An irrelevant aside...

[BobG]

Today I achieved something that I've hankered after for 20 odd years. I have SEEN Venezuela! Other than my Colombian Spanish teacher I know not one other person who has ever seen Venezuela, never mind set foot in it.

Clearly, given HMG's trenchant advice and that of my Colombian acquaintances too, I couldn't actually cross the border. Sadly, I couldn't even do that via some unguarded back road. Those roads are the ones that the numberless refugees use. Obviously, there is therefore a thriving guerilla trade in the near border Colombian lands where murder, extortion and kidnapping of the prettier girls is commonplace. Equally, it is in those same borderlands that the Colombian police and army practice their counter guerilla tactics by preying on the ones who operate there. Not a good idea to go anywhere near...

Bizarrely, in this border city of Cucuta, quite the most unpleasant city I've come across, I also found today a shopping centre that was totally, bloody fantastic. Nothing like the functional commercial exploitative approach we have. Yes. Of course there were plenty of shops. But the place has stunning design, layout, features, attractions, shops. It has a lovely atmosphere and it's a 100% wonderful environment. I had my hair cut there by a 30 something Venezuelan. Brilliant experience. Far nicer, more thorough, more complete, than anything I've ever experienced in England. This is the best shopping centre I've ever seen - by far.

BobG

[BobG]

Couple of pics

Part of the shopping centre after dark. Notice the HUGE ceiling fans. Made a perfect environment to enjoy my 'tinto' - Americano to thee and me.


BobG

[BobG]

The border. That's Venezuela beyond the big sign.

Far more folk entering Colombia than leaving. And in maybe half an hour I saw 3 families, complete with children, walking from despair into what they hope will be a better future. It won't be. Cucuta is an unpleasant city. Violent and, to feed their children, full of thieves. Many walk on - thousands of miles. I've seen families still walking right down near Ecuador, dependent on either charity or theft to survive. The Colombians do put their hands in their pockets, and the Government not too long back gave every Venezuelan refugee a 7 year visa that allows him/her to work, access the heath system and send their children to school. That is a magnificent thing to have done. But the problem is inflation is rising higher and the influx of labour has depressed wages. You can imagine the consequences...


BobG
.

[SydneyRover]

Thanks for the updates Bob your travels sound fabulous.

[BobG]

I've always enjoyed travelling. As I'm getting a lot, lot older, I've decided if I don't do things in the next couple of years, I never will. Ergo....

The daft thought struck me earlier that having seen Venezuela, I really ought to peek into North Korea... I don't think that's on the cards though. I may be crap at Spanish but it's a shed load better than my Korean. I'd have to kidnap my lads' girlfriend. She's a decent linguist and she's been squaring up to Korean for a couple of years now.

I think India is more likely for the next adventure. Never been there. Either that or a jaunt through the Sahara Desert. Always had a thing for deserts. There's two handy objectives too - both in Algeria so it might be possible to do them both. The Ahaggar Mountains where you might, if you're lucky, see a mountain ibex or two, and a spot just outside Tamanrasset where stands the most isolated tree on the planet. Some French buffoon drove into it with his Land Rover in the 1960's but last time I checked it was still there. That'd be something to see wouldn't it?!

BobG

[BobG]

Sorry. Couldn't resist. This photo, all of it beyond the immediate foreground, is Venezuela. So are the snippets I've listed below too.

Venezuela. Sitting on 18% of the worlds oil reserves. 303 billion barrels. More than any other nation, including Saudi Arabia.

Venezuela. From my Colombian friend who spent some time there, a stunningly beautiful country with everything anyone could ever need. Coastlines. Agriculture. An  educated population when she was there.

Venezuela. Destitute. Almost no health care. Almost no education now. Almost no petrol. Almost no oil production. Almost no electricity.

Venezuela. A corrupt, fabulously wealthy president.

Venezuela. A country where 23% of the population - 7.7 million people - have fled since 2014

Venezuela. A country and a people the world, to its everlasting shame, ignores.

I can't stop looking at this pic. Or thinking about the evil the world continues to allow to go on behind those beautiful trees and mountains.

BobG

[Nudga]

Bob, have you bumped into Sofia Vergara?


Ps, please keep posting updates of your travels.  I find it fascinating that you've even dared go to a place like Colombia.

[BobG]

Colombia is OK Nudga. Like anywhere, there are places to go and places to avoid. Medellin, for example, the city of Pablo Escobar, from being the most dangerous city in the world 40 years ago is now the safest, and nicest city in Colombia. If my life had turned out differently, I could very well have decided to live there.

