(Written 8/29/13)
Wow. The brothers decided to treat us this week. we took two days off from work and walked 3 hours down the side of the mountain to the beach, camped overnight and returned the next day.
The beach was the most beautiful beach I've been to on the island. The water was the perfect turquoise color and the finest white sand I've ever seen. No rocks were in the water, just sand. Although the water was cold, it was extremely rewarding after a tough hike down the mountain.
The "path" was barely a path and it required a lot of walking on lava rocks. I haven't quite mastered walking on rocks but I'm getting there. I moved pretty slow, but after 3 hours we arrived at the fantastic beach.
We were completely alone with no boats or other people so we really had this private beach to ourselves. The beach was also a great place to bird watch. We saw many pelicans, Blue Footed Boobies and Fragate birds. We also saw a few sea turtles, marine iguanas and of course, plenty of crabs.
Unfortunately, I recently got a cold so I was dealing with that. I also managed to get stung by a bee and cut the bottom of my foot on a rock after stubbing my toe, but somehow I still managed to have a good time.
For dinner, the brothers went lobster fishing and caught over 30 lobsters. We cooked a few for dinner, but we have lobster for the next week, I'm sure.
Before going to sleep we all laid in the sand star-gazing for about an hour. Without any city lights, we could see so many stars including a few shooting stars. Once it was time for bed, all 5 volunteers packed into a cozy tent and I fell asleep listening to the ocean waves.
In the morning I was dreading the walk back up the mountain. Luckily, the brothers were very nice and let me ride the mule up most of the way. That mule ride was definitely a highlight for me. No longer looking down at my feet, I was able to look up and around at the scenery. Of course the trip wouldn't be complete if I didn't manage to smack my head on a tree in the process.
It really was a great little trip though and I'm so glad we got to go. I would have preferred to feel a little better, but I still had a good time. I never expected such a treat when signing up for a volunteer program. The brothers really care about us having a great experience and not just doing work. I'm so glad I'm here!
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