VENEZUELA and T&T 2009

So we left you as we were just about to leave for a lime with Mary and Peter and some of their friends. The house we went to was INCREDIBLE. It was at the very top of a high hill - Chancellor's Hill, overlooking Port of Spain and sheltered by a huge tree. The house was spacious and immaculately decorated, with the majority of the party taking place in the raised garden with a view over the whole of the city lights. There were two permenant sheltered areas with comfy sofas and chairs on either side of the garden and swimming pool, lit up with decorative lanterns and coloured lights hidden in the bushes. Inside the house, in the cool dining room, was an AMAZING buffet laid out consisting of samosas, cheese and spinach pastries, smoked salmon, olives, ham, mango chow, soft rolls, fish cakes and a cheeseboard (always the way to our hearts...). After spending several hours at the house, Hannah and I alternating between the buffet and the sofas under the gazebo, we drove home with no mosquito bites in sight and went to bed immediately with a very early morning looming.

The next morning we were woken by my irritating phone alarm at 5.45. We were going to set a hash with Mary and Peter - a cross country run lasting between 45 minutes and 1 hour 20 minutes followed by copious amounts of beer. We had previously refused to actually run it, on account of my recovering ankle, but were going to walk the route laying out the directions (as well as many 'false trails'). We left at 7am, drove a short distance to meet Mary's friends who had bought us doubles - roti skins stuffed with curried chickpeas, best breakfast EVER - before continuing the drive to the start site. We set off walking, me coated in suncream, and before long had encountered our first goat of the day. We walked for several hours through forest seeing spectacular massive bamboos resembling gothic arches with the shapes they created as well as twisting vines, banana trees and branches covered in spikes tipped with poison. We came out in farmland (filled with over excitable and hungry goats and over protective dogs) and eventually reached the top of a hill that was entirely different from all other landscape we had seen that day. The site of the mud volcano was flat and virtually barren, with patches of dry grass and the occasional purple flower. In spite of the rain that had occurred briefly earlier in the day, the ground was still fairly cracked and in the centre of this plain was three shoulder high mounds that burped cool mud from time to time. After spending a short time taking photos we set off down the hill to wait in someone's house for the rest of the people setting the hash before walking a short distance back to the base.

When we reached the base we sat in the large, water filled 'copper' for a short time (originally used for boiling sugar but now seemingly reincarnated as a paddling pool for adults) before changing and eating a quick lunch of pasta and salad. Hannah and I promptly fell asleep in the hammock and chairs in the shade after single handedly devouring half a pack of chocolate digestives. We were woken by a deafening rendition of Queen blasting from a car that had just arrived, its occupants joining the rest of what had now become a crowd waiting to begin the hash. Shortly after they set off, leaving Hannah and I behind to entertain ourselves by reading Harry Potter aloud in silly voices. Just over an hour later, people began to return, curry was served in polystyrene boxes and we spent a few relaxing hours lying in the grass watching the sun set and the stars come out. After being informed that I wouldn't get a tan by sitting in the moonlight, we helped to pack up the area and headed for home.

Today we have had a relaxed day consisting of Mass and omlettes for breakfast, whilst slowly preparing for our flight to Caracas at 5.30 today. We will write soon, love Alice and Hannah.