Venezuela - The Rough Guide to South America on a Budget - page 861

PUBLIC HOLIDAYS
In addition to the events listed here, Caracas celebrates the anniversary of its foundation every
year from July 21 to July 29 with a series of cultural events that include theatre presentations,
painting and sculpture exhibits, concerts and sports.
Reyes Magos Jan 6. Twelfth Night or Epiphany. Choroní (see p.879), Mucuchíes and Caracas
(see p.865).
Carnaval Feb (no fixed date). The most famous celebrations are in Carupano and El Callao.
Nuestra Señora de La Candelaria Feb 2. Virgin of the Candlemas, with offerings and folk
singing. Mérida (see p.888) and Caracas (see below).
Semana Santa March (no fixed date). Large processions involve re-enactments of Jesus' last
days and resurrection; most Venezuelans, however, celebrate by heading to the beach. Several
small towns in the state of Mérida, as well as El Hatillo (see p.868).
San Isidro Labrador May 15. Honours agriculture and animal husbandry; produce is carted
through the streets and animals are blessed.
Corpus Christi Late May or early June (no fixed date). The most famous celebration on this
day - one of the country's definitive festivals - is Diablos Danzantes (Dancing Devils) in San
Francisco de Yare (see p.877).
Día de San Juan Bautista June 24. Choroní, El Higuerote and Ocumare del Tuy. Venezuelans
celebrate the arrival of the summer solstice and rejoice the birth of San Juan, with drumming
and dancing on the streets.
Día de Todos los Santos and Día de los Muertos Nov 1-2. All Saints' Day. Venezuelans pay
tribute to the deceased by adorning their tombs with flowers and offerings.
La Navidad Dec 24. Christmas - the entire country essentially shuts down for a week.

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open until 9 or 10pm. In addition to
their regular business hours, pharmacies
operate on a “turno” system, with a
rotating duty to stay open all night; the
designated pharmacy will advertise turno
in neon. All banks take a bank holiday on
one Monday each month, although these
off-days have no fixed timings since they
are often scheduled to coincide with
other public holidays. Businesses are
generally closed on Sunday, while hours
are unpredictable if they do open - don't
expect to get much done.
Festivals , most with a religious basis,
seem to occur constantly. Some are
national, while others are local, as each
town celebrates its patron saint.

excellent artistic, culinary and social
scenes; you'll be surprised at how readily
and enthusiastically they are willing to
help a foreign traveller.
Caracas's most famous native, Simón
Bolívar , was born to an influential creole
(Spanish descendent) family in 1783.
After several years abroad he returned in
1813 and captured the city from the
Spanish. He had to abandon it a year
later, but Bolívar had already earned the
epithet “El Libertador”. When Venezuela
became fully independent in 1830,
Caracas was made the capital of the
new nation. Since then, various political
eras have left their mark on the city's
architecture, though the predominant
aesthetic is the mid-twentieth-century
concrete high-rise.

Caracas
The Venezuelan capital gets something of
a bad rap, and while expensive living
costs, poor budget accommodation and
higher crime rates than the rest of the
country have tended to deter visitors,
this cosmopolitan capital nevertheless has
some diverting attractions. Caraqueños
are proud of their vibrant city with its

WHAT TO SEE AND DO
The bustling and attractive district of
El Centro has some excellent museums
and budget restaurants, perfect for
getting an authentic taste of Venezuela
if Caracas is your first port of call in
the country. Street vendors and heavy
traffic along the wider arteries can be
an irritation, but the area is interesting
enough for a day's wandering. Sightseeing