scrabble, Cribbage or Rummy 500, home cooked meals, catching up and sharing stories, fantastic diving in a small group. Not just watching fins and bubbles.
A recent diver at Tyll's Dive mentioned that we are not a big fancy shop, but a small shop with a big heart and where a small group experience is what you get, not just promised. Like that, because thats what we are really.
This is why Tyll's Dive can never be a big busy shop. We need to have time for our people,
make sure everyone has a good experience and a good time on Roatan, and thats why we love what we do. And hope we will be able to continue on with this .

Hope we can add more to the Tyll's family over the year!

Back to superstitions and such, would like to close this blog entry with a quote from Groucho Marx:
"A black cat crossing the street signifies an animal going somewhere.
Sometimes thats all it is."

Canadian May

Canadian May

this month was the Canadian month,
Dan and Kate returned for more diving. Manuel and Melanie came here for the first time. The first day they were thinking- thats it? I do remember that same feeling many years ago, but then you begin to relax and get sucked in so to say.
As we thought we would have nothing to, Jenny had a group of 6-7 canadians who wanted to dive do courses, Sharkdive, relax. Overwelming, until the perfect schedule was worked out, and everyone was happy. Like that when people have the patience for us to work out the logistics and come back to finetune them together
The most impressive students are Emma and Jeremy, good work, they read the book of Padi in one day...Loved seeing Emmas face after each dive. Soo excited. Each dive was almost the best one ever.

What else happens in May? Oh yes, the mango season....Guess by now everyone are mangoed out.
Mangos everywhere, You need to wear a helmet to pass through the yard, when you go through or to clean away the stinky bad ones. They keep falling. Mangos might be health risk number two after falling coocnuts.
When its slow, we play cards and scrabble, noticing spell errors on restaurant menues and signs. A couple of weeks ago, Restaurant 360 had Slow cocked pork, Well the Sharkcave Pizza never botherd to changed their signs, Warnig this is Sharks territory! Rumours has that The Sharkcave is out of business anyway. (If there are any spell errors in this blog, its because I do not always have the Scrabble dictionary and cheat list with my...)
With time on my hands, thought its time for a:


BALEADA survey

Chapi Catrachas across the street. Very convinient. Prices went up though. As usual the beef filings might be warm , might be cold. Chicken fillings guaranteed with bone splitters, egg fillings when you see they just got new eggs, avocados filling is the safest one and really good. Depending which woman is makinkg the tortilla. Some are soggy some are on the crispier side. Beans are usually good.
Another Catrachas down the road made microwaved baleadas. Forget about them, they closed down. Cindys stewed meat baleadas are a hit. Personally I like Anthonys Baleadas more. Next to Jimmys.
Have tried 2 places in Coxen Hole, the place across from Molineros, tortillas a bit chewy, but okay. Carlitas in calle 8 was really good. 1 Baleada and a coca cola 30 lempiras, who can beat that?
The Baleada expert. Maybe?

http://lagringasblogicito.blogspot.com/2006/10/honduran-fast-food.html

June stories to follow in a few weeks.

April and stories

April

April began with the almost yearly visit from Team Wisconsin, who have been coming down over the years to get certified and dive a lot. As always we had a really fun week which ended with what has become a tradition of their last night on the island: Pizza, rum and beer on the deck.
Semana Santa came and went. It was not too bad as long you stay away from West Bay Beach.

Officially the low season begins in may according to hotel pricing. Its pretty low already now.
Anyways what to do then?
Clean out old file cabinets from Tyll. Student files back from the mid nineties. Went through them and in the bin they went. Then the interesting part came. Felt like history. Receipts from a meeting at French Harbour yacht club 7 of September 1993: 5 beers and a water for lps 58,50 including tax.
An old copy from Lonely Planet pages about Roatan.

