Venezuela - A Land of Tepuis

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A Land of Tepuis

by J. Giraldez

Recently I had the opportunity to revisit Venezuela, traveling to the sectors of Maiquetía, Margarita, and south to the

Bolívar State, the country's largest department and, surprisingly, the least visited. Few travelers realize that Venezuela has so many natural wonders; the most obvious are its Tepuis (a pemón Indian word for mountains). It was the ancient remains of these mighty sandstone plateaus that attracted me. Departing Miami in route to the Venezuelan capital, Caracas, was a rather complicated event. Plans changed drastically when the country's largest Airline, VIASA, decided that it would close its doors and look for new investors. It never found them.

In the midst of the high travel season, I rushed to book another flight. Normally, there is excellent service from the States and Europe. American, Avensa, LanChile, and United offer direct flights out of Miami, but I was late in trying to book non-excising space on these airlines and ended up on ALM Airlines (U$385 for round trip). Geographically it made sense. The ABC islands (Aruba-Bonaire-Curaçao) where ALM is based, are located near Venezuela's Falcón State. This little Dutch Caribbean carrier took me on a modern MD80 to Bonaire, then Curaçao, and finally on a Dash-7 commuter to Caracas. I arrived with plenty of time to make my connection. There, giving me a blank stare, was the agent of Avensa manning his counter. He advised me that my flight to Margarita Island was oversold by 80 passengers!

I was upset at the fact that my plans would be on hold for a day, but on the other hand, I would get a chance to visit the charming seaside town of Macuto. The agent provided vouchers for all transportation, lodging and meals at a quaint little seaside hotel called Posada del Hidalgo on Avenue La Plata (U$30).

The 20-minute cab ride into Macuto was simple; the driver gave me a condensed version of a city tour. I had always overnighted in Caracas, but somehow the beach sounded better. The receptionist was happy to see me; I was the fourth person the airline had sent over. My room was clean and comfortable, and for a short stay, it was just fine. I was surprised that they were so attentive to my needs.