Choroni

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W Choroni spedzilismy caly tydzien (musielismy wypoczac po wyczerpujacej podrozy z Kapsztadu do Caracas) i wypoczelismy na tyle, zeby wyruszyc w dalsza tulaczke!

Choroni - cudowny relaks, bardzo wyluzowane malutkie miasteczko polozone 2-3 godziny od Maracai na polnoc, do ktorego jechalismy lokalnym autobusem, pomalowanym we wzory o wszystkim kolorach teczy z ktorego wydobywaly sie dudniace dzwieki salsy i reggaeton a trasa siagnie sie przez wzgorza i gory tak strome, ze tubylcy zegnali sie przy prawie kazdym zakrecie. Tak czy owak, plaza jak w raju, woda cudna. Wybralismy sie tez zanurkowac w lokalnych wodach, w koncu Morze Karaibskie wiec czemu nie, niestety widocznosc nie byla powalajaca. Plus taki, ze pierwszy raz udalo mi sie zobaczyc zolwie, hej.

Krotki wpis bo niewiele sie dzialo poza relaksem.

Agnieszka

Now for Clint´s version (much extended) in English :-)

We arrived in Caracas (Venezuela) on 13/01, haggled with an attendent at the airport for currency exchange (this is the way you get more for your dollar/euro in Venezuela, by following the black-market route! Eventually agreed on a rate of 6 Bolivars for each dollar, so exchanged a $100 for our travel to Choroni. We took a bus into Caracas (passing some very lovely safe areas.....not!), and then proceeded to get out of there hastily on a bus headed for Maracay, where we stayed the night.

In the morning we found our way to the Central bus station to catch our bus to Choroni, and what a bus and journey this proved to be. Firstly, the busses to Choroni (and some other destinations) are revamped American school busses which are brightly decorated both on the outside and inside (by (professional graffiti artists), so look very cool, and have tremedous sound systems inside which pump out Latina tunes for your entire 2.5hr journey (so picture mobile disco)! Then you have the journey itself, which is made up of about and 1800m climb/descent through some of the narrowest and most curving roads I have ever been on. Couple this with a driver that knows this road like the back of his hand ( could drive it blindfolded) and a very heavy foot on the accelerator (and hand on the hooter for any oncoming traffic, and you can just imagine what a great a journey this was.

Choroni itself is a great little seaside fishing village with a thousand posadas (hostels/hotels), and a absolutely idyllic beach (Playa Grande). We had a very chilled out week there, spending some time with my niece Gabriela (and her mum Luigina) who lives there, and my brother Dominic (who was visiting at the same time) and mostly hanging out on the beach getting very brown indeed. Other highlights included Agnieszka and I going scuba diving in an area called Cepe a few miles down the coast from Choroni, watching the locals play the tambolas and dance down on the malaicon (pavilion), and drinking copious amounts of rum (cuba libre) and ´Guarapita´( a local drink of fermented fruits and alcohol).

All in all a wicked, relaxed week (needed after the busy South Africa trip).

Some observations on Venezuela:
1. Home of every single 1970´s/1980´s vehicle discarded from the USA
2. Almost every other girl with very large breast augmentation.
3. Military roadblocks almost everywhere (6 to 8 stops to check all id´s/passports/luggage in just one journey)

From Choroni, we are heading down to Canaima and Salto Angel (Angel Falls).

See you back here soon.

Clint

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Comments

[Brunon]

O, yeah!!!
Hello, sexy people!!! Amazing pictures of beautiful landscapes!!! Real "wow" feeling in my head now and destructive jealousy in my soul, you lucky bastards!!! Nice to read something from Clint. You two look great everywhere!!! Keep on going, guys!!! Regards.

[kasia]

musiala byc mina..czekam na zdjecie ze stopami:)

[anonymous]

hehe
fajne

[Danka]

Bloody hell guys and what have i stayed here for??