Photos of Venezuela

We went to Venezuela to learn Spanish in an immersion course.

Angel Guevara in Valencia was our instructor. We stayed at his house in Valencia with his wife Yulmi.

Here are Yulmi's father, Yulmi, Angel, Nancy, Dahlia, Yulmi's mother.

Dahlia was hired by Angel to teach English. Angel's business was primarily teaching English to Venezuelans.

He lived in a fairly wealthy area in the north of Valencia.

Here is a view from Angel's home. The buildings in the distance are not downtown office buildings but rather apartment houses in his area.

Another view from Angel's home. Nancy Lee and I frequently walked in this area.
Angel's house as seen from the street.

Note the security barriers.

Yes, the street was steep.

Local street scene three blocks from Angel's home. Note the ice cream vendor.
Local street scene one more block away. A police station.

The policemen have large guns on them.

Behind us is a supermarket and across the street a shopping center.

A local hub of activity.

Though we could not find a decent restaurant.

Local street scene caty-corner from the previous picture.

Valencia is the third largest city in Venezuela but we were some three miles from the center of town.

Christmas display at the shopping center.

A bookstore here had the Venezuelan Constitution prominently displayed at the cash register.

Many streets are blocked at one end for security.
This is the supermarket that we went to daily and a liquor store.
Construction that we saw nearby on a walk.
Looks like an old ... what?
Garbage container?
College of Archangel Gabriel.
Was it a security checkpoint?
Bamboo in a city park.
Bridge in the same park.
Class in the park with Angel teaching Nancy.
On the weekend Angel took us to Campo Carabobo 32 km from Valencia.

This is the site of the great battle fought in June 24, 1821, in which Bolivar's troops decisively defeated the Spanish royalist army.

Busts of the battle heros.
Frank and Nancy Lee.
Tomb of the unknown soldier.
Guard.
Mud brick house.
On another weekend trip we were driven west a couple hours away looking for rural craft shops.

Here we saw citrus fruit for sale along the highway in the area where it is grown.

We get hungry and look for a restaurant.

Here are colorful stores in a town on the road to Barquisimeto.

Some stores on the road in the town.
A restaurant.
Frank has been having minor cold symptoms. So he runs out of the restaurant and finds this pharmacy several blocks back.
We decide on a restaurant. Here are Yulmi, Sergio (another English teacher), Angel, Dahlia, Nancy.
A mural in the restaurant.
A poster announcing the daily activities for a religious festival in the area.
Another view in the restaurant.
Another mural.
In back it is a hotel.

If you look at the breaks in the walkway those are entrances to rooms.

Now we are a couple hours west of Valencia in the village of Guadeloupe looking for wooden statues.

Here is a small house in the town.

Another small house.
The main church in the village.
The church again.
A house on the main square facing the church.
Statues for sale.
Pulpit in that square?
We are back in Valencia. This is a street scene as seen from a shopping center.
A colorful bus.
A wide street.
The Valencia aquarium also has a bird house.
Bird.
Bird.
Street scene.
Every city has a Plaza Bolivar with a statue. This is Valencia
Nancy Lee.
Frank.
Cathedral at Plaza Bolivar. About 420 years old.
Another view of the Cathedral.
Back at Angel's we have dinner.
We have ended our two weeks of class with Angel and now we rent a car and drive into the Andes toward the city of Merida.

Here is a cathedral, but I do not recall in what city. Maybe Tintorero.

It is common to see passengers like this.
A rural scene.
In the mountains.
In the mountains.
In the mountains.
In the mountains.
In the mountains.
In the mountains.
In the mountains.
In the mountains.
Along the road.
Along the road.
Frank.
We stayed at the posada Monte Carmelo in the city of Apartaderos on the way to Merida.
Garlic at the entrance to the posada.
At the posada in Apartaderos.
At the posada in Apartaderos.
At the posada in Apartaderos.
At the posada in Apartaderos.
At the posada in Apartaderos.
At the posada in Apartaderos.
At the posada in Apartaderos.
At the posada in Apartaderos.
At the posada in Apartaderos.
At the posada in Apartaderos.
At the posada in Apartaderos. Note the irrigation pipes.
At the posada in Apartaderos.
At the posada in Apartaderos.
At the posada in Apartaderos.
At the posada in Apartaderos.
At the posada in Apartaderos.
At the posada in Apartaderos.
Terracing.
Town of San Rafael. Chapel of San Rafael de Mucuchies.
Town of San Rafael. Chapel of San Rafael de Mucuchies.
Town of San Rafael.
Town of San Rafael.
Town of San Rafael.
Town of San Rafael.
Town of San Rafael.
Town of San Rafael.
Town of San Rafael.
Cactus.
Along the road.
Town of Mucuchies? Church.
Plaza Bolivar in some town.
Another town another church.
Street scene.
Plaza Bolivar.
House.
Maybe this is Mucuchies? Or maybe Tabay? Church.
Nancy Lee.
We have arrived in Merida.

This is the Museo Arquidiocesano facing Plaza Bolivar.

Bolivar monument in Plaza Bolivar.
Our hotel, Posada La Montana in Merida.
A flower in the lobby.
Christmas display a block from the hotel.
Merida. A park in front of the Teleferico.
Same park.
Same park.
We went to the city of Bailadores near the Colombian border to see wooden statues. This is a private collection in someone's home.
Another scene.
Since we could not buy there we were taken to a farm where we saw this waterfall.
There we found these statues for sale.
We bought a painting and a statue. Our guide is on the left and the artist on the right.
In the mountains.
In the mountains.
In the mountains.
In the mountains.
In the mountains.
In the mountains.
In the mountains.
In the mountains.
In the mountains.
A village with colorful homes.
A village with colorful homes.
A village with colorful homes.
Along the road.
Along the road.
Along the road.
Along the road.
Finally we are in Caracas. Nancy wanted to eat beef.
Entrance to the national capital in Caracas.
Museo Sacro de Caracas.
Plaza Bolivar in Caracas.
Caracas. Frank at Plaza Bolivar.
Caracas. Busy shopping street largely closed to vehicles.
Caracas. The view from the Museum of Contemporary Art.
Caracas. Another view from the Museum of Contemporary Art shopping all the people milling around attending the World Social Forum.