We've arrived

Contrary to what most people, including ourselves thought, we have arrived without hitches having remembered all our stuff. Fairly spectacular landing into Caracas, pretty much sea at the start and end of the runway and a backdrop of mountains climbing steeply from the shore. We had resolved to check into a luxury hotel for our first night and take a taxi there. However, reality kicked in and we ended up on a local bus, missed our stop to get to the backpackers hostel (oh double dear) and ended up under a dual carriage way bridge where the bus terminated. We decided to splash out at this point on a taxi and got into the most dilapidated car imaginable, cockroaches on the floor (by Rachel who was bundled into the back with the bags), the driver sat on a beer crate, the whole machine rattling like thunder over every bump. There are many finer vehicles rusting in scrap yards throughout England. The one positive was that it ruled the crazy roads as the right of way goes to the oldest, most beaten up vehicle (new cars nervous). The backpackers hostel was a hole, brown stains down the walls and marks on the sheets and a fan that sounded like a plane engine. After a brief Rachel distressed moment (Simon's words at this point) we upped camp and moved to a slightly less salubrious hotel (with balcony - good to watch world go by)