My quest to document all the painted cars of Eugene continues. And here’s a fine specimen: a 2004 Hyundai Accent not only pained but adorned with seasonal greenery instead of a rear bumper.
I see some fir and spruce, but can’t quite identify the long tendrils hanging low. I’m not really sure it’s seasonal; there weren’t any lights or ornaments; well, there is that butterfly.
I quite like the front end; a four eyed cat, no less. Those headlight covers are getting mighty opaque.
We had a four door Accent for a rental on our first trip to the Yucatan in 2005. We were impressed how cheap the tickets were. That’s because it was Hurricane season, and sure enough, Hurricane Wilma, the most powerful hurricane ever measured in the Atlantic region, arrived about a week into our two week sojourn working our way down the coast as we were in Punta Alan. Being completely out of touch we had no idea it was even coming. the Canadian proprietors of a lodge there told us to get inland right away, and suggested Bacalar. We found some lodgings and hunkered down for three days while the storm passed to the north and settled in on top of Cancun.
We were supposed to return our car in Cancun and fly home from there. The airport was destroyed. So we just bopped around the interior of the Yucatan peninsula for several days, which was wonderful and very unspoiled yet. We ended up in Merida,which is a delightful colonial city. We had no cell phones. I ran into a guy in a restaurant and he took me to an internet cafe where he used his Skype to call our rental car company and Continental Airlines. The airline said go to the Merida airport right away for their evacuation flights. And the car rental company said there were places in town to drop off the car. So we did and took a taxi to the airport.
KRT WORLD NEWS STORY SLUGGED: WEA-WILMA KRT PHOTO BY JANET SCHWARTZ/KRT (October 27) MERIDA, MEXICO — Tourists camp outside the airport in Merida, Mexico, as they wait on flights home on Friday, October 27, 2005, seven days after Hurricane Wilma hit the area. (Photo by Janet Schwartz/MCT/MCT via Getty Images)
As we arrived, we saw thousands of folks camped out in front of the airport. It looked like a refugee camp. Whoa? What’s going on? We were clueless. Turns out they were finally evacuating all the tens of thousands of tourists stuck in Cancun during the hurricane by bus to the Merida airport, and hoping to catch flights out. Some had been there for days already. We worked our way into the completely jammed small airport and found the Continental counter. They said to stay close by, as they expected another Continental evacuation flight within hours.
KRT WORLD NEWS STORY SLUGGED: WEA-WILMA KRT PHOTO BY JANET SCHWARTZ/KRT (October 27) MERIDA, MEXICO — Tourists wait in lines for portable toilets outside the airport in Merida, Mexico, as they wait on flights home on Friday, October 27, 2005, seven days after Hurricane Wilma hit the area. (Photo by Janet Schwartz/MCT/MCT via Getty Images)
While we were waiting, we heard tales of misery. Folks that arrived from Europe and Canada on charter flights just the day before Wilma hit. They were taken to shelters, which were basements or school buildings. Little food, no beds. For three to five days. So much for a vacation. We felt guilty, as we had a wonderful time. So far.
A charter plane had been sitting on the tarmac for hours, but couldn’t get an open gate to load up. The pilot finally climbed out the window with an emergency rope ladder, and walked into the airport to tell the dismayed passengers who had been there for two days that he was going to have to take off again, as he could only be allowed so many hours for the total flight. Most of the gates were reserved for the regular airlines. The poor folks were crying. He almost was too. It was heart rendering to watch him take off empty.
I was worried something similar was going to happen to us too. But withing two hours a Continental jet arrived and pulled right up to the Continental gate (Continental was a regular scheduled airline at Merida), we loaded up, and were out of there. Whew! But I felt bad for those folks left behind.
The lesson is: the hotels and flights during hurricane season are cheaper, but there’s a reason.
And our Hyundai Accent was a pretty decent ride for the three of us. But then you know I’m pretty tolerant of cheap little cars.
I had an accent in ? 2011 ish in yucatan ad a rental. The friend I was traveling with was 6’3 and 250 lbs and we were both quite comfortable. For what it was, it was a very impressive tiny car and undoubtedly leaps and bounds better than past hyundais. Amazing how Hyundai has really transformed but gm hasn’t.
I doubt there’s any Accent purists going to be offended, so I like this. Too bad the Knights of Ni are too tall to drive this, because it comes with….. Aaaaa Shrubbery!!!
We had a one day delay in Costa Rica when a brush fire burned through the airport while we waited in the terminal. By the time the airport reopened the crew had too many hours on them so had to fly in a replacement crew the next day. We found a good hotel and enjoyed the pool for the day. Some people were really mad about it but we thought it was fun.
“Aaaaa Shrubbery!!!”
One that looks nice…And not too expensive…
I like this car far better than the unEugened version. Very clever hood painting, and of course that back bumper.
My town has painted cars too!! However, they typically are a more, uh, ernest theme. Moses parting the red sea, hot Aztec gals with knives, chickens and bulls, semi-skeletal people with guns and much sorrow, Jesus on the cross. I’ll start taking some pics and post them sometime.
No experience with the car, other than these were everywhere in the Baltimore area back when they were new.
As to your adventure Paul, wow. At least you got home safe and sound.
In 1988, my not quite ex-wife to be (still dating at that point, but serious) were supposed to go to Cancun in September. We had the trip booked all summer and were quite excited about it. Our travel agent offered up two weeks from which to choose, and being impatient, I was inclined to pick the earlier week, but picked the later week because it would have included her birthday. Four days before we were to fly down there, Hurricane Gilbert (the previous record holder before Wilma)…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurricane_Gilbert
…came through and destroyed the place. We heard stories from our travel agent about how we dodged a bullet on that one. The Sheraton where we were supposed to stay had windows blown out on the 12th floor where our room was supposed to be.
We ended up driving up to Maine instead, which was very nice, where the remnants of this storm eventually caught up with us in Bar Harbor, swept across us by a cold front after what was left of the storm made its way up to the Great Lakes.
Your adventure sounds a lot more intense, Paul, but I’m glad your trip wasn’t a total bust, and you got some enjoyment out of it.
If anyone here reads comic books…………this could be the Manthings ride at Marvel or the Swamp things at DC.
I rented a cheap Accent/Excel from a crowd called rent a dent at Auckland airport, It wasnt a bad little car got me home to Hastings and fun to drive along the way, I whaled the snot out of it over hwy 5 where it was a bit out of its depth dynamically and underpowered on climbs but it took it ok, better to drive than the near new Tiida I’d got the previous trip.
Heee, the knights that say Ni! Car. I wonder how many more of these econoboxes could be sold if dealers offered an inexpensive custom vinyl wrap for them. It certainly brings the “cheerful” to cheap and cheerful and brightens up an otherwise dull and somewhat woebegone little car. It’s not QUITE lustworthy, but certainly desireable.
Those low hanging tendrils look to me like ferns I bought for the yard last year – the tag says ‘Hart’s Tongue Fern’.
spam spam spam I am ’cause I can’t post no more. Watch this work.