Wednesday, February 21, 2007
12 February, 2007
We had a quick flight but we lost a night’s sleep. We arrived very early in the morning in Caracas and we panicked a little at customs because he told us we need a visa. Then he checked and said it was fine- thank goodness! We waited at a coffee bar until tourist information opened and we ate the banana bread Suzy gave us (thanks Suzy) for breakfast. We found out a little bit of info, enough to get us by and I didn’t want to go into Caracas for the night because I didn’t want to be in a big, dirty, dangerous city and so I convinced Rich that we should get to the beaches. We used the credit card to draw money out of the machine like we do in every country but this time it was a big mistake. That was our first error of the day and we did not know that a black market existed yet and that they pay about a 50% premium over the official rate. We didn’t have the Lonely Planet and we couldn’t find it and so Rich was very upset and worried (we were going blind into a new country and continent and neither of us can speak Spanish). We caught the shuttle bus from the airport to Caracas and from there we caught two subways to the main bus terminal (La Banderas). This is the kind of place one doesn’t want to hang out in for too long. We got on a gorgeous bus to Maracay – a busy town we would visit frequently. It was a local bus and the Spanish music was playing loud and there was a real vibe. We then caught another local bus to Ocumare de la Costa (a beach town we did not know much about but one we had picked out from the map as opposed to the other beach towns). The bus passed through the Henri Pittier National Park and it was a very twisted road. The music was blaring- we really felt like we were in South America and we arrived in Ocumare and got off at El Playon (the village by the beach). We didn’t know where to go, or stay and nobody spoke English. Of course, Rich was very concerned because we didn’t know anything and so I went to try and find somewhere to stay. I managed to find a descent-looking lodge and they phoned the owner who was actually from the UK. He was out of town but explained that we were in the heart of all the day tours and a good location for any side trips. Rich and I had some lunch at the lodge- it was a lovely place and the restaurant was excellent but the room was poor. We relaxed and had a snooze and when we woke up we found out that there was only a cold shower (nice surprise), and we then went walking in the bustling town- not- in the evening. It wasn’t very big and we found a restaurant that served chicken. It was ok but Rich wasn’t sure what he was ordering and it was a bit dodgy. We looked for other hotels so that we could move the next day, but there was nothing descent except for one place across the road (and overlooking the ocean). We went to sleep and it was a disaster. We tried with the balcony doors open and the mosquitos were everywhere so we closed the doors and turned the air-con on. Big mistake- it sounded like a 747 bowing taking off and we couldn’t sleep with the noise and so we opened the doors again. We tried to fall asleep and we were unsuccessful. So we closed the doors again, put the air-con on and finally fell asleep. We woke up frozen.
This eco-lodge was the tourist trap in the town and the only place that one can find English speaking people. They organize excursions for you but their prices are astronomical and they are really taking advantage of the ignorant tourists. Unfortunately one cannot organize anything themselves in this town so one has to go through the eco-lodge.
I think that this town was one of the most primitive places we have visited yet! This was definitely a reality check and wake-up call after being spoilt in Canada. Literally going from one extreme to the next.
We had a quick flight but we lost a night’s sleep. We arrived very early in the morning in Caracas and we panicked a little at customs because he told us we need a visa. Then he checked and said it was fine- thank goodness! We waited at a coffee bar until tourist information opened and we ate the banana bread Suzy gave us (thanks Suzy) for breakfast. We found out a little bit of info, enough to get us by and I didn’t want to go into Caracas for the night because I didn’t want to be in a big, dirty, dangerous city and so I convinced Rich that we should get to the beaches. We used the credit card to draw money out of the machine like we do in every country but this time it was a big mistake. That was our first error of the day and we did not know that a black market existed yet and that they pay about a 50% premium over the official rate. We didn’t have the Lonely Planet and we couldn’t find it and so Rich was very upset and worried (we were going blind into a new country and continent and neither of us can speak Spanish). We caught the shuttle bus from the airport to Caracas and from there we caught two subways to the main bus terminal (La Banderas). This is the kind of place one doesn’t want to hang out in for too long. We got on a gorgeous bus to Maracay – a busy town we would visit frequently. It was a local bus and the Spanish music was playing loud and there was a real vibe. We then caught another local bus to Ocumare de la Costa (a beach town we did not know much about but one we had picked out from the map as opposed to the other beach towns). The bus passed through the Henri Pittier National Park and it was a very twisted road. The music was blaring- we really felt like we were in South America and we arrived in Ocumare and got off at El Playon (the village by the beach). We didn’t know where to go, or stay and nobody spoke English. Of course, Rich was very concerned because we didn’t know anything and so I went to try and find somewhere to stay. I managed to find a descent-looking lodge and they phoned the owner who was actually from the UK. He was out of town but explained that we were in the heart of all the day tours and a good location for any side trips. Rich and I had some lunch at the lodge- it was a lovely place and the restaurant was excellent but the room was poor. We relaxed and had a snooze and when we woke up we found out that there was only a cold shower (nice surprise), and we then went walking in the bustling town- not- in the evening. It wasn’t very big and we found a restaurant that served chicken. It was ok but Rich wasn’t sure what he was ordering and it was a bit dodgy. We looked for other hotels so that we could move the next day, but there was nothing descent except for one place across the road (and overlooking the ocean). We went to sleep and it was a disaster. We tried with the balcony doors open and the mosquitos were everywhere so we closed the doors and turned the air-con on. Big mistake- it sounded like a 747 bowing taking off and we couldn’t sleep with the noise and so we opened the doors again. We tried to fall asleep and we were unsuccessful. So we closed the doors again, put the air-con on and finally fell asleep. We woke up frozen.
This eco-lodge was the tourist trap in the town and the only place that one can find English speaking people. They organize excursions for you but their prices are astronomical and they are really taking advantage of the ignorant tourists. Unfortunately one cannot organize anything themselves in this town so one has to go through the eco-lodge.
I think that this town was one of the most primitive places we have visited yet! This was definitely a reality check and wake-up call after being spoilt in Canada. Literally going from one extreme to the next.
# posted by Heidi & Richard's travels @ 7:25 PM 
