New Year's Eve in Los Roques

The alarm clock rings for a second and a half at 4.45 am, never as on this occasion did we wish to hear its sound! The sky is white, it's very cold... once we arrive at Linate we realise that the kilometre-long queues at check-in are immense... So the only way out is to immediately check in at the desks reserved for passengers with hand luggage. We booked the tickets departing from LINATE via Paris to CARACAS, operated by Alitalia and Air France (the only one that would have allowed us to catch the next flight to Los Roques in time... instead it won't be quite like that!!) The agitation was by now through the roof... the memories of the previous days of celebration accompany us... but we still don't realise that our wish is about to come true... New Year in the warm weather!! At 6.50 we set off...

The arrival at Paris Charles de Gaulle airport was not exactly the best, very beautiful yes... but immense and very disorganised. Departure more than an hour late! Having got past the various boarding problems, at 12.00 we were up in the air. We arrive at Caracas International Airport at 16.30, waiting for us there is Luis, the guy who takes care of welcoming the clients of the Acquamarina for the transfer to/from the National airport (about 3 km away). Luis has worked for the Posada Acquamarina for a few years, very sociable, extremely willing to answer our questions... and also very nice. But let's get back to us... The time has come to put the hands of the clock back 5 hours. Unfortunately, as we had by now imagined, we had missed the plane to Los Roques. In Gran Roque there is no lighting so the last plane almost always leaves Caracas before 17.00...

between the Air France delay, Customs and the many exit checks we missed the plane. We are therefore taken to a Hotel in the Port area of Caracas, a district as disreputable as can be, a miserable hotel, our pension in Italy would be a luxury. The nerves... were by now through the roof... but what to do??? It wasn't our fault... let's relax... 6 days in LOS ROQUES await us!!! We didn't lose heart... we immediately called the uncles and cousins in Caracas, thus spending a wonderful evening... welcomed with kisses and hugs (typical Italian environment!!), good red wine, various cold cuts... and a typical Venezuelan dinner... You can't imagine our faces when we stopped for a moment to get petrol... in Venezuela a full tank of petrol costs not even 1 euro!!! In short, water costs more than petrol!!!

Punctual as a clock... Luis arrives to take us to the National airport 2 km from the International one. We pay the entry tax for Venezuela, we weigh the luggage (remember that if your luggage weighs over 10 kg there will be a penalty of 1 $ for every kg in excess) and we board a small plane from the '60s... better not talk about it... Don't think about it too much... the landscape below... will make you forget any strange idea... The islands of the Los Roques archipelago are visible after 20 minutes of flight from Caracas and it's time to switch on... the cameras and video cameras to capture this wonderful scenery that presents itself before our eyes A PARADISE too difficult to describe... crystal-clear sea, tiny white atolls, tongues of sand...

We land on the island, on tarmac full of potholes, so much so that it punctures the front wheel during landing and luckily we didn't notice anything... J J The first thing that makes us smile is the control tower... a kind of cabin anchored on a little truck... The first to welcome us is actually Ismael the Manager of the Posada who comes towards us with a small cart to carry our luggage to the Posada, we pay the entry tax of 29,000 bolivars to the Los Roques National Park, declared in 1972 for its beauty and ecological importance. We head towards the Posada. Los Roques is an archipelago of Venezuela, located in the Caribbean Sea 100 kilometres from La Guaira, the port of Caracas.

Gran Roque is the only inhabited island of the Archipelago, the local inhabitants, the Roquegni, are extraordinary people and of a unique kindness, they always have a smile on their lips despite not doing very well economically... but despite everything it is their world. In the village are concentrated the essential services: the airport, a medical centre, the school, the desalination plant and the tourist facilities (besides the posadas, a few restaurants, some bars and shops), apart from the landing strip there is no asphalt, the little streets are all of sand and packed earth. The only motor vehicle we will see during the whole holiday is the one for collecting waste and for distributing water. Besides the typical Caribbean houses in very bright pastel colours, there are the so-called Posadas, a mix between Bed & Breakfast and Mini Farm Stays intended precisely for tourists.

There is no lack of facilities managed by Italians, very well kept and probably better suited to satisfying the expectations of customers from our country, in some cases they subsequently left the management to Venezuelan guys who live on the spot. We head towards the posada. After months and months of waiting here we finally are!! We are in our Posada Acquamarina, nice, very simple, rooms consisting of a double bed, a mini-bar, TV, mosquito net over the bed (extremely important!!) and a very simple bathroom with shower and hairdryer. The owner of our Posada is called Giorgio, in our week at Los Roques we never saw him, but we heard a lot about him. Mr Giorgio, as mentioned earlier, has left all the management to a local guy, Ismael, a great guy assisted by an incredible staff of good people, also all locals. The atmosphere you breathe in the Posada is very familiar...

Giuseppe, another member of the staff, Giuseppe (Venezuelan but with parents from Bari), accompanies us to the room so we can immediately put on... our swimsuit... All that's left is to think about the sun creams, the usual recommendation read so many times... paying due attention to the sun at Los Roques is fundamental, because you live outdoors all day and at the end of the day there could be embarrassing surprises. Meanwhile Ingrid, the cook, prepares our lunch in very simple plastic containers but extremely tasty! From the first course, to the second, to the fruit and the afternoon snack.. what a delight!!! The whole staff does their utmost to make us feel good..

and above all to make sure we lack nothing! From Gran Roque the other islands of the archipelago can be reached by boat in a time between 5 minutes and over two hours, depending on the sea conditions and the type of boat used. The closest ones, equipped for tourism and obviously more crowded - although talking about crowding at Los Roques is a big word!!! - are Francisqui and Madrizqui, the latter connected to Cayo Pirata by a tongue of sand. As our first island we decide, on Giuseppe's advice, to go to Madrizqui, the island also visible from the little port of Gran Roque, we admire the beauty of this island... we get off and the person who accompanied us has the task of unloading the "cava" (fridge), of setting up our umbrella and of laying out the beach mats!!!! Waited on hand and foot!!! The island? A spectacle: whitest and finest sand...

long and winding, it unfolds between turquoise and crystal-clear waters, fish of any colour and size, enormous shells... with the Hermit Crab inside... Having stayed for about 20 minutes capturing the wonderful scenery with the most technological equipment we could have in our hands, we relax and sunbathe. Naturally we cannot miss the scenery... that joins the island of Madrizqui to the island of Cayo Pirata, reachable on foot along a thin tongue of sand. This island is rich in vegetation, made up mostly of fishermen's shacks, not by chance while we walk we notice immense metal nets immersed in the water full of lobsters. Back on the sand of Madrizqui we treat ourselves to a bit of relaxation, after all the tiredness was beginning to make itself felt and ahead of us we had the whole New Year's Eve night to spend.

We return to the island in the late afternoon and here we notice another particularity of the Posada Acquamarina, Ingrid the cook, every evening around 6 pm brings out a delicious pizza and buttered Pop Corn!!! We also take the opportunity to get to know the other tourists staying at the posada, soon you become one big family, also because you are together from morning to evening! At 19.00 we are ready to toast to the Italian new year, oh yes! In Italy, moving the hands forward 5 hours, it turns out to be New Year's Eve... so the Italian on holiday at Los Roques celebrates twice! Dinner is approaching and the posada staff prepare the table and the food in the best possible way... Ingrid this time surpasses the best chefs.. ravioli with sauce and prawns, lobster, wine galore, fruit and dessert...

take that!!! Midnight has arrived and what better way to celebrate than all together up on the terrace... fireworks... beautiful... under a starry sky and a very bright moon! Unfortunately though our eyes begin to feel the tiredness... the batteries turn out to be flat so we go to bed early.

The next morning the little village is still under the effects of alcohol and many people in...very dangerous...conditions are trying to make their way back to their homes. Venezuelans in general drink like sponges never seen before...from morning to night rum, whisky, beer without interruption! The day despite everything is very beautiful, we decide to go to Cayo Muerto, imagine 10 people on a long island (actual dimensions) 30 meters long and 10 steps wide, without a minimum of vegetation, only sand...if this isn't a paradise! We looked like refugees....though landed on a tiny little dot of an island!! The evenings for us are very short, there are 2 or 3 little shops...a bar and a few very chic little spots on the beach...this is all that Los Roques by night offers!

Something very rare happens in all of Los Roques... IT RAINS!!! In the afternoon though, even though the sky was overcast, we set off anyway in the direction of Cayo Fabian, so identical to Cayo Muerte that as soon as we arrived we thought the Captain had made a mistake. Unfortunately there wasn't even a trace of sun but those waters had a particular pull so much so that Luca didn't hesitate even a minute to do a bit of snorkeling.

The following morning, 3 January 2006, the situation regarding rainfall...actually gets worse and not only that, Luca had to roll up his sleeves to drag the water out onto the street, practically everything was flooding...luckily the doors of the rooms are protected by seals, at least there...we were safe! An incredible sadness...going to Los Roques, pearl of the Caribbean, and getting rain for a day and a half!!

Fortunately 4 January 2006 begins with a spectacular sunrise!! Selene together with Giovanna and Edit, also guests of the same Posada, decide...to wake up at 6.20 to be able to admire the rising of the Sun but not from the beach as any person could have done...but rather by crossing the little mountain behind the Lighthouse! An experience I'd say unforgettable...it was a continuous photographing from total darkness...to the rising of the sun! It's true it was hard...because having rained all night we encountered hundreds and hundreds of puri puri...but we made it and at exactly 7.15...we saw this scenario...

Fortunately there's a blue sky and a very hot sun!! Today we set off for Noronquises, about 25 minutes from Gran Roque, but they are worth all the gold in the world to admire a scenario that at the end of the holiday will turn out to be in our judgment the most fascinating island of all those we visited. A cove full of corals, fish and crystal-clear sea, in the distance you can see and hear the waves breaking on the coral reef...but what strikes us most is the silence and the relaxation, only the light sound of the waves and the wind...The only negative flaw of Los Roques are the so-called mosquitos and the puri puri, tiny and transparent insects that sting, like mosquitoes. These insects are present on the islands with vegetation, that's why we strongly recommend staying away from these islands if you don't want to ruin your holiday.

In the evening around the island we met people who, to look at them, seemed to have chickenpox...so be careful not to get close to the mangroves, you get literally assaulted. The only remedy for all this is to stay in the water!!! On the sand it's possible to notice conspicuous and numerous lizards black as coal besides the usual tiny crabs...moreover from the water we pull out a beautiful shell with a huge mollusk inside...a hermit crab...we leave it on the shoreline and wait anxiously for it to come out...the wait unfortunately turns out to be vain, only for a very few seconds it peeked out before our eyes!!! As every evening 17.30 arrives, which means the arrival of the Captain who comes to pick us up...we return to Gran Roque.

5 January 2006 Unfortunately we set off by boat in the direction of Saquisaqui Island but towards the horizon the sky was very black...not by chance, once we arrived at the island the wind suddenly changes direction and those clouds that could be seen in the distance, slowly came closer to us...without thinking twice we decide to return to Gran Roque...and here's another miserable day of sun... But after lunch...the sun returns to its final stop!!! We set off again...but without going far they take us again to Madriski! Our stay in Gran Roque is coming to an end...

we decide, then, to spend it on board the Catamaran Levante, fortunately the weather is on our side. This fantastic experience that we recommend to everyone has a price of $50 per person, it includes three islands + lunch at the little restaurant!! The first stop is Noronquises wow exactly our favourite; the catamaran stops offshore and allows us to dive into the crystal-clear waters...beautiful!!! After about an hour we set sail for another island: Crasquì...an island of solitude and serenity where the sea is particularly transparent.

Fresh fish, salad and the legendary (and typical) Epan croquettes, for lunch!! The restaurant is very particular, it's located only 2 meters from the beach and offers lobsters, fish at will...and to finish...relaxation...on the splendid colourful hammocks! But the main protagonists besides the delicious fish...are the parrots!!! The afternoon...is about to end...everyone gets back on board the catamaran...During the navigation, in the direction of the island of Rabusquì, on the transparent seabed you start to notice the starfish!!! equipped with masks we dive in to explore the seabed, the most beautiful feeling was touching it...and getting photographed with a huge starfish in hand!!! Reluctantly we make our return to the posada...accompanied by a stupendous sunset that will remain forever in our hearts as indeed the whole holiday.

In the evening as the last dinner on the island, we granted ourselves the last luxury...eating lobster again!!

Unfortunately on the morning of 7 January with tears in our eyes...we say goodbye to our adventure companions...The legendary family from Lugano - Giovanna, Carmine and their beautiful little girls Tilua and Zoe - and Edit (Hungarian Great Manager.. of very good chocolates!!!) and all the staff of the Posada. The memories of Los Roques will be alive forever in our hearts...! We take off at 10 in the direction of Caracas...we have time to see again from above all the magnificent islands of the archipelago...what a spectacle...even with shiny and sad eyes...we managed to laugh...because even the pilots were photographing the islands from above with their digital cameras and even with their mobile phones!!! Arrived in Caracas, sadness takes hold of us...a very long silence accompanies us throughout the journey.

Selene cannot hold back her tears, she would like to stay...we already think about returning to the office, the Milanese traffic and above all the rigid temperatures of 0°! We leave Caracas after numerous checks...always with an Air France flight with about 40 minutes of delay. We will always remember the sea, the silence...that accompanied us throughout the week, the warmth of the people and the beauty of all the islands, the incomparable sunsets...the dives of the pelicans that like planes in a dive, plunge into the water to feed on very transparent fish...only the fact of having returned again with jeans, sweatshirts, scarves and shoes was once again a sign of sadness.

The flight passes calmly even though arrived in Paris with delay we realize we have missed the connection with the return flight to Milan - Linate (consider that we had already done the check-in in Caracas and no one even made an announcement!!!) as a company Air France really leaves something to be desired!!! Fortunately a very kind Italian hostess manages to get us on board an Alitalia flight direct to Malpensa at 11.00, flying over the Alps and therefore seeing the snow-covered mountains, it's a bad feeling if you think only of the fact that 12 hours earlier we were in the Caribbean, at 30 degrees, in the sun. This unfortunately is life, the important thing is to be aware of having spent 8 beautiful days in a splendid paradise and fortunately still unspoiled.

The photos and videos taken will serve over time to dust off the memory of Los Roques...a certainly beautiful memory that is worth visiting and who knows...one day maybe returning!! Expenses incurred for the trip We spent $120 per day and we had everything and let's say everything included, breakfast, dinner, fridge with lunch for when we went to the islands, New Year's Eve dinner with a bottle of sparkling wine per couple. Not to mention the dinners!!! Ingrid the cook, has worked for many years at a renowned Italian restaurant in Caracas and is a true magician of the stove, every evening we practically ate rigorously fresh fish of the day, very simple but very good dishes, spaghetti with seafood, lobster, tuna.

After dinner we had Rhum, fruit ((from watermelon to mango, passion fruit...)) and then the Wine...and what wine!! Mmm a very good Chilean wine both white and red!!! $50 each for the day on the catamaran € 1,200.00 each for the A/R flight Milan-Paris-Caracas + $ 120 A/R for Caracas Los Roques Advice Very high protective cream 40-60 --- Flip-flops and no heels (((like someone... in posada!!)) --- Pareos and swimsuits at will ---- Camera and video camera to immortalize paradise!!