The Rio Tinto Negro runs through the western side of La Mosquitia. The lower portion of this river contains only one village, the village of Limonal. Located a kilometer west of the mouth of the river is the village of Palacios.

During the dry season make shift camps appear along the river in the flood plain. Here they grow beans and rice in the fertile soil. The sacrifice for them is that they can not leave their camp during this 8 week time for fear of it being robbed. The families become infested with lice and in great need of medical care. Because these camps are temporary there is no clean water source for them. They drink the water straight from the river and this in turn causes them to have intestinal parasites. There huts are contructed of sticks and usually only contain a thatched roof and a single wall. We will use a boat to travel up river treating the families as we come upon them. Our first trip found 14 campsites containing around 250 people. The farther up river we travel, the more permenant the housing.