Immigration
Location: international terminal of the Maiquetia airport, close to Caracas. An incredibly long queue has built up behind the few counters of immigration. No real surprise concidering the amount of passengers of such a big airplane, but as if this would not be enough, I have the impression that two planes have arrived at the same time because nothing is moving! - If you think it would be smart to go to the loo before standing in line, forget about that: no water...
First measure taken by the airport attendents after I have been waiting in line already for quite some time: simply seperate the line into two. You're asking about the result: none, because they merge again just in front of the counters. Well, next attempt. New counters are being opened, with little to no effect for me, because the queue is split up just behind me and again I'm almost the last in line. Being used to queuing, my taxi to the center gets stuck on the highway, eventually we make it to the hotel anyway...
Traveling by bus
This means of transportation is the most commonly used one for long distances - there are no passenger trains in Venezuela and not everyone has got a car, flying is not always convenient and costly. Traveling overnight is recommended especially for longer distances and can be comfortable if considering a few things for the trip:
- keep winter clothing handy
- if possible carry a sleeping bag
- alarmclock
Why? you might be asking now. Arctic temperatures welcome you onboard the rather modern busses. No kidding, sometimes they cool down to below 10 degrees celsius, but unlikely over 14 - 16 degrees. And all this in a country where in many places the temperatures are around 30 degrees. A sleeping bag helps you to not get stiff in the cold environment, but also to be able to sleep as long as possible in the pitch dark bus, what else would you do without any light? On a let's say 9h trip there would be a couple of stops, which are announced on rather short notice and with low voice. This is where the alarmclock comes in handy, or who wants to miss the stop when the next one is about an hour from there?
Being interested in the climate outside the bus? Just go to the restroom, where fog builds up immediately on your glasses (if you're wearing some) due to the difference in temperature and humidity.
Two little stories regarding the reason for these freezer-buses have reached my ears:
- Agregates for cooling meat transportation trucks are much cheaper and therefore used instead of regular airconditioning, but can not be put to higher temperatures
- The drivers prefer a calm environment (no party!) on their buses and somehow they think "the colder, the calmer" - but unfortunately rather low temperatures are required in order for the effect to show up :)
Maracay, a town not far from Caracas
I'm about 50km from the caribean coast, which is supposed to be very beautiful. The busride to get there takes a bit more than 2hrs, so you can imagine what the road and landscape is like :-) For comparison, the last 100km to get to Maracay we were able to cover in approximately 1hr.
We're heading off with an ancient bus, the kind which is used in the US for school children. The road climbs steep mountains which are covered by beautiful dense forest, all in tropical climate. Depending on the weather it might be as very humid or just foggy. As we're traveling at quite moderate pace the great views can really be enjoyed!
"Compulsory" intermediate stops are required due to the need of refilling cooling water for our ancient bus (thick fumes can be seen when they open the hood... ) Interesting is how the driver compensates for the lack of sight on the narrow road - heavy honking of the horn almost always before entering a turn. The horn's powerful sound implies to potential oncoming traffic that it's got more power and will not top first! However within roughly 2hrs we make it safely to Puerto Colombia, a nicely situated coastal town at the caribean coast.
Condition of vehicels and equipment
Definetely interesting to watch in what kind of cars and trucks people move around on the streets of Venezuela: Mostly US-american models which are know from TV serials from the 70s and 80s. In most cases their condition is more than questionable: often no head or taillights - but of course still driving during the night as well - more holes from the rust than tin itself. Buses are sometimes in similar condition...
May it be for compensating this malcondition or for no particular reason: The value of vehicels is increased by a considerable percentage by building in a hightech stereo plus enormous speakers! This can be noticed in many places of public life, in buses for local transportation where the sound level may be comparable to a noisy bar or in the streets of towns where they show off their latest stereo by driving around with enormous speakers in the trunk of the car (of course door is not shut!). This is how they cruise around throughout the night doing a soundcheck. In buses you sometimes see that the whole rearside is nothing else than a collection of speakers, so it is recommended to sit up-front!
Rivertour
Finally a bit of adventure... I did a 5-day tour on the Rio Caura: After about 2 - 3hrs driving on partially bad roads we reach Maripa where our luggage is transfered to a "lancha" (a wooden narrow boat made of one tree). This boat would be our means of transportation for the following 4 1/2 days, because there are no roads or anything in the jungle lining the river.