Like every country, some things about Colombia aren't very good: social care, lower income lifestyle and environment, driving - but others are pretty good: climates (plural! Caribbean to high Andes), engineering, colour, natural world.

Some parts gringos would be better off avoiding. But there's still plenty left to enjoy. It's bigger than France and Spain combined and it has damn good inter city bus services and, for us, cheap internal flights.

Google pics of 'Cano Cristales'  Nudga. It's unique.

BobG

PS. It's probably un pc to say this, but some of the girls are just stunning too.

[Nudga]

Looks fantastic Bob. I might suggest this to Mrs N.

[BobG]

 

[BobG]

Today is November 30th. Apparently it's a special day. I don't know if it's official or not but not only are the amazing Chrimbo lights turned on  for the first time (try googling Medellin lights) but there's quite a festive atmosphere. Amongst the symptoms of this are a lot of loud music, and, sporadic VERY loud explosions right through the day.  They're that loud they scared me. When I asked, it's the custom apparently to set off gunpowder! Christ it's loud when it goes off...

BobG

[bobbymax]

Fascinating Bob! Keep 'em coming. Loved Medellin when we briefly visited a couple of years ago but shocked at the sheer size of the place.

[BobG]

Wow!

Bobbymax. You are the first person I have ever 'met' who has ever set foot in Colombia. And to visit one of my favourite cities too! Did you get to the Plaza de Luces?? Incredible story that place. Or go up the ski lift type things to what, are effectively the favelas? Another fantastic story there. Botero's sculptures in that open square in the city centre? Or, of course, follow the Pablo Escobar 'trail'.... There is a very moving display and monument about those times too.

BobG

PS The football stadium, shared by the 2 main Medellin clubs, Atletico and Nacional is worth a visit too. It's in a nice area.

I

[Branton Red]

My Dad, fellow Rovers STH, has been to Venezuala.

He went with work about 20 years ago to visit an iron ore mine (he worked at Scunthorpe Steelworks).

The airport at Caracas was full of scary-looking military carrying machine guns.

The way in wasn't too bad, as he was with a colleague and they were met quickly after getting off the plane by people from the mine.

On the way out my Dad was alone, without a word of Spanish (Si Senor apart!), navigating through the airport, past surly passport control staff with these menacing militia men scowling at him at every turn.

Says it was the most scared he's been in his life.

[BobG]

I bet he was too Branton.

I've not seen anything seriously unpleasant myself but there are a lot of stories, the UK Govt gives dire warnings, that intrepid younger travel chap on TV sneaked in for a programme a little while back and he wasn't comfortable at all. He and his crew were bloody brave though. If anyone at all had stopped them the least they would have got is an enormous 'fine'.  Because no govt employee gets paid any more they have to live by extortion. And it could have been a helluva lot worse. You can see why a quarter of the population have legged it out of the country in the last 10 years...

Yet Venezuela should be stinking rich! Oil, tourism, agriculture. It's got shed loads of all three if it wasn't the personal fiefdom of a certain chap in Caracas.

It is a very scary place.

Later: Simon Reeve. Cracking bloke and very brave.

Later again. I am under STRICT instructions not to open my mouth, not to say a word, when I'm out and about on the streets of Cucuta. My accent would simply confirm that I'm a gringo. And gringos, by definition, are rich and well worth robbing by the hordes of destitute refugee Venezuelans here.

BobG

[bobbymax]

Wow!

Bobbymax. You are the first person I have ever 'met' who has ever set foot in Colombia. And to visit one of my favourite cities too! Did you get to the Plaza de Luces?? Incredible story that place. Or go up the ski lift type things to what, are effectively the favelas? Another fantastic story there. Botero's sculptures in that open square in the city centre? Or, of course, follow the Pablo Escobar 'trail'.... There is a very moving display and monument about those times too.

BobG

PS The football stadium, shared by the 2 main Medellin clubs, Atletico and Nacional is worth a visit too. It's in a nice area.

Wow!

Bobbymax. You are the first person I have ever 'met' who has ever set foot in Colombia. And to visit one of my favourite cities too! Did you get to the Plaza de Luces?? Incredible story that place. Or go up the ski lift type things to what, are effectively the favelas? Another fantastic story there. Botero's sculptures in that open square in the city centre? Or, of course, follow the Pablo Escobar 'trail'.... There is a very moving display and monument about those times too.

BobG

PS The football stadium, shared by the 2 main Medellin clubs, Atletico and Nacional is worth a visit too. It's in a nice area.

