Caracas and Los Roques. Our trip in Venezuela

Caracas e Los Roques, a camping in heaven.

 

Caracas

A day spending almost completely between different bus from Mochima we moved up to Cumana, the first station for embarking Caracas.Siamo at a time of arrival at destination in the afternoon under a tardissimo incessant rain and the darkness of the nightmare that this all could have jeopardized our safety, a kind of curfew that begins when the sun goes away. Even the station of arrival was not promising and daunting, a bit of fear. We rushed to stop a taxi to lead us to the city center and in men who do not say, safely, we arrived in a nice hotel by the taxi driver consigliatoci. Greeted by a reception made in Italy, following the practice of check-in we were directed to our room. Our stay in the capital was temporarily confined to a single day because we were already in possession of a ticket A / R to one of the most beautiful archipelagos in the world: Los Roques.
Since leaving for Caracas in the evening it was almost impossible, we have opted to confine to dine in the restaurant of our hotel: fortunately it has proved a pleasant surprise and also in price, which is considered the schiccheria the post, was content.

The following day, after countless recommendations on the danger of the city kindly offered by our friend made in Italy, we ventured exploration of Caracas. In reality the city offers many attractions for tourists, so much so that we are not even managed to retrieve a map and we only moved all'intuito and thanks to the thousand questions addressed to the people. In addition to the square dedicated to the Liberator Simon Bolivar and the palace of government, the only thing interesting feature are the many markets that populate the streets, enlivening an otherwise lukewarm city. To visit the central area we have spent more than four hours and an accomplice also our tiredness, we returned to base, with the consoling thought that by them a few hours we took a plane to Los Roques.

Los Roques

The next morning prepared backpacks and consumed the last breakfast comfortably seated, we proceed directly to the domestic airport in Caracas we waited five long days spent isolated in our tent and a few other things.
Airport, practice boarding and after some waiting, because excessive air traffic, we were flying over the Caribbean Sea. From the aircraft window you could see the many shades of the sea, the coral reef to protect the islets that make up the archipelago of Los Roques and some houses of those lucky few who can afford it: beautiful! First stop on the island of Gran Roque with airport and countless posada almost entirely owned by Italians. Yeah, do not we have said before in these parts but the Italian is a language to say the least known and widely spoken, most of the tourists in fact flying the Italian flag. Just placed my feet on the ground we were greeted by a very strong wind and a sun that right now there has appeared arrogant. The main island was not exactly the paradise that we expected to encounter even if the characteristic center devoid of roads paved by the idea of wild nature of these islands. We proceed directly to the body Emparque, which is responsible for managing the national park, to get permission to plant our tents. That fact in a few minutes we got for free the possibility of planting a few islands in the dwelling in which it was possible because Los Roques is an archipelago of about 365 islands and most of them are declared a nature reserve and therefore inaccessible to tourists. For our first night in Gran Roque, we planted the tent right in front of the guards Emparque (single area dedicated to camping). We lost our confidence in the curtain, do not actually ever had the experience, and it has taken more than necessary to put in place, transactions completed, we dive into the sea for a refreshing bath, which is shared with a multitude of pelicans as had never before seen in our lives. Having planned our stay the archipelago, we direct the port to contact one of the countless scafisti focused ferry tourists from one island to another. After negotiations in the normal case we have come to snatch a tour that would lead us to visit three other islands as well as one where we were. We left the port with the knowledge that the day was given an especially hard in the beautiful island completely deserted, almost devoid of vegetation under a scorching sun with the only shelter offered by our curtain.
Here comes the night and soon saw that we had the opportunity to wash with fresh water we have dwelt on the beach to enjoy the sunset which came together very quickly and unaware of the numerous mosquitoes that shared the beach and the tent. Levatoci the costume worn the uniform and we have direct association to the city center to find something to put teeth parked in a restaurant facing the beach but they gave us an exciting dinner (we ordered fresh fish and we have frozen : unworthy!). After dinner we were granted and an ice cream that has offset the annoyance of frozen fish. Consumed the ice cream was not much to do and so after a chat on a bench in the center we have towards our house trying to fall asleep listening to the sound of the sea: it is not so easy if they are ten in the evening.

Wake up at dawn by a sun that is made effortless space between the thin canvas of our tent, we have raised and without thinking for a moment we had backpacks and packed our house: we had to head to the nearby supermarket to stock food and water because in our next destination was only a small restaurant owned by some local fishermen that worked when he wanted. With the spending we direct to the port and loaded on to Crasqui, a tourist island furthest from Gran Roque. After twenty minutes of boat that are rising wave ever more arrogant, wet all'inverosimile we have come in a fantastic beach, carved by waves hardly made an unprecedented water we could remain here to describe all my life so much beauty but it would be simplistic . Almost made it appear a single palm tree in the whole island seemed to encourage us to place the tent at his feet, which we did for them a little. It was not the first time that we were faced with white beaches and crystal clear water but the beauty of these atolls is surprising only partially match those islands that we met in the middle of the Pacific Ocean: breathless! In a deserted island things to do are not very many, and so once assembled the tent, ready backpacks and made sure our food activities were exhausted, that there were long walks on the beach, sun and sea a pleasant solitude. After lying in the sun Our only friend, we are driven to explore the island, reaching the restaurant for fishermen to ensure the possibility of a dinner. Agree on time, menu and price with the owners we have returned to finish the day near our tent. Despite what we could think the day has gone faster than expected and in men who do not tell the night has come and the inevitable mosquitoes, as usual, hungry and arrogant. Hiding in a tent to escape the attack of these cute vampires we did spend time chatting and reading a good book and then wear long trousers and driving towards our dinner. Returning with the belly full, there was that sit on the sand and enjoy a wonderful starry sky in strict silence.

