embarking on my South America adventