La Victoria - El Limon - 49 km
Albeit not feeling 100%, I was keen to move along. The intention wasn’t to go far,
merely far enough for a change of scenery. We followed the highway that provided
a good tailwind, even though uninteresting.
We were firmly entrenched in mango country, and artfully arranged and colourful
stalls lined the road. Stopping to buy a few, the generous owner gave us an entire
bag free of charge. Shortly afterwards, signs pointed to El Limon, a suburb of
Maracay at the entrance of the Henri Pittier National Park. It’s a beautiful area at
the foothills of the mountains and, luckily, it was still early enough to enjoy the
vistas.
El Limon – Naguanagua - 73 km
We returned to the highway the following morning, as it was the only way through
the valley. Even though tedious, friendly fellow travellers made up for the lack of
views as many stopped to chat or take photos. In the process, offerings of beer,
water, cupcakes and even places to stay were received.
The tunnels we encountered were, mercifully, short and not hair-raising. However,
at one of the roadworks, I found it amusing that an electronic ‘flag-waver’ did the
job. He appeared more reliable than the real one who was fast asleep on an oil
drum!