first day of the cruise

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A poor part of the island, it was the only day we didn't have a planned excursion. That was cool with me. Plus, I was excited to use my Spanish and be my dad's official translator. We got there as it was torrentially down-pouring. Because it was a Sunday, not a lot of stores were open, and the markets were small and sparsely attended. We walked around, marveling at the sparkling beauty of the water and the tropical atmosphere in comparison to the very poor village, strewn with trash, smelling of sewage. We hired a guy who drove a stinky diesel motorcycle with a two-seater, covered rickshaw-type hook up on the back. He took us up some steep hills to a spot where we hiked up a super muddy trail and across a brown river up to a lovely little waterfall. All the while, our local guide showed us some native plants and fruit trees, and gladly answered my questions about economics, housing, and social welfare. We got a ride back from the same moto-rickshaw, and meandered around some more in the main tourist area.