Qatari rial to dollar today. “Dollars are exchanged on the black market, just like during perestroika.” Impressions of a Belarusian woman about Venezuela. Churches and temples. Which ones are worth visiting?

During my stay in Caracas, I hardly met other travelers, and the locals looked at me with extreme surprise. Indeed, today the capital of Venezuela is in a deep crisis, and this gives rise to crime and pushes people to extremes. Even the local population is getting into the habit of spending evenings at home, behind well-closed doors. And yet Caracas is a living city, unlike anything else. And it was from there that I brought back the most impressions during my entire long trip to Latin America; it is about this place that I tell my friends incredible stories that some might consider fables.

Unfortunately, tourists almost never go to Caracas on purpose. As a rule, the city becomes a necessary stop on the way to Margarita Island or. I will not decide for others and advise you to immediately fall in love with the troubled capital of Venezuela and fly there on the first flight. I can only say that the information situation around the city is a little tense, and if security measures are observed, Caracas is quite suitable for a stay. And once you’ve been there, you’ll experience a whole adventure that you’ll never forget - the city is so different from the general picture of the modern world.

How to get there

Caracas is the largest city in Venezuela, so most international flights land here. However, the distances separating us from this distant, tropical country are simply unimaginable, and direct flights from major Russian cities to Caracas do not exist today. You can get here using numerous connecting flights or fly to neighboring countries that are more popular with tourists, from where comfortable double-decker buses run to Caracas.

By plane

Caracas airport. How to get to the city center?

Simon Bolivar Airport, located 20 km from Caracas, is perhaps one of the most dangerous places in the city. After all, this is where tourists fly, with valuables and coveted dollars in their suitcases. Therefore, you need to leave here as quickly as possible and, if possible, using proven transport. During my trip to Venezuela, I came up with two options that will guarantee the safe delivery of you and your belongings into the city:

1. Arrange with a private Russian-speaking guide who offer their services on popular travel websites. They will be able to meet you at the airport with a familiar, trusted taxi driver.
2. Book a hotel in advance and ask them to send a car for you. Hotel administrations monitor their reputation, which is why, as a rule, they send private drivers to pick up tourists, rather than regular city taxis.

In both cases, the service will cost you approximately 10 USD. In addition, at the exit from the airport there are numerous taxis that will offer you a ride to your hotel for 5 USD, and buses, the ticket price of which does not exceed 1 USD. However, I would strongly advise against boarding an untested vehicle when traveling with your belongings, especially documents. This is really the case when saving a couple of dollars is better to neglect.

There may also be dangers waiting for you at the airport itself, so you should leave it as quickly as possible. I waited for the girl guide in the arrivals hall for no more than 20 minutes, but even in this short time I managed to feel the tense atmosphere reigning in the building. People of marginal appearance walked around the hall, clearly looking at the arriving tourists and their luggage. Almost immediately a man in an airport employee’s uniform approached me and began offering to change dollars at a very good rate. He constantly showed his badge and explained that he was the one to trust, and described to me all the delights of my luxurious vacation that awaited me if I gave him my dollars. But I knew this trick: airport employees (or pseudo employees, I never managed to figure this out completely) convince you to exchange money with them, and then report to the bandits where you put the exchanged money and which direction you went. Very soon in this case you will be left without any cash.

By bus

The distances in South America are enormous and traveling by bus to Caracas from neighboring countries will be a long and tiring adventure. And yet people use this method, mainly because of the extremely low ticket prices. True, due to the critical situation in the country, the situation at the borders is unstable, and there are many nuances that you should know.

From Colombia

The fastest way to get to Caracas is by bus from Colombian cities. For example, driving from the stunning Caribbean city of Cartagena takes around 15 hours. Tickets for this flight in peacetime cost about 15 USD one way. However, shortly before my arrival in the country, relations between states deteriorated, and the earthly border was closed, and all direct bus services were cancelled.

I spent a long time finding out how this rule applies to travelers, and finally found out: in fact, a tourist has the right to cross the land border between Colombia and Venezuela. He only needs to take a regular bus to the border, walk it and change vehicles. This turns out to be much cheaper than a domestic flight on a similar route - 20 USD instead of 100. However, there is one unpleasant moment in this procedure. Venezuelan border guards rarely see tourists, and your appearance may make them feel an irresistible desire to profit from you. Hiding behind the laws, they can conduct a search, during which they will confiscate the necessary things from you, for example, medicines from the first aid kit.

From Brazil

The road to Caracas from Brazil takes a very long time. For example, it may take you about 35 hours to travel from Manaus to the capital of Venezuela. However, still remaining the cheapest mode of transport, the bus is popular with both tourists and local residents. This route also has its own secret: if you are planning a trip to Caracas from Brazil, do not rush to buy a direct flight ticket.

If you get to the border with Venezuela and cross it on foot, a ticket for an internal crossing will cost you 10 times less, and for the entire trip of one and a half days you will pay no more than 10 USD. You will not have any problems with choosing transport, since dozens of carrier companies in the south of Venezuela offer several daily flights to the capital. In addition, you can take a break between long journeys and relax in the Venezuelan border town of Santa Elena de Uairen, which is famous for its silence and safe environment.

Caracas bus station. How to get to the city center?

There are several bus stations in Caracas. But most often intercity flights arrive at Terminal de Pasajeros La Bandera, located near the center. It is within walking distance of the city metro, a ticket for which costs only 0.03 USD. However, if you are traveling with valuables and your documents are not hidden in the inside pocket of your trousers, I would advise you to do the same at the airport - ask a private guide to meet you or book a taxi at the hotel in advance.

By car

It is almost impossible to get from Moscow or St. Petersburg to Caracas by car. The most likely way to get to the capital of Venezuela by car is to rent a car in Brazil and go on a long journey. Transport in this case will cost you approximately 30 USD one way. However, I would not recommend getting involved in such an adventure. Firstly, due to the fact that you will have to spend at least 30 hours on the road. Secondly, along the way you will be forced to make stops and spend the night in small Venezuelan towns, where hotels are not always equipped with guarded parking lots. And leaving a rental vehicle unattended on Venezuelan streets can be fraught with consequences, especially in the central part of the country. But if you still decide to rent a car, you can compare prices from different rental companies.

Clue:

Caracas - the time is now

Hour difference:

Moscow 7

Kazan 7

Samara 8

Yekaterinburg 9

Novosibirsk 11

Vladivostok 14

When is the season? When is the best time to go

Caracas is very well located - just one mountain range separates the city from the Caribbean coast. Summer here lasts all year round, thanks to which ripe fruits and freshly squeezed juices are sold everywhere on the streets. The average air temperature during the day is +25 degrees, and at night rarely drops below +20. The rainy season occurs in the summer months. At this time, precipitation falls almost every day - as a rule, these are stormy tropical downpours, which, however, quickly pass, giving way to the bright sun. Caracas becomes the most active in winter, on the eve of Catholic Christmas and New Year. However, even at this time there are so few tourists that competition from hotels and restaurants still remains extremely high, and prices are ridiculously low.

Caracas in summer

In summer, the rainy season comes to the city, which local residents look forward to with great impatience. The long-awaited coolness is coming, and the city is blooming: flowers are blooming in the numerous parks of Caracas. Perhaps this season is great for walking around the green corners of the city, especially if you are the proud owner of umbrellas and windbreakers. In addition, there are so many holidays in the city in the middle of summer that they literally follow each other throughout July. Thanks to a series of fun events, summer can be called the only time of the year when Caracas is popular with tourists.

Caracas in autumn

Autumn, in my opinion, is the most favorable time to visit Caracas. The rainy season has barely subsided, but the city is still pleasantly cool, creating ideal conditions for long walks. During the day the thermometer stays at +22 degrees, at night it drops to +18.

