The rain continued throughout the night. Alec and I were both a bit concerned that the collectivo might not be able to make it back through to Carate if the paths were washed out, and with the downpours, we weren’t too keen on another jungle hike. So we headed back to Carate, hoping to catch the first collectivo.
As 8:30 came and went, we realized that the road must have been impassable and that the morning jeep wasn’t going to come. Neither of us wanted to head back to La Leona, so we pressed on to find the Lookout Inn, the one place to stay in Carate.
When we got there, we were told that the cost of a room is $75/person/night. This was a bit of a shock to us, as we were both used to hostel prices somewhere less than $10/night. However, Jefff, the chef/bartender/inn keeper was very friendly and let us chill out there for a while. We decided to try to wait there for the afternoon collectivo. And if that failed, we could always wash dishes. Besides, there was a friendly Scarlet Macaw hanging around. Who could resist that?
Behind the Lookout, there is a very steep stairway going straight up the mountainside and into a jungle hike loop. We had time to kill and there was (mercifully) a break in the rain, so off we went.
After the exhausting ascent, the trails levelled off and winded through the jungle. Though the trail was more interesting and deeper into the jungle than the park hike from the day before, the wildlife was still pretty shy.
The trail continued on along a stream that climbed into a very impressive waterfall. As we got there, the sun broke through the clouds and the jungle changed. We started hearing more calls and rustling in the leaves above. Eventually, we saw a family of squirrel monkeys running around above us.
We made our way back around the loop at returned to the Lookout Inn. The collectivo was due to return any minute so we sat on the deck and waited. And waited. And waited.
And so, the collectivo driver, we imagined, decided that if he couldn’t make the trip in the morning, there was no reason to attempt in the afternoon. With no other real options, we stayed at the Lookout, pitching the tent on their deck.
We stayed up that night with the other guests, a nice couple from Colorado and Jeff playing trivial pursuit. Afterwards, Alec and I actually did the dishes in exchange for our deck space.