The 135th Episode : Tropical zone
[June, 1998 Caracas, Venezuela]
Our car arrived at the Hilton Hotel. Our distributor reserved a room at more than US$200 per night. As I planed to stay for three nights, the total amount is more than US$600!?!? No, no, no!!! Too expensive. Our company would pay the actual cost for the accommodation on abroad business trip due to the difference depending on the country. I usually estimate around US$100 per night. I would get a good scolding from my boss when I’m back to Japan.
Because my check-in was late in the evening, I couldn’t change the hotel and stayed for the night. I woke up lonely in the so big sized bed that even a 5’10” tall guy couldn’t reach hands to the both ends, and quickly checked out. The first thing I did in the morning was to ask the distributor to change the hotel.
I got my work done first and checked in the changed hotel a little early in the evening. The construction was like a tropical resort hotel. A wooden door was installed inside added to the entrance door. It was like a window for the ventilation of the bathroom putting some wooden bars horizontally not to be seen the inside of the room.
As soon as I checked in the hotel, heavy rain began to fall with thunder roar. Squall! After that I expected to become cool but it had become even hotter and humid. I looked for an air conditioner but in vain. What!? No air conditioner was at the hotel in the tropical zone!? Actually the accommodation is low but it’s so poor facility. I used a pamphlet as a handy fan to beat the heat.
After a while I heard a cry like a monkey’s. There was a hill just behind the hotel and a garden was between, where planted tropical trees. I was looking at an ornament of a colourful big bird with big beak was on one of the trees, then it moved. It was a real bird. Toucan was it, that was approx. 2 feet tall with a big yellow beak. Such a big bird in wild stayed so close to me.
I felt I was in the tropical zone indeed.
