www.theblisspages.com - travel: Venezuela

Venezuela

I only visited Venezuela once, and that was just for a week, so I didn't see much of the country.

As I travelled from the airport to the hotel, I noticed the shanty-towns or barrios, as they are called locally.

I was working in central Caracas and walked between the hotel and the office under a six-lane underpass. The shops hadn't opened when I left for the office, and were already closed by the time I left. I ate in the hotel restaurant most evenings.

On Saturday, I was taken down to the coast for the day by a colleague. He had made a lot of friends in the barrios and often took them out, as some of them had never had the chance to travel there. The journey was about eighty miles. The only problem was my guts. I had violent stomach cramps all Friday night and was in agony. I spent the whole journey clenched, but eventually we reached the coast. It was beautiful and completely unspoilt. Unfortunately, it was completely unspoilt by such modern conveniences as modern conveniences - or indeed, any kind of conveniences, so I spent much of the day sitting in the minibus, still clenched. The weather was mixed, early drizzle giving way to wan sunshine, which slowly strengthened during the day. It was a shame I wasn't feeling up to doing more, as everyone else was enjoying disporting themselves in the limpid sea.

I was feeling better on the return journey, but disappointed that I had not been up to making the most of my only free day. On Sunday, I flew on to Colombia, but that is another day, and another page.

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: : © Mike Bliss 2008