Part 11: The Caribbean
Together with the cooperative and Marleen, Steve and I set off for our final week. We long for the beach, peace, and togetherness. Hence the decision to board the ferry, get on the bus, and get off somewhere near the beach.
We land in Santa Fe. Wow—what a wonderful decision. Of course, like everywhere else, we're the only tourists. People keep telling us that Europeans own land and/or houses here. Before its crisis, Venezuela was a very popular destination. Not just for traveling. Also for living.
We often encounter the joy of life here in Santa Fe. At the market, everyone wants to talk to us. We immerse ourselves in our way of traveling.
The lower accommodation is located directly on the Caribbean Sea. This is not only ideal for swimming, but also for daily dolphin watching. From Santa Fe, you can take wonderful excursions for snorkeling, swimming, and visiting the neighboring island national park. Our host, Angel, impressed us. Every morning, the 27-year-old tirelessly picks up trash on the beach with his father, who is over 80. He shares Wi-Fi with the children, he is committed to eco-tourism, and has big visions. We gave him hope that people would want to travel to Venezuela again. And he is a wonderful example of how it can work: Hand in hand with the environment. If you want to.
After a few days, fresh coconuts every day, market visits, and cooling off in the sea, we have not only arrived on vacation, but also have a specially created cocktail in the neighboring beach bar.
After 6 days we travel back to Caracas to meet up again with Rodolfo, our couchsurfing host, and spend some more time together.
Kristin and Katharina accompany us.
The two, along with David and Lucas, experienced a different kind of journey last week. In Macuro, not only was there a daily power outage for a week, but the fuel also ran out, preventing the ferry from sailing. With a lot of luck and patience, they finally found a fishing boat that could take the four of them.
We spend our last day in Caracas buying delicious Venezuelan coffee for friends and relatives and celebrating Kristin's birthday with a small picnic and a last cup of hot chocolate at the World Heritage Site, the University of Caracas, to the cries of beautiful parrots.
Venezuela has taught us so much, shared so much with us, and brought us so much joy. We are incredibly grateful and are now looking forward to seeing our loved ones back home.
