Other Areas

[QUOTE=John;1920887]
Now I can tell you after spending 3 days here is it is simply not true that Venezuela all over is dangerous. It is same like Medellin, Colombia where by some areas could be safe and some very very bad. Bottom line taxis are more expensive then flights. It's wierd.
[/QUOTE]Yes, the current economic and social climate here in Venezuela leads to a LOT of weirdness like that. Taxi drives have to charge high because spare parts for their cars often can be incredibly difficult to obtain and the prices are absurdly high (a single tire can cost four or five times the Venezuelan monthly minimum wage).

And I always say it, crime-wise the big problem here in Venezuela is Caracas. The rest of the big cities certainly are not safe by any means, but also are a far cry from the war zone that is Caracas. As long as you stay in the good areas of the city, and use common sense, you shouldn't have problems.

The hassle of carrying that much cash is definitely a drawback to visiting Venezuela. I also don't like that you apparently have to apply for a visa in person (please correct me if I'm wrong).

I went to Caracas and Isla Margarita in 2001, and lately I've been tempted to return. Incredibly hot women and ridiculously cheap. Caracas, even back then, was dangerous as hell. IMO completely different league than Rio or MDE. Isla Margarita OTOH seemed pretty safe to me. If I returned, I'd probably do what John is doing and just stay away from Caracas.

[QUOTE=Combo;1921216]The hassle of carrying that much cash is definitely a drawback to visiting Venezuela. I also don't like that you apparently have to apply for a visa in person (please correct me if I'm wrong).[/QUOTE]The Central Bank of Venezuela proposed a new set of bills (bolivares 500,1000, and 2000, if I recall correctly) to make things easier, but our president rejected the idea, apparently because he thinks that would be accepting that the inflation is winning. Madness. As it is now, if I need to pay something in cash, I need to leave the house with a small messenger bag to carry the bills.

A solution would be to use somebody trustworthy, and have the guy be a "proxy wallet" of sorts, paying in bolivares with a Venezuelan debit card.

And unless they have changed it recently, if you are an US citizen you would need to apply for a three-month visa.

I have only been through a Venezuelan airport, so no experience for me in Venezuela. I should have went before they were asking Americans to get a visa. I'm trying to complete a visit to every South American country, but I will have to leave Venezuela for a much later date. I have been to a lot of countries and once in awhile I'll see some Venezuelan ladies. There can be quite a few found in Curacao. But the best places outside of Venezuela is to go to Paramaribo in Suriname. In a Club called Diamond Club they have at least 60 to 80 Venezuelan girls in there. It is less than $50 US for an hour. Just read the Suriname forum for that info. Their currency is also crashing hard, so it will just get cheaper and cheaper.

[QUOTE=Gagoo;1929650]I have only been through a Venezuelan airport, so no experience for me in Venezuela. I should have went before they were asking Americans to get a visa. I'm trying to complete a visit to every South American country, but I will have to leave Venezuela for a much later date. I have been to a lot of countries and once in awhile I'll see some Venezuelan ladies. There can be quite a few found in Curacao. But the best places outside of Venezuela is to go to Paramaribo in Suriname. In a Club called Diamond Club they have at least 60 to 80 Venezuelan girls in there. It is less than $50 US for an hour. Just read the Suriname forum for that info. Their currency is also crashing hard, so it will just get cheaper and cheaper.[/QUOTE]I have to correct myself. It is less than $50 USD for half an hour. I overpaid, $350 Suriname dollars for half an hour. With negotiations you can make it $250 - $300 Suriname dollars. Currently it is about 7. 7 Suriname to 1 USD.