Caracas in spring

In spring the air warms up to a maximum of +30 degrees. On the eve of the rainy season, the city is suffocatingly hot, which only subsides towards night. At such a time, of course, it is more pleasant to lie on the beach than to walk around a noisy metropolis. In addition, due to the heat in the city, the number of mosquitoes, which in South America are spreaders of unpleasant diseases, increases.

Caracas in winter

Winter in Caracas is a dry and hot season, which is perfect for traveling to Caracas and visiting the nearby beaches. The daytime temperature at this time reaches +25 degrees. On the eve of the New Year holidays, the city's palm trees are decorated with Christmas tree decorations, and entertainment workers, who are already sweltering from the heat, put on warm Santa Claus costumes to the delight of Venezuelan children.

Caracas - weather by month

Clue:

Caracas - weather by month

Districts. Where is the best place to live?

I decided to choose and book accommodation in Caracas in advance - all that was missing was walking the streets with all my belongings and documents in search of a hotel. By the way, Caracas was the only city in all of Latin America where I had to book a hotel. I also did this with the help of a private guide. The fact is that most booking sites, including booking, do not have close ties with the hotel business in socialist Venezuela. But you can still book a room on, and you can compare prices for accommodation in different hotels.

The difference between Caracas and all other Latin American cities is that here the historical center is considered an unsafe place for tourist accommodation. And the most favorable areas for living in the capital of Venezuela are the areas between the Chacao and Altamira metro stations, as well as Plaza Venezuela and Sabana Grande.

Altamira

The area is one of the safest in the city. It is the business and tourist center of Caracas. Here is the Plaza de France - one of the most beautiful buildings in Caracas, and also offers the most magnificent view of Mount Avila.

Sabana Grande

The wide streets of this area are always full of people, which is a guarantee of safety for tourists. Most restaurants and hotels are located here. This is a great place for shopping and purchasing souvenirs.

In terms of quality of services and prices, these two areas practically do not differ from each other, offering guests equal conditions and prices - from 5 USD per room.

Hotels

I also want to clarify the classification of hotels in Caracas. The vast majority have 3-4 stars and are a room in a good building built in the 80s, when it was still considered the richest country in Latin America. Everything here is done conscientiously, but, to put it mildly, it does not smack of novelty. You need to be prepared for this: modern Caracas simply does not have the funds to build large numbers of new hotels.

In addition, there are several 5-star hotels in the city, but there are literally only a few of them. The furnishings will be a little more modern, and the cost of accommodation often includes meals. The daily cost in such a hotel varies greatly depending on the booking method - on the spot you can easily check into one of these rooms for 30–40 USD, but on booking sites you will have to pay about 100.

Apartments

You can also stay in rented apartments in Caracas. International ones offer modern apartments in safe areas of the city for 10–30 USD per day. In my opinion, this is a completely acceptable option for a holiday in the capital of Venezuela. However, I would really not recommend renting an apartment from just anyone - before booking, you should carefully read the reviews about the owner.

There is another important nuance that is found in all hotels and apartments in Caracas - very strong voltage drops in sockets. This has a pretty bad effect on chargers and equipment, so if you are carrying expensive equipment with you, try to stock up on additional wires for it in advance. Moreover, it’s better not to use original ones, but Chinese fakes that you won’t mind throwing away.

By the way, in Caracas the outlets are of the American type. It is best to bring the adapter with you. Otherwise, it may not be at your hotel, and you will have to spend quite a lot of time looking for it.

What are the prices for holidays?

If you watched the comedy "Eurotrip", then you probably remember the moment when the heroes with 1.5 dollars in their pockets end up in Bratislava and for this money allow themselves to bathe in luxury. A similar feeling visited me more than once in Caracas.

What is happening with the economic situation in Venezuela can be called a real disaster. Over the past few years, the national currency has fallen more than 300 times. At the time of my stay in the city, the largest bill was 0.12 USD, and I had to pay for any service with huge wads of money. Later I read that the local currency began to be accepted by weight, and only a couple of weeks ago there was news about the release of a new equivalent of bolivars. All this, of course, becomes a huge problem for local residents, but for tourists who come with dollars, the prices set in Caracas seem like a real fairy tale. In addition to the general economic crisis, the country has a black dollar exchange rate, and most travelers change money using it . The easiest way to do this is with the help of private guides. If you decide to exchange money exclusively at a bank or are used to paying with a card everywhere, multiply all prices below by 2, since in these cases you will be dealing with the official rate.

Housing

The housing situation in Caracas is very interesting. There are no budget hostels here, but are they needed when a room in a good hotel will cost you 5–7 USD per night. By the way, the main asset of good hotels is that they don’t turn off the power and water during the day, which is a rarity in today’s Caracas. If the administration cannot boast of this advantage, then the hotel is considered to be of a lower class, and the cost of living there should not exceed 5 USD, even if your room consists of two rooms and is equipped with its own kitchen.

Nutrition

Food in the city also costs record lows. This is really not the case when you should cook yourself in order to save money. The first days in Caracas, I generally ordered food exclusively at the restaurant of my hotel. Hearty meals delivered to my room cost me 1.5–2.5 USD. Later, the restaurant updated the menu and prices doubled. I considered this a real scam and from now on I ate in city restaurants.

Transport

Transport is another fantasy category. The cost of travel on the metro and buses here does not exceed 0.05 USD, but for safety reasons it is better to travel by taxi, which will take you to any point of the huge city for 1-2 USD.

Excursions

Excursion bureaus in Caracas are mainly aimed at local residents - they offer tours to the islands or to the jungle of Canaima National Park. Therefore, if you want to book a sightseeing tour of Caracas itself, it is best to use the services of Russian-speaking guides. They know safer areas to walk and are well aware of the habits of criminals, so if something happens, they will be able to warn you of potential danger. In addition to everything, it’s nice to just walk with our compatriots in a place so far from home.

Private guides have their own prices, and you can find out more accurately by talking to them personally before the trip. But, to summarize, I can say that for 10 USD you can give yourself an unforgettable full-day walk through the insanely vibrant world of Caracas.

Clue:

Cost of food, accommodation, transportation and other things

Currency: Euro, € US Dollar, $ Russian Ruble, Rub

Main attractions. What to see

Caracas has quite a few interesting corners. There are enough attractions here for 4-5 days of careful exploration. True, they are all scattered in different parts of the city, and the safest way to move between them is by taxi.

Firstly, I liked Caracas for its abundance of parks. This is a very green city, and the noise of the metropolis here is truly lost in the thick of the trees. Secondly, there are many interesting architectural structures that attract attention. And thirdly, I was truly struck by the boundless love of local residents for Simon Bolivar, who is depicted here on every corner, and every second administrative building is named after him. During the half hour journey from the airport to the hotel, my taxi passed 7 or 8 drawings of the great liberator, scattered along the streets and walls of houses, and in the art museum there is a whole room exclusively with his portraits.

Top 5

El Avila National Park

Above all of Caracas rises the exceptionally beautiful mountain range - El Avila. If you climb to its top in clear weather, you can see on one side the endless slums and skyscrapers of the city, mixed in a bizarre pattern, and on the other, the azure Caribbean Sea.

Life is constantly in full swing at the top; both tourists and locals love to climb here. They eat ice cream and take photos, look at trinkets in souvenir shops and watch street performers perform. This is a pleasant and cozy place where you can truly relax. However, in unclear weather it can be quite cool here, so you should definitely take a windbreaker or warm clothes with you.

There are two ways to climb Avila:

• The easiest way is the Teleferico cable car. The departure station is located near the city center, within walking distance from public transport. However, I would recommend spending the extra dollar and taking a taxi to the station. The climb to Avila costs a little more than 1 USD.

