Day 11 - Higuerote - Margarita:
Fact Sheet: 410 Km
Higuerote - Barcelona - Puerto la Cruz - (Ferry) - Margarita
Hotel Hibiscus - aprox. USD 20/twin
Finally all are feeling better, and ready to hit the road again! It was raining as we handled the rather busy and trecherous single lane motorway in the coastal rainforest of Miranda. Once closer to the state of Anzoategui, and closer to the coast, the landscape changed from tropical rainforests to a barren mediterranian-style scenery, with cacti and thorny bushes growing along the roadside. The motorway becomes an excellent tolled dual carriageway, and we speed on to Barcelona, make it through the intense lunch traffic to Puerto La Cruz, and find the ferry terminal. Here we decide on the "Margarita Express", which is the luxury catamaran, and clips the standard trip from 4:30h to just over half the time. The trip is relaxing, and Amarildo, Ivone and Zé are excited: their first trip to the Caribbean island of Margarita. By 17:00h we arrive in Margarita, and make our way to the other end of the island, to Paraguachí, where Ramesh stayed in 2001 at the Hotel Hibiscus, and was hoping to find a vacant room, despite not having any reservations. We are not unlucky, nor lucky: the hotel is packed with brazilians, and only one twin is available. We negotiate with the nightwatch to spend the night, and settle the following morning. Zé, Ivone and Amarildo join the two beds, and sleep together, and Ramesh hunkers down on the sleeping bags being used the first time this trip. The AC did not want to work at first, but luckily kicked in later.
Events:
| The Miranda State Police were caught by surprise in a local roadblock shortly out of Higuerote, judging by their reaction and time taken, to study and understand the car documentos and permits for a Brazilian car in that corner of the world. They collected all the papers, and clambered into their Jeep, and spent about half an hour on the radio - I guess not even the local HQ knew what to do. They were respectful, treated us corteusly, and eventually let us travel on, after checking the chassis number. |
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