Dangers and Annoyances:
In the water keep an eye out for spiny sea urchins on the coral reefs. Be sure to wear adequate foot cowering- not-thongs-if you walk on the reefs as coral cuts and can easily become infected in the tropics.
NOW THAT has hopefully been changed in Lonely Planet.

Roatan, population: 10565
today 2011 its more likely 80000!!!

Places to eat:
HB Warrens in Coxen Hole. It says: The cafeteria at HB Warrens supermarket is the most enjoyable place to eat, mostly because its air conditioned.

West End: West End Village is probably the most beautiful part of the island, It's only a small village, but it is exceptionally lovely, on a turquise bay laced with coconut palms.

Places to stay:
Cheapest alternative is to pitch a tent on
West Bay Beach. This beach is probably the beautiful part of the island. Its over 3 km long and most of it undeveloped with nobody on it, but a forest of coconut trees just of the beach to provide shade.

Jimmys, Roberts Hill and other places have rooms from $2,75.There are more expensive places with own cabins like Fosters for $25.

Places to eat:
Various places offers fresh fish dinner for around $2.75

The few dive shops in West End offers
courses for $200 (Monterosa in Sanday Bay $300)
1 fundive $25
10 dive package $200

This was all 15 or so years ago,

And where are we now? I will leave this open.

One more gem I found to post on the April update. I found an:

Important information list. It begins:
1)Please read the "Diver Safety Plan". Sign on the same wall with numerous diplomas. Then inform us if you want to sign.
2) If you want to go deeper than 100 feet on any dive, please go down the road to another dive shop...some of them love deep diving . (See Bugseys cement cross on 150 ft or so).
3) On a guided tour please try to stay at the depth of the divemaster. Its much easier to plan our dive profiles this way.
(I am skipping some of them)
6) The Republic of Honduras has no insurance laws. You are on your own. (That's one reason diving is so cheap here),
7) Nothing we have is for sale unless you want to buy the whole dive shop, or if you lose or break
something.
8) The most dangerous thing you may encounter during your dive here are motor boats. Here they drive boats just like taxis.


Hope you enjoyed the April blog entry with a smile.

An article from today at www.World4Honduras.com

Mitch Cummins and Judith Allred - Special to the Express-News



My dismay is over the position that the United States has taken regarding the transition of power here in Honduras. I’m not going to argue whether it was a coup or not. My first question to the world leaders is, where was your indignation when the then-President Zelaya violated the Honduran Constitution, the rulings of the Supreme Court, the Congress, the Attorney General and the National Prosecutor by proceeding with an illegal action referring to changing the prohibition of presidential reelection?

The Honduran Constitution provides for the three “separate but equal” branches of government as does the United States. Just as in the U.S., these three branches offer a system of checks and balances.

President Barack Obama has stated that the U.S. is talking to hostile governments, but said he would not speak with the Honduran interim government. Why didn’t he get the constitutional facts before announcing his condemnation of Zelaya’s removal? Knowing all the facts, how could the United States support the suspension of a long and valued ally from the Organization of American States, condemnation by the UN, and suspension of aid by the U.S.? Reinstating the Chavez-inspired Zelaya would legitimize his illegal actions.

Allegedly, Zelaya says now he would attempt the same thing, only using different methods. Do the world leaders not see a scenario of paid crowds creating chaos to back more lawless actions? What is stopping the U.S. from changing their present position, instead stating their policy is support for countries like Honduras who follow their democratic constitution?

In the months prior to his removal, Zelaya placed himself above the law. He proposed the removal of term limits, identified as treason in the Honduran Constitution which states that this cannot ever be amended. Though required, he failed to submit a budget for the year of 2009. He gave up maritime territory that damaged the Honduran economy, fishing being the country’s important and traditional industry. In this way he gave up probable petroleum rights. He threatened his own coup when Congress hesitated to appoint his preference of judges.

