On August 7, of 1999 I started an adventure

.....On August 7, of 1999 I started an adventure. A trip was planned for me to go to Honduras to go diving for a week at the resort named Fantasy Island located on the Island of Roatan about 40 miles off shore of Honduras.

.....Little did I know what an adventure I would have getting there. I had to get up at 4 am to make a 6:30 plane from Montgomery to Memphis then to New Orleans. This was the easy part of the trip everyone spoke English. I was to fly out of New Orleans on Grupo Taca Airways This was not a problem as I was almost 4 hours early for the flight out of New Orleans, I had to change airlines from Northwest to Taca in New Orleans. I arrived at the counter of Taca Airline to find a line of 80 Southern Baptist checking in for a mission trip to Honduras. I was standing in line for a while before it was my turn to check in. I handed over my ticket to be checked, the lady behind the desk started talking in Spanish about some thing and I could not understand what she was talking about but had an idea she didn't want me to know what she was talking about. "Mr. Brown would you give us about 45 min. and come back?"

.....At this point I felt I knew what was going on, the plane was over booked. The Baptist were easy to spot they were all in blue tee shirts with name tags. I had spoken to one or two of them while waiting to check in. I walked past a group of the Baptist that were talking about the plane was over booked by 15 or 16 people. I went to get some lunch and started to worry about if I was going to get to Roatan on this day or not. I came back to the airlines desk to find that my worrying was for nothing. "Sorry Mr. Brown we had to make a place for you on the plane from San Pedro Sula to Roatan that plane was booked, but we have it worked out and you should not have any trouble on that end."

.....The one thing I had heard about Taca was that they would lose your luggage and that you must pack some things into an carry-on-bag. I had my underwater camera and regulator along with a swim suit packed into a small carry-on-piece-of-luggage. I checked my large bags with all the things I would need for a great time of diving and relaxing at Fantasy Island. I was set to go I had checked my bags and I had my carry-on-bag, and if I had to I could rent most of the dive gear I needed to. I knew that my dive buddy was already on the Island and would be looking for me so we could maybe do a shore dive that night, Hot Dog.

.....The flight from New Orleans started with a man meeting me at my row and seat wanting to change seats with me so he could sit with his little girl, no problem I moved back a few rows an set next to two ladies one was a Veteran from North Alabama and the other was a lady from Kentucky. We had a nice long talk on the way to Honduras. One lady introduced me to John Brown who was sitting on the next row over from me. What are the chances that there would be 2 John Browns from Alabama on the same plane going to Honduras? It was a good flight a little bumpy but not to bad. When we got to San Perdro Sula the fun begain. I had though that anywhere that you would have an influx of English and Spanish speaking people that all the announcements would be made in both, Not in San Perdro Sula! And even if they had been Their PA system was very hard to understand. I looked around for signs but the only ones I saw showed a flight that had left 4 hours earlier. I knew what time the flight was to take off so I was not worried. I tried to find some one who could tell me where I needed to be but I was getting no where fast. I knew the Baptist were not going where I was going and they were busy sorting things out so I could not ask them for help. I knew what time my plane was to take off so I waited till people started moving out to the gates. I fell in line and ask "Roatan?" And a finger was extended pointing down the hall to a line of people going through a gate. I stopped and asked the ticket agent "Roatan?" Another finger extended and was told "Down Stairs". I was on my way and another agent stopped me and asked to see my ticket which I pointed to the last guy and said he had taken my ticket, OK. Now I am on my way, Down the stairs and out to the plane.

.....At The door of the plane I was stopped and told that I had to put my carry-on in the cargo hole of the airplane as it did not have room for my large bag in the cabin. I did not want to let go of my Camera but I did have a lot of foam around it and the stewardess told me it would be ok and gave me a receipt for the bag and told me when we landed I could get the bag back. I saw the crew put my bag in the cargo hole near the left engine, that was OK as it was one of the last thing put on. I got on the plane and sat down next to a man going not to Roatan but to Belice City. I had a thought and ask the stewardess as she walked by "This plane is going to Roatan?" Which she repled

"NO!!!!! YOU ARE ON THE WRONG PLANE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YOU HAVE TO GET OFF !!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Ok I said and got off the plane, "I need my bag with my camera". "NO" the stewardess said and passed me off to one of the airport people, a young lady, and shut the door. I looked on as my carry-on-bag left for god knows where. I as taken back to the airport I tried to talk to the young lady I was with but she was so upset all she could do was talk into the radio in Spanish which I did not understand. Once we got inside I asked her where the plane to Roatan was she said it had taken off at the same time as the one I was on took off.