We are carrying immense amounts of gasoline with us (the cost of which can almost not calculated in Euro- or US-cent, it's incredibly cheap), food and water for the whole time as well. Unfortunately there is no protection from sun or rain on the boat, although both would be rather useful. This means there was heavy rain at times, otherwise the sun is powerful and dangerous, so keeping sunscreen and raingear handy is advisable.
Our nightly accomodation is in hammocks which are hung up in circular huts with palmleaf roofs. It is rather comfortable and with this climate advantageous to sleep in hammocks, I have enjoyed that already in other places before. Body hygieny takes place in the river, toilets are isolated spots in the jungle... Food is prepared by our guide on a gas stove, the dishes are done in the river. Isn't it oven better the simpler it is?
What are the sites/activities during our trip? Various waterfalls of different size and height, in some bathing/swimming is possible. At certain places we visit villages along the riverbank and see the people there. Location of the waterfalls is always in a very nice setting and sometimes a bit exciting to get to: E.g. by walking along jungle paths, at places even barefeet because of the better grip on muddy paths or for crossing streams. One thing is fact and of importance: There are no moscitos or other biting bugs in this area along the river!
Our boat trip ends shortly before an immense waterfall (Salto Para), but upriver of this waterfall the journey continues for the locals: Gasoline and ourboard engines are carried around the waterfall (at least 45 min. to walk) where traffic continues on the river. Not forgetting about the load of the boats which has to carried around this spot as well... but there is no other way of reaching settlements further south on the Rio Caura. Not even simple runways for light airplanes exist.
Healthcare in Venezuela
Not really by choice I have to find out what public public healthcare is like in Venezuela. Later I learn that I've got the flue... but I was keen on knowing the reason for my bad condition and aches and went to see a doctor. To find one I had to go to a "ambulatorio" where waiting was on the agenda, of course. Then they took notes of my weight and height before doing standard checks such as measuring blood pressure, etc. Eventually the doctor itself had time for me. She was talking in a very fast manner, as were most people in this area, so that I had a tough time to follow, and even worse: understanding what was wrong with me! They give me an infusion and tell me to return if there is no improvement until tomorrow... great. Regarding costs for this "treatment": it is for free!! Unfortunately it didn't get any better and I had to go to see her again the other day... Now the diagnosys: I've got the flue which many people seem to be infected by at the moment. Hardly to imagine in this heat, but infected is infected, so I have to see how to get over and especially how to get rid of the fever! This time I get some prescriptions of medication which I can get at the local pharmacy - and I can tell you, this stuff works well! Of course the second doctor visit has been for free again.
Paying taxes
Once I came back from a 6-day tour (in this case to Sta. Elena a bordertown near Brasil) when suddenly almost all coffee shops, restaurants and even some tour agencies were closed. Questioning faces of the people in our group... on the doors of the touched localities state authorities have attached posters announcing the closing of the place and not permitting any trespassing.
Asking the guy from our tour agency we learn that all these places in Sta. Elena (seems like almost everyone) have not been paying their taxes. Now authorities decided to do a routine check ;-)
One or two days later the situation has returned to normal - simply by paying their taxes retroactively the issue is resolved!
Traveling by bus II
In fact routine passport checks take place quite frequently.
What is in particular annoying is when such a check happens during night... being woken up by a soldier with a rifle!
Following scenery fortunately doesn't happen very often: All passengers are told to pick up their luggage from the luggage compartment of the bus (not to forget about carry-on luggage) and line up in front of some makeshift checkpost counters. Then slowly everyone's bags are searched... either by being told to remove all contents or they dig with their hands into the backpacks, bags and suitcases.
When this happens around 4.30 in the morning and you just were able to fall asleep after all, this can upset the most peaceful person. Probably they are aiming for drugs on their way from Colombia via Venezuela to Brasil. This is what I heard.
Another word regarding the comfortable night buses: All comfort (e.g. deep reclining seats) isn't worth much if due to the many turns on some roads and hilly terrain in combination with rather progressive driving and high speed one can't even think of sleeping! Before even really falling asleep one is taken back to reality by being thrown from left to right in the seat. But traveling this way at least you don't "waste" a lot of time during the day.