Where were the voices of democracy when Zelaya defied these branches of government? When Zelaya publicly said many times that he was ignoring their rulings and was going forward with his illegal referendum, where were questions from the OAS, UN, or individual countries? When Zelaya led a mob and broke into a military base to steal voting materials that had been legally confiscated by the Attorney General, where was the outrage?

Some ask what would we do if the U.S. military entered the White House, arrested the president and exiled him. I ask this question, what would we do if the United States President defied rulings of its Supreme Court. I have to believe that the American public would be as outraged as the Hondurans were by Zelaya’s actions.


Everyone I know breathed a sigh of relief when they realized on June 28 that Zelaya had been removed from office. The country is more relaxed than it was prior to June 28. Removing Mel Zelaya from office was constitutional and democratic, except for his exile. That, instead of imprisonment may have prevented violence and bloodshed. Now, as long as the interim government’s legitimate actions are not supported, it emboldens those bent on creating havoc, many who are paid and come from other countries.

I’ve lived in Honduras, on the island of Roatan full- time since 2002. I’ve been very involved in community issues, served on various commissions on the island and have met several ministerial level executives of the Honduran government during these years. Being in the communication business, in contact with thousands of Hondurans, I’m very informed.

Every one of the hundreds of foreigners living in Honduras that I’ve talked to has been appalled at the U.S. position. They also express extreme pride in the Honduran people. I’m confident that when the story is fully understood, the Honduran actions will be held up as an example of how a little and poor country can stand up to defend their democracy against powerful external forces. Honduras is definitely the new “Cradle of Democracy.”

The Bay Islands, in the Caribbean off the north coast of Honduras, is a beautiful, tranquil set of islands. We’ve had no disruption of services. The cruise ships are coming. The direct flights from the U.S. are still arriving as scheduled. The dive shops are still diving and the white sandy beaches are still beckoning. Come down and visit. Support the “Little Country That Could”.

Mitch Cummins is Roatan, Honduras’s computer and communications company owner.
Judith Allred, a San Antonio resident, lives part time on the island of Roatan and is director of the Roatan Daycare Center.

Team Canada did not listen to the news, they arrived anyway and saw for them self- all is good on the island of Roatan

It has been a very nice week at Tyll's Dive, with team Canada. Fabio and Steve brought friends down for this trip. Staying at the Jenny Blenny house. They brought beefjerkey, and on special request from Kirk, Jim Morton Coffee.(Hope I got the name right)seems like a real big thing for Canadian coffeedrinkers:-)
As always when we all have a good time, the week is over. so of course we had to do the GROUPPHOTO. This time everyone is in. Except Marcos. He had to go home. The new bench held up quite well. But we figured, we need extra support for middlepart. Anyways here is Team Canada/Tem Tyll's: Steve, Kala, Mo, Dorte, Uwe, Fabio
Yusef, Nadine, Kirk, Umbalumba (Ryan), Noelle, Andres.

Team Colorado

Sadly, Team Colorado had to leave, well they came back, because the ferry to the mainland was overbooked. Good luck tomorrow morning. Well Summer and Rich made it out of here whether they wanted or not. Was a nice week At Tyll's Dive. All great people, good weather and good vibes. Wanted the whole diving crew on this group foto. But the timing went wrong. So NOT in this photo is Janie and John, Jakob and Marie-Louise, Jolinne (instructor), Willie (divemaster), Marcos (Boatcaptain), Molly and Lowfat the shopmonsters (who knows where they were, Uwe and Dorte (had to take the photos :-). The Coloradians IN the photo are: Rich, Summer, Mari, Chris, Molly, Jeff and Alison. Instructors are Kent and Kirk.

Save money, use netbanking.

This might mostly apply to our European guests. And so far we had very positive feed back on this. You can save credit/debit card fees by simply transfer your fundiving/divingcourse bills to our account in Denmark. For the scandinavians the bankfee is vey low, but for other Europeans the bankfee has proved to still be lower than paying your bill on Paypal, paying with cards here or taking money out of the ATMs.