Click on one picture to view the whole gallery |
30.07.2007
Easy arrival in South America
While preparing the travel, we were surprised how many warning we would read or hear about traveling in South America. It has been sometimes so bad that we might have turned a little paranoiac! What a surprise considering how easy everything has been until now … The evening in Madrid was delightful, a city we have to visit again, but definitely not in the summer: the heat was purely unbearable! Jose-Luis & Carmen took us for a very nice walk in the city center and of course for tapas. We both really enjoyed the time there. Why...[more] Category: Venezuela
06.08.2007
Ciudad Bolivar
A one-hour flight from Caracas brought us to Ciudad Bolivar, the second largest town in Venezuela; though a dwarf compared to Caracas, the sprawling megalopolis with its 5 million inhabitants. Though we couldn’t get a room in so very popular “Posada Don Carlos”, we definitely enjoyed “Posada de Angustura”, a bit pricier but VERY comfortable. Nevertheless we used Posada Don Carlos for socializing with other travelers and seeking advice in various matters. This is the best place to stay in the whole city, a tastefully decorated posada...[more] Category: Venezuela
07.08.2007
Just a little vacation …
On Thursday, August 09th, when arriving in Santa Elena de Uairen after a whole night in a freezing cold bus, we will have spent the last 14 nights in 13 different places! The only time when we spent 2 nights in the same place was in the Orinoco Delta, in a Warao village. This is a little bit too much! And of course most of those places were not exactly 5 stars places. When we had a shower, which has definitely not always been the case, it was almost systematically cold water. Many nights we spent sleeping in hammocks, only a roof...[more] Category: Venezuela
08.08.2007
Tucupíta & Going to the Orinoco Delta
From Ciudad Bolivar we took a bus to Ciudad Guayana and then a “Por Puesto”, a collective taxi to Tucupíta, the only major settlement in the Orinoco Delta. At our hotel, the Amacuro Hotel, we arranged a trip into the Delta with a local “Pirata”. These are independent guides not working for an official agency, which were almost all closed due the city celebrating its 159 anniversary the day we arrived. Another reason was the major price difference between the two: we negotiated 500.000 Bolivares per person for a classical 3 days / 2...[more] Category: Venezuela
09.08.2007
The Orinoco Delta
We truly enjoyed watching the activities in the Warao village from sunrise to sunset and sleeping in hammocks overlooking the river, even though this is not the most comfortable way to spend the night. The dwellings of the Waraos are perfectly adjusted to the climate, a wooden platform with four pillars that carry a thatched roof, so there is always a nice breeze and almost no mosquitoes. This is due to the fact that the many rivers that feed the Delta are so called “Rios Negros”, which carry an acid that is obviously not a habitat...[more] Category: Venezuela
10.08.2007
Canaima National Park
After the three days in the Orinoco Delta and the long travel back to Ciudad Bolivar via Ciudad Guyana, we longed for a little rest and comfort … Unfortunately the comfortable and most pleasant Posadas such as Don Carlos or the more expensive Angostura were all booked out. So we had to take what was available, which was Posada Dona Carol. Considering we would not find any pleasant rest, we decided to book a tour into Canaima the next day. We followed the recommendation of other fellow travellers and went to Total Adventura. First...[more] Category: Venezuela
11.08.2007
Angel Falls
Everybody seems to know Angel Falls, the highest waterfalls in the world with 979 meters, named after the daredevil pilot who first saw the falls when flying his plane into “Canon de Diabolo”, but the smaller waterfalls in the Canaima Lagoon are equally sensational in a different way. It was these places that we visited first in a small boat right after arrival, Salto Ucaima and Salto Hacho. We took then a walk towards Salto Sapo. There, a small passage was carved from the rock that takes you behind and to the other side of the...[more] Category: Venezuela
18.08.2007
A few days in Santa Elena de Uairen
A twelve hours bus night ride from Ciudad Bolivar brought us to the small settlement of Santa Elena de Uairen on the Brazilian border. The “Buscama”, the busses linking major cities in Venezuela, are highly comfortable, but, as we might have already mentioned, the temperature inside is 14 degrees, now having this artic breeze hitting your body for 12 hours can be challenging. Even though we wore all the warm clothes we had, we were freezing! The only reason to stop in Santa Elena de Uairen is to prepare a trekking to Roraima, the...[more] Category: Venezuela
19.08.2007
Roraima Trekking
Trekking Mount Roraima was definitely one of the highlights of our trip in Venezuela, but it was also the toughest 6 days we ever had during a trip. This had to do with the fact that we were untrained and that the weather conditions were partly extremely difficult. Climbing the top of the Tabletop Mountain or “Tepuí” Roraima involves 6 days / 5 nights of trekking: the first two days are relatively easy, walking through typical Gran Sabana scenery: green savannah grassland intercepted by small woods, the most pleasant and peaceful...[more] Category: Venezuela
20.08.2007
Venezuela: Budget
Venezuela is a very cheap country to travel, especially if you use the black currency market that is widespread. The inflation is high and therefore has lead to a de facto strong devaluation of the Bolivares, the national currency. Since Hugo Chavez decided a fix parity to the US Dollar (1 USD = 2.120 Bolivares), a black market has developed for trading the USD, the Euro or the Brazilian Real. This black market is everywhere, and even the police at the airport offers the tourists to change money, even though they do not propose a...[more] Category: Venezuela, Budget
21.08.2007
Venezuela: Summary
We spent 3 weeks in Venezuela in August 2007 and concentrated on the National Parks in the east of the country: the Orinoco Delta, Cainama & Angel Falls and Roraima. Of course like most tourists we were concerned about security but must say we never had any negative experience and never met anybody who had. Venezuela’s main assets are its national parks and its natural wonders. We would rank Roraima top even though physically highly challenging, then Canaima & Angel Falls, actually a must when visiting Venezuela, and the Orinoco...[more] Category: Venezuela, Summaries
|