Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-04-02
TRIP TO CARACAS
Social Customs in Capital Of
Venezuela.
LAUGHING BAD FORM
CROWDS THRoNG PLAZA SUNDAY
AND LISTEN TO BAND.
Base Ball a Popular Game, but an
American Yanigan Team Could
Win Pennant.

uaruHer RICHARDSON, IN the independent.
| The sun had not yet risen when 1 tumbled
| out of my bunk to watch our approach to
the Venezuelan coast. Ahead a dense black
| mass doomed up like a thunder cloud. There
| was almost no wind, and the steamer was
| blowing through the long easy swell of
| the Caribbean at the same monotonous
| speed that she had made all the way from
New York-ten knots an hour. Gradually
| the east became lighter and the mass
| ahead seemed to resolve itself into definite
| lines. At last the sun rose, revealing in all
| its glory of the most magnificent pieces
| of natural scenery ever accorded to tray
| eler's sight Straight up from the thunder
| ing breakers rose a rocky buttress to
height of over nine thousand feet There
| was thick bank of clouds half way up,
| but above that the mountain ridges and
| peaks stood out bold and clear cut against
| the morning sky. Below the belt of clouds
was La Guayra, the seaport of Caracas,
with Its. clustered houses sclnging to the
| mountainside. Off to the left was the
| beach of Macuto, the white surf breaking
| at the foot of background of palms and
cOcoanut trees.
| On arriving a La Guayra the traveller is
| certain to be disappointed. The town that
| looked SO picturesque from distance en-
| tirely changes its character on close in
spection The streets are narrow and filthy,
the houses low and squalid, the people dirty
| and half naked. Everything seems wilted
| by the heat, and even at that early hour
| in the morning the sun was almost I'M
| endurabe. In the middle of the day the
| sun beats so fiercely against this slope that
all living beings are forced to seek shade
and rest. 1t is with a feeling of relief
| that the traveller boards the little toy train
and starts up the mountainside.
Railroad to Caracas.
The construction of the railroad from La
Guayra to Caracas is one of the most re-
l. hJa pojp
The road twists and turns, crawling UP
the face of the mountain with almost i'm
possible grades and curves. Now the train
runs over trestle hundreds of feet above
a rushing torrent, now dashes through a
tunnel and out around a spur of the noun
| tain, revealing La Guayra far down below.
The mountainside Is so abrupt that it
decks of the ships beneath. The air be-
| comes less sultry and heavy, and as the
train climbs up long ravine, condor
floats along on the same level with the
track. Half way up the train stops at
Zig-Zag. Here all the passengers are re-
quested to sign their names on a slip of
paper. The names have already been tele-
graphed to the capital from La uuayra, and
any people Objectionable to the government
are arrested here by the authorities.
Starting again from Zig-Zag the train
climbs upward to pass, four thousand feet
above the level. The air is now actu-
ally cool The palms and cocoanut trees of
the beach give way to a tangled tropical
forest. Suddenly the train runs through a
deep cut and out around curve with in
creasing speed. The highest point has been
reached, and from here there is shoot of
one thousand feet into Caracas. The val
ley opens UP before US, stretching away to
the southeast Caracas, with its low tiled
roofs and many church towers, lies close
against the south side of the lofty coast
range. From the summit of the pass into
the little Caracas station is short run,
and the traveller is soon seated in small
victoria, rafting the narrow cobble-
stone streets at reckless pace.
A Lazy Life.
A South American capital has an atmos-
phere of it's own. There Is certain charm
in the lazy, indolent life. During the heat
of the day the whole city is dead. but as
evening approaches the streets begin to fill
with people and the city awakens. In
Caracas the center of gayety is the Plaza
Bolivar. Here the crowd assemblies every
evening to listen to the band or to stroll
up and down and watch the moving throng.
Sunday evening is the elimination of the
week. The plaza is brilliantly lighted, the
band plays and all the VeneZuelans turn
out in their best clothes. Here is group
of Caracas bellies sitting at a table under
a tree. Their heads are covered with
black scarfs, and their cheeks have a gen
erous coating of rouge. Over there is a
group of young officers in their gay uni
forms, idly smoking cigarros In the back
ground one cali see mere ana lHeTe the
broad brimmed felt hat and pancho that
mark the man from the interior. He may
have been travelling on horseback for TWEEN
ty or thirty days to reach the city he has
heard of all his life but never seen. He
watches with the most intense interest all
this display and gayety so new to him.
While the Plaza Bolivar is the center of
life, the other principal square is silent and
comparatively deserted. But it is here that
every American who visits Caracas likes to
spend quiet hour. In the center, amidst
palms and tropical plants, stands the statue
Of George Washington. Here in this far
off country he stands with that calm and
serene expression which has SO touched
many lonely American and given him
courage anew to live while longer away
from Goods country.
The social life in Caracas is conducted In
most formal manner and strictly accord
ing to rule. Venezuelans must be digni-
fled at all times. For girl to laugh or
even smile. during dance would stamp
her as very Ill bred. A quadrille will be
danced through without one of the particle
pants changing their set expression. A girl
may never see man alone. even II she Is
engaged to him. The mother, aunt or older
sister always sits In the room, reading .