Today 6 of us charted a small speed boat to take us around a few of the islands. However, we needed fuel for this, so Elena and I first made a pitstop past the local supermarket and picked up a couple of pineapples and a watermelon. Barry's job... supply the knife.
After breakie we all assembled at the pier where our boat was leaving from. After some manoeuvring of boats we were finally all aboard!!
This morning was a lot cooler than yesterday, and we had quite a bit of rain over night. So the water was a little choppy. There was one occasion that the boat hit a wave and kind of slid sideways....I thought to myself this is it, we are all going in for a swim. But somehow, and I don't know how the boat driver brought it back. I guess this boat will not be renamed titanic the second!!
Our first location for our boat trip was a place called dolphin bay. Now this is where you go for whale watching.... Just kidding, dolphin watching!! We spent a bit of time here... Looking for the elusive dolphins. We couldn't see any anywhere. We had all but given up hope of seeing one, when out of the blue we hear a breathing sound.... And there he was. His fin popping out of the water, he was just so majestic and beautiful!
We watched him for a while.... And then it was time to move to our next location.... Sloath island. This island was only a short distance from dolphin bay. We stayed in the boat and spotted sloths that were sleeping up in the trees. We actually saw quite a few sloths... And we saved the best until last. The cutest, smallest sloth was only metres away from our boat. He looked at us, with his big grin, and then he went back to sleep!! Good way to finish at sloth island..... on a high.
Next location was red frog beach. I'm guessing you are now picking up on the theme of the islands....essentially they are named by what ever you can find on them. So in reality, red frog beach should actually be referred to as mosquito island and that would be a better reflection of what you find on it. So the boat dropped us off for a couple of hours, so we made our way down the path that leads you to red frog beach. The walk took us about 5 mins, and was a pretty nice walk. We arrived at the beach, and realised that it's actually a bit rough to swim in. When they have massive rip signs all along the beach and instructions on how to swim out of a rip, we thought better than to go swimming there. Although it was probably a bit too cold to go swimming anyway. Kim and I were more interested in finding these red frogs. We trekked along paths, searching leaves and trees and never found one. They can't be that hard to find... They're red. I later found out that they are the size of your thumb nail..... yeah makes it a little harder.
No frogs, however I was metres away from a tree that dropped a seed the size of a coconut, and I think that took 5 years off my life.
I did see some cool crabs though!! Kim and I finally made our way back to the group, just in time for a fruit lunch and for the heavens to open up.
We have actually been quite lucky with regards to rain. We haven't had too much of it, so we were about due for a rainy day. Considering it is rainy season, I'm actually surprised we haven't had more. I'm not complaining!!
On a brighter note, the pineapple was to die for!! So sweet!!! Our good deed for the day was giving the other half of our watermelon to a family who was living on the island. As we were leaving, we saw the little boy eating his watermelon slice and grinning from ear to ear!!
The boat then returned us to our island. We had made plans to catch the bus up to star fish beach, but were second guessing whether the weather would be ok to go. But once we got back to the island we could see that the weather was only effecting the South of the island, so we decided to go. So we caught the bus to the north of the island. There's no way you could get lost getting there, as there is essentially only one road across the island. It was pretty good quality most of the way, apart from the part that looks like it is one decent rainfall away from becoming a land slide. The road has already broken away from the main road and is about to slide down the hill.
We were dropped off at 'star fish beach' but as far as we can see there aren't any starfish. Maybe we should call this crab beach? But then we noticed a trail. No signage or directions, so what else do you do, you walk on down it.
The path continued on for a while, until it came to the mankiest looking mangrove creek. Here lay 2 narrow beams.... Ok..... I just have to cross it without falling in. One step after another, I made it!!! The only thought going through my mind after that was, I have to do that all again to get back to the bus!! Crap!!! Can I really be that lucky twice in one day??
We continued along the path.... Wondering where it was taking us. We then started to come across quite a few people walking the opposite way, so we knew something was ahead.
Out of nowhere a little paradise opened up. Lots of shack restaurants and bars were open, banana lounges and hammocks along the beach and that's where we spotted them.... Starfish. They were big beautiful orange ones. I was a very happy woman!! The bay was so calm, and the water was so crystal clear.
We spent a bit of time admiring our new friends. Then it was time to walk back. It was at this stage that we realised that we all had prickles in our feet. Don't ask me what they were or where they came from.... all it know is I had a handful of them in my feet. I did my best to pick them out, but I obviously didn't get them all, as the walk back to the bus was interesting painful.
We all managed to cross the makeshift bridge for the second time, and back to the bus on time. No casualties. Although a local boy was taunting us. We were very slow at making our way across.... he just stood on one side yelling at us 'rapido' which means fast. We then let the two of them go across and essentially they could have done it on their hands blindfolded, going backwards.
Tonight we had a group dinner and afterwards a few of us hit a local bar where they had a fire twirler. I couldn't believe how amazing he was. At times I was wondering how the hell his dreadlocks didn't catch on fire, the next I thought he was going to strangle himself with the cord of his fire balls (secretly I was also surprised that he didn't burn his balls.... as the fire often came close to that region). I had my mouth open most of the time.
After a few more drinks it was home to pack....again.