The first time, after landing the aircrew opened the aircraft door. We carried our winter coats and it felt like they had opened the oven door. I looked outside and it was like we had landed into a jungle movie.
The airport was nothing more than a palm tree covered hut. The hut was also the immigration control building.
The groundcrew opened the cargo bay and using a winch, manually lowered our baggage onto the cracked tarmack. The tarmack felt so hot that I was sure the rubber soles of my shoes would melt.
The Immigration officer was more interested in our $20 US landing fee than our passport. An amount which could only be paid in US dollars.
No carousel for the luggage, no duty free shop, no little luggage carts like all the other airports we had travelled to. At this place, you carried your own baggage to the awaiting bus.
The bus driver called the white faced, winter coat crowd over, turned up the Marengue music and off we went to our hotel on the Magical Mystery Tour Bus through endless miles of sugar cane fields.
The old bus had a huge crack in the windscreen and every window pane had been broken for years. Just as we departed the airport, the rain began to come down. It was pouring down like a solid sheet of water (when it rains, it REALLY rains) . The driver had his foot the floor and we sped along a single lane dirt road as we passed the little scooters which often had 2 even 3 people riding them.
You had to be very careful walking around the village at night because there were no street lights or traffic lights.
It was the best vacation we ever had and we cherish the memory of that simpler time.
It was a different time and place.
We come back because we like the warmth and the people. They are friendly, creative and hard working.
It's nice to see the improvements over the years.
If you are wondering what this place is really like, I can say this short video of a Guagua (bus taxi) ride on You Tube will give you a really good idea.
It's quite the ride....
Here's another video (less people,classier car):
