When we arrived and anchored the ship, it seemed like we were surrounded by a lush, magnificent paradise right out of a picture postcard. Tall, swaying palms. White, sandy beaches. If you had a dream about an ideal spot in the tropics, this is exactly what it would look like.
But I would soon learn that, many decades ago, these islands were a nightmare for many. Perhaps it was my imagination, but as I went ashore in a little Zodiac boat, I started to feel the darkness even before hiking deeper into the shadowy light of the jungle.
