Costs pp: bus from Merida to Casa Seca 50vef, shared taxi to Bobures 2.5vef. Basic room on the beach with no power so discounted to 50vef.
We are heading to Bobures to watch the famous silent lightning that occurs nearly every night in this area. It is apparently huge, bright and almost continuous and can be seen from Maracaibo at the other end of the lake.
The road was interesting on the way to Casa Seca, the bus was cool but not to bad although Carol wore her coat all the way. They usually stop for a feed and water break on the longer journeys but it is always at a touristy spot, this time was no exception but we just walked down the road a bit and bought some empanadas from a local restaurant for 3vef each.
At Casa Seca we were shown where the shared taxi's left for Bobures, right beside the terminal. Everyone was very kind and helpful and smiley. The ride took about 20 minutes and we were out on the very long one main street along the lakefront of Bobures. Kent sat with the packs whilst Carol reckied the area not having much luck as everyone expected to get around 120 - 140 for their rooms. One guy had a VERY basic room for 80vef but Carol found a spot to camp on the lakeshore.
We went there but when Carol walked down to the water she ended up with oil all over her feet and when she tried to get it off in the water ended up with it all over her hand as well. Not nice... Got out the soap and cleaned it all up. The locals were in the water swimming obviously quite used to avoiding the oil globuls in the lake. When she was cleaning herself up she got talking to a young woman and discovered we could stay in room right there for 50vef because it had no power and therefore no airconditioning. There was a nice breeze blowing and that was no problem, who needs lights anyway, we had come here to watch the lightning so didn't want lights.
The room had an extra double mattress up against the wall so we took this and put it in the outside room with the mozzy net over it. This way we could sleep and Kent could wake up in the early hours to see the lightning. We wandered all over the small town, most of the locals were starting a church service. In the evening we found a bar just along the beach and had a couple of very light beers, very refreshing in the warmth of the evening. As the night progressed the wind dropped and it became quite hot. We watched a movie on the netbook inside then retired to sleep out in the cool and wait for the lightning.
It never came, the sky was cloudy and it looked like everything was perfect but although we both woke up on and off all night there was no lightning to be seen. Perhaps its a myth...
Next stop Maracaibo.
