Jamaica - part 7

The boat ride was a pleasant antidote to the bus ride. The river was neither hot nor humid nor mosquito-infested. It gets its name from the dark layer of peat on the river bottom, making the water look black even though it's clear. The guide was a knowledgeable and witty young man who could explain the difference between red and white mangroves, identify osprey and herons, and feed crocodiles raw chicken with his bare hands. The mangroves were huge, their "straws" extending twenty or thirty feet down in some cases. The crocs were few and far between and semi-domesticated from all the raw chicken.