Well – more cervezas after last update, met up with old french lady & girl with koru tattoos. Koru girl wanted to teach me the salsa. We had one very short lesson – I think she was disappointed with my progress, but happy to have danced with me.
Next morning – after much stuffing around, went to Porlamar. Walked one hour in very hot sunshine, with backpack – to expensive hotel part of town. The Hilton, etc. Went to scooter-rental place, no dice. Cars – same story. Decided for a $1 bus back into town rather than repeat the walk. The walk wasn´t good. Went to overpriced Budget car rentals – but closed, contrary to advertised hours. A very long siesta.
Had enough of this. Really wanted to see west side of island – but am tired, and am getting sick of paying heaps for accommodation. If I´d sat down and had a cerveza/food to think with – probably would have caught bus (although unreliable) to western side of island, and taken my chances. Instead – bus to the ferry port town, and caught the ferry back to Puerto La Cruz. Stayed up entire trip talking to a tractor driver. Another limited English vs limited espanol conversation. Good times though. Got off ferry at 2am, walked to a park, found a relatively hidden spot, and slept on a sarong. Not a particularly good nights sleep, but cheap.
Today – got up at 5 or 6am when the bugs started coming out in force. Walked around Puerto La Cruz trying to find accommodation – but everywhere I tried was full. (Didn´t try too many places, but is Holy Week – everybody on vacation, and the first signs didn´t look good.) Caught a bus to Ciudad Bolivar. Pretty sure would be hard to find accommodation here too, but at least I can get some sleep on the bus.
Found a place to stay here, but rather expensive. They have a much cheaper option of sleeping in hammocks, which I will probably go for if I stay another night. Need to find out if I need my own hammock, and whether it´s worth staying here. Here is supposed to be the ´base town´ for seeing Angel Falls. But – dry season, so can´t go up the river to see it from below, and busy season – which means the village you have to fly to, to then fly over the falls, is completely full.