Del Lago Intercontinental Maracaibo

Just a quick stop off on the way to Columbia. Would not recommend coming here unless you want to die of fumes. Although the market was quite interesting.<br><br>seeing as I am leaving here is a<br>Poem for Venezuela (mainly Caracas)<br><br>Beautiful valley full of lights,<br>government taken wonderous heights,<br>trashy cars of ...

Yo tome un helicóptero y visitar Salto Ángel. Yo jugué en la laguna y la playa de Canaima. Saque muchas fotos de Golodrina Salto, Hacha Salto, y el agua de rojo. Come en La Churuata Restaurante. La comida es bien, pero poco caliente. Llegue a Tapuya Hotel a dormir.

Maracaibo was a hot, bustling and gigantic city located next to the country's largest lake. We only stayed here for one night so we could leave for Colombia early in the morning, and allow us to get to our destination during daylight. So goodbye, Venezuela. The last signs we saw as we left the country stated ¨Socialism, Patriotism or Death.¨ Oh, Venezuela. Just in case we had any doubts that Chavez is just a wee bit crazy.

... the black market was good, so we changed a small amount to get us by for now. We then walked across the border to the Venezuela side for processing. It was strange but simple, three teenage girls sat on chairs in the open air, no tables, wrote out the tourist cards (DEX) and handed them to us with our passports. We then went to a blacked out screen with a small hole at the nearby concrete building and handed our passports through with the ...

... on. Made me think though... what kind of bus are we travelling on? Quito... Quito has quite a reputation. From what I'd heard if I was ever going to have anything stolen, it would happen in Quito. And... Quito didn't disappoint. I was riding a rather crowded electric bus when my bag was slashed. I didn't even know it had happened until after I got off it. I went to the tourist police and filed ...

... annoying kids for the entire thing - ******* and vomiting all around us. Finally arrived at Maracaibo, finding only one bus company to take us to Maicao and the border with Colombia - leaving at 4am. Maracaibo is not a pretty city, so did not bother sight seeing instead went straight off posada hunting, finding one near the bus station with most of the luxury amenities, in much less than luxury condition! It was not like we were staying for long, so ...

Am Morge frueh simmer z-Maracaibo acho. Mir sind daenn au gad zum Huus vom Grosi vom Luis (Fruend vode Elisa) gfahre und sind herzlich begruesst worde. Die noechschte zwei Taeg haemmer daenn eifach det verbracht mit de Familie, will ebe au gad no de geburtstag vom Luis gsi isch und mir sind so verschmuust und verwoehnt worde, wie scho lang nueme. S-Grosi vom Luis, es wunderwunderbars alts Fraueli haet die ...

... hop on and demand our passport. This happened 12 to 13 times! We soon found out though that the bus wasnt actually going to Maicao, but dropping us off at the border crossing, typical!! We get off at the border in this dusty little backwater town that has a bad reputation the locals had informed us. People of all forms gather on both sides as well as military absolutely everywhere. We found a 4WD crossing the border that we jumped into ...

This was my first visit to Venezuela in ten years. My aunt Carol was getting married so my parents allowed me to go. Venezuela isn't exactly that safe anymore, especially for "tourists." I got to spend time with my family which was absolutely awesome.<br><br>My aunts wedding was absolutely amazing. Words cannot describe how gorgeous everything was. As soon as I can, I will upload pictures because that's the only way to get the full effect.<br>

... fault is is his disappointingly sensible haircut and lack of moustache. He earns a permanent place in my good books by informing me that I am entitled to a further 6 days in Colombia, forcing me to leave the day before carnaval starts. The warm, happy thoughts of buying gifts for my new friend and doing helpful things for him such as walking his dog and watering his cucumbers will, I am sure, guarantee me a place in heaven. Or would if I wasnt guaranteed one already.