The Paraguaná Peninsula
What am I doing here? You might well ask, as I've asked myself 100 times! Well, I wanted a career change in 1999 from my boring government job of 8 years so I thought I'd post my resume on the net in hope of getting back into the trade I loved, Radar Maintenance. Within 2 days I had a phone call from a guy in Venezuela offering me a position there. The year round warm climate and tax free incentive was too much temptation for me, so in June 1999 I set off for South America on a year contract.
The Paraguaná Peninsula, the largest peninsula in the country, is the most northern tip of Venezuela. It kind of looks like ET's head and used to be an island 25 km off the mainland of Venezuela. Now the two are connected by a narrow strip of land 5km wide called the 'neck', that crosses the water and enters into the city of Coro, an hour drive away.
Water currents probably removed material from the island to create this 'neck'. Once the 'neck' was in place, the bay between the island and the mainland was protected from ocean currents.
Sediments (sand, mud, and other materials) from the island and mainland now settle in the quiet bay. As more sediments build up, the 'neck' may get wider.
The peninsula is a desert surrounded by the Caribbean Sea. It is a stark contrast in vegetation to the lush mainland. The landscape on the peninsula is predominantly semi-arid scrub and cactus, yet the region is also home to the small mountain of Cerro Santa Ana, whose slopes are thick with deciduous forest, cloud forest and grasses. The area has been declared a national monument and is home to varied fauna including mountain cats, ocelots and numerous bird species. Beautiful panoramic views of the island are offered from the summit.
Down below, village rooftops strongly contrast with the huge black oil refineries on the coast. This is an oil rich peninsula and there are 2 refineries here. In the distance lie solitary beaches, mangrove swamps, Caribbean islands and the pink waters of the salt mines. Punto Fijo also an hour drive away, is the biggest settlement on the peninsula and has several hotels and a good road network. There is a small airport in nearby Las Piedras, with flights to Aruba, Caracas and Curaçao. Aruba is only 25 miles away by sea and 15 mins by air.
We live in the tiny fishing village of Adicora on the east coast. This is a world famous windsurfing area and has very windy seas on 2 sides of the town, whereas the third side, the beaches are warm and still.
We are renting a small, clean house in Adicora and have most modern conveniences. The power goes out a lot and sometimes there is no water, but all in all, it's a comfortable town that attracts a lot of sun-seeking tourists. Shopping for groceries, fruit and vegetables and meat has to be done in Punto Fijo where there is one large mall, a movie theatre and even a McDonalds, as Adicora only has a small emergency grocery store.
The peninsula was the focus of world-wide attention in Feb 1998 when the last eclipse of the century happened and the best viewing area was Paraguana. Thousands of eclipse chasers from around the world flocked to the windy beaches and small towns for the best vantage points.
There isn't very much to see and do on the peninsula and entertainment is minimal. There are a few points of interest to see. The most spectacular being the dunes 'Los Medanos de Coro' just as the neck meets the mainland. It's like a little Arabia and quite awesome.
Hundreds of burro's roam wild here, especially on the coast road going south. The road is a barren coastal road with no habitation. Vultures are the most common bird and seem to get plenty to eat. Latino music prevails and drives us crazy. It seems the residents can't get enough of it, no matter where they are. You just hear it everywhere, in their homes, in the stores, on the beaches, in the cars..it's everywhere and they will naturally dance to it!
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