La Ceiba

My next adventure was trying to leave Honduras. Whilst we were in Utila, the Port Captain was consistently absent meaning that we could not clear in. Basically, I never arrived in Honduras, so if you don't arrive, you can't leave.
I already missed my first flight back to Belize due to this, and the second day I just had to go for it and pray the boys could find Mr Ramon PC!

So on Tuesday I took the ferry from Utila to La Ceiba - people throwing up all around me. My sea legs came back as I hunkered down for the 90 minute ride reading my book with passion and blasting my Ipod to max to drown out the "Raaaaaaaaaaalf" sounds all around me! Grabbed a cab and went directly to immigration to explain my situation. It was 3.40 and they close at 4. A huge thank you to Amanda at Immigration who really did try to help me - but her final conclusion was without something official from Utila's port captain, I was going to spend more time in La Ceiba!



Pigs
Nobody apart from me seems to have noticed a cart full of pigs!

The Ceiba
This one is for Sylvain - you know why!
So, after asking Amanda what to do now, I headed for the Mega Mall - bought a phone and headed for Applebees to start up an HQ.
Bought myself some drinks
Had some breakfast (rather hungover from the night before, breakfast was at 5pm) and started the phone calls. First to Peter who was on the boat alone, Mike was on shore with the dinghy. I managed to get hold on the Port Captains mobile phone number (thank you again Amanda "la guapa" who used her wily ways to get the number from some other bloke in San Pedro Sula!). I called him and he told me that he hadn't been to the office in a few days. We'd noticed. I explained in my best Spanish the situation, and he said he would meet the boys that night to clear them in. Phone Peter to tell him. Phone JH to get him to walk to the other end of the island to find Mike, to tell him to go back to the boat. Eventually, I get a phone call back saying that the Port Captain had done the papers and he could fax them. So he faxed them to some rather confused staff at Applebees. I have now legally entered the country so I can leave! I'm so happy and relieved that I hit the Carrion shopping store, I now have shoes, bikinis, skirts and hair scrunchies galore. Thank goodness for Visa cards.
I check into an ok hotel and try to sleep - noooooooo such luck. Anyway, at 4.30am I get a taxi to the airstrip, fly TACA to San Pedro Sula. Of course, I'm a total muppet and get my tweezers and pepper spray removed from my handbag with a questioning look from airport security. I think "Ooops" was my answer. Just before my 9am flight to Belize City, an official comes over and talks to me about my paperwork, takes my passport away and disappears. I think I'm doomed but then I get personally ushered to the plane and given back my passport! YAY!
La Ceiba airport



Anyway, I finally get back to Belize City - greeted by Wade the Gringo!
Get to San Pedro, greeted by "about bloody time and where's my present?" - Pedro was waiting for me to take me STRAIGHT to work - lol, no rest for the wicked.
BLOODY GREAT TRIP - THANKS ALL XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX