Here I am - finally!

Hola everyone,

Here I am writing to you from my Caribbean Island of Utila its´quite small about 12km long by 5km wide and just so laid back and beautiful. It´s not western at all which is a refreshing change and the people here are so friendly and they just open up their houses on the main strip so the sound of Reggae and yumi food smells drift out as you go by.
They serve really good street food & local food, a local dish is Baliades - a flour tortila filled with various things like chicken & mango, refried beans, cabbage and onion - so delicious but way too much for lunch and sometimes too messy to eat on the street!

Ive been snorkeling twice at a place called coral view, you just step into the water and the coral is right there, its amazing to see this beautiful garden under the sea and learn about all of the fish and coral, my favourite coral is te sea fan, it looks so delicate and is purple and sways and waves at you as you glide by.

Im working at an Iguana conservation centre to look after them as the locals like to catch and eat them! we educate the local children from nurseries and schools to make them aware that this species we have here called the centausaura bakeri - or Swamper is endemic to Utila and that if they carry on eating them they will make them extinct! We breed them here and then release some back into the mangroves where they live, then monitor their progress.
There are only 2 other volunteers here at the moment, they are german, 1 boy Marc and one girl, Jana, Jana is nice and bubbly, Marc is nice but a bit quieter but they are both lovely and friendly. Then there is Monica who is a biologist and staff here and Ozgood, a lovely old man who lives next door and is staff and always here making sure everyone is ok, and fixing our bikes and other things. I have a red bike that was donated to the station, its small so Ozgood says this fits me perfectly he he! its the best one so im happy with that, and its so good to go exploring on.

Im going to start learning to scuba dive at the weekend, which will be cool I hope! and will be good to meet new people and learn another new skill - am loving learning ll these new exciting things.

Ive already started Spanish lessons, my profesor is called Eddie, he´s really nice and hopefully Ill be´able to make conversations in the next few weeks which will stand me in good stead for the rest of my trip.

Im off to Daves restaurant now for a recomended piece of Choccy cake and then a nice glass of rum at Coco Loco, a good local bar which is on a jetty, so you can sit at the end looking out to sea, so lovely and relaxing.

Hasta luego xx