Day 9: Culebra!

After car, bus, taxi, publico, foot, and ferry I am in the beautiful Culebra. More to come when I have real internet.

---

I got up early today to make sure I didn't miss the ferry. I drove my terrible little Yaris through the mountains to one of the main n/s roads across the island (my gps is convinced that since they don't have a speed limit they must be faster. My gps is sorta crazy though. Typical Conversationis something like this; gps:"Recalculating" me:"No me digas" gps:"Turn left on (pause) unpaved road" Me:"HA! No.")

Never a boring drive. Today I was forced to drive around a few stopped cars, a lazy dog, and an extremely cocky rooster. Last night I had someone pull out into my lane. Situation normal, I slid over a lane. Then their door swung open into my new lane. Without missing a beat I slid over another half a lane, oncoming traffic reciprocated, and I got the feeling this happens all the time. I also saw a raptor (for the first time in the wild), and a stretch convertible beetle. Unsurprisingly, that one was broken.

So I got to the airport, returned my car, caught the bus to the terminal, caught a taxi to the transit center, and caught a publico to Fajardo. For those of you who've never ridden a publico, it's a lot like a taxi that goes almost where you want it to, but it takes the long way and gives people rides along the way. Since it costs 1/10th as much, I love them. But despite quoting me a rate for a trip all the way to the ferry terminal, he only drove me to the Fajardo transit center. So I walked! It was farther than I expected. I started heading toward the shore, hoping that I would recognize the Spanish word for ferry when I saw a sign. They did me one better and posted a picture of a car on a wave.

After crossing the whole of fajardo, I found out my walking adventure meant I missed the ferry to vieques by 10 minutes. But no worries, there was another to culebria in two hours, and another to vieques 90 minutes after that. Being ADD, I chose culebria and opened a book.

The ferry was good, most the time. At one point it started to roll 2' up and down... that was less good, but when I put down my book and got some air it was an enjoyable ride.

Culebria is an island paradise where people don't bother manning hotel desks. After finding a few locked hotels I set off walking (again) figuring I'd find something. I followed the signs for the airport (airports always have hotels), then set off the direction all the taxis had gone, and eventually (2 miles) later found a sign that said "Hotel! 1km" about a click further I saw a sign that said "Hotel! 3/4 mi"... and eventually, at the very end of the road, I found a hotel.... with noone manning the desk. But it was sunset and I wasnt walking anymore, so I called the numbers listed. The first I could hear ringing - and wasn't answered, and the other rang the chef, who sent up someone. I convinced them to let a room for just one night, and hiked (up hill and up stairs) to it. It was actually a nice little cabin set up. A living-room kitchen, a bathroom, and a bedroom.

I showered, changed, lightened my backpack considerably, and went down to dinner. Mahi-Mahi and wine on their private beach. The food was meh, but the setting was fantastic.