Argh! How to write a succinct little paragraph to describe myself? Married mother of 2 in Yorkshir...
Argh! How to write a succinct little paragraph to describe myself? Married mother of 2 in Yorkshire, desperately trying to juggle husband, kids, house and "me" time. I just realised that "Argh" at the beginning makes me sound like a pirate...
Member since:19.11.2002
Reviews:8
I just read an excellent review by xadoc, and everything you pretty much need to know is there. I just have a few extra bits to fill in which I think would be helpful.
The city has an excellent tube system, called the Metro, which is cheap and convenient. It is extremely handy for getting around and best of all, you can't get too lost as you are bound to find a station before long and you can get back to your hotel/get to your destination without too much trouble.
If you are going shopping, Caracas is well known for leather goods, Nike, Reebok, Adidas stuff, clothes and GOLD. Fantastic quality 14 and 18 karat gold from the "joyerias" or jewellery shops. The gold is usually priced for you there and then as it is calculated based on the rate of exchange so of course it varies. Lovely quality gold, no 9K rubbish which is ridiculous as anything under 10K is not supposed to be classed as gold. You can get excellent stuff, beautiful designs. The best way of getting proper discount clothes and shoes is to look for the touts calling out "Fabricas, fabricas". They are usually found around the shops in the city centre. They are the ones who can take you into the clothes factories. They receive a commission from the factories for this, they should not ask you for any money directly.
You need to ask directions for "lastiendas" and this will get you to the shops or shopping districts. A very nice one is Sabana Grande, same name as the metro stop. It is a whole pedestrianised area with lots of shops, cafes, restaurants and bistros, a lot of them on the street with umbrellas in the tables.
If you are looking for sightseeing, you could visit Merida which is a town on the slopes of the Andes. You can get the teleferico which is a cable car ride near to there. Merida is higher up and so much cooler than Caracas - some evenings you will most definitely need a jumper or light jacket.
Only a couple of slightly negative things to say. First is, don't drink the tap water. Even the locals buy bottled water to drink and foreigners should also avoid brushing their teeth in the tap water. Well, I tend to be extra careful so I have always used bottled water. Bathing is OK though.
Men, in particular, should walk with some form of ID showing their nationality. Military service is compulsory and the Guardia Nacional have the power to stop you and ask for ID. I can't say if this is still the same right now but certainly a few years ago, if a man could not prove his ID or show that he has served his time, he was marched down to the nearest station until he could provide them with some papers. My uncle made sure that he either had his passport or a photocopy so that if he was unlucky enough to be stopped, he could avoid unnecessary grief. However, the Guardia Nacional cannot stop you if you are on private property, only on the street, so if you do think you might have a problem, hop into the nearest shop door until they have gone! :-)
Of course there is a crime element but this should not bother you as long as you keep your wits about you. Pickpockets are rife in the metro and in the city, like anywhere else in the world.
I hope this was helpful! Enjoy yourself if you go!
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Hello Lisette, I did like your review, I just think that you might be able to write more details about the places that you visited; where did you stayed? How much does Hotels and taxis cost? Etc. Let me know if you make some changes and I will love to give you a higher rating.
Regards, Lore
star333 15.03.2005 08:45
Great review, this is a place where I have never really considered going too but it doe's sound nice x
Lucie_S1984 06.03.2005 02:15
Somewhere I've never really considered visiting in all honesty, Lucie xxx
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Advantages: Lack of tourists, amazing scenery and wildlife, friendly people, and good transport. Disadvantages: You have to be prepared to organise everything yourself, in Spanish! Not for people looking for glitz, glamour or an easy life.
xadoc 29.01.2004 (30.01.2004)
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