We were on an 'adventure' holiday but kept very much on a leash .remember the entire tourist industry seems set around Pablo Escobar.
Visited Cartagena on a cruise as well, very busy, reminded me too much of Miami.

[BobG]

I spent a couple of weeks in Cartagena 2 years ago. Chuffing HOT. The old town was good. The castle is staggering. And very different. Successfully so. And the rest of Cartagena left me cold. Well, figuratively. Lol. I had to spend one whole night hanging around outside a hospital there waiting for the person I was travelling with. The locals were great. The street stalls were cheap. And the entire mosquito armada must have gone home stuffed to the gills. I can only assume I tasted nice.

There's a helluva lot more to Medellin than just Pablo Escobar. Honestly, it is an amazing place and there are a million (well, not quite..) bloody interesting things to see, observe and wonder at.

And only an hour away by bus is the Penol de Guatape. Now that is something else indeed. Frightened me to death so I just stood back and looked. But my female companion thought I was nesh and did the whole thing. One of Pablo's houses is close by too, right on the edge of a lake in a very upper class area. His house sticks out like a sore thumb. Burned out. Never repaired.

LOL. I've got a lot of photos of all of the stuff I've mentioned on here - and more. If anyone's interested, send me a PM. I probably won't be able to forward anything until mid December, but after then, no problem

BobG

[BobG]

Lol. You can never say never can you?

Tonight we went out. Into the middle of dangerous Cucuta.... As we drove past the city centre Holiday Inn the taxi driver regaled me with the story of a foreigner, 6 months ago, taken by his taxi to that hotel, forced onto the roof of the 20 story building, robbed. And then pushed off the top. I checked later. It's true.

Good start. But the rest of the night was great. Once again the Colombian delight in colour was on display. The Christmas lights and events were smashing and the people were joyous. My friend though insisted we leave at about 23 30. A lot of family types had left. It was getting dangerous...  But it was a bloody good night anyway, Couple of photos to follow.

BobG

[BobG]

Tonight - out in Cucuta

[BobG]

The international Casino Hotel - in blue

[BobG]

Beautiful

[BobG]

And now, at 0030, in a cool 26 degrees, it's time for a cold shower. It reached 34 degrees today....

BobG

[BobG]

Oh. Another brilliant bit of 'wall art'

[bobbymax]

I'd love to see more of South and Central America but life has rather got in the way since we retired. Maybe one day.

[BobG]

I used to think that too Bobbymax. But the day came when I realised there weren't too many days left when travel could be accomplished without too much fuss. So I decided to just get on with it. I'm hoping there will be more.

BobG

[BobG]

In the centre of Cucuta today. Very busy indeed. In one one of the 'Centro Commerciales' I saw something I've not seen since the late 1980's in Communist Czechoslovakia - paying an old crone to go to the loo and being given your niggardly few pieces of loo paper to take in with you.

 Oh. Saw 2 army types in one of the crowded streets. One was carrying a light machine gun....


BobG

[BobG]

Out for a wander in the backstreets of the backstreets of Cucuta tonight. Photo attached...
And imagine seeing this bus heading towards you...WTF?
Bob
Later - problems uploading.  I'll  try again later

[BobG]

Trying again..

[BobG]

And the bus - complete with police style red/blue flashing light at the front

[SydneyRover]

I've always enjoyed travelling. As I'm getting a lot, lot older, I've decided if I don't do things in the next couple of years, I never will. Ergo....

The daft thought struck me earlier that having seen Venezuela, I really ought to peek into North Korea... I don't think that's on the cards though. I may be crap at Spanish but it's a shed load better than my Korean. I'd have to kidnap my lads' girlfriend. She's a decent linguist and she's been squaring up to Korean for a couple of years now.

I think India is more likely for the next adventure. Never been there. Either that or a jaunt through the Sahara Desert. Always had a thing for deserts. There's two handy objectives too - both in Algeria so it might be possible to do them both. The Ahaggar Mountains where you might, if you're lucky, see a mountain ibex or two, and a spot just outside Tamanrasset where stands the most isolated tree on the planet. Some French buffoon drove into it with his Land Rover in the 1960's but last time I checked it was still there. That'd be something to see wouldn't it?!

BobG

Some great photos Bob, was in India in 73 or 74 one of the best things I remember was lying on our backs on the flat roof of the a uni accommodation block in Delhi and seeing the dark sky chock full of stars c/w shooting stars every couple of minutes. We sort of replicated that in NZ with a dark sky event above L. Tepako just as memorable.