Cayos

Lisa and I had been trying to figure out a little get-a-way with the boys for quite some time now. Between juggling finding somewhere affordable, getting someone to stay at the house, and making sure the dogs were taken care of, didn’t make this task easy. Finally the plans were set and we were going to Cayos Cochinos which are beautiful islands off the north cost of Honduras.

We got up early and took the short hour boat ride, where we had hired a private boat from a local fisherman, to take us over. I enjoyed the ride as I looked at the blue water that sparkled like diamonds as the sun rays danced with the waves.

It was sweet to watch one of the older boys, Jelsing, putting his arm around the his younger brother, Isaias, in a loving and comforting gesture as they watched the waves together and searched beyond the blue sea for the islands ahead.  Another one of the boys, Jeremias, was sitting close to Lisa, as he was a bit afraid of the water after a near downing experience as a young child. The last of the four, Ever, was sitting independently and I’m not quite sure what was going through his mind.  We were starting our adventure, the wind blowing through our hair, the taste of saltwater in the air, and the anticipation of a fun time to come.

When we arrived at one of the islands I couldn’t stop smiling or staring at the beautiful water. It was so turquoise and clear that you could see the ocean floor. I felt like I was in a surreal world. It was like I had dived into the pages of a National Geographic magazine. The boys were just as excited. Cayos is made up of 13 islands and we stopped at one of them where we had to sign in and watch a short video on respecting the environment. After that we dropped our bags at the cabin we were staying at and took another small boat to explore a snorkeling spot. 

After some awesome snorkeling we were our way to another island for lunch, when our boat driver spotted some dolphins and we headed toward them. It was an unreal experience as the dolphins were swimming alongside our small boat (about the length of 2 dolphins, and shallow enough that you could put your hand down and touch the water). There they were jumping out of the water, playfully and carefree. There must have been at least 6 or more of them. We all smiled and giggled in delight as we had stumbled upon this rare and majestic experience.

We  had  two wonderful days of snorkeling, swimming, swinging in hammocks, watching sunsets, hunting for seashells and sea glass, and eating local food. It passed all to quickly and before we knew it we were back on the same boat that had taken us over, going home. This time the twin Jeremias who had been afraid of the boat ride just a few days earlier was bolding sitting by himself at the front of the boat. The waves were much more rough coming back and with the choppy water I thought for sure he would be afraid. The boat driver slowed down at one point and asked him “Papi (an endearing term), quieres ir aqui con nosotros?” “Do you want to come back here with us?” He turned around as much as he could with his restricting life vest. His  hair was windblown and he had slashes of water on his face but he was grinning ear to ear shook his head no. 

Yes, yes indeed, it had been a good trip. Not only had we lived in a fairytale land for two days but this boy had also conquered a very real fear  and was the bravest of us all.