Should I go to Venezuela? I am contemplating a trip to Venezuela. Earlier this year I, on a total whim, bought TWO plane tickets to Bogotá, Colombia. I was dreaming not of Bogotá herself, but of Leticia and the rainforest. I thought it would be great to go there most of the summer but not ALL summer. After buying these two tickets I thought, I know this is weird and wouldn’t make sense to everyone. But it feels right. It felt like peace.
What if one of my plane tickets was meant as a stop on the way to Caracas? Over the last few months several people have randomly sent me information about La Gran Sabana de Venezuela which is where Angel Falls is located. Over the years I have practiced Spanish I have practiced with more Venezuelans than any other country. I have a friend in Caracas with whom I’ve practiced for around 4 years. My ex boyfriend was from Venezuela. I have connections there. I even met a Venezuelan woman last summer in Medellin, Colombia and she told me I should visit Venezuela as we sat together eating arepas at a Venezuelan restaurant.
Maybe it wouldn’t be crazy to go to Venezuela. Maybe the universe is giving me these nudges for a reason.
I do have reservations though. Venezuela is not in the best position politically, the money there is worthless and everyone does their purchases in US dollars. It seems like quite an expensive place to visit in comparison to other parts of South America. I have seen the struggles of my Venezuelan friends and my ex who had to leave Venezuela in order to try and make a living in the surrounding countries, sending money back to their families whenever possible.
Many Venezuelans who manage to get hold of a US Visa are choosing to relocate to the United States, and the family members in the United States are bound to be helping their family back home through sending money.
I researched this before and found that there are no flights from the US directly to Venezuela due to the political situation there. Most people have to fly to a country like Panama first and then go from there to Caracas. I could conceivably arrive in Bogota and then from there head to Caracas. From Caracas I could book a tour with included transportation to Angel Falls.
Some places to consider going in Venezuela:
- Canaima and Angel Falls
- Merida
- Los Roques
- Caracas and hiking the Avila
- to see the guacamayas (parrots) de Caracas
Venezuela has beautiful Caribbean beaches, although I am not much of a beach person. I’ll choose the jungle any day. But Venezuela also has jungle and rainforest. The Amazon rainforest also exists there.
Maybe it wouldn’t be crazy to go to Venezuela like I have always thought.
The questions that remain: will it be possible to get a Venezuelan visa? I have researched this and it seems complicated. It seems like I would have to go to Mexico to get the visa because there is no embassy in the United States.
