%%USERNAME%%    %%ACCWORDS%% %%ONOFF%% |
 |   Theses are my thoughts and ramblings as I forge my way through this thing they call life. |
|
These are my thoughts and ramblings as I forge my way through this thing they call Life. I blog with these groups:     "Blogging Circle of Friends "  [E] 
|
 Blogging Challenge – Day 3 – Caracas, Venezuela Aug 3rd We’re going to be picked up at the hotel for the morning adventure at 10:00am. Half-Day Historical Tour of Caracas Start your tour in the historic center, from Plaza Bolívar, originally called Plaza de Armas. It adopted its current name in 1883 on the hundredth’s birthday of Simón Bolívar. The four corners that surround the plaza are occupied by important buildings of big historic relevance as the Caracas Cathedral, the Government Palace, the City Hall, the Yellow House and The Capitol (Congress of Venezuela). We’re going here after the tour Plaza de Altamira Great view to the Ávila Mountain Tris is one of my favorite places to see the Ávila un Caracas. It is an amazing place with ole buildings and very close to great cafes and restaurants in Caracas to simply unwind a bit with a late lunch. https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g316066-d318821-Reviews-Plaza_de_A... Dinner is at the hotel or room service, rest up tomorrow will be a long day. An overview: longish... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_aLwmQJOpc A quick overview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=usUGQ-Fb1CY Another historical walking tour. It dd not start until 10 am so I had time to rest and get in a little continental breakfast before heading out. I just hope today's tour is not an exact repeat of yesterday minus the trip up the cable car. That's okay, I am enjoying the walking though and things are pretty interesting. I am a little worried to go off on my own or even trying to convince someone to go with me.... so I stick close to everyone and enjoy the group. It is so great to be back with all these people. Apondia   shared some interesting information about the area. She's done her research. I also shared an article that spoke of staying with the known brands. It also referred to Caracas as the being once dubbed, the Paris of South America. I believe it got this name because "while hardships are all around, [it] remains a vibrantly Latin city where terrific art, food, and even fashion — not to mention superb coffee — pop up in surprising places. There’s a percolating cultural scene, and a smart young generation of artists and designers reshaping their hometown." This eased some of my worry buttons. Any place that has good coffee can't be that awful.  http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/venezuela-vibrant-caracas-capital-idea-tra... I particularly liked the cafés we stopped at to partake in some local goodies. The coffee was amazing - being in the coffee belt of the world is a very good thing. I probably over indulged, but that's okay, we are on holiday and am walking a lot. I also wanted to try something new. I am not super confident with trying new things, but I did try a few and got good feedback on what other people liked... or did not care for. I also got an opportunity to do a little writing and people watching. Too bad I don't know any of the language, but it was interesting to watch the body language and get the gist of things around here. I had dinner in one of the hotel's restaurants - the Restaurante Sur Mediterranean, which featured authentic cuisine made with fresh local products. Risottos, pastas and a selection of grilled steaks, seafood and fish. I went for the steak... and the seafood. It was excellent. I probably overdid it again! Later I changed into my swimsuit and got in a little activity that way. It was a great way to wind up my day and ease my sore walking feet. Getting used to all this walking is going to take some time. When I returned to my room I took a good, long shower, then I fell into bed so that I would be ready for whatever Lyn's a Witchy Woman  had in store for us tomorrow. http://flavorverse.com/traditional-venezuelan-foods/ |
Blogging Challenge - Day 2 - Caracaras, Venezuela I did a bit of research.... to get my bearings: Caracas, officially Santiago de León de Caracas, is the capital, the center of the Greater Caracas Area, and the largest city of Venezuela. It is located along the Guaire River in the northern part of the country, following the contours of the narrow Caracas Valley on the Venezuelan coastal mountain range (Cordillera de la Costa). The valley is close to the Caribbean Sea, separated from the coast by a steep 2,200-metre-high (7,200 ft) mountain range, Cerro El Ávila; to the south there are more hills and mountains. The Metropolitan District of Caracas is made up of five municipalities: Libertador Municipality which is the only administrative division of the Venezuelan Capital District, and four other municipalities, which are within in Miranda State: Chacao, Baruta, Sucre, and El Hatillo. Libertador holds many of the government buildings and is the Capital District (Distrito Capital). The Metropolitan Region of Caracas has a population estimated at over 5.2 million. Caracas has a largely service-based economy, apart from some industrial activity in its metropolitan area. Caracas is also Venezuela's cultural capital, with many restaurants, theaters, museums, and shopping centers. Some of the tallest skyscrapers in Latin America are located in Caracas. In 2015, Caracas had the highest per capita murder rates in the world.... most murders and other violent crimes go unsolved. This information is from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caracas My Journal: We arrived at the Simón Bolívar International Airport very early in the morning. I have to remember we don't get a lot of sleep on these virtual trips, but we do have an amazing time. Lyn has booked us into the J. W. Marriot Av Venezuela con Calle Mohedano. It looks really good... and safe. A few more friends have joined the trip and I feel like I am in good company. https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g316066-d299826-Reviews-JW_Marriott_Hot... Lyn's a Witchy Woman had us all signed up for a tour that started at 8 am. We got to learn about El Libertador Simón Bolívar's life and Venezuelan history as we visited the Caracas' picturesque historic quarter. We admired breathtaking views of the capital while riding the city's famous cable car. Some of the group were wary, and even I was staying well away from the edge... my butt was twitching from the height. Deep breathing and the views helped. For this tour we started in the historic city center, from Plaza Bolivar. It was originally called Plaza de Armas. The