High Hopes; Iceberg Floats On – Puerto Ordaz, Venezuela

TRIP INFO BOX
Route	Mochima, Venezuela – Puerto Ordaz, Venezuela (16)
Distance	456 Km
Travel Time	8.5 hours
Road Conditions	Good tarmac
Weather	Good
Terrain	Flat oil country, Pine forest
Food and Petrol	Barcelona, Anaco, El Tigre, Pto Ordaz
Accommodation	Casa del Lobo, Pto Ordaz

Since the holidays are over (for Venezuelans) we decide to make a dash back to Puerto Ordaz to try and find some laptop screen replacements which we have been searching for over two months!

Since our only significant expense in Venezuela is time – costs of food and accommodation being much diminished by the favourable USD-VEF black market rate, and fuel cost not even worth a mention – and time we have plenty of, the 900 Kilometre round-trip detour is not an obstacle for us. (Maintaining that the bike doesn’t fail on us – did I mention it’s chewing through about 100ml of oil per 100Km?)

Within one day we ride from Mochima, via Puerto La Cruz and El Tigre to Puerto Ordaz and once again check in at Casa del Lobo (150BF/dbl; #2 Calle Zambia, Manzana 39, Los Olivos District). The route is mostly good asphalt, a long flat highway that runs through the heart of petroleum country, and then through a lovely stretch of pine forest, before reaching Ciudad Guayana.

Our mission ends in failure once again. Out laptop screens are nowhere to be found. We’re really getting fed up with this. Oh well at least the fuel is cheap…