Sept 9 – Friday

Was able to get some Bolivars  today  from Italbanco, but only by providing my passport, my hotel address and room #, my home address, my e-mail address and my finger prints (twice: once on the application and a second  time (at the counter right next to the first one ! ! !)  to actually receive the bolivars).   The two clerks who assisted me were quite helpful in explaining the process and restrictions imposed by “El Presidente” Hugo  Chavez.   They indicated that although the going rate is 7.5 bolivars to the dollar, banks can only give us the exchange for approx 4 bolivars to the dollar.  Highway robbery, but no choice in the matter.   You can try to do an exchange with individuals, but you risk getting fake bolivars.   Now I understand why my airport driver was offering to get me bolivars at 7 to 1 rate. So today at Italbanco I changed $40 US for  $171.57 bolivars ($4.29), but only got $158.70 due to bank charges.      

Frustrating start to my trip in that sense and it will definitely impact on the length of time I will stay in Venezuela, especially if I can’t book a tour to Angel Falls by using my credit card.

Took the metro to the historical district of Caracas, zona La Catedral, but when I got out of the Metro station it was pouring rain (deluge) and everyone without umbrellas was stuck at the entrance to the metro waiting for the rain to abate.   Where was my umbrella, you ask?   Back at the hotel of course !  45 minutes later, it was still pouring, so I decided to run across the street and dash from cover to cover for one long city block to get to the church of San Antonio.  Beautiful old church and worth getting wet for.  Thankfully there was a mass being said, otherwise the doors would have been locked (Churches are rarely locked in Mexico, or in Peru, so it goes to show how careful they are being).  It kept raining off and on all day and I did get to see a few of the historic buildings and museums: Museo Bolivariano, Casa Natal del Libertador (House where Simon Bolivar was born), Palacio Municipal de Caracas, Capitolio, Plaza Bolivar,    but it was not very pleasant and I’ll have to go back on a sunnier day.

Took the Metro back to the hotel and was soaked through.  Well, that’s it for now.   If you get this info in an e-mail it’s because I haven’t been able to finish setting up my blog.