Venezuela - The Rough Guide to South America on a Budget - page 858

DRINK
Fruit juices , or jugos (also known as
batidos ), are delicious, inexpensive and
safe to drink; combined with milk and
whipped, they become merengadas . he
most common flavours are lechosa
(papaya), parchita (passion fruit), mango,
piña (pineapple), guayaba (guava),
guanábana (sour sop) and tamarindo
(tamarind). Another sweet, refreshing
drink is papelón con limón (lemonade made
with unrefined brown sugar). Bottled water
is inexpensive and available everywhere.
Coffee in Venezuela is served very
strong, black, sweetened and in small
amounts. The tiny red straws that come
with the drink are for stirring rather than
drinking through. If you want it with
milk, ask for marrón (brown). Although
you can always depend on being served
an ice-cold one, Venezuelan beer is bad
compared to what you'll drink elsewhere.
The major brand is Polar, with several
varieties: the green-bottled Solera,
Polar Pilsen, referred to as negra (black),
and Zulia being among some of the
more drinkable. Beer generally costs
around BsF6-8 in a liquor store or
BsF10 in a bar. Draught beer is a very
rare sight. Bottles are endearingly small
- Venezuelans preferring to drink up
before it loses its chill. Dark rum (such as
Cacique) is generally the liquor of choice
- this part of the world producing some
of the best - while whisky is popular
among the more affluent set (particularly
Johnny Walker Black Label).

liquor stores and on street corners are a
common sight, particularly on weekends.
Understandably, given their
government's notoriety, Venezuelans are
politically aware and eager to discuss their
thoughts about their country. Even in
death, President Hugo Chávez excites
both zealous fervour and fearful hatred
throughout the country . Venezuelans will
listen with good grace to anything you
may have to say on the subject of politics,
but it's best to be asked before sharing and
to keep any strong opinions to yourself.
Political demonstrations can flare up at a
moment's notice and should be avoided.

11

SPORTS AND OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES
Resulting from its proximity to Caribbean
nations such as Cuba and the Dominican
Republic, Venezuela's primary sporting
obsession is baseball . You'll see fans across
the country wearing gear from both
Venezuelan and American Major League
Baseball teams. There is a long history of
players heading to the major leagues in
the US; the Detroit Tigers are particularly
favoured due to Venezuela's large
representation on the team. The LVBP
(Liga Venezolana de Beisbol Profesional)
consists of eight teams, the most
prominent being the Caracas Leones and
Valencia's Navegantes del Magallanes.
The regular season runs from October
until December, and attending a game
(see p.874) is an excellent experience.
Despite baseball's dominance, football
has a large following, particularly when
the national side plays, nicknamed the
Vinotinto (red wine) due to the colour of
their strip. Bullfighting also exists, although
it is becoming increasingly controversial.
The country is also an outdoor
enthusiast's paradise, with a variety of
landscapes and climates offering the
ideal conditions for hiking, paragliding,
snorkelling, scuba diving, white-water
rafting and more. Most outdoor activities
are concentrated in the few backpacker-
friendly destinations, namely Mérida
(p.888), Caripe (p.913), Ciudad Bolívar
(p.900) and Santa Elena de Uairén
(p.905), and tours generally require
a minimum number of people.

CULTURE AND ETIQUETTE
Thanks to its location at the crown of
South America, Venezuela combines
distinctive elements of Caribbean and
Latin American culture . Visitors familiar
with these regions won't be surprised to
find the country a fairly relaxed place,
whose warm, cheerful nationals place
a high value on socializing, recreation,
food and (loud) music. By the same
token, machismo is an inescapable aspect
of Venezuelan society, and while women
travelling solo needn't expect any more
harassment here than elsewhere, groups
of drunken men loitering around