We got dropped off at the base of the highest point on the island and were met by our guide, Suckey. (Yes, our guide was Suckey!) His niece, Sophia (about eight years old) also joined us together with the woman from the tourist bureau Chrysanthea. So we figured with Chrysanthea in flip flops and an eight year old - how hard could this be? Suckey, with a jug of water and a machete led the way (stopping by a small hut on the way through the town for a swig of homemade rum, which he claimed was "for the blood"). The crew started up a path and interesting flora was pointed out along the way. There is this very wierd thorny bush with lovely fragile fernlike leaves - but the thorns are quite deadly looking and they harbor a mean little ant with a vicious bite. This was how the Brits often tortured some captured Spanish - tying them to one of these trees and letting the ants have a feast until they "talked." There was also a colorful little berry that is used for making bracelets, necklaces and art. There were lots of different tree varieties including noni, yuccas, mangoes, birches, cotton, and a sweet plum. The cotton tree is used as a filler for pillows. As we made our way up a path that got steeper and steeper, we walked along lots of rocks that would be covered in water during the rainy season. The rocks were a bit of ankle twisters, but we trekked on. The eight year old was like a little goat - running ahead and then waiting for Chrysanthea. The flip flops were not such a great idea!
Luckily it was a cloudy day - otherwise the heat may have been too much. The humidity was quite high and it was a workout. It was hard to look around you, having to look at your feet and the next step - so you didn't trip on a rock or stump. We passed an area where someone was trying to conserve the native plants, many of which got destroyed in a hurricane a few years back. There was an area where they had all these tiny black plastic bags filled with dirt and sprouts of mango, sweet plum and some other native trees. They get seeded and then given to folks to plant in their yards or lower on the mountain during rainy season. Quite a cool project.
Anyway, we kept moving up the hill like a trail of ants following Suckey. Finally, we broke through the dense woods and started to see some remarkable views of the island. As we got to the peak, it got quite windy. The overcast day didn't make for the best photographs, but it certainly made for a bearable hike. We sat at the top of El Pico on the rocks and took in the islands view and a chance to rest. As we were resting, two more groups of climbers showed up. Apparently, El Pico is "the" thing to do. Then, we reversed and headed downhill - which in some ways was even more difficult.
On the way down, because it had gotten warmer, we saw some of the islands very colorful lizards - they are this very bright blue with a colorful stripe down their backs. They are poisonous(should you choose to eat one). They are cleverly named "Blue Lizards" (a name even we could remember).
We made it back down the hill - hot, tired and sweaty. The hikers (in typical cruiser fashion) instantly sought out a tienda for some cold beers. We had a very tasty cold one and then loaded back in Elvis' truck for the ride back. He went a different way - so by the end - we had been around the entire island. We stopped by a woman's art studio - she's the one that makes all the fabulous tiles seen on the island.
Once back, several cruisers decided to try to a small local restaurant for lunch. We enjoyed a big "typical" feast of soup, meat, rice, and slaw. It was tasty and not expensive.
We headed back to the boats and could not move the rest of the day. We had planned to head out for an anniversary dinner - but decided we didn't even have the energy to get the dinghy in the water (we got picked up in the morning by a fellow cruiser to "dinghy pool" into the dock for the morning trip.) So we had some leftovers for dinner after a much needed swim/shower. It was an early night for the crew and today -we are surprised we can move.
It was a great hike with great views and a good adventure. Now, we wait for weather to head to Honduras. It's been very windy with some cold fronts coming through. We have guests coming to Honduras in early April - so we need to start moving relatively soon.
----------
radio email processed by SailMail
for information see: http://www.sailmail.com
No comments:
Post a Comment