The following day was a photocopy of the previous with the exception that this time we have gone to explore the area north of the island. We started in mid-afternoon sun under a devastating along the white beach and dipping from time to time standing in the sea to cool. The north of the island is the focus of all the tourists daily and where there is a beautiful natural swimming pool. This is a kind of caught between two islands where they have accumulated sand, coral and various debris, creating a shallow depth that allows you to walk between island and island for hundreds of meters. If possible at this point the water was crystal clear and even there we are made to escape an opportunity to take a dive and a lot of photos. Returning to the base we stopped at a restaurant reservation for dinner and to browse through the various animals featured on this site: an albino dog, two parrots, one of which completely without feathers, and most surprising, a tub full of small wedge tartarughine of water just out from their egg. Back near the tent we enjoyed one more sunset, maybe the most beautiful throughout the day, when the sun stops burning, the wind drops and the waters are more calm.

The next morning was day of transfers: dismounted and remounted the tent, with backpacks and consumed a breakfast of bread and tuna (heavy!) We sat on the beach waiting for our scafista that we should have led to the new island: Noronqui. Around ten o'clock in the morning, with some delay the horizon checked our ferryman and in about ten minutes we had already arrived in the new island. It was a new heaven ever made of white beach, water and an enviable wood construction under which we could find shelter from the sun that did not let escape. Taking advantage of this structure we have given a day off our skin burns, sharing the shade with a countless number of black lucertolone climb everywhere. Peace and tranquility reigned supreme, a refreshing dip and a stroll on the island could not surely fail. We agreed with the scafista the time of our recovery because the stay in Noronqui was limited to just one day, we spent the evening at a new destination. Between a commitment and the other came tonight ... the noise of the boat which was to recover interrupted the silence of the sunset. Loaded backpacks we direct to Gran Roque for food and supplies from there to a mezz'oretta we shared at a time of Francesqui, the island most visited by tourists because the island nearest the main. At our arrival the tourists if they were already gone and the island was virtually deserted except for a four-legged black, a nice cagnolone who has earned a place in the chronicles of the Lonely Planet. Our first thought was to find a place to plant the tent and classic inexperienced tourists had begun to assemble our house under a mangrove tree. There seemed good, the shade and cool, but we did not come to terms with the mosquitoes on the island residents who have not spared some of organizing a committee of welcome. Thanks to the two tourists who had yet to leave the island, we realized that it was appropriate to move because of the mangrove trees are the natural home for mosquitoes. During the operations of assembling the tent we had knowledge of an Italian couple in honeymoon who had chosen to take a vacation in Los Roques visiting the many islands and living on a boat. Francesqui gave us one of the most beautiful sunsets of our lives: a little cloud in the sky which reflected the weak rays of the sun while it goes off in the warm waters of the bay. Come evening, this time we had not even l '; engagement dinner since we already had a sandwich while azzannata did supply food. At eight o'clock we were ready to go to bed even if completely deprived of sleep, and we have taken advantage of the only living being, the black Cagnoni, to distract us and get a bit of time.

Solita sveglia all'alba con il sole che faceva il suo lavoro al meglio e noi accampati nel centro della spiaggia avevamo nella tenda l'unico riparo naturale. Ci siamo goduti un pò di quel paradiso in pace visto che intorno alle dieci i turisti avrebbero invaso la spiaggia e così è stato. A metà mattinata il traffico di barchini era a dir poco congestionato, arrivavano scaricavano i turisti e ripartivano per un nuovo carico. Nonostante l'estremo affollamento Francesqui non perdeva di certo il suo fascino, ci siamo spinti a visitare la piscina naturale che si trovava alle nostre spalle senza tralasciare l'altra punta dell'isola. Anche da queste nuove visuali si può capire perché il flusso di turisti sia così devastante. La laguna regala colori pastello, le barche parcheggiate arricchiscono il quadretto e la natura selvaggia fa il resto; una nuotata tra gli innumerevoli coralli e le coloratissime specie di pesci che abitano la piscina naturale è un'esperienza da non farsi scappare assolutamente: andateci! Il nostro piano era quello di trascorrere anche la nottata accampati nella spiaggia ma le informazioni che avevamo ricevuto in merito al funzionamento del ristorante dell'isola erano errate. Nessun ristorante, niente cibo e solo pochi bicchieri d'acqua ci hanno fatto scegliere ciò che era ovvio: non ci rimaneva che rientrare nell'isola principale. Un pò delusi da questo cambiamento di rotta abbiamo contattato lo scafista perché venisse a recuperarci nel tardo pomeriggio e ci siamo goduti quelle poche ore che rimanevano prima della calata del sole. Solite procedure di smontaggio della tenda e seduti con il culetto sulla sabbia dovevamo solo aspettare il barchino. Abbiamo abbandonato Francesqui, una delle più belle isole che abbiamo visitato a Los Roques ed in pochi minuti siamo arrivati nell'isola principale dove abbiamo dovuto ricominciare tutto da capo con la tenda. Per l'ultima serata nell'arcipelago ci siamo concessi una cenetta con i controfiocchi fatta di pesce, questa volta freschissimo e un'ultima passeggiata nel paesino.

The next morning not even the time to do the luggage that we were already at the airport ready to return to Caracas. We waited for a refreshing shower and a real bed, things that had to be abandoned a few days but that is certainly not what we would miss the Caribbean islands.
Our stay in the Venezuelan capital would not have lasted long because the next morning we had plans to turn the good old bus to Las Trinceras. A return to a life of "civilian" has not cleared our habit to go to bed early, after a dinner eaten in the restaurant devoid of our usual costume and with his feet trapped in shoes, we put to bed without even turning on the television (very severe). Alarm at the first light of dawn, breakfast, taxi, bus station and road to Las Trinceras was recommenced our journey!