15/10/2011 - A change of scenery, onto Ciudad Bolivar

Waking up at 6:30 am and departing from my hotel soon after to catch my bus to Ciudad Bolivar I was hoping the roads and metro might be a bit quieter than normal. Not so in Caracas. My 9 hour coach journey was comfortable but uneventful. I'd been warned that the coaches have the air-conditioning up on full so it can get quite cold. If anything I was thankful for a break from the heat and sweated like cheese when we were forced outside for a half hour snack break I thought would never end (we were inexplicably not allowed back on the bus until the break was finished).

Arriving at Ciudad Bolivar I was greeted by the unspectacular grey buildings surrounding the coach station, just as my lonely planet guide had told me. Unmentioned in my guide was the man instantly eager to sell me tickets to a 3 day trip to see Angel Falls (big waterfall nearby) when all I wanted was a taxi to the posada (guest-house) I wanted to stay at. Once I'd convinced him I wasn't an idiot and wasn't going to buy anything, he pointed me in the direction of the cabs, one of which took me to the Posada Don Carlos. En route we drove past what looked like a stack of speakers on top of a large wheelbarrow, pumping out music into the nearby neighbourhood. I was to have a run-in with this wheelbarrow later. The taxi driver overcharged me but I did a good bit of haggling to get back 5 bolivars and was about to try and get 5 more back when I realised that I was haggling over less than 50p and just let it go. The posada I'm staying in is absolutely gorgeous and a breath of fresh air after the stuffy hotel rooms of Caracas. Its in a converted building in the old part of the city and feels like what I would imagine a Spanish villa to feel like. The closest thing I'd compare it to is a much nicer version of a hostel me, Aled and Arthur stayed at in Venice Beach, Los Angeles (no swedish au-pairs sadly but a couple of travellers from Belgium, Brazil and Australia).

While I ate some arepas (a burger/sandwich made with flat-bread) at a nearby eatery, the sound of approaching music deafened both myself and the teenage girl working there (who I'd had to cajole to actually make me the food). The music grew louder and louder until suddenly, rounding the corner, appeared the wheelbarrow speaker stack with a crowd in tow. The speakers were being valiantly tugged from the front and pushed from the rear by several people while the musicians sat on the barrow and strummed fast paced latin rhythms. Naturally I got stuck in.

Also in the midst of the throng were a couple of English speaking travellers who were staying at the same hostel as me. A few of them are going on a 3 excursion to Angel Falls tomorrow and suggested I tag along. Why not; I'd planned to do this after my volunteering in Santa Elena but now seems a good a time as any. Probably means I won't update this for a few days but will have some token touristy photos of the waterfall next time I do.