• The second option is hiking. Travel agencies offer entertainment such as an expedition to Avila. The places there are very picturesque, and the air is clean despite the fact that the mountain is located within the city limits. A three-day hike with overnight stays in tents will cost you about 20 USD. If you decide to conquer Avila, you can find out about similar offers for your dates from the hotel administration - they will connect you with the right travel agency.

Plaza Bolivar

Plaza Bolivar is located in the heart of the city, near the Capitolio metro station. Around it are the congress and other administrative buildings, whose colonial-era architecture cannot but be admired. The square is crowned, accordingly, by a large statue of the great liberator. It is surrounded by a small park where unusual black squirrels live. Peaceful rallies of supporters of Hugo Chavez are also regularly held here, which, thanks to heated speeches accompanied by cheerful music, are more reminiscent of holidays.

Boulevard Los Proceres

Los Proceres is an ideal place for walking. It is very popular among tourists mainly due to the safe environment that prevails on the boulevard. Here you can walk for a long time and take pictures without fear of taking out your camera. The architecture of the memorial, built on a wide street in honor of Venezuelan independence, is also a real delight.

Pantheon

The Pantheon building is located at the end of the street of the same name. Inside it are the remains of Simon Bolivar and other heroes of Venezuela. This is a very important place in terms of national and general Latin American history. Every two hours there is a changing of the guard in front of the building. Near the modern building of the Pantheon there is an old church, which also deserves attention.

University of Venezuela

The university campus in Caracas attracts tourists with its unusual buildings. Created in the late 50s by renowned Venezuelan architects, it is an example of Latin American modern style, as well as a silent reminder of the prosperity of a once rich and advanced country.

Churches and temples. Which ones are worth visiting?

An important colonial center for many years, Caracas has dozens of cathedrals on its streets. These are mainly Catholic churches, however, as befits a modern metropolis, the city accepts other religions. For example, on the outskirts of Caracas there is a Romanian Orthodox Church.

The cathedrals here are not particularly elaborate, but they are open to all visitors from early morning until 5-6 pm, and masses are held on Sundays. All churches in Caracas are active, and entry to them is free for all visitors. Among the many city churches, I could highlight several of the most interesting.

• Church of Santa Teresa is located in the very center of the city, so you won’t be able to pass by it. The massive structure gives this basilica a truly majestic appearance, and inside you can find the long-awaited peace and quiet.
• Neat Church of Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria located three blocks from the La Hoyada metro station. Despite the modest interior decoration, it attracts visitors thanks to its bright facades.
• Next church Sagrado Corazon de Jesus, is two steps away from the previous one. There is no need to choose between which one to visit - they are so different that you should definitely go to both. Unusual facades and rich interior decoration with intricate frescoes make this church perhaps one of the most beautiful in the city.

Museums. Which ones are worth visiting?

Almost all museums in Caracas are free; in rare cases, the entrance ticket price does not exceed 1 USD. Perhaps, of all the exhibitions presented in the city, only those that tell about the struggle for independence of Venezuela and South America are unique. The remaining museums are worth visiting only if you have no more important things to do; fortunately, this entertainment will not cost you a penny.

• House-Museum of Simon Bolivar is located in the colonial part of the city, so visiting the ancient building will be interesting not only for educational purposes. The exhibition tells about the life of the great liberator and about the main page in the history of Venezuela - the struggle for independence.
• Art Museum, in addition to its collections, also attracts tourists thanks to its unusual building with a courtyard. Here you can take a break from the noisy Caracas with a cup of coffee in a small cafe and enjoy the silence. But, of course, the main attraction of the museum, which I can’t get out of my head, was the whole hall of portraits of Simon Bolivar. Even just a few minutes spent in the company of 20 Bolivars will give you a great mood for the whole day.
• Opposite the Museum of Fine Arts is his colleague - museum of natural sciences. Its display is quite simple, and the wild-eyed stuffed lions and penguins evoke some pity. But on the second floor there is a rather interesting collection dedicated to the life of indigenous peoples.

Parks

Perhaps the parks of Caracas are the city's greatest strength. The greenery of the dense trees here is in amazing harmony with the tall skyscrapers, creating a truly rare example of a metropolis that coexists in peace with nature. And when you get to one of the city parks, you completely forget about the noise and dust of the roads.

• Botanical Garden Conveniently located opposite the university campus. You can get here on foot from the Plaza Venezuela and Cuidad Universitaria metro stations, since these areas are well guarded. Entrance to the botanical garden is paid. The ticket price at the time of my visit was about 0.04 USD. For this price you can afford to walk through a closed and guarded area, relax in the shade of tropical trees of bizarre shapes and watch birds.
• Across the road from the botanical garden there is another, already free green corner - Los Caobos Park. It is interesting with modern sculptures placed along the alleys. Here you can also take a break from the stuffiness of the city at one of the fountains, where local couples in love like to sit.
• Park Este It is very popular among both tourists and local residents. Families with children come here to explore the natural world. Entrance to the park is free, but the area is still well guarded, making this a wonderful place for a walk. In the park there are cages with animals and birds, which makes Este a kind of city zoo. It is also a great place for family and active recreation. Here they play football and dance salsa, lay out picnics and sunbathe. At 7 pm, Parque Este closes for the night.

Tourist streets

But there are not many tourist streets in the city. In addition to Los Proceres Boulevard, I could highlight literally two more places that more or less fall under the description of “tourist streets”.

• Sabana Grande Boulevard always filled with life. There are many shopping centers, restaurants and small cafes here. This is a good and quite safe place for shopping or dining at a restaurant.
• Altamira Square is located in a fairly quiet area and is therefore excellent for walking and relaxing. From here you have perhaps the best view of the slopes of Mount Avila. Entertainment events and performances also take place here regularly.

What to see in 1 day

Even if you only have one day to explore Caracas, don’t worry. This time is quite enough to get to know the city. In addition, even traveling all day by taxi, you will spend no more than 3 USD on transport, while reducing travel time to a minimum.

• 9:00 - Start your morning with a pleasant walk through Este Park. Watch the city wake up. There you can have breakfast in one of the local cafes.
• 10:00 - Take the metro and go to Chacaito station. Check out the souvenir market, which is located opposite the metro exit.

• 11:00 - Take a walk along Sabana Grande Boulevard. By this time all the shops and cafes are opening here. Try strong Venezuelan coffee or drink a glass of freshly squeezed tropical fruit juice for 0.5 USD.
• 12:30 - Once you reach the Plaza, turn towards the University and Botanical Garden. Stroll through the quaint campus buildings. After this, it will be even more pleasant for you to relax in the shady alleys of the garden.
• 14:00 - From here you can take a taxi and go explore the city center. Visit the Simon Bolivar House Museum and the Basilica of Santa Teresa. There are many city restaurants located here, making the center a good place for a hearty lunch. Walk to the Pantheon where, with a little luck, you'll be taken to the Changing of the Guard.
• 16:00 - Take a taxi to the Teleferico cable car station. A small trailer will lift you above the endless Caracas, and you will be able to see it clearly. It’s better to stay at the top of Avila for a couple of hours - it’s so interesting to watch the street performers here and just watch how people relax. In addition, local shops sell delicious desserts made from strawberries and whipped cream for 1 USD. Walk, enjoy the views on both sides of the hill and do not deny yourself anything.

• 18:00 - After dark it is better to travel exclusively by taxi. Head to one of the many restaurants around Sabana Grande or Plaza Altamira for dinner. Go to the shops and buy what you haven't had time to do yet. The main thing is to be careful and not go onto deserted streets. And then your only day in Caracas will become a wonderful, bright and very kind event.

