Venezuela

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Overview | Culture | Sightseeing | History | Money & Transportation | Support | Map

Overview:

Venezuela is a tropical land located in northern South America, and is slightly larger than Texas and Oklahoma combined. The Andes Mountains dominate the west, where Pico Bolívar rises 16,427 feet above sea level. The central zone includes the northern coast and Venezuela's largest cities. To the east of the Orinoco River is Los Llanos ("the plains"), a region occupying one-third of the country. The south is dominated by high plateaus and jungle. Angel Falls, the highest waterfall in the world, displays its beauty in southeastern Venezuela. In the far south is a reserve for the country's 14,000 Yanomami Indians.

The dry season from December to April is the best time to hang out on the coast and soak up the rays. While temperatures can get a bit fevered, peaking around 89°F during the day, there is decent sunshine and insignificant rainfall. For the rest of the year temperatures are just a bit warmer, especially between June and September, and rainfall peaks around October. Moving inland, temperatures are a fair bit cooler but still with little seasonal change. While the wet season is still the same inland, rainfall is more frequent throughout the year. In the southern plateau region of Venezuela the temperature climbs again, however the hottest months are now February and March and it is wet for most of the year with slightly drier periods in September and October and between January and March.

Culture:

Conversation Tips

Generally avoid discussing politics in public, particularly if you have strong viewpoints yourself, except with well-known acquaintances or relatives that have your trust and confidence. Politics has become a very divisive issue in recent years and you may easily offend or provoke a strong reaction from either supporters or detractors of President Hugo Chávez.

Most Venezuelans are laid-back regarding racial issues, since white or creole persons blend naturally with natives and Afro-Colombians in everyday life (education, living, politics, marriage). So the word "negro" can be used regardless of who's saying it, or who is being referred to in this way. Expressions like "negrito" or "mi negro" are often used as a term of endearment. You could hear someone calling "negra" to a woman, regardless of the race of the person. And in general, Afro-Venezuelans don't find it offensive, as they are simply variations on the Spanish word for "black". Similarly, don't be offended if someone calls you "flaco" (thin) or "gordo" (fat) as these may also be used fairly indiscriminately, and often as a term of friendliness. During conversation, people in Venezuela stand much closer than they do in the United States. Backing away is improper.

Men greet close friends with an abrazo (a full embrace, while patting each other on the back); women greet and part with an abrazo and a kiss on the cheek. Usually a man and a woman exchange an abrazo only if they are close friends or relatives. A firm handshake is a common greeting and parting gesture among acquaintances and strangers. It may be accompanied by a pat on the back, or among closer acquaintances, an abrazo.

Food

Lunch is the main meal of the day. Families traditionally eat together for midday and evening meals; however, this custom varies by region. Families in big cities no longer eat midday meals together. The parents usually sit at the head and foot of the dinner table. Some Venezuelans eat in the continental style, with the fork in the left hand and the knife in the right. Others use the style more common in the United States, with the fork in the right hand, unless the knife is picked up to cut something. When a person is finished, he or she places the utensils together or in an "X" at the center of the plate. It is inappropriate for adults to eat on the street.

People

Caracas has 3.5 million inhabitants. Venezuela's other major cities include Maracaibo, Valencia, and Maracay. The majority of the population (67 percent) is of mixed Amerindian and Spanish heritage. Twenty-one percent is either of European descent (mostly Italian or Spanish) or mulatto (mixed European and black); many of these people live in coastal regions. About 10 percent of the population is black. Two percent of the population is Amerindian, including the Goajiros, who live in the west, and the Yanomamis, who live in the south.

Venezuelans admire honesty, generosity, and a good sense of humor. Their penchant for talking, joking, laughing, and spontaneity often creates a party-like atmosphere wherever they happen to be. Venezuelans feel that the joy of an event or the needs of an individual are more important than the demands of a time schedule. Therefore, they may be late for appointments, and scheduled events may last longer than expected. Venezuelans are proud of the beauty of their country and of Venezuelan women; they proudly point out that winners of international beauty contests are frequently from Venezuela.

Religion

Religious freedom is guaranteed by the constitution. Still, 90 percent of the population is Roman Catholic. While many Catholics do not attend church services regularly, the majority profess some faith in God, the Catholic saints, and the Virgin Mary. The Roman Catholic Church has historically had a large voice in government. Although it no longer has formally delegated power, it remains an influential force in politics. Protestant and other Christian faiths are becoming more prevalent. In general, Venezuelans are somewhat less religious than other Latin Americans. Rural people tend to be more devoted to their faith than are urban residents.

Sightseeing:

Amazon Jungle

The southern Amazon region is thick with tropical rain forest, crisscrossed by rivers, and home to a number of isolated Indian tribes. The charming, balmy town of Puerto Ayacucho is rife with tour operators ready to whisk you deep into the Venezuelan Amazon on the Orinoco, Sipapo or Autana rivers.

