Alrighty arrived in san pedro sula @ ramon villeda airport... stood in line 10 minutes for immigrations, then got bags (just like san antonio's baggage claim system), immigrations gave 90 day visa, didn't even ask a single question, stamped and go... once we got our bags, tossed them through a scanner at customs, out they came the other side, and on our way we went... aparthotel villa nuria was waiting for us with a sign with my name on it... very quick, professional... the apartments were cheap, $75 a night, better condition than some places I've seen in the states, and the complex is guarded like a light security prison - huge steel gates and concrete walls manned by two security guards - definitely more secure than any apartment complex in san antonio - i'd feel more comfortable leaving my car parked here than i would at most apartment complexes up there.. (being I've had two cars vandalized at two different complexes, I don't have a very good track record though)... No internet tonight, it's 2AM, and there is no network available at all... as a side note, my phone says there is a PCS style mobile network, though I obviously don't have service through them... guess the parents will have to wait until tomorrow to hear we made it here safely... as will this blog update...

alright, now we made it to la ceiba... woke up at 7:30 this morning, had some really good oatmeal and fruit at the villanuria restaurant (for free, actually as well)... they dropped us off at the airport, where we checked in with Islena, which is the same as Taca... We spent a few minutes in the airport, had to go through security that was harder than American security was to get through in San Antonio... They were very critical of some makeup Diamond had in her bag, luckily, the guy was nice enough to tell us they sold zip lock bags right around the corner, which we through that stuff in, and we were allowed to pass... Time to board our flight... down the corridor, down an escalator and out onto the tarmac... It's a decently sized turbo prop plane - not too terribly uncomfortable, but it was pretty warm in the plane despite having the vents open... Cruising altitude was 9000 feet, but we didn't get a whole lot of scenery once outside of the valley that San Pedro Sula sits in... 25 minutes later, we land in La Ceiba, get our bags, and two baggage carriers help us with our stuff and to find a taxi... after shoehorning our luggage into a late 90's Geo Storm (aka Toyota Corolla), we take an almost 1 hour taxi ride to the ferry. It wouldn't have been nearly as long, but there was road construction which just had everything stopped for a while. Lets talk about driving here for just a second for those that might have wanted to rent a car. Nuts, just crazy, I tell you. It is definitely different than driving in the US, both good and bad. On the good side, it appears everyone drives this way and there aren't many accidents, and the poeple are very accepting that just everyone drives like crap. On the bad side, however, no one really follows any sort of traffic rule, so it's a little unpredictable. Oh well, we're alive, now, sitting at the Utila Princess dock, waiting for the boat to show up. We've got some time, it's 1:15 right now, and the ferry leaves at 4:00... One thing for sure, everyone has been very helpful with luggage and such - I'm sure it's driven by the possibility of tips, which I have done... just got our tickets for the ferry... 800 lempiras, about $43 for the pair of us... Obviously still waiting for the ferry, we are talking about the necessity to avoid all of this if Diamonds parents are to visit us... Although I'm sure they would survive, I doubt we'd ever hear the end of it from her mother.