Translation of en vez de

Robert wants to tell us not only about nature and its secrets but also about the ability of the human being to recognize what happens around us. We see only the nice side if we just read and do not analyze.
The cannot do it because of the girl's pregnancy. This fact creates a very unpleasant tension between the two characters, their future seems to hopeless and uncertain. Will they be together?
The ferry took me to the island. Sitting next to me there was a local guy with two packs of beer, and he seemed pretty drunk for this hour of the day. He offered me some beer and I was polite.