Caracas

Caracas, often described as a concrete jungle, is far from being a tourists' paradise. It is congested, noisy, polluted, dirty and shockingly dangerous. Walking the streets aimlessly is risky even in day light. However, as the capital of Venezuela it is the key to understanding the country: the city displays staggering inequalities of wealth but is bound together by the warmth and happiness of its inhabitants, their love of the beach and partying, and the soothing presence of Mount Avila. Hemmed in by green forested hills, Caracas squeezes the tremendously wealthy and the desperately poor into a single chaotic city. This disorder is reflected in the city's gravity-defying skyscrapers and the teetering shantytowns that cover the hills around it.

Cueva del Guácharo

With more than 6 miles of caverns, the Guácharo Cave is Venezuela's longest and most magnificent cave. It is inhabited by the guácharo (oilbird), which lives in total darkness and leaves the cave only at night in search of food. From August to December, there are around 10,000 of them in the cave, along with a maze of stalactites and stalagmites. You can camp at the entrance to the cave after closing time and watch the hundreds of birds pouring out of the cave mouth at around 6:30pm and returning at about 4:00am.

La Gran Sabana

The Gran Sabana sits atop the Guyana (or Guiana) Shield, one of the world's oldest geological formations. It dates back to the Pre-Cambric era, over two billion years ago. The sedimentary rock is full of gold and diamonds and mining in the area has caused severe environmental damage over the last century. Although mining is prohibited inside the park, it takes place all around its borders. The sedimentary rock of the Shield here has eroded in such a way to create huge massifs with vertical cliffs which rise out of the plains and forests into the skies. These are known as 'tepuys' in Pemon, mountains.

Salto Ángel (Angel Falls)

Salto Ángel is the world's highest waterfall and Venezuela's number-one tourist attraction. At a height of 3,211 feet, it contains an uninterrupted drop of over 2,646 feet, about 16 times the height of Niagara Falls. The cascade spills off the heart-shaped Auyantepui, one of the largest of the tepuis (sandstone-capped mesa), into Devil's Canyon. Angel Falls is not named, as one might expect, after a divine creature, but after an American bush pilot Jimmie Angel, who landed his four-seater airplane atop Auyantepui in 1937 while in search of gold. The waterfall is situated in a distant, lush wilderness with no road access. Most visitors who visit by boat opt to stay overnight in hammocks at one of the camps near the base of the falls. The trip upriver, the surrounding area and the experience of staying at the camp are nearly as memorable as the waterfall itself.

History:

At the time of the Spanish Conquest of Venezuela, the region was inhabited by an estimated 500,000 indigenous peoples belonging to three principal ethno linguistic groups - the Caribs, Arawak and Chibcha. Columbus was the first European to set foot on the soil of what is now Venezuela, and the country was given its name (meaning 'Little Venice') a year later by the explorer Alonso de Ojeda. The first Spanish settlement on the mainland was established at Cumaná in 1521.

The indigenous tribes put up a valiant struggle against the colonial depredations of both the Spanish and the Germans, who left a swathe of death and destruction behind them as they pushed onward in search of the chimerical El Dorado. In the end, though, their resistance was subdued when many tribal communities fell victim to European diseases such as smallpox, which wiped out two-thirds of the population in the Caracas Valley alone.

However, the lack of lootable wealth in Venezuela soon led to colonial neglect, which in turn prompted dissatisfaction and resentment among the American-born Spanish elites. The Spanish rulers were eventually thrown out by the young Simón Bolívar, known locally as 'El Libertador'. He seized Venezuela from Spain in 1821 with a decisive victory at Campo Carabobo, near Valencia, aided by British mercenaries and an army of horsemen from Los Llanos. Bolívar had already brought independence to Colombia, and went on, with his lieutenant Antonio José de Sucre, to liberate Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia. His dream of a united state of Gran Colombia, which would unify Colombia, Venezuela and Ecuador, did not survive his death in 1830, when Venezuela declared full independence under a new constitution.

The post-independence period was marked by a succession of military dictators, political coups and economic instability, until the discovery of huge oil reserves in the Maracaibo basin in the 1910s brought a degree of prosperity to the country. By the late 1920s, Venezuela had become the world's largest oil exporter, but little of this newfound wealth found its way to the common people. With poverty rife and educational and health facilities in a deplorable state, a series of popular uprisings took place, culminating in the country's first democratic elections in 1947.

Despite recent political stability, Venezuela's political climate continues to be marred by corruption scandals and the threat of a military coup. The country's economy, which was hit hard by the 1988 drop in world oil prices, remained shaky. Then-president Caldera's unconstitutional crackdown on economic speculation and civic freedoms in 1994 incensed civil libertarians, but it took until early 1996 for popular opinion to swing against him. The government's tough measures were designed to bring Venezuela's rampant inflation and alarming currency slump under control, but the bloated public service resisted attempts to put it on a lo-cal diet.

