Los Roques

As a rather last-minute decision, I spent 5 days in Los Roques (December18 - 23). This is an archipelago about 80 miles north of Caracas in the Caribbean Sea. Tiffany (from the Roraima trek) had spent 10 days there and raved about it, and I had previously heard it offered some of the most beautiful beaches in the world, but I had decided against it for this trip in favor of Margarita Island, which I expected to be less expensive. But then I realized I was spending much less on the trip overall than I had anticipated so I figured maybe it was time for a splurge. ;-)


Our final approach over Los Roques via plane.


My first glimpse of Los Roques after getting off the plane.


In keeping with this over-arching theme of spontaneity, I stopped by a dive center in the central square on Gran Roque and signed up for their Open Water SCUBA certification course. This would require watching several hours of video, working my way through the instruction book, taking a written exam, and completing 5 open water dives and completing a bunch of learning exercises in the water. Here I am watching the video -- don't I look enthralled?


Sunset on Gran Roque, first day.


When I first arrived on Gran Roque, I walked around and checked out most of the posadas on the island to figure out where I was going to stay. I finally settled on Posada Malibu (pictured here). As with many of the posadas on the island, it is Italian-owned and operated, and it was really beautifully appointed. It was definitely a big splurge compared to what I had been spending on accommodations (around $150 a night!), but this included breakfast, lunch and dinner cooked by a gourmet chef who had trained in Paris, and I had a beautiful room with air conditioning, etc. I decided I would do it for a few days at least, and then maybe switch to camping on the beach to offset the cost.

Dinner the first night was amazing (4 courses of unidentifiable--but unbelieveably good--seafood), but then I retired to my room to discover that my air conditioning was broken and there was basically no ventilation and I had a serious mosquito problem, not to mention a small cockroach problem. My mosquito net seemed to serve no purpose other than to trap the hungriest of the little beasts inside, so they could truly enjoy the all-you-can-eat Sweeney buffet. I put up a valiant fight and took many lives, but the battle took its toll and it was a sweaty, steamy, sleepless scene all night long, and I was basically eaten alive. I checked out the next morning in a bit of a huff, and then checked into the much cheaper Posada del Recuerdo ($30 per night, including breakfast & dinner) with functioning air conditioning, and was a totally happy camper.


Arriving at Crasqui, where I would be doing my initial SCUBA exercises. (This sure beats doing the "pool" portion of my training in the swimming pool at the "Y", don't you agree?)



Crasqui


This is El Morito, where I did my first full-on open water dive. It was amazing! All sorts of fish-type stuff swimming around under water. I even saw a spotted moray eel!


Here I am just before I go overboard. How cute am I?!?!


In-between dives. That's Gran Roque in the background.