La Isla Botanical Gardens

After talking to a local guy last night we found out that the gardens we looked for the other day are in fact still open, just the directions we'd found weren't very accurate! So today as it looked like it was going to be scorching, we decided to try again with the thought that at least we'd be in the shade when we found them! When we got there (after following the signs we'd missed before) we were greeted by a tall, slim, white guy who spoke English but with an accent we couldnt place. It turns out he was born and raised here but must have been educated elsewhere because he doesnt sound a bit like the locals. We paid him $5 each to do the unguided tour and after showing us the cinnamon tree by his house and giving us written guides and maps he led us to the start of the trail. We spent about an hour or so exploring this beautiful working farm/garden/rainforest paradise being enchanted by the tiny red poison dart frogs that were all around, the iridescent hummingbirds which move incredibly quickly and the variety of flora and fauna to be found in this small area. When we got to the end of the trail the owner came out with a cup of cool key lime juice each for us which he produces in house and was delicious. Then he went on to show us several different fruits which are grown in the gardens which it is unlikely you'll ever see in Asda! We were able to sample them all and found them mostly to be very tasty, a couple similar to lychee, others tasting a bit like mango, various textures and sizes, last of all we sampled cocao in its fresh form where you just suck off the pulp around the seed, then the dried bean itself which was like woody dark chocolate and finally some home made chocolate made with the cocao beans and vanilla grown here, nom!! As we headed back to the hostel we stopped along the way to buy some provisions from a couple of different shops for the next day when we hope to go trekking in the rainforest. When we got to the hostel it was still hot and sunny so we went out the back gate to the beach, walked a hundred yards or so to a nice spot and spent a couple of hours relaxing in the crystal clear water, taking pictures of fish and generally lazing about. As it got later we started to get hungry and so went in after a quick rinse in the cold showers to get dinner ready. A bottle of wine from the bar quite well with the rice concoction we'd made and we then sat in the bar reading until the occasional salsa or bachata song came on which we would dance to, much to the delight of the locals who thought we were very good and applaused each time! Then it was back to the hammocks for bed!