In December 1998, Venezuelans signaled their impatience with the government's impotence, electing an army colonel, Hugo Chávez, to the presidency with the largest vote margin in 40 years. Just six years earlier, Chávez had attempted a coup against the government and had spent two years in jail. Chávez was re-elected by a comfortable margin again in 2000.

Chávez is a charismatic and extremely energetic populist who hosts his own television show, during which he takes calls from the public. He also travels all over the country and personally visits labor unions, indigenous communities and the country's poorest ghettos. Key national institutions, including the media, banks, the church, sections of the armed forces and the petrol industry, have defied Chávez's brand of socialism. In April 2002, following widespread demonstrations, a coup blessed by the US and Spain landed Chávez in detention. Being a military man, he was back in power within three days when the interim government collapsed.

National politics continued to be shaky until Chávez won a 2004 referendum and consolidated his power, eventually positioning himself to stay in the presidency, possibly until 2020. The opposition has remained feckless, while Chávez has reached out to other Leftist leaders in Bolivia, Argentina, Cuba, Uruguay, Chile and Brazil. He hopes to establish a Latin American political block to offer an alternative to US hegemony in the region. Regardless of his seeming lock on Venezuelan political power and regional influence, Chávez remains the continent's most controversial political figure both inside and outside of Venezuela.

Money & Transportation:

Money

Due to strict currency controls in place since 2003, bolivares are not easily convertible either in or outside the country. Visa and MasterCard are widely accepted, while American Express and Diners Club are usually accepted at upscale restaurants, hotels and shopping centers. Merchants always ask for ID before making a credit card transaction (a passport will suffice). ATMs exist all over the country.

It is best to carry small change rather than large bills as many traders, in particular taxi drivers, rarely have change. Tipping taxi drivers is not customary and can appear strange. Be a little wary of cab drivers. There have been reports of cab drivers exploiting tourists, particularly from the airport to Caracas. At restaurants, tipping is usually minimal. If a 10% service change is included then some extra small change can be left on top of the total, or if not included then a tip of only about 5% is customary. The average mid-range meal will cost you roughly $8-$12.

Transportation

Travelers in Venezuela are obliged to carry identification. There are military checkpoints on many roads, so while traveling by car or bus keep your passport handy, ideally you should keep a color photocopy of your passport. Should your passport be stolen, this will facilitate procedures with your local consulate. The military presence is constant, yet is not usually cause for concern. That having been said, there are corrupt officials. It is wise to keep a close eye on your belongings when, for instance, bags are being checked for drugs. A soldier of the Guardia Nacional sometimes plants drugs to solicit a bribe or steal valuables. Penalties for drug use are severe, and the burden of proof falls on the accused, the police may also demand bribes using the same modus operandi.

There is no national railway system in Venezuela, which leaves three options for travel inside the country: car rental, using buses, and using cars-for-hire. Drivers in Venezuela are generally aggressive and unconcerned by traffic regulations. Thus, car rental is not recommended in general. The very cheap price of gas, however, makes this option fairly economical. The expensive part of renting a car will be the insurance. The bus system is extensive and extremely affordable (in part due to the low price of gas). Bus terminals are hectic, but it is usually easy to find a bus to any major city leaving within a short amount of time. Short bus rides (2 hours) may cost about $4, and even extremely long bus rides (9 hours) will only cost $15-$20. The larger buses are typically air-conditioned. In fact, they are usually overly air-conditioned, so it is worth bringing a blanket with you. Buses are an easy and convenient way to get around the country.

If you decide to travel by bus a good option is 'Expresos Ejecutivos.' They have their own terminal in a residential zone of Caracas (El Rosal), and baggage is checked on the buses (as in an airport). The units are clean, safe and well maintained, plus the drivers are trained to respect the speed limit (there are many accidents on regular buses on Venezuelan highways, most of them caused by speeding on poorly maintained roads). They are more expensive than a regular bus, but still cheap by American standards.

For smaller towns, there may not be regular buses. In such cases, one can use cars-for-hire, called "por puestos." These are typically old and run-down vehicles, but they are affordable. They are more expensive than buses, typically costing about $8 for a 1-2 hour ride. The main problem is that they typically wait to have a full car (4 or 5 passengers) before undertaking a route. The driver will usually try to convince you to pay for the extra passengers if you want to leave right away. The cars are popular, however, and one does not usually wait long for a car to fill up.

Travel within cities is usually via taxi. Taxis are more expensive than any other form of transport, but still affordable when compared to North American equivalents. A ride across town will usually cost $4-$7 (depending on the city). The taxis do not have meters and will charge more at night. This is normal in Venezuela and typically cannot be argued.

Local buses exist, and usually connect the terminal to the center of each city. They typically cost 25-50 cents, depending on the city. Bus routes usually remain a mystery to the uninitiated.

Caracas has a clean, modern and cheap metro system, currently being expanded.

Support During Your Placement:

We will be available to give you any support, advice, or guidance you may need with any issues. There will always be an emergency number for you to contact. Our aim is to ensure that you have a happy and successful experience during your stay in Venezuela.