.....Now what did I do I thought. I am ok but my carry-on is on one plane going who knows where and my bags I hope are going to Roatan and here I sit with nothing but a smile and what I was wearing and a ticket good for next week to New Orleans. The young lady is still on the radio and finally said "You must go to the main desk down stairs in the main lobby." I asked the young lady to show me where this desk is. She did not seem to want to go to the desk but agreed to show me where it was. Down stairs it was a mad house of people and it did not look like one of them was speaking English. I was smiling and not worried as I felt every thing would work out. The young lady looked like she was going to have a heart attack and I was telling her I was OK and it would work out. I got to the main desk down stairs and the guy behind the desk was the same one who had taken my ticket at the gate, and told me "down stairs". I knew things were looking bad now. The young lady who could speak some English now left me with a guy who could speak even less English. I was trying to wait my turn when the man ahead of me, who seemed to be 3 sheets in the wind, turned around and said some thing in English. O BOY!!!!!!!!!!! "You speek English!!!!!!!!" He turned to me and slurred "I speeeek Goooood Englishsss" 'I told this guy what had happened to me and that I did not speak any Spanish. He offered to help me out. After about 30 min. I was told that Taca Airline was going to put me up for the night in a motel and that I would be on a plane in the morning to Roatan. I said OK. The ticket agent handed me one one-way ticket for "La Ceiba", and nothing to Roatan, now what I was going to "La Ceiba", Where the HELL is "La Ceiba" and why am I going there. The man who was helping told me that there was a Goooodd hotellll, "LaQuinta Hotel a very gooooood hotelllll",there and that was where I would spend the night. "Why am I going there to spend the night?", I asked. Because the airplane will go from there to Roatan early in the morning.

....."OHHHHHH!!!! I see" I said, I didn't but felt that the people in this airport were trying to get rid of me and dump me on some one else. I was told that there would be some one to meet me on the other end and they would help me out there. "The Airline is going to buy you your supper", my translator told me. "Here is a voucher for Wendy's over in the corner there." Well at least it was food I thought. I went over to Wendy's and they had the same menu as in the states but it was in Spanish. That is ok as I knew the menu and there was pictures so I knew what I wanted, right. What I didn't know was how to ask for what I wanted. I felt like a little kid holding up 4 fingers as the people behing the counter looked at me as if to say you dummy what do you want.

.....I was really own my on now. I had to go back up stairs to the waiting room and sit for 2 ½ hours for the plane to La Ceiba. I was sitting there when one plane took off and all the people in the waiting room got up and left, except for 2 of us. My self and a man in a pink dress!!!!!!! Not really a dress but it looked strange for a man in Honduras to have the dress of an Indian Hindu. I spoke to this man, "Excuse me but I do not understand. You do not look like you are from here" The man was from Honduras but had been in India for 10 years studying Yoga, and he spoke very good English. For about 2 hours we talked about religion and life in general. I had a great time an also found out this man was going to La Ceiba also. I told him I was going to stick with him till I got to La Ceiba. I was now happy to have someone to talk to who could get me on the right airplane. The time came to get on the airplane, I was OK. We walked outside to a thunder storm I got on the airplane as lighting was lighting up the sky, But I was OK. I still did not have anything but a smile and what I had on but I was going to sleep in a bed tonight some where. The plane took flight and the lighting didn't looked so good. The plane was a little bumpy but I was OK. The Hindu man was sitting behind me and we talked some. I turned and looked out my window to see what looked like one of the props was not turning. I had to be just the way the light hit the prop!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was on an airplane only had one engine running to save gas I guess. We flew for about 35 min. just before we landed the engine was started so we would have full power for the landing in La Ceiba. I got off the plane and went through the line to go to customs and immigrations but I had no luggage. I heard my name called out by a lovely young lady "Mr. Brown." I called back "YES". "If you will please come with me," I was in heaven now a person who was able to speak very good English and could help me with the Airlines. The young lady told me I had to go through customs and Immigration here in La Ceiba. I told her that was ok but all I have was my book and what I was wearing. The agent told me "No we have your bags here and your carry-on is in the office. All 3 of my Bags were there in a town I should not be in!!!!!! I was told that a ride to the motel was arranged and supper was ordered for me when I got to the motel. I was given my bags and taken to the motel with a bus load of the airline workers who made me feel like I was home, this was great. We pulled up in front of the motel where a night watchman was standing with a M1 rifle outside the door. The rest was a blur as I was checked in and ate supper.

.....I got to the motel around 10 pm and had to be up and ready to go back to the airport by 5 am.

.....I made it to Roatan the next morning and even made breakfast an the first dive of the day.

.....I would have to say that The experience was OK and I did not miss anything that I was planning, but I did have an adventure. Learn Spanish or go with someone who knows Spanish.

.....Diving at Fantasy Island was not Cayman but it was great. The water was not as clear but the walls started at 30 feet, tanks had 3000 psi and most all the dives were 50 min. long. We had 3 dives a day and 2 night dives. The Boats were small and we had to go back to the dock to change tanks after each dive but that was nice also. The boat caption and the dive master did everything they could to make sure there passengers had a good time. There was a lot of sea life. The food was good and lots of it but not much of a night life. The bugs were not to bad but you did need to put on something to protect yourself from them when you went out.

.....ON the trip back to New Orleans I found someone that was going my way that knew Spanish. I told him "Please get me back to the States" and he did.

.....All in all it was not Grupo Taca Airways fault that I did not speak Spanish but they did try to help me in any way they could. I would fly with them again.

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