Blogs from Venezuela, South America - page 4

Venezuela Our entry into Venezuela was undertaken with a healthy measure of caution. We had met no one who'd already been here and all the reports I'd read told me that the crime rate is really high and currency exchange is... challenging. The first of these points is mostly due to the current government, the President Chavez (you can't escape his ugly mug plastered on billboards everywhere), is running the country as "socialism for the 21st century". His ideals don't really seem to be working out as well as intended and the divide between the wealthy and the poor is getting larger, and as a result the crime rate is very high, particularly in the larger cities. Tourists are major targets for muggings, kidnappings and such. Even the residents are extremely cautious, as people have had ... read more

This past weekend, I had the opportunity to attend the Marines' Birthday Ball in Caracas. Aside from being an opportunity to get our of Anaco and dress up, attending the ball made me proud to be an American. Hearing the proud tradition and heroic deeds of our men and women in uniform made me want to stand up straighter, and the playing of the national anthem sent tingles up my spine. For one night, speaking English was expected and not something to feel apopogetic about while in a foreign country. I was reminded - as I am often not - that there is more to our country than meets the eye - especially when you live abroad and hear only about your country from others. That there are men and women, both at home and abroad, ... read more

I have been home now for a couple of weeks. It is great to be back home. A number of people have asked me what I got out of my Camino and if it was what I had hoped for or anticipated. Very difficult questions to answer. First of all, I am not certain that I knew what to expect or what answers to get. My Camino marked a milestone between two parts of my life: i.e. my professional life and my life thereafter, that is just to begin. I did not have fixed formulated questions in my mind before I set out on my walk, as far as there were questions, they probably came to mind and were refined during the many hours that I walked on my own. Did I get answers, I do ... read more

I spent my last week of my stay in Venezuela in Mérida, a city more in the west of the counrty. Mérida is 1600 meters above sealevel and surounded by mountains. It's a student city due to a lot of different universitys. I went there with Betty (an other swiss girl who attended all the trips with me) by bus, which took us 20hours and coast less than 50.-! We stayed there in a hostel from the same organisation as in playa colorado. It was a lovely place as well, finally with hot water and wifi again. It was kind of strange in the beginning, but incredible how fast you get used to it again. Mérida is a safer place than Purto la Cruz ore Playa Colorado, which means that we were able again to walk ... read more

My first public note in this blog. I have been thinking and about and planning this trip for quit a while; probably as long as I have been thinking about retiring.... Both occasions have arrived and I feel somewhat tense and anxious. I have been prepairing physically very hard for this trip going to the gym in the morning and in the afternoon walking with a backpack most of the days. In the weekends long walks in El Avila (12-15 km). I hope that that I am prepared. My trip officially starts on Monday the 24th when I will be traveling to Madrid and later (Tuesday) connecting to Pamplona and Roncesvalles where I will spend the night. I have chosen to stay in Roncevalles and to take a taxi to St Jean Pied de Port early ... read more