Roughly a figure for the speed at which buses may be traveling according to following example: For a distance of over 600km on a road rather rich in turns and going up and down quite a lot (not to forget about the many potholes) our bus journey only took roughly 7 1/2 hrs! Perhaps this busdriver should consider a career as driver of a ralley car...
Tepuis
Nature is a rather important part during my vacation, for this reason I have joined a tour to the top of Monte Roraima (called "Tepui" in Venezuela). This excursion took us 6 days.
For the first 1 1/2 days we were hiking through savanna-like landscape, which means that there is almost no vegetation and therefore no shade and the ground is very dusty. According to our guide most of the vegetation has been distroyed by burning it down by locals.
We were accomodated in tents and depending on the altitude annoying insects like sandflies or moscitos joined us for the evening. Our guide and cook Marco from British Guyana did everything possible to spoil us with delicious food three times a day! Body hygenie was not required to neglect neither due to various rivers, streams and little ponds where bathing or washing was possible.
A first change in landscape was noticable on the third day, when ascending to the top of Roraima: Suddenly dense vegetation and higher humidity. Ascending to the top involves a steep climb. At almost 2800m altitude something like a plain shapes the "top" of the tepui, which is not really flat but rather scattered with little canyons and streams crossing the large area. Mostly the ground is rocky (sandstone) and many little water ponds and quite interesting plants are spread all over the surface. Definitely the flora is quite different compared to the bottom: carnivorious plants, low plants and no real trees.
The rocks form extensive labyrinths at some places but at least you should know the way in order not to get lost. At night there was always heavy rainfall and the temperatures go down abruptly when the sun is gone or behind clouds. In contrary the (rather strong) sun was there most of the time during the day and therefore got comparebly hot when the sky was clear. This tends to change abruptly.
Up there we had about 1 1/2 days to spend time wandering around including a 1-day excursion to the so-called "Tripple Point" where the borders with Brasil and British Guyana meet. On the way (it is about 13km one-way) we pass amoung many other interesting sites and landscapes another bathing possibility. This nicely set place (or rather the water surface) can be reached only by a bit of climbing and swimming through a little cave - which was of course icy cold. This place may be described like a pool in a 10 - 15m deep hole in the rocky surface. With the freezing temperature of the water in the pool the warm waterfall from above is a welcome surprise, like a warm shower!
An incredible view from the ridge of Roraima rewards for the steep ascend: Approximately 900m above the basecamp and even much more down to the surrounding land. The vertical walls of rock of the tepui make the difference in altitude seem even bigger!
Conclusion: A very much recommendable tour!!
Cost of fuel
Gaseline is dam cheap in this country. Sure, I am in Venezuela which is know to be rich in oil resources! For one liter of diesel they charge approximately 50Bs (1US$ is worth slightly below 2000Bs) and for petrol (or whatever regular gasoline may be called) around 70 - 80Bs.
Anyway, what was very surprising to me, the state even subsidizes gaseline! Conclusion is that they seem to sell is for less than it can be produced. Considering the absolute cost, this sounds almost rediculous...
Traveling by bus III
Public transportation called "Por Puesto": o what: could be a regular car, minibus or pickup truck o why: with buses not all destinations (e.g. to remoter regions) can be reached o when: leave when the vehicel has been boarded by a suficient number of people, not according to schedules
Conclusion: one never knows when the selected destination will be reached because it is not even clear when the departure is. Assuming to get to a certain destination requires to take more than only one por puesto connection (because of no direct link) this might end up in a little adventure... For such a reason I once ended up walking for a while (~45min), then succeeded in getting a lift on two consecutive pick-ups passing by (and meeting really friendly locals which were open for a nice chat). All this to return from a cacao-hacienda which I have visited for a little tour.
Other passengers: May be rather "interesting"... after all you meet all kinds of people from different levels of education and social environment. Of course not taking into account the wealthier ones who can afford the latest models of expensive cars!
With this story I may conclude my reports from this year's vacation. I hope some of you have enjoyed one or the other story or observation from this beautiful and interesting country. Thank you for your attention! Kind regards from
Gunther
____________________________________________________ Gunther Kochmann