Venezuela travel blog by Mark Berman -
April 2013
August 2014
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View Photoset (27 Photos)
Barquisimeto, a city I had passed through once before after visiting nearby El Tintorero and Quibor. I had lunch outside the bus terminal, gave my stinky
socks and shoes to a homeless man and caught a bus to Maracay for another to Ciudad Bolivar through the night. When I came to Barquisimeto the second time I
spent the night and explored the city. This time I came from Morrocoy and Moron up on the coast, 2hrs 15mins by bus. Points Of Interest
Barquisimeto is not exactly a huge tourist
destination, it is actually the 2nd most dangerous city in Venezuela after the capital Caracas (2013). I was not going to venture too far from the center
and main market areas this time. I did however find some interesting things like street art on the backstreets around the main plaza and historic area.
I walked into the center of town from my hotel passing a few political wall murals and stopping to eat a shawarma along the way.
Juares Theatre and Government Palace
The first of Barquisimeto's
sights to see is the theatre Teatro Juares and just around the corner, the Government Palace. Right next door to the palace is Plaza El Encuentro and on
the opposite side of the road is the not so special from the outside Municipal Palace. Outside stands a statue of General Juan Guillermo Iribarren (1797-1827).
Plaza Bolivar and Around
Across the road from the palace is Plaza Bolivar where there is enough tall leafy trees to start a forest! Beside the plaza is the first church constructed in the
city. Around the corner is the Barquisimeto Museum and an army base called Cuartel General Jacinto Lara. I found some murals around here following them
and ending up at Plaza Wohsiedler near a gothic church. On another side of Plaza Bolivar on the corner is an historical house called Casa Municipal Eustoquio
Gomez and on the same street down from here there are others like Casa Blanca and more buildings with tiled roofs and cute windows. From around here a pair of
large church domes caught my eye at the end of a lonely street.
Around Plaza Lara
I found some cobblestone streets, a church with clock tower and
other old but nice buildings around Plaza Lara. On another side of this plaza is a long pink building with lamps on the side and with a tiled roof.
I walked towards the markets and enjoyed a little shopping before heading back to the hotel.
Cathedral and Divina Pastora
As I left Barquisimeto by bus south to Acarigua (1hr 40mins
including 45mins getting out of Barquisimeto) we passed the cathedral which has a huge monument beside it of a woman holding her baby - Divina Pastora. She is
also depicted in a huge mural we passed as well as in a plaza on the outskirts of town.
Bus Out of Town
One other place you see from the bus arriving in or leaving town is
park Parque El Cardenalito which has a bunch of interesting objects and sights to see on the hill beside the road. I wouldn't make a special trip to see
Barquisimeto unless it was something to do with music as it is the musical capital of Venezuela. The only music I heard while in town was a beggar jangling
his coins on the street though. But it was good to see the city between better places I had been to and was going to (not counting
Acarigua).
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Green and white historical building with palm tree behind in Barquisimeto.
Creamed rice or something similar for sale on a Barquisimeto street.
The nice old church beside Plaza Lara in Barquisimeto.
The Government Palace in Barquisimeto.
