Venezuela: Little Venice, where summer never ends

Venezuela used to be part of a single state named Gran Colombia with Columbia and Ecuador. But then they went their separate ways and became independent states. Venezuela neighbors Brazil to the south, Columbia to the west and Guyana to the east. It has a wealth natural resources, among them oil, natural gas, gold, diamond and iron.

The first Westerner to reach these shores was Christopher Columbus in 1498. When the Spaniards landed on Venezuela’s shores, they saw stilt houses built along the shore by indigenous people. These reminded them of Venice, and so they named the area Venezuela, meaning little Venice. The word later became the name of this big country.

Spaniards have lived on these lands for more than 300 years. They spread their own language, religion and culture. Today the official language of Venezuela is Spanish. It was also a Spaniard named Simon Bolivar who played a critical role in the country’s fight for independence. Bolivar is a national hero here.

Around 96 percent of the population is Catholic while 2 percent is Protestant. The majority of the population is mestizo, people of mixed European and Amerindian ancestry.

The cost of electricity, water and natural gas is very cheap. This is President Hugo Chavez’s gift to the people. Entrance to parks and zoos is free.

Government offices open at 8 a.m. and close at 1 p.m. They close early to save energy.

The length of the beautiful coastline is 2,800 kilometers. People go swimming in the summer and in the winter because the weather is always the same. As a result, tourists can swim at beaches all year long. Venezuela has a tropical climate. The weather is hot and humid. People never use heaters or central heating systems because they never have to. The weather is quite hot both in the winter and in the summer. The weather is relatively cool at higher points and the highest point in the country is Pico Bolivar at 4,981 meters.

The currency is the bolivar, with $1 being equal to 4.3 bolivar. The highest banknote is 100 bolivar. The only place tourists can exchange money is at the airport. Never try to exchange dollars at shopping places because they won’t be able to do it. There are no banks or currency exchange offices where you can go to exchange money. Tourists in Venezuela encounter a lot of problems when it comes to this matter. Foreigners generally make purchases on the black market.

The foothills of Avila Mountain

The capital Caracas is built on the foothills of Avila Mountain. The city has a population of approximately 6 million. It is the heart of politics, trade and economy. In short, it is Venezuela’s everything.

ZDue to limited flat plains, even the hills surrounding the city are turning into residential areas.

One of the most famous parts of the city is the Boulevard de Sabana Grande, which is closed to traffic and the most popular street. This street is always crowded and music performances are organized on the street from time to time.

Caracas is close to Miami, Florida. It takes an hour and 20 minutes to fly from the capital to Miami and there are 14 flights connecting them every day.

Loud music is always being played throughout the city. Venezuelans enjoy listening to music with the volume turned up high late into the evening. Downtown Caracas is filled with people who sing songs and dance to music in the evenings.

Next to the municipal building in Caracas is a tent called the “hot corner.” It is a sort of political venue. People watch state television in this tent. You might ask, “Can’t people watch state television at home?” They can, but they prefer the hot corner to share their thoughts and feelings with each other. This is a tradition that started after Chavez became president.

The area filled with historic buildings is known as El Silencio. Built during the colonial period, these buildings are on Venezuela’s national heritage list.

There are almost no tourists in Caracas. Tourists in Venezuela prefer to visit other parts of the country instead. Many don’t come because they don’t think the capital is safe. Islands like Margarita and Tortuga or the country’s Amazon attract the tourists’ attention more.

Since traffic is a serious problem in the city, demand for motorcycle taxis is very high. People who are in a rush get on a motorcycle taxi and get wherever they have to go much faster. The fare is tied to the traffic situation. If the traffic is heavy, it can be higher.

We know streets are sometimes closed to traffic, but apparently highways can be closed to traffic as well. That is the case in Venezuela. There are no cars on the big highways, just people walking around. The state closes the highway to traffic on Sundays to promote physical activity. The highway is closed to traffic from 5 a.m. to 1 p.m. People ride bikes, run, walk, walk their dogs and spend time with their children. There are even peddlers on this highway. The highway reopens to traffic at 1 p.m. and cars start whizzing by again.