What to see in the area

Since I had much more than one day planned for visiting Caracas, I began to explore the surrounding area. And I quickly realized that outside the city there were even more amazing places than in the metropolis itself.

• Perhaps the most unexpected discovery for me was the village Product V 6 0 km from the capital. This is a former German colony, inhabited by blond descendants of immigrants from Germany. When you enter Tovar, it feels like you've accidentally teleported yourself to the other side of the world. Creole cuisine in restaurants gives way to German sausages and beer, and I’m not even talking about the architecture - small, cozy European-style houses neatly lined up one after another in the picturesque mountainous area.

You can only get to Tovar from Caracas with a transfer. First, you should take a bus to the city of Junquito and from there take a minibus to the final point. In general, the journey takes about 3 hours, so if you don’t want to return to Caracas at night, you can spend the night right in one of the hotels that are full of them in the German colony. Or, again, use the services of private guides - some of them offer full-day excursions to Tovar in their own car.

• The high hills of Avila hide a real paradise from Caracas - the shores of endless blue Caribbean Sea. Venezuela's beaches are beautiful, and if you don't have time to visit the famous islands like Margarita or Los Roques, check out the coastline, which is some 20 km from the city.

Not all regular buses traveling in this direction can guarantee safety, so I would recommend going to the beach directly by taxi, since in Caracas every tourist can really afford this. The entire coastline along Caracas is dotted with small resort towns, so you're sure to find something to suit your tastes. The most popular beach in these parts is Balneario Camuri Chico.

Food. What to try

Food in Caracas is varied and filling. In general, in every region of Venezuela I had the opportunity to try something different. That’s why I remember the restless capital for its unique range of tastes that are unlike anything else.

Restaurants and cafes

The food in the capital's establishments, as a rule, was very tasty, and the portions were impressive in size. The most popular dish that I came across almost everywhere was meat parrilla - pieces of meat fried over coals. It is also interesting that parilla is served with a side dish of your choice. It could be fried potatoes or yucca - a tasty and healthy root vegetable that is practically unknown in our area.

Also, due to its close location to the sea, seafood dishes, especially cazuela, can often be found on the menu of the capital’s establishments. According to this recipe, seafood is stewed for a long time with vegetables in a deep clay pan, acquiring an amazing taste.

On average, the cost of one dish in a Caracas restaurant costs from 2 to 5 USD.

In addition to restaurants, pizzerias, fast food and small cafes with sweets are popular in the city. It was the latter that attracted my attention due to the uniqueness of their format. Such establishments sell only coffee, sweets and freshly squeezed fruit juices, which are definitely worth trying. After all, Venezuela has so many unusual, and most importantly, incredibly healthy fruits. And the most important of them is guanabana. It has dozens of beneficial properties - it is believed that guanabana even defeats cancer cells. This fruit is almost never consumed fresh, but its juice with a small amount of sugar seemed to me an ideal drink in hot weather. For a glass of juice and a bun in such cafes, I paid a little less than 1 USD.

Another popular dish in Caracas, which is served in both expensive restaurants and small cafes, is the arepa. This is a cornmeal bun with your choice of filling. Venezuelans consider the arepa an ideal dish for a hearty and healthy breakfast, but you can buy and try the bun at any time of the day. The average cost of an arepa is 0.5–2 USD.

Self-catering

If you are going to one of the capital's supermarkets, do not forget to take a copy of your passport with you. Without a document you simply will not be served. Also be prepared to have your fingerprints taken at the checkout every time, even if you are standing in line with just a tiny mango. This measure was introduced to combat speculators who buy scarce products in stores and sell them at exorbitant prices on the streets.

It is worth going to the shops for fruits, soft drinks and alcohol. The choice in supermarkets is meager, but the prices are simply amazing. For example, I calculated that a bottle of good rum, 1 kg of limes, a bunch of mint and several liters of soda will cost you 5 USD - not bad for a whole bucket of mojitos for a large company.

By the way, if you are used to eating on your own, buy everything with a reserve or think of additional ways out of the situation: several times scarce products were delivered to the supermarket next to my hotel, and so many people crowded into the store that the administration was forced to close the gates, not letting anyone else in.

Scarce goods in Caracas include basic necessities such as sugar, coffee, drinking water, and many personal hygiene products. All these things must be looked for on the streets. In this case, I was helped by Sabana Grande Boulevard, where you can find almost everything you need from speculators. 2 liters of drinking water purchased secondhand costs 0.5 USD. This is an extremely low price in comparison with other Latin American countries, but greatly inflated in relation to its official cost - for the residents of Caracas themselves, such a price is unaffordable.

Perhaps the shortage of goods in the capital is really felt more strongly than in other regions of the country. In the south of Venezuela, I did not notice it at all, and even in the neighboring large city, Valencia, the situation was much better. You need to be prepared for this: if there are products that you cannot live without, it is better to try to bring them to Caracas with you.

However, in the capital's establishments there is no shortage of products at all. Walking into a cafe after the supermarket, I couldn’t believe that such a striking contrast could exist not only within one city, but literally in neighboring houses.

The city really has a lot of nice restaurants where tourists can enjoy delicious Latin American and Italian dishes. Below are just a few of them.

Budget

• Arepa Factory;
• Aroma Di Caffe;
• El Budare;
• Pollo Tropical;
• Los Pilones;
• Arepera Las Tres Esquinas.

Mid-level

• La Cita;
• Urrutia;
• Antigua;
• Mokambo;
• ARAXI Grill & Gourmet.

Expensive

• Alto;
• Maute Grill;
• El Alazan;
• Casa Pakea;
• Barako Restautant & Lounge.

Holidays

• Catholic holidays are held in high esteem in Caracas. It is celebrated here on a large scale Christmas, Easter and the days of local saints, one way or another connected with the city.
• But the most important holiday is, of course, independence Day, which falls on July 5th. The holiday is celebrated throughout the country, but in Caracas it is given a special significance. From the very morning, people bring flowers to the Pantheon, where the great liberator Simon Bolivar and other heroes of the country rest. Throughout the day, music thunders in the city, and in the evening, bright performances give way to luxurious fireworks.
• However, this is not the only important event in the life of the city that fell in the middle of summer. No less significant holiday is considered founding days of Caracas. This event is celebrated for a whole week from July 21 to July 29. During these days, the city hosts a variety of cultural and sporting events, theatrical performances and concerts.

• And the July events don’t end there. The city celebrates the 24th Birthday everyone's favorite Simon Bolivar. However, falling right in the middle of the “city days”, this date stands out from the general festive movement only by military processions and parades.

Safety. What to watch out for

Safety is the most important thing to consider when traveling to Caracas. During my stay in the city, I managed to avoid any unpleasant moments, but I really spent a lot of effort on observing safety precautions. I rarely managed to take photographs, and I spent most of the evenings in my hotel room. I remember that when I left Caracas, I was exhausted by this eternal caution and, thinking that now it was all over, I looked out the window. However, when it began to get dark, an elderly gentleman who was sitting behind me tapped me on the shoulder and said: “Please close the curtain, otherwise your white face may be seen, and then the whole bus will be robbed.”

In principle, the city has 4 most important rules that tourists must follow in order to remain safe and sound.

• Perhaps we shouldn’t even talk about how life-threatening a visit to the local slums will be. To describe the situation prevailing there, I will cite just one incident from city life: at one time the highway that leads from Caracas to the airport was closed for repairs. To replace it, they allocated a road that runs through the local slums - the barrio. So, to protect passengers along this route, they had to post armed guards every 5 meters along the way, and they still remembered the horrors that people saw from the windows of their cars forever.