square adopted its current name in 1883 on the 100th birthday of El Libertador Simón Bolívar. The corners surrounding the plaza feature buildings of historic importance: Caracas Cathedral, Government Palace, City Hall, the Yellow House and The Capitol. We were in the heart of Venezuela's history. Something I never even considered before and it was intriguing. I took a lot of pictures. We got to see Bolívar's birthplace. It is a colonial house that today is filled with period art, including paintings by famous artists like Tito Salas whose work captured highlights of El Libertador’s life. We also got to visit the Capitolio, Palacio Legislativo and Palacio Federal where the golden keys to Bolivar’s mausoleum are kept. I think the best part was taking the city's famous cable car to the top of the Ávila Mountain range - though it was very high, and I was a bit nervous, the views were so worth it. Ávila National Park borders Caracas, separating the sea from the city. We got to breathe in and admire the pureness of the place. It contrasted greatly from the swarming hub hub of the city. The views were amazing - allowing us to see Caracas on one side and the Caribbean Sea on the other. It truly was a vision I would never forget.. the pictures I took will never do it justice. The lunch was superb and I was famished by the time we got to eat. A few people were so nervous about the cable car ride that they did not eat too much. https://www.tripadvisor.com/AttractionProductDetail-g316066-d12465500-Caracas_Si... Later in the evening we went to the Pestana Lounge in Caracas for dinner and a chance to just relax and take in the atmosphere. I was just happy to sit back and take it all in. I decided to avoid anything more than a glass of local wine. I figured the jet lag would be worse if I had any more than that. https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g316066-d4378651-Reviews-Pestana_L... A few people headed back to the hotel to take a dip in the pool. I decided that was a great idea and tagged along. By the time I fell into bed, I was exhausted but happy. |
Blogging Challenge - Day 1 Virtual trip to South America--- August f you’re up to some adventure in August than you’re in for a good time, this year we’re going to South America. Grab your swim suits, sun screen, bug spray and good walking shoes for the daytime and dancing shoes for the evening. You know you need a vacation! Stay tuned I’ll be posting more info as it gets closer to Aug 1st. We’ll be meeting in Miami and spending one night there before flying as a group to Venezuela. Don’t forget to have a checkup before you go. Please make sure your passport and travel documents are in order, some places may be a bit dangerous if there not. 13 countries in 30 days. Travel alerts we need to be aware. Please don’t wander or get involved in any disturbances. Or take public transportation on your own. https://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/alertswarnings/venezuela-travel-wa... https://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/alertswarnings/colombia-travel-war... Aug. 1st Miami, Fla. https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g34438-d85193-Reviews-Hilton_Miami_Airp... We're at the HIlton for convenience. We can't be in Miami without hitting the dance scene. https://www.tripadvisor.com/AttractionProductDetail-g34438-d11449266-Miami_Dance... Highlights 90-minute Miami dance cruise. Capture the lit-up skyline of Miami as the boat travels through Biscayne Bay. Cut loose to top Billboard hits and favorites from many genres spun by a resident DJ Take the party to Miami’s waterfront with this 90-minute, evening dance cruise on Biscayne Bay. Admire Miami’s majestic skyline at night while cruising from the Bayside Marketplace to Miami Beach and back. Dance to the latest club hits and songs from a variety of musical styles — on the open-air deck or take a seat inside the air-conditioned cabin — as the resident-professional DJ spins the tunes. This family friendly party has no age minimum. Full-cash bar with beer, wine, soft drinks and snacks is available on board the boat. Looks like we have another fabulous group going on another virtual adventure.... a fun, safe way to travel - especially where we are going: South America. I felt a bit daunted by the travel alerts, but I know we will be safe so long as we stick together and play nice... like we always do. Lyn's a Witchy Woman has us booked into a wonderful hotel by the airport for the first night in Miami. I have to agree with kitee when she thinks Lyn might be sweeting us up before we head into the great unknown, but I trust Lyn and know we will be just fine. I doubt many of us have really been to South America before and this way to start will settle many nerves. And for those of us who don't have any trepidation, it will be a chance to get a good night sleep in a nice bed. It was so good to see all my friends again. I have missed them. Life sure has a way of taking you offline and emerged in reality. But for now I appreciate the camaraderie. Lyn's a Witchy Woman andFivesixer  were there early to great everyone and get us on track. It is always great to see them. I also recognized flameblower, Jellyfish  , Prosperous Snow celebrating  , and Sally  . So happy they are along, it just would not be the same without them. There were also some new faces - Apondia and SandraLynn Team Florent!  . It was great to meet alI of them. I just know we will have a blast of a time. Since we all were arriving at different times and from different places, it was lovely that Lyn had us going on a dance cruise later in the evening. It started around 9 pm and gave a rousing 90 minutes -that was just the right amount of time to chill in before grabbing a good night sleep before our adventure tomorrow. I also love to dance and listen to music so this was great for me.. Since I have been to Miami before I was looking forward to a new way to see the city and this brought it. The last time I was in Miami I had a quieter, more beach-time kind of trip. I was glad to get in to town early and made sure to take a dip in the ocean, as well as get some sun time before heading to my favourite rib place for dinner. All in all, I will admit I was happy to see my bed later that night. I was surprised that sleep came, as I was so excited for what was to come. |
View Portfolio
Visit Notebook
Send Gift Points
Awards
Badges
Send Email
Community Newsfeed
General Discussion
Sponsored Items
Book of Trinkets
Static Items
Books
Groups
Interactive Stories
Audio
Campfire Creatives
Community Notes
Crossword Puzzles
Documents
Folders
Images
In & Outs
Madlibs
Photo Albums
Polls
Product Reviews
Quizzes
Survey Forms
Web Pages
Word Searches
