Day 70: Caribbean bound

Possible electrocution - the price you pay for hot water.

Sweet ceiling fan.

We got an early start on the road this morning seeing as we don’t know how long it’ll take to get to the Caribbean coast and according to the map, it looks like the furthest trip that we’ve attempted to take so far. After loading the Jimny Cricket with all of Matt’s stuff (since this trip will end at the airport for his flight back home) and our trip gear, we barely fit. Each time we stopped, we made sure the car was parked near us. We weren’t so afraid of anyone breaking in, but rather, a couple of guys picking it up and carrying it away.


Our route required us to climb the same mountainous roads into the clouds that we had previously taken to San Jose with the exception of a detour to the east before we hit the congested city. From there it was a pretty direct route with little need for signage. We refueled with food and gas a few times and made it to our destination of Cahuita in a little under 10 hours.

In a place with no Best Westerns, I’ve learned an important hotel lesson – don't commit to anything until you see your room. After looking at Tito’s Casas, our first stop, I was glad I did. We were brought to a pink room with a double bed and a twin bottom bunk. Amenities included a mosquito net.

Apparently, the Jimny thought it was a fine place to stay. The sun set while we tried to start the car. Since we couldn’t keep the windows down because of the mosquitoes (dusk is feeding time), the windows fogged up, Mike’s shirt slowly became a darker shade of gray with each minute, and Matt got claustrophobic and decided to the battle the skeeters than be trapped in the Cricket (that was after he contaminated the little air we had by farting). Mike’s mood went from irritated to infuriated after 20 minutes and peaked at about the 30 minute mark when the car decided to turn on.


We drove to the next lodge, Hotel Belle Fleur, and while it was as minimal as option number one, the white walls and sheets made it look cleaner. I wasn’t on board, but after the stunt the Jimny pulled, Mike wasn’t in the mood for me to be picky so I sucked it up for the sake of his patience.

Our room was equipped with a desk fan mounted to the ceiling (which worked surprisingly well with the exception of a loud click every time it made a rotation) and hot water heated by some dangerous looking wires connected to the showerhead. None of us chose to use it. We felt survival was more important than a comfortable shower.


After settling in and calming down, we ate some Caribbean grub and caught a glimpse of town. Seeing as it was dark, we figure tomorrow will be better for experiencing the diverse town that’s painted red, green and yellow an accompanied by an endless reggae soundtrack.