June 2, 2009

After Panama City we spent a few quiet days in Caracas.  There was nothing about the city that felt threatening and we felt safe walking around the neighborhood where we stayed.  But there also didn’t seem to be an awful lot worth exploring so we mostly relaxed while we waited for Benjamin to join us from Panama.   The oddest thing about Venezuela is the exchange rate.  The official rate is just over 2 bolivars to the dollar.  This makes everything really expensive.  Our room at the Embassy Suites was listed as $350 per night.  But what we figured out is that there is a black-market exchange rate of around 5.5 bolivars to the dollar.  That made our room more like $160.  So when we first arrived there was the stress of sorting out how and where to get the best exchange rate.  We bought some bolivars for 5 to $1 at the airport, but our driver took us to a place where we could get 6.  Scott had to hand over his dollars while the man behind the counter handed over the bolivars.  Each counted their money while four large men blocked the entrance to the room; a bit surreal, but successful.  Only with this “illegal” rate is the cost even reasonable to travel in Venezuela.  Luckily we knew about this before arriving and have enough dollars to never have to use our credit cards or an ATM the entire month we are here.

On May 29th we took a flight to Ciudad de Bolivar – you certainly get the sense the people are thankful for Simon Bolivar’s role in their independence as his name is everywhere.  The next day we woke early to take a six-seater Cesna (our family plus the pilot) into the town of Caniama, the base camp for trips to Angel Falls.   

But our plans quickly hit a roadblock.  Apparently the rainy season was a month late (having typically started in early May) and the river was too dry for boats to navigate to the base of Angel Falls.  According to our guide they had not been making trips for a week and prior to that the trips took twice as long as usual because it was necessary to get out frequently to push the boat through shallows or lift it over rapids.  

Well given that our travel agent had just told us last night that trips were still going to Angel Falls we were feeling a bit cheated.  To have come this far and not be able to see Angel Falls was just not an option we were open too.  There were three other couples (German, Polish and French) who were all in the same spot.  Scott acted as negotiator on the phone and after an hour the two operators had agreed that they would take us on an overnight trip up the river to the first campsite (no pushing required though we would have to get out occasionally and walk so the boat would be light enough to pass over some rocks), see some smaller falls that still had a good amount of water, and then the next day do a fly-over of the falls in a small Cesna.  It actually worked out great.  We got to swim under some falls, and in one case walk behind some huge falls.  We spent the night at a camp with a resident wild pig and slept in hammocks (not very comfortable for future reference).  

The fly over the next day was really exciting as we climbed above the tepuys (mountains with flat tops, whose sides are almost vertical) and then suddenly banked to come down over Angel Falls.  The views were stunning and we were thankful to have had the chance to see them from above.  The drop-off for Angel Falls was amazing, but we could see the water turned to mist before it hit the bottom.  We probably would have been disappointed from the bottom. 

We spent an extra day relaxing in Ciudad de Bolivar and have arrived today on Isla de Margarita.  Tonight we will celebrate Alexander’s graduation from 8th grade.  It is hard to believe he is now a high school student, but we are all very happy to have him finished with his schoolwork.  We will be on this island (known as the Caribbean resort escape for Venezuelans) for two weeks, staying at two different rental properties.  With lots of space to spread out, beautiful beaches and warm weather, this should be a real vacation.

June 18, 2009

These last couple weeks have been a significant change from the previous months of our trip.  We have switched modes from “travel” to “vacation”.  We talk about how much work travel can be and that it often feels like you need a vacation to recover.  So we built that into this trip, ending our six months on the Caribbean side of South America.

These past two weeks we have vacationed on an island off the north coast of Venezuela called Isla de Margarita.  The first week we stayed on a part of the island famous for it’s wind.  Windsurfing and kite sailing competitions are often held in El Yaque and the small community revolves around these sports.  The boys took a lesson and then spent most mornings practicing.  The biggest challenge, in addition to staying on the board, was avoiding sunburn.  In the afternoons we stayed out of the sun, reading and watching DVDs we had picked up cheap along the way.

  

Part of the reason we decided to stay in this touristy area is that there are so many vacation properties to rent.  This is low season here so the prices are great. We are enjoying having the space, with 3 and 4 bedrooms per condo, a kitchen, and places to spread out….all for less than a single hotel room.

Last week we stayed at a 3 bedroom condo with views over Pampatar Bay where we could see and hear the constant rhythm of a community that does everything with music as a backdrop.  We rented a car and explored other parts of the island and enjoyed some beautiful beaches.  

  

On Monday night we took the ferry back to the mainland and are now in a 4-bedroom rental with views of a marina filled with beautiful boats.  From here we can take water taxis to any number of small islands in the Mochima National Park.  Though the islands are not much more than scruffy rocks, there is some good snorkeling.  We have also been enjoying trips to the supermarket to fill our own fridge.  Scott has been cooking and it has been nice to not have to go out for our meals.

  

But much of our days are spent planning for our return.  Benjamin has been applying for some jobs in Seattle, and Zachary has signed up for classes at Pomona. They have also researched summer music festivals and will be heading to Chicago for Pitchfork soon after we return. Alexander is planning his summer of nonstop friend time, but also looking into what his new high school has to offer. I have been making plans for our move and all that needs to be accomplished in our few weeks in MN. Scott has already made his reservations for his next trip to Google, just a couple days after we return.

Though at times our travels been challenging, to adapt an old saying, “the worst day of traveling is still better than the best day of working.”  And vacation, well we remind ourselves to savor these days, that as anxious as we are to return we will soon miss these lazy days.