carnival in Port Limone

Sunday 13th October 1985

Catch the 8am bus to Port Limone on the caribbean coast, 3 1/2 hour ride over the central highlands.

On arrival find a carnival in full swing in a hot tropical rainstorm, its been going on for a week and the place and everyone looks pretty wrecked. Today is the last day. Every street stall and palm frocked bar has loud enough reggae music to wake the entire coast. Mostly black people, their english has a very strong caribbean accent.

1 o'clock bus towards Cahuita national park. Spend the late afternoon walking to Puerta Varga and back, 14km with a bus helping part of the way home. Tuned out to be nothing much there but a park office, a small camp site with no facilities, lovely and isolated but no food.

Found Jenny's place on my return to Cahuita, down by the sea, 150 C for a quaint wood, bamboo and batik room on stilts. Jenny lives in easy going style on the first floor. I think there is only one room. Extra ordinary water collecting system with a number of different taps for different things. The drinking tap tastes the foulest, mostly of iron. Outdoor showers beneath 10 galloon drum. Its all very swiss family robinson. Very peaceful.