I struck up a conversation with a lady sitting on the couch
Sometimes people get brought on a vacation by their husbands and suddenly find out that the three cocktail dresses and matching pumps will not see much use at CCV. Then again, we watched one couple get "dressed" for dinner each night. They dined late and always had two bottles of wine from the case they brought along.
If I were to take
Herself on an exotic honeymoon trip (sit down dining and some wine list)
with one or two dives a day, and the
only place I could pick from would be Roatan, likely I would take her to AKR. The most elegant property on Roatan is undoubtedly Paya Bay but there isn't a semblance of any resort or dive services there. In that vein, there are some exotic luxury properties being built near AKR~ yet they have no dive services in house. It will all change.
At CCV, I have seen a lady all dolled up, sit fuming while waiting for her husband to return from an evening dive. At CCV it doesn't take much for you to look like a participant in a
pimps and ho's party. One denizen would show up for dinner in his lycra suit and work boats, thus earning him the loving name of "Boots". Makeup, lipstick, eyeliner, etc., causes raised eyebrows. Heels cause heads to swivel. On departure morning, I find it hard to recognize people, all cleaned up and wearing clothes- quite confusing.
I watched a lady show up with two cases of bottled water as checked baggage. Or wearing flea collars around their ankles. On more than one occasion, I have seen soon-to-be ex-wives show up and hide out for a few weeks. If you don't want to be noticed, CCV is the place to be. Hollywood stars have shown up there and they get bit by the sand flies just like me. The Honduran divemasters could care less if you're on ABC primetime. And that's why these people come to CCV. After two days everyone smells and looks the same anyway.
CCV requests that you show up for meals with a minimum bathing suit/t-shirt deal, but the ladies are excepted from the shirt rule. For one annual group, Wednesday is
Naked Day. I have always been napping during that post-lunch celebration.
We all take snapshots in our minds. If it rained the week you are there, it's a place that has a lot of rain. Same with the visibility or waves. Weather conditions change- this is why I never understood the goofy practice of Undercurrent that included weather descriptions during a vacation stay
without stating what month of the year it happened to occur.
Having been to almost all of the AI properties of Roatan, I know well that there is no one place for everyone. Go to CCV if you want a lot of diving. At the same time, I see any number of hard core divers beating their heads against the wall at resorts that are more balanced towards leisure... and they still know that they love the place they're at. You can't know what you do not know.
Stan Waterman takes his grandchildren there.
Stan Waterman Home
JKling:
My U/W Photo Pages:
Jeff's UW Photography Page (Fuji F30, Inon 105 Wide Angle)
The pictures were good, your U/W photo advice was even better!