Hilton Porlamar

... that are here, all of the locals seem to be amazed by my blue eyes. I would mention something here about Hitler and his ideals, but I’m not meant to be mentioning the war so I shall leave that…

Anyway, back to the beach and its vendors… they are all very friendly, and seem to be quite quick to propose marriage. At least now I know that if I find myself lonely and considering buying a cat I can come here and find a ...

... albeit an experience. We bought the pemier substandard tickets (I do not know either!) although not taking full advantage of the "Pemier" style up the stairs behind the Canteen on the lower decks!!! (see why we were fooled) Look at the pic. It was not too bad but daunting nonetheless. As for Margarita I did not stay long, wanting to get to Salto Angel ...

... Em um hotel com bebidas liberadas imaginem o que seria o primeiro dia! Uma bebedeira! Muitas tequilas no bar do Roberto no centro da piscina do hotel! Quase todos voltaram garotos para o quarto! Com exceção da Mari que deixaria a surpresa pra mais a frente na viagem. Todos os dias neste hotel foi assim. Piscina e bebidas pela manhã e jantares com bebidas pela noite. Tem um restaurante mexicano neste hotel que ...

... pakken en de naam van het hostel (wie ik dus wel vantevoren had opgezocht in mijn boek) op een zo Spaans mogelijke manier uit te spreken en te hopen dat de chauffeur dit zou begrijpen en mij hier zonder al teveel omwegen naar toe zou brengen. Dit ging wonderbaarlijk goed moet ik zeggen. Nadat ik op 2 manieren was afgezet, stond ik dan eindelijk bij het hostel. Eigenaar (duitser) uit bed gebeld en om 2u in een heerlijk bed gerold (24 nadat ik was opgestaan). Ik zit dus in El ...

... an american area, with luxurious malls, bars and restaurants. Altamira is also a cool area, so is the Centro during the day, where we can find nice buildings and original architecture. We left Caracas on the 24th to go to Puerto la Cruz, a mid-size city right on the water. Nothing exceptional about it, but we met a super nice guy in the bus (5 hours of transportation... we had time to meet people!). He's from Iceland but has ...

... and Bolivia - you can really feel the influence of the US here. Football has been knocked from the top spot and replaced by baseball. There are a lot of old American cars driving round, dating from the 60`s. These are the types of car where the suspension is so soft that they`re still bouncing up and down 5 minutes after you`ve got out. I`m not a petrol-head, but many of them have been pimped up, and they`re quite a sight.
In another echo of US society ...

... two political halves of the nation. For me, the film highlights very well the biggest tragedy of the Cuban regime - that it has not let people express themselves freely. It has failed to recognize that revolutionaries can all be unique in their own right, and that internal debate can enhance social movements. Looking back at what the Cuban Revolution was meant to counter - it was the dictatorial Batista regime, a Cuba that was run by the mafia, a Cuba that was the "hoar ...

... bits and loads of sauces. Just add a bit of salsa picante and you are ready to eat. That is actually the most difficult part as trying to stuff the hot dog in your mouth without getting covered in sauces and bits is very difficult (an extra napkin is handy to wipe your feet with). Dinner varied from the best vongole we've every had to the cheapest pallela we've ever had! (Burgers will be dealt with in a later entry). The beer in Venezuela isn't necessarily the best but it is offically ...

... a thrill as I had hoped. Lonely Planet can be a bit misleading at times.

So I found a taxi, who drove me to Playa el Agua and we looked for a hotel for a bit. I ended up at a hotel which, for the life of me, don't remember the name of! But it was about $28 USD a night, everything included - EVERYTHING. Accommodation, full board and all drinks, alcoholic or not. Also there was a pool, and the hotel owned a space at the beach where I'd get a ...

... Just because I'm on an exotic, tropical island with my girlfriend doesn't mean I want to hear about love! Pfff... After the singing, it was time for people to try out the dancing for themselves. A few moments after the cluster of rickety bodies began their lessons, one of the elderly women fell flat on her face. Watching this from the balcony, Karen and I couldn't help but laugh even though she seemed genuinely hurt. It was like something out of 'the clapper' ad. AS she ...