• No matter what part of the city you are in, never go onto deserted streets. In this case, you can avoid 90% of all dangers. Most of the robberies in Caracas that I read about before the trip took place on deserted alleys.
• Don't carry documents with you. Make a copy of the first page of your passport and entry stamp. This will be quite enough for going to the store or, for example, if a policeman stops you for a routine document check. As a last resort, if you need to take the original document with you (or you just arrived in the city with all your things), do not be lazy and sew an internal pocket for documents into your trousers. Being left without a passport in Caracas means being stuck in the city for months waiting for help from your embassy. Such situations have happened more than once and they have never been resolved quickly.
• Be sure to carry with you at least an old phone and an amount equivalent to 5–10 USD. If you do become a victim of a robbery, under no circumstances tell the criminal that you have nothing. The people who practice this kind of craft in Caracas have a very wild disposition and, as a rule, are armed. You should silently give them what they ask for, without making any sudden movements.

In addition, other, more common safety rules should not be neglected.

• Try not to flash expensive equipment in crowded places. If you have an old mobile phone, it is better to take it for walks. This, by the way, is what most residents of Caracas do. At home they have a brand new smartphone, but they prefer to walk around the city with an old folding phone. They even have 2 phone numbers: “street” and “home”.
• Remember that criminals are watching you, and if you do not attract attention to yourself, you most likely will not become their target. Try not to speak your native language very loudly, and do not carry the camera in plain sight. If strangers ask you what you are doing in Caracas, it is better to say that you came here for work and not for tourism purposes.
• There are frequent rallies in the city. And, if the demonstrations of supporters of Hugo Chavez (and, accordingly, the current government) are extremely peaceful, then the opposition is quite serious, and the police do not spare tear gas and rubber bullets on the protesters. Therefore, if you witness such a collision, leave this street as quickly as possible so as not to fall under the hot hand.

• It is also worth taking care about mosquitoes. In major cities of Latin America, they continue to carry nasty diseases, and Caracas is no exception. It is best to buy repellent in advance with a good level of protection and special plates that will protect you in your hotel room throughout your stay.

Things to do

Caracas is culturally interesting. There are quite a few theaters here, where modern plays are staged every evening. There are also many musicals and music concerts, which you can easily go to without worrying about the language barrier. I was easily able to find a poster of events on the Internet using the queries “teatro caracas” and “concerto caracas”. You can buy tickets at the box office even before the start of the performance - unfortunately, due to the crisis, most halls remain half empty.

I also liked to entertain myself with little things that I usually skimped on in other cities. For example, I once ordered a portrait of myself from one of the cartoonists who sit en masse in the square near the Museum of Fine Arts. The commemorative caricature cost me 0.9 USD. Well, besides this, you can always engage in popular activities for the metropolis - for example, shopping and buying souvenirs.

Shopping and shops

Due to the economic situation in the country, Caracas has become a favorable shopping destination. The selection of clothing and accessories from Latin American and European manufacturers is quite large here, and the prices are simply wonderful. For example, a blouse made of natural material can be bought for 3–5 USD, jeans for 6–8. In most stores you can pay either in cash or by card (with the exception of American credit cards, which are not held in high esteem throughout Venezuela), but remember that in the second case, you will be charged at the official rate. The city has several points ideal for shopping.

• Sabana Grande Boulevard is a great place for shopping. Most of the shopping arcades and malls, called centro commercial in Spanish, are located here. Their opening hours are quite strange - some may remain closed all day, but most are open from 10 am to 8 pm.
• Paseo el Hatillo is a colonial neighborhood located a stone's throw from the historical center of the city. There are many cafes and restaurants, as well as a huge variety of shops - from small souvenir shops to large shopping centers.

Bars. Where to go

There aren't many bars in Caracas, but there are still some. These are mainly themed establishments - Latin bars, jazz cafes and English pubs. Bars are scattered throughout the city and are quite far from each other, so barhopping is excluded here, and it is better to choose an establishment in advance on the Internet or ask your hotel about the bar closest to you. Most of them are open from 6 pm to 3-4 am, many have live music.

Due to the fact that the bars are more aimed at local residents, their prices will be very reasonable. The most popular drinks are beer and rum, which will cost you 0.5–1 USD per glass. Wine will cost more - from 2 USD, and imported drinks may not be available at all.

• Greenwich Pub;
• Juan Sebastián Bar;
• La Quinta Live Music Bar;
• 360º Roof Bar.

Clubs and nightlife

But nightclubs, on the contrary, are mostly located close to each other - near the Chacaito metro station. Almost all of them are open from Wednesday to Saturday from 9 pm to 4-5 am. There is a security guard at the entrance who can check your bag and documents. Entrance to clubs is most often free, in rare cases it does not exceed 1 USD.

However, due to the turbulent situation in the city, I would not recommend going to clubs alone. It is better to go there accompanied by a large group, and return home exclusively by taxi - this way you will save yourself from many of the troubles that night Caracas conceals.

Below is a list of several clubs with a good reputation.

• Discoteca Marbella;
• Rosalinda;
• Holic;
• Chapis Club.

Extreme Sports

Unfortunately, the price lists of travel agencies are not replete with offers for active recreation. Apparently, residents and guests of Caracas have enough extreme sports on the streets of the troubled city. Besides the trek to the top of Avila, there are only two popular activities offered by local bureaus - paragliding and canopy tours.

However, it is very profitable to get acquainted with these attractions in cities like Caracas. After all, here even a full-day trip with transfer will cost you no more than 20 USD, despite the fact that somewhere in Costa Rica you will have to pay the full 70 for it. You can sign up for a group with the help of your hotel administration or a private guide. Being native speakers of Spanish, they will also be able to talk with representatives of agencies and clarify the real cost of entertainment, and not what the bureau can happily tell a rare tourist.

Souvenirs. What to bring as a gift

In Caracas, I bought the most souvenirs during my entire trip to Latin America. The choice here is quite large, and the prices are very low. I bought all the things at the souvenir market opposite the Chacaito metro exit. There are several other points with souvenirs in the city, for example, on the top of Mount Avila or in the historical center. However, in my opinion, it is in the souvenir market that the assortment is most diverse, and the prices are much lower than in popular tourist places.

In addition to small trinkets like magnets and key chains, which you can buy 3-4 pieces for 1 USD, there are really interesting and even unique things on the market.

Ceramics

From the row of stylish vases, baking dishes and various interior elements, something immediately caught my eye - stylish coffee pots were being sold at the market. Each was a ceramic teapot on a wooden stand. This design is used for quickly brewing coffee: the top of the stand is made in the shape of a circle on which the filter is placed. Coffee is poured into the filter, boiling water is poured on top, and the finished coffee is poured into the kettle. A fancy Latin American set with two cups cost me 3 USD. By the way, I saw a similar coffee pot in Costa Rica, however, instead of a teapot, there was a mug made of cheap aluminum on the stand. That set cost 30 USD.

Textile

There are a lot of textiles with national symbols in Caracas. A good gift would be T-shirts, gloves and hats, painted in the colors of the Venezuelan flag for 2–5 USD. In addition, more serious things are sold on the market - for example, stylish rugs and hammocks. A similar gift can be purchased for 20–50 USD, if the weight of your suitcase allows you to do so.

Musical instruments

Musical instruments are popular souvenirs throughout Venezuela, but it is in Caracas that they are presented in the greatest variety. Here you can find an instrument for every taste and budget - from souvenir tiny maracas for 1 USD to massive guitars and drums for 20 USD and more.

