Got a late start since I slept in. The hotel where I am staying is still undergoing repairs but my room is newly refurbished. Obviously catering to cheating spouses or newly-weds because there is a king size mirror on the ceiling above the king size bed, a mirror as a headboard, and a clear glass shower visible from the bed with…. Wait for it…. mirrors ! ! Kind of depressing to see my lumpy 57 year old body everywhere I look. Thank God the lights are on dimmer switches.
“The Hotel” (that’s its actual name) is located in the zona El Rosal of Caracas so easy to walk to many areas that are close-by. And that’s what I did today, six hours of almost non-stop walking, mainly trying to find a bank to get some Bolivars, but doing some sightseeing and trying to get my bearings as well.
Walked all the way to Altamira Park and also stopped to visit “La Estancia” which is a park they are renovating and has a few buildings for art shows, weddings, etc. Then walked back by a more northern route, through zona Chacao to see Plaza Bolivar and check out some shopping areas, hoping to find banks.
Can’t buy Bolivars anywhere else but in Venezuela and can’t take them out of the country either. Anyway despite trying 4 different banks and 6 different ATM machines, I was unable to get Bolivars, so I will try again tomorrow. Some shops / restaurants accept Canadian or US $, but they are few. I’ve been told that if you want to use your credit card or bank card, you must also show your passport. Quite interesting. And since I had left my passport in the hotel room safe, I was out of luck ! It gets dark at 6 pm here (same as in Mexico) and I’m back in my room watching TV. There is a mini bar in the room thankfully so I’m having a beer and platano chips for dinner tonight. Tomorrow the search for Bolivars resumes. I’m also planning to take the Metro to go to the historical district of Caracas. Hopefully I can pick up a city tour of some type and get some info on a side-trip to Angel Falls.
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