Airplanes, snorkling and hammocks

Well, after two flights...one of them 4.5 hours and the other being 1 hour...I made it to Roatan.

Getting through security at LAX was fun...I had to go through the metal detecor 3 times because first my belt set it off, then my headphones set it off.  So once I made it through I met up with my group and chilled at the terminal for ~3 hours. 

Then the first plane ride begun.  I got kinda jipped because my seat couldnt recline (it was next to the emergancy exit) and the headphone jack was broken, so I couldnt watch anything...but it was an aisle seat.  Well fortuately I managed to sleep through about half of the plane ride.  Odd thing was since it was a Central American airline, the primary language was Spanish...so I had to wait for the English translation.  We got served breakfast (I had waffles) and I managed to sleep a little more before landing.

We got off the plane within a stones through of the exit was the next gate where our plane to Roatan was waiting.  It was a propeller plane.  So after a hour we boarded and departed in the tiny 30 person plane...this time I got a window seat.

This was the view from the plane as we left the mainland and headed for Roatan.

We began our descent and I noticed that we were getting closer and closer to the water.  It wasnt until the last second that land appeared and we touched down immediately afterwards.

The plane parked and we got out and headed for the very tiny airport.

After passing through customs and getting our bags, we got onto the bus that was waiting for us.  After a scenic drive we arrived at the resort.  Being about 80 degrees with 90% huminity, everyone was immediately feeling the effects and sweating.  After a quick welcome we were given lunch in our own private dining room.

This is the view from our table...yes this is what we get to look at for 3 meals a day for 2 whole weeks...jealous?

Well after eating the amazing lunch, we grabbed our bags and crossed over onto the key to see our rooms.

The walkway to our room was lined with coconut palms and other lush tropical island plants...including holes with crabs in them!  Well our rooms make up a 'complex', with the two guys rooms in one building and the two girls rooms in the other, which share the lounge area...which is: 3 hammocks, 2 lounge chairs, and one hell of a view to wake up to.

After taking in the scenery for quite some time, we unpacked and went on a giant snorkling excursion.  There we swam to 'Bailey's Key', where the dolphins are...while avoiding the jellyfish in the channel.  We climbed up on the shore and walked onto the catwalk and watched as another group swam with dolphins.  With the cooling breeze at our backs sitting under the shade of a canopy, we looked forward to when we get to swim with the dolphins.

So then we swam back, lounged around a while more, got our gear, and got to relax in an air-conditioned classroom for awhile.

Not bad for a first day huh?...oh and the reason I'm on now is because this week the internet is free.

Tomorrow we start our dives.  Also, I took one of my disposable underwater cameras and took some pictures.