Moringa

The most popular drink in Venezuela is coffee, but due to the crisis in Caracas, it is quite difficult to find. However, on the streets of the city I discovered a new, even more amazing drink - moringa. Moringa leaves have a whole range of beneficial properties; they help with colds and many other diseases. Moringa is brought to our region from Asia, and it is quite expensive in Russia - about 10 USD per 100 grams. For comparison, the same amount of moringa in Caracas will cost you 0.12 USD. You can buy magic tea on Sabana Grande Boulevard. As a rule, during the day, merchants walk along it shouting into a loudspeaker: “moringa moringa moringa moringa,” so you will not be able to miss them.

How to get around the city

There are many ways to move around the city, but not all of them are reliable and safe. The most proven option is a taxi - it is often used by the residents of Caracas themselves in the evening.

I would give an honorable second place to the metro - thanks to good security, armed thefts are excluded here, but in the subway there is another scourge - pickpockets. The list of urban transport is completed by buses, which, if possible, I would not recommend using at all due to the increased incidence of robberies.

Taxi. What features exist

There are three types of taxis in Caracas.

• The safest of them are private carrier companies. You can order such a car at your hotel. Drivers of such taxis highly respect their reputation and drive exclusively according to the established tariff. I had to use such cars when traveling from the airport or to the bus station, when I needed to transport my belongings as safely as possible. A half-hour journey by private taxi will cost you 3–5 USD.
• The second type is city taxis. I've ridden these many times and I can say that they also inspire quite a bit of confidence. A trip in a city taxi will cost you 2 times less than in a private one, but in this case the price must be discussed with the drivers in advance.

• The third type is motorcycle taxi. These are specially equipped motorcycles capable of carrying one adult passenger. Thanks to the extremely low prices, residents of Caracas use this service, and I have often seen plump ladies sit in the back seat of a motorcycle taxi, placing their child and purse between themselves and the driver. I have not used this type of transport, but I know that motorcyclists often get into accidents in Caracas, so I would advise avoiding motorcycle taxis if possible.

Metro

The metro in Caracas looks quite modern. It was built during a time of economic growth in the country and, like many other parts of the city's infrastructure, is a reminder of the former greatness of Venezuela. The metro is easy to navigate, and a ticket costs only 0.03 USD. However, you need to be careful inside the subway. One day, right before my eyes, an old grandfather, who looked like a respected professor, unzipped the handbag of a girl standing in front of him, trying to pull out her wallet. The fact that I only rode the Caracas metro 2 or 3 times and during that time managed to witness a crime speaks of the sadly high statistics of pickpocketing in the subway.

Buses

Buses in Caracas are by far the most unreliable form of transport. There has been a noticeable increase in cases where armed robbers break into the passenger compartment at one of the stops and collect mobile phones or wallets from all passengers. In addition, the driving style of local drivers leaves much to be desired. They often make sharp turns in an attempt to pass other drivers or get out of traffic jams, which can lead to an accident.

Thanks to analogues such as a developed metro network and extremely cheap taxis, traveling by bus can easily be avoided, which I advise all travelers to do.

Transport rental

I would advise renting a car only if your hotel has secure parking, otherwise in the morning you may find it already disassembled. Another disadvantage of renting a car in Caracas is the price. The fact is that due to low demand, many agencies were forced to close, and the remaining ones set exorbitantly high prices - from 40 USD per day. For this money you can take a taxi around the clock for several days.

However, if you still prefer to drive your own transport, please contact your hotel reception for assistance and they will put you in touch with a reliable agency. You can compare prices from different rental companies.

To rent a car, you will need an identity document and an international license, and the company may also require you to pay a deposit. But gasoline in Caracas is very cheap - at the time of my trip the price was 0.1 USD per liter.

Caracas - holidays with children

Perhaps modern Caracas is not a city where you should deliberately go with a baby. The restless capital of Venezuela is fraught with many dangers, and exposing a child to them would probably not be the best decision. If you do come from Caracas with children, I would advise you to follow the safety rules very carefully: walk only in crowded places and travel exclusively by taxi. Also, do not forget about protection from mosquitoes and the sun - it is better to purchase repellent and sunscreen in advance.

Where to go with children in Caracas

In addition to Este Park, which is perfect for walking with children, there are several other interesting places in the city for your little ones.

• The main zoo of Caracas is located within the city limits, not far from the Zoologico metro station. It’s interesting to walk between the enclosures and look at tapirs and crocodiles. The zoo is open from 10 am to 4 pm, and tickets cost only a couple of dollars.
• Expanzoo Petting Zoo is located outside of Caracas, so the best way to get there is by taxi. Here your child can not only learn new types of animals, but also feed each of them. The park is open from 10 am to 5 pm daily. Entrance ticket costs about 5 USD for adults and 3 USD for children.

The head of the city administration, Erica Farias, promised citizens that the new Caribe currency would help protect the population in conditions of an “economic war.”

A total of 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 caribou banknotes have been issued. Each unit of the new currency corresponds to one thousand bolivars, which at the black market rate is equal to two thousandths of a US dollar. The largest 100 carib note is equal to approximately 20 American cents.

Caracas is not the first region in Venezuela to launch a local currency as an alternative to the bolivar amid hyperinflation and simultaneous money supply shortages.

In mid-March, the city of Elorza in the state of Apure issued its own currency with the same name as the locality. In December 2017, the leadership of one of the communes of the Catia district in the capital Caracas also decided to issue its own currency - the panal. It should be used in intra-municipal calculations. The first such operation was the sale of rice collected in the same commune. The price of the package was 3 panels, and the exchange rate was set on the basis that 1 panel is equal to 5 thousand bolivars.

Venezuela is experiencing

In February, for the same purpose, the Venezuelan authorities released their own state cryptocurrency, El Petro, making Venezuela the first country with its own digital currency. The country's authorities believe that cryptocurrency will allow the country to overcome the socio-economic crisis.

Venezuelan President Maduro believes this measure will help the country move forward with new forms of international funding. He promised that the Venezuelan cryptocurrency would be backed by the country’s natural resources: gold, oil and diamonds.

Venezuela has extremely high inflation rates, with levels expected to exceed 2,300% in 2018. Due to high inflation, in November 2017 Venezuela introduced the largest banknote in the country's history, 100 thousand bolivars. At the same time, the country is short of cash. The denomination of the current bolivar is scheduled for June 4 in Venezuela. Three zeros will be removed from the new banknotes.

Now the dollar exchange rate on the black market exceeds 483.7 thousand bolivars, but the official exchange rate in the DICOM system is about 44.6 thousand.

Do you want to be so rich that you tip the waiter half a pack of the largest bills? You can easily afford such luxury in the capital of Venezuela, Caracas. However, this will not make you rich. It’s just that the local currency, the bolivar, is gradually turning into nothing here.

Even before the fall in oil prices in 2014, inflation in Venezuela reached 30–50% per year (the exact figure is unknown, since official statistics are nothing more than a joke). In 2015, things got even worse. BofA Merrill Lynch Venezuela economist Francisco Rodriguez gives a range of 150-170%. Trying to estimate current inflation is even more difficult. The IMF predicts 500% for 2016. Strategist of one of the few hedge funds specializing in Venezuela and having a physical presence in Caracas (the largest banks and hedge funds have long preferred to observe the situation from afar), Knossos Assets Fund Daniel Urdaneta Zubalevich (descendant of Russian emigrants) estimates inflation since the beginning of 2016 in 250–300% in annual terms.

At the micro level, inflation is also felt in different ways. “I change the price tags every two weeks, or even less,” says Leon, the Portuguese-born owner of a liquor store on Fuerzas Armadas Street. “People don’t have enough money for food, so the demand for alcohol has dropped.” This is understandable, because, according to Daniel Urdaneta Zubalevich, wage increases are far behind inflation - less than 100% over the past 12 months. This creates an interesting effect that Rodriguez calls tropical austerity. Since indexation does not keep pace with inflation, the budget deficit in 2016, in his opinion, will be significantly less than in 2015 (7.4% of GDP versus 21.7%). That's not bad for a country that has consistently had double-digit budget deficits since 2009. The main reason for the deficit is government subsidies (artificially low prices precio justo, social programs missiones, etc.), which, according to Rodriguez, cost the economy 10.2% of GDP, and, of course, total corruption.

However, if President Maduro, for populist reasons, goes for a proactive indexation of wages and social benefits, the tropical austerity option could quickly give way to the Zimbabwean scenario with completely uncontrollable hyperinflation, in which macroeconomic estimates and forecasts may lose meaning altogether.

While inflation estimates are difficult, the same can be said about the bolivar-dollar exchange rate. There is a multiple system of courses in the country, with the highest state rate DIPRO - VEF10/$, the other state rate - SIMADI - VEF549.4/$. The market rate is difficult to determine due to the lack of a liquid market. The most liquid platform for exchanging dollars for bolivars is the Colombian city of Cucuta on the border with Venezuela. Cúcuta is a center for the smuggling of Venezuelan goods at artificially low prices, which appear in neighboring Colombia at market prices. The current exchange rate in Cucuta is about VEF1000/$. The black market rate in Caracas is lower: the transactions are illegal and theoretically risk several years in prison. “The market is illiquid and there are high spreads,” says Daniel Urdaneta Zubalevich, “the usual rate in Caracas is now around VEF900/$.” The market exchange rate of the dollar, apparently, is quite high (the ratio of the M2 aggregate to the volume of international reserves gives an exchange rate of about VEF400/$) also due to the fact that the dollar becomes the main form of savings in conditions of inflation on the verge of galloping and hyperinflation - saving something or in bolivars is meaningless.

There is nothing unique in the fact of high inflation; history is full of examples of much stronger price increases (the record is hyperinflation in Hungary in 1946 reaching quadrillion percent in annual terms), although now, in 2016, Venezuela is likely to become a country with the highest inflation in the world. However, there is one property about Venezuelan inflation that perhaps makes it unique.

The country is experiencing a shortage of banknotes. Hundreds of planes full of banknotes regularly fly into the country. According to the Central Bank of Venezuela (unreliable and slow, most likely underestimated), the volume of banknotes in circulation increased from 1.2 billion in 2009 to 5 billion at the end of 2015. The volume of orders for the production of banknotes in Venezuela for 2016 exceeds the volume of orders for cash American dollars (7 .6 billion banknotes, although the US population is ten times larger than Venezuela, and the demand for cash dollars is from the whole world) and, according to Bloomberg estimates, amounts to 10.2 billion new bills. At the same time, Bloomberg refers only to orders from the British De La Rue, the German Giesecke & Devrient and the French Oberthur Fiduciaire. Kommersant’s sources assure that banknotes are printed not only by these companies, but also by others, including the Russian Goznak.

At the same time, the largest bill remains the 100 bolivar banknote (10 US cents, or 6.6 rubles at the market rate). As a result, even a small purchase can turn into a circus with the counting of stacks of cash (although most “cutlets” are taken without counting). Among the upper middle and upper classes, this has led to a shift towards card payments (although cash is still needed for many transactions - tips, taxis, car parking, etc.). There is a double benefit here: you don’t have to carry heavy bags full of money with you, and there is no danger of being robbed (very important for Caracas and other cities in Venezuela). However, among the lower middle class and below, electronic payments are not as widespread. More than half the city's population lives in Caracas barrios (slums) - about a million people live in the Petare barrio alone - and there is no way to get by without cash. On weekdays, huge queues form at the doors of Venezuelan banks - this time not for food at “fair prices”, but for cash (in most cases you can only cash out 3-12 thousand bolivars per day, depending on the bank).

However, in other countries with hyperinflation, the problem of a shortage of banknotes (if it arose at all) was solved, or at least tried to be solved, quite simply - by issuing banknotes with higher denominations. Why print 10 tons of banknotes when you can print just one ton simply by adding 0 to the denomination? In Zimbabwe, for example, during a period of hyperinflation, they quickly reached a banknote with a face value of 100,000,000,000,000 (one hundred trillion) Zimbabwean dollars.

The situation is absurd, now the Central Bank of Venezuela orders only banknotes of 100 and 50 bolivars, because only they cost more than the cost of printing them, the rest, smaller ones, cost less. A photocopy of a 100 bolivar banknote costs more than a 100 bolivar note. There are so many banknotes printed that amazing things happen. According to rumors, in Colombian Cucuta a certain batch of banknotes (series AA) was sold for much more than its face value. The reason is that the stamp on this batch can be easily washed off and used to make counterfeits of banknotes from other countries. Allegedly, there were cases of hunting for such banknotes with the participation of Russian citizens. However, none of Kommersant’s interlocutors can confirm the authenticity of this story.

But other problems with almost worthless money are absolutely real. Why isn't the problem solved simply by denomination? The answer option mentioned in the WSJ article (that large banknotes generate inflationary expectations among the population) is also refuted in it - large denominations of banknotes are a consequence of inflation, and not its cause. Another option, which Bloomberg refers to (delays in the development of new banknotes of 500 and 1000 bolivars since 2013), does not answer the main question - why these delays are happening. If necessary, you can quickly develop a picture for a new banknote, and this is incomparably cheaper than printing hundreds of thousands of tons of banknotes, which turn out to be cheaper than paper.

“Kommersant” apparently managed to solve this riddle. “There is no direct evidence, but most likely it’s all about corruption,” smiles Daniel Urdaneta Zubalevich. “Customers are paid for the physical volume of the order, and the larger it is, the greater the kickbacks you can get.” What they didn’t think of in Zimbabwe, they quickly figured out in Venezuela - and you can make good money by producing worthless money. By the way, apparently, after receiving kickbacks, you can no longer pay the producers of garbage bolivars - De La Rue at the end of April 2016, according to Bloomberg, complained that the central bank of Venezuela owed the company $71 million.

I continue a series of reports about cities around the world where I was destined to stay for a day due to long connections or on business. And I’ve already come up with an interesting selection on the topic “The City at a Glance”: Quito, , , , , , , .

So, today is the capital of Venezuela, Caracas.

It so happened that we stopped for a day in Caracas twice. On the way to the Galapagos, and on the way back.
The first impression of the country is the exchange rate chip. The official bolivar exchange rate is 5.5 per 1 US dollar. And on the black market the rate is approximately 60 to 1 US dollar. You can exchange dollars at the black rate at every step of the way with any local resident. Having done this, you become rich. We changed $100 and couldn’t spend it. As a result, a lot of money was left for souvenirs. Among other things, with some skill, you can buy tickets from any airline (that fly to/from Caracas) to South America and the surrounding area at 3-4-5 times cheaper than face value. But I didn't tell you that))

The second impression is gasoline prices. We didn't take our car. A local driver took us to the hostel. Before our eyes, he filled up a full tank of gasoline (about 50 liters) for (attention!!!) 10 rubles in terms of our money. 10 rubles for 50 liters of gasoline!!!

Hugo Chavez welcomes you to Caracas!
Che and Volodya too!

The third impression is black squirrels taking all sorts of goodies from hands in the central park.

Half a day passed while feeding the squirrels. It was impossible to tear myself away from them. But it turned out that there are several interesting modern museums in the center.

Everything around is imbued with the cult of personality of Hugo Chavez, who recently left our world.

Hugo Chavez, Jose Marti, Simon Bolivar and Fidel Castro slaughter a goat. Che Guevara is watching the game.

Apparently a mayoral candidate.

This is Nicolas Maduro, the current president of Venezuela. Successor of Hugo Chavez.

Cool observation. The ambulances do not try to squeeze along the left side, like ours, but travel between the rows. This is much more efficient, since cars on the left are taken to the left, and cars on the right are taken to the right. Our curb on the left won’t move anywhere.

Someone is bringing a New Year tree. Looks unusual among palm trees)

Elections are coming soon. The activity of one of the parties.

And we stopped at some suburban area, where we walked along the local streets.

Local metro. One trip costs 1 ruble.

Life on the streets is in full swing.

Of course, we took a cable car up to the heights. By the way, since the city is located in the mountains, such cabins serve not only for tourist purposes, but also as public transport, moving passengers from the upper parts of the city to the lower ones, and vice versa.

On the last day before departure, we jumped on the Caribbean waves on a local beach, not far from the airport.

By the way, on the streets, even in the very center, several times ordinary passersby approached us and advised us to be careful with cameras. It was the same on the beach. By the way, there are literally only a few tourists in the city.

Venezuela is in a state of emergency, with inflation exceeding 500% and shortages of some products. The country is on the verge of collapse. Belarusian tourists also visited there recently. By request TUT.BY one of them, who wished not to give her name, said whether the crisis was noticeable to them - foreigners from another continent.

Drive

This was my second time in Venezuela. I visited this country for the first time last year. I have friends there. During this trip I was in Caracas and at the resorts of Choroni, Colonia Tovar, Tukakas.

I flew there on the Paris-Madrid-Caracas flight. A round trip ticket cost 560 euros. From Minsk I got to Vilnius, from there on a low-cost airline to Paris.

In Caracas, I lived with friends and rented housing at resorts. For example, I rented a room in posadas (guest houses). A day there costs four dollars.

For Belarusians who come to Venezuela for no more than 90 days, a visa is not required. Upon arrival at the airport, I filled out a migration card and a health questionnaire. There were questions about whether I had a headache or diarrhea. But in the end, the person who collected these profiles didn’t even look at them. If I wrote that I had some kind of disease, how would they find me?

Money

Venezuela has several exchange rates. Official: 1 dollar - 10 bolivars, and on the black market: 1 dollar - 1000 bolivars. Naturally, those who have dollars exchange them on the black market.

The minimum wage there is about 40 thousand bolivars. It is clear that someone earns more. But those with low incomes have to save. Many businesses work two or three days a week, but people are paid as if they were working a full week.

A kilo of tuna on the market costs three thousand bolivars, chicken - 2,300 bolivars, tomatoes and cucumbers - 500 bolivars. You can have dinner in a cafe with fish with vegetables, rice, and freshly squeezed juice for 5,000 bolivars. It's inexpensive for tourists, considering that they come with foreign currency.

Locals who do not have money have to go to government stores and stand in queues. Prices there are much lower than on the black market. But they visit such stores on days in accordance with ID. For example, if there is a certain number in your ID, then you can go to this store on Monday and buy toilet paper there. You can't come for her on Tuesday. Moreover, as I understand, there are restrictions on exactly how much you are allowed to buy.

People stand in line at government stores for several hours. In three weeks in Venezuela, I saw only two such queues, one of them was for diapers and there were about 150 people in it. Police officers stand next to the queues. They make sure that fights don't start.

All scarce products can be purchased from suppliers, but they will cost more than in government stores. Suppliers are people who get goods from somewhere and bring them to you. Reminds me of the situation when during the Soviet Union some products and things were obtained through connections.

There are difficulties, but it is impossible to say that the shops there are now completely empty and people have nothing to eat. This is a country of contrasts. There are supermarkets there that I have never seen anywhere else. Three floors and goods from all over the world: pesto sauce, jamon, various types of cheese... But it is clear that only wealthy people or tourists can go there. For example, 200 grams of jamon cost 13,000 bolivars. If your salary is 40 thousand, you are unlikely to be able to afford it. At the same time, I saw a store where there was only vinegar on the shelves.

In general, everything that is happening there now is very similar to the times of perestroika. When a certain product appeared in stores on some days, there were giant queues for it. But here it is important to understand what exactly is in short supply for Venezuelans and why.

Their economic crisis did not begin today; last year, for example, there were also shortages of toilet paper. But the country has a wonderful climate and all kinds of vegetables and fruits grow. It’s hard to imagine hunger in such a place.

Venezuelans are used to eating a lot and eating well. Moreover, they love flour dishes, for example, arepa. This is a corn tortilla, inside of which they put meat, some kind of sausage, cheese - whatever you want. They also have a popular empanada - cheburek with various fillings, all sorts of buns with meat, ham and cheese. You will find this in almost every cafe. And it's inexpensive for tourists.

Caracas

People in Caracas do not appear poor. It’s a very beautiful city, with expensive cars driving around; many Venezuelans have modernly equipped houses and apartments there. Because of the heat, people are dressed simply, for example, in pants and a T-shirt, but it looks beautiful. Many brand stores that are in Europe also operate there.

There is a feeling that everyone has a job, because in many places where it would seem that staff assistance is not needed, people still work. For example, there are many street cleaners on the streets, in some stores there are special people who put purchases into bags at the checkout.

There are a lot of cafes, bars and restaurants. A friend of mine showed me a collection of all the possible cafes in Caracas - it was a whole volume. There are establishments for every taste: from elite molecular cuisine to fast food. Moreover, there are many places where you can try Thai, Japanese and Chinese cuisines.

The restaurants are full of customers. The situation is like ours: people seem to have no money, but everything is packed, there is nowhere to sit. It's like there are several parallel realities there. For example, in Caracas there are also gigantic slum areas where you can’t go at all.

In the capital there was always electricity; at resorts it could be turned off for several hours. Outages are warned in advance.

Safety

I followed basic safety rules. She did not go out when it was dark, did not visit slum areas, did not wear jewelry or watches, dressed simply, and did not take more money with her than she needed for lunch or shopping. It is also advisable not to take an expensive phone. But I can’t say that people there hide their phones from others - many go jogging with iPhones in their hands.

I believe that even if we went to a slum area, it is not a fact that we would be robbed. A friend told me that people there also live differently. Some people have LCD TVs at home.

There are roadblocks on the roads. People's vehicles and documents are checked randomly. When entering clubs and parks, they must be searched for weapons and drugs. Venezuelans can carry weapons, but during the entire trip I did not see anyone with them. It is prohibited to enter the cafe with a weapon.

Families

In Venezuela, I observed a lot of local families and noticed that children were not perceived as a problem. At the same time, during all this time I never heard children cry.

Many families with three or four children vacationed at the resorts. They hang on their parents, eat sand, play with stray dogs - adults react calmly to everything.

Language

In Venezuela, Spanish is spoken and few people speak English. Therefore, without Spanish you will be lost there. It's also worth learning to whistle. This is also a form of communication: if you want the bus driver to stop, whistle.

Medicines

We did not seek medical help there. But a friend told me that because of the crisis, contraceptives and allergy pills disappeared from pharmacies. There are no other medicines either.

The youth

Venezuelans are quite large. They consider a curvy girl to be beautiful. Therefore, it is normal to give breast augmentation surgery as a gift for your 18th birthday. Many of the girls we saw on the street have silicone breasts. But it looks very organic and is considered sexy.

I talked a lot with students. They see what opportunities the country has, what resources and how many economic difficulties there are. Inbound tourism is practically not developing there due to the criminal situation, but a business could be made on it, because the resorts are amazing.

It's just a country of paradoxes. I think people are a little offended.

Students say they want to leave the country, study for a master’s degree in the UK, USA...

Natalia Kostyukevich / Photo: Reuters / TUT.BY