Teleférico, Altamira, and Central Caracas

Photos (from the top)...

• My couchsurfing host, Frane, and me at the base of the Teleférico in Caracas
• Bolivar Statue in Plaza Bolivar in Caracas
• View of some of Caracas from the Teleférico
• Plaza Altamira, Caracas

Caracas

I am thoroughly enjoying my first couchsurfing experience and have seen a great deal of Caracas thanks to my host, Frane. We went to Altamira the first evening to have a few beers and rum with some of his friends and to make an appearance at the Venezuelan International Poetry Fest. Altimira is a nice district and we were at ease having beers on some steps outside a building.

Yesterday, we went up the teleférico (cable cars) on the mountains north of Caracas. The trip takes about 15 minutes and gives a really good view of almost the entire city (looking South), as well as the ocean (looking North if there are no clouds). We took a few beers at the bar of a restaurant at the top. The temperature was notably colder than down in Caracas, but still was around 20C. It was fairly cheap too, BsF15 for students (about CDN$5). On the way home I got to experience the chaos that is Caracas rush hour. With gas prices locked in at about US$0.05 per litre, a lot of people are on the road!

Today was a day spent walking. We went to Central Caracas via bus and metro (busier than Montreal's metro, but not quite on par with the punctual chaos of Tokyo's). We toured around el Centro, much of which is undergoing restauration. I went to the Plaza Bolivar, Bolivar's place of birth, a Bolivarian Museum, and the Caracas Museum of Contemporary Arts (which has several Picasso originals in its collection). It was all very cool to see. We walked east from the Bellas Artes metro and I conquered my fear of the Sabana Grande police! The trip ended with catching a bus just outside the Canadian embassy to go back to the Baruta district.

Caracas may have smacked me in the face when I first arrived, but I am starting to get my bearings in the city and am enjoying getting to know the people here. I am prolonging my stay to go rumbear tomorrow night. Isla de Margarita soon...