Sept 12 – Monday

At 9:30 I was at the travel agency and since I was the only client there, I had the full attention of the manager.  He was quite nice and understood the problems I was having obtaining Bolivars;  unfortunately he can’t help me with that.    I first asked about a trip to Angel Falls and was told that I could probably book it and pay with my Visa, but it would not be all inclusive  (Flight, boat, hotel covered, but not meals or tips, or anything else that might have to be paid)   Not only is it expensive, but I would end up paying twice the actual rate because of the Bolivar exchange.   So that part of my dream  will have to wait until a different government is in place in Venezuela and a more open policy is used for their banking system.    I did book a flight to Bogota Columbia for tomorrow;  leaving one day earlier than planned.    I guess I might as well get used to changing my plans, it’s bound to happen again at some point for various reasons.

It’s a sunny day so I decided to take the Metro back to Zona Catedral and take some pictures.  I also walked to Parque Ezequiel Zamora, located on a mountain top with views of the surrounding city.  There were a lot of school groups around, so even though some areas seemed isolated, I felt safe.  There were also guards throughout the park.  

Now that I think of it, there is a  police / security presence everywhere:  streets, parks, metro, shopping areas, etc.   I did not count how many steps I climbed to get to the top, but it was a long haul !   Coming back down was a lot easier.   It sprinkled off and on once I got downtown, but the reason I was wet by the time I got back to the hotel was more from sweat than anything else.   It is very humid and hot for me.  Some Venezuelans are walking around with coats, others with short sleeves.   I seem to blend in fairly well in the crowds however, because I was asked for directions a number of times while I walked around.   “Dispensame, no estoy de aqui !”   (Sorry, I’m not from here!)