Venezuela - The Rough Guide to South America on a Budget - page 871

Tasca Pullman Av Francisco Solano, Sabana Grande;
map p.869. One of Caracas's oldest gay bars, and still
sporting a distinctly Eighties vibe, this dimly lit place
draws a friendly, working-class crowd and the occasional
drag queen. Mostly male, though women are welcome.
Daily until late.

Embassies and consulates Brazil, Av Mohedano, at
C Los Chaguaramos in La Castellana (Mon-Fri 9am-1pm;
T 0212 981 6000, E brasembcaracas@embajadabrasil
.org.ve); Canada, Av Francisco de Miranda at Av Sur,
Altamira (Mon-Thurs 7.30am-4.30pm, Fri 7.30am-1pm;
T 0212 600 3000, W caracas.gc.ca); Colombia, 2e Av de
Campo Alegre at Av Francisco de Miranda, Torre Credival
(Mon-Fri 8am-1pm; T 0212 515 9596, E ecaracas
@cancillera.gov.co); Guyana, Av El Paseo, Quinta Roraima
in Prados del Este (Mon-Thurs 8.30am-3.30pm, Fri
8.30am-3pm; T 0212 977 1158, E embaguy@cantv
.net); Ireland, Av Venezuela, Torre Clement, 2nd Floor,
O ce 2-A in El Rosal (Mon-Fri 8am-12.30pm; T 0212
951 3645, E [e-mail]); South Africa, Centro
Profesional Eurobuilding, P-4, O ce 4B-C in Chuao (Mon-
Fri 9am-1pm; T 0212 991 4622, E [e-mail]
.ve); UK, Av Principal de La Castellana, Torre La Castellana
11th Floor (Mon-Fri 8am-4.30pm; T 0212 263 8411,
W ukinvenezuela.fco.gov.uk); USA, Colinas de Valle Arriba,
C F at C Suapure (Mon-Fri 8am-5pm; T 0212 975 6411,
W caracas.usembassy.gov).
Hospitals Two recommended clinics are Hospital de
Clínicas Caracas, on Av Panteón, at Av Alameda in San
Bernardino ( T 0212 508 6111, W clinicaracas.com), and
Clinica El Ávila, on Av San Juan Bosco, at 6ta Transversal in
Altamira ( T 0212 276 1111, W clinicaelavila.com).
Immigration o ce SAIME (El Servicio Administrativo
de Identificación, Migración y Extranjería) at Av Baralt in
front of Plaza Miranda opposite Teatros metro station
(Mon-Fri 8.30am-3.30pm; T 0212 483 2070, W saime
.gob.ve).
Internet There are numerous internet cafés in Caracas,
especially in pedestrian-heavy Sabana Grande. Most
charge BsF10/hr. Two reliable options are MSX Cybershop,
at C San Antonio above Bulevar de Sabana Grande and
Ciberplace, at C Villa Flor below Bulevar de Sabana Grande.
Both daily 8.30am-8.30pm.
Laundry Many hotels will do your laundry (generally
for around BsF50/load). Otherwise, try Maxiclean ( W grupo
maxiclean.com), which has branches around the city
including on Av Casanova in Sabana Grande.
Left luggage Both La Bandera and Oriente bus terminals
(see p.870) offer luggage storage. Most accommodation
will hold luggage for you as well.
Pharmacy Pharmacies are just as ubiquitous as banks
and internet cafés. On Bulevar de Sabana Grande, Farmacia
Saas is at C Villa Flor. In Altamira, Farmacia San Andrés is on
the corner of 3a Av at 2da Transversal.
Phones CANTV, Digicel and Movistar have shops through-
out the city for buying SIM cards and credit; all three have
outlets around Plaza Bolívar, and the latter also has phone
booths and photocopiers (8am-4pm). There's a CANTV
o ce (8am-5pm) on C San Antonio above Av Francisco
Solano, which also offers internet.

SHOPPING
Shopping culture in Caracas is dominated by mega-malls,
where your chances of finding unique, inexpensive crafts are
virtually nonexistent. Street shopping is a bit more promising,
at least in terms of prices, and the Hannsi crafts outlet in
El Hatillo (see p.868) is your best source for souvenirs.
Centro Artesenal Los Goajiros Next to Chacaíto metro
station. This alleyway of stalls is the closest Caracas gets
to backpacker-chic and the place to come if you have a
pressing need for Hugo Chávez baseball caps. Mon-Sat
7am-7pm, Sun 9am-4pm, although individual vendors
keep their own hours.
Centro Comercial Lido Av Francisco de Miranda. A good
place to get things done; services include Continental,
Copa and Santa Barbara airline o ces, major phone
network outlets and various ATMs. South Beach is a good
spot to stock up on women's beachwear before a trip to
the coast. Mon-Sat 10am-7pm.
Centro Comercial Sambil Chacao. The most famous of
the city's malls, this mind-bogglingly enormous complex
hosts every conceivable amenity, including top international
brands. Mon-Sat 10am-9pm, Sun & holidays noon-8pm.
Hannsi C Bolívar No 12, El Hatillo W hannsi.com.ve. This
enormous craft shop sprawls through several buildings,
filled throughout with astonishing amounts of chintzy
junk, although the occasional gem is buried beneath it all.
You can choose your own coffee beans to grind at the café,
which also has wi-fi, pastries and savoury snacks. Daily
10am-1pm, 2.30-7pm.
Libreria Tecni-Ciencias In Centro Comercial Sambil and
around the city W tecniciencia.com. The prices are a bit
high, but this chain is one of the best options for books in
Caracas, with more than a dozen outlets (including one in
Centro Lido in El Rosal).
SBS Sports Business In Centro Comercial Sambil or
Centro Comercial El Recreo. Come here for o cial Caracas
Leones baseball gear, including jerseys, T-shirts, caps, pins,
stickers and game tickets (see box opposite).

11

DIRECTORY
Banks and exchange In a city as shopping-obsessed as
Caracas, you can't walk ten steps without passing a bank. For
safety reasons, try to use ATMs in shopping centres or the
lockable booths on Bulevar Sabana Grande. The international
airport terminal has a Banco de Venezuela (and others), as
well as an Italcambio for exchanging travellers' cheques; visit
W italcambio.com for other locations around town.