The Caracas Cable Car

Holidays have ended and I want to start this new year in Steemit writing about positive things, like this wonderful place that I had the opportunity to visit recently. Caracas, the city where I was born, is surrounded by an imposing mountain. Although some calle it by its indigenous name, Waraira Repano, the locals call it Cerro el Ávila. Beautiful, of a green of many tonalities that is changing through the day according to the movement of the sun, it is the landscape that accompanies the inhabitants of the capital of Venezuela every single day.

Caracas Cable Car was inaugurated in 1955. It departs from the Mariperez Station at 995 meters above sea level to the Avila station, at 2105 meters. In 1977 it suffered a serious breakdown which caused it to stop working for several years and entered service again in the year 2001. Currently the system is in the hands of the Government, under the name of Warairarepano Cable Car System.

We chose the first weekend of the year to visit the cable car and, among other things, had the opportunity to enjoy the breathtaking view of the city from Cerro el Avila. Perhaps it was preferable to choose another date given the number of people who wanted to go up that day, because the holiday season was ending, but at the same time, this is the time of year when the sunlight makes the Avila look more beautiful and the weather was really fantastic, so we decided to arm ourselves with patience and wait our turn in the long queue, first to buy the tickets and then to ride in the cabin that would take us to our destination. Despite the wait, the pleasant attention of the staff of the cable car and the cool weather of January in Caracas, made our wait more bearable.

When approaching the cabins, which travel without rest through a cable system, we placed each one on a number to pass orderly to the cabin, with a capacity for eight people, and that are in impeccable condition. With glass walls on all four sides, the cabins allow a perfect view of the nature that surrounds us and the city from which we are moving away. The journey from Mariperez Station to our destination, Avila Station, lasted approximately fifteen minutes, during which we enjoyed the landscape, the varied vegetation of the mountain, and the beautiful view offered by the city of Caracas, as we gained altitude.

There were many fast food places waiting for us, where hot chocolate, "pepito" sandwiches and "cachapas" with cheese were the favorites. There is also a beautiful and luxurious coffee called Páramo, where you can taste sweet and savory delights and varieties of coffees, although at slightly higher prices. For lovers of sweets there is the opportunity to taste some delicious strawberries with cream and different cakes and typical Venezuelan sweets. I liked the cleanliness and careful attention that we found in the different food stalls that we visited during that afternoon. On the other hand, street artists liven up the route.

In the route at the top of the Avila, the city of Caracas can be seen on one side, and on the other, the Caribbean Sea, since Cerro el Avila separates Caracas from the port of La Guaira. The view from both sides is beautiful and well worth the walk to see it. At the end of the path we found the imposing Hotel Humboldt. Built in the initial stage of the cable car, the Hotel has become a symbol of our city, as it can easily be seen from any point on a clear day. Although it has been remodeled, access to the pubic is limited.

Near the cable car station, a transportation to the beautiful town of Galipán can be taken, where there are beautiful flower beds and restaurants and lodges let us enjoy the country atmosphere near the city. Most restaurants there offer gourmet menu.

Upon our return we had to make a new queue for the transfer to the city, this time we moved faster. When we got into the cabin, we had one last surprise: it was already dark and the view that the city offered us was spectacular. Well it was worth the long waits back and forth just for those minutes of peace watching the beautiful lights of my hometown. We passed next to the Avila Cross, symbol of Christmas in Caracas.