Hiking and other adventures

We have been so blessed by the Bells generosity and fun adventurous spirits. We got the opportunity to go for a lovely hike near the North shore into the wetlands of the island. We hiked a lovely loop called the Nakoa Trail, which had the whole gamut from stream crossings, 4x4 trails, muddy washouts and pigs! We saw a hunting party coming down out of the mountains with their dogs they use for tracking and killing the pigs, and the last man out had the pig strapped around his back like a backpack.

We had a wonderful time and got to experience different flora and fauna as we traversed a mountain from rain forest to a much dryer, almost chaparral environment. We did see many beautiful flowers and wild orchids along the hike, and many interesting trees.




The only sad part of this day was that we got bit by quite a few mosquitoes :( But feeling invigorated by the hike, we kept our chins up and had a wonderful time.

The second weekend we were on the island, the Bells took us out to a place called Goat Island. This island is close enough to walk/swim to during low tide, so we drove north and explored the island, which is a bird sanctuary and very beautiful. We swam and played in the lagoon, and walked around the island looking at the beautiful lava rock tide pools, and peeking on in some nesting birds from time to time.



After seeing the island, we drove to a local legend called - Romy's Shrimp Shack. This place is amazing they raise all their own shrimp and prawns and serve them cooked to perfection. There are about 6 menu items to choose from, all delicious, and everyone knows it. We waited in line for close to 45 minutes before getting our order in, but every second was worth it. Each plate comes with a bowl of rice topped with lots of savory shrimp or prawns cooked to order. Romy's also has about a half dozen artisan dipping sauces that you can order along with your meal to change the flavor a bit. This place was AMAZING, especially for a little one room shack on the side of the road, but they have been in business for years and have a loyal following.

Once you start eating though, there is no going back- shrimp juice and sauce gets everywhere as the pile of shrimp heads and shells pile up! There are sinks scattered throughout the dining area to help clean you off once you are done, but until then your hands and fingers are a delicious mess!