Caracas - Mark 2

Plaza Bolivar
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Well, there we were again in the city of Caracas. We were only there for 24 hours this time on our way to Peru but we decided to give the city another chance and try and see as much as we could in 24 hours.

We decided to grab a bus from the airport this time as we arrived mid afternoon, and we got to our hotel which was a great start. After settling into the hotel we headed out after dark (we were too scared to the first time) to a typical Venezuelan restaurant where the speciality was chachapas, which are corn pancakes filled with the filling of your choice. These and arepas have become Em's new favourite foods in a country dominated by carnivores.

More Plaza Bolivar
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Heading home we discovered that the neighbourhood after dark wasn't that scary after all and was actually pretty cool, with lots of little restaurants and cafes and lots of people heading out for a night out.

The next day we made our way to the area around the Capitolio and found that it was buzzing with activity. It was a Saturday and the weather was great so there were lots of families out and soap box politicians on every corner. There were also markets set up where you could buy anything from religious trinkets to shoes (don't worry, Em resisted the temptation).

Soap box politics
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Because the weather was so great we decided to chill out in Plaza Bolivar for a while, me people watching (my favourite past time) and Em catching up on her reading. As with all South American cities there was a cathedral but we decided to give it a miss as we were a bit cathedraled out after Cuba and there are going to be a lot more for us to see on our way.

All in all it was a great return trip to Caracas. Looking back I think I was in a bit of shock the first time around because it's nothing like back home but when you dig a little deeper, there is so much history and culture in these places you can't help loving them. I guess it's a classic case of not judging a book by its cover!

No looking back now!
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So, Caracas might have greeted us with a slap in the face the first time around but definitely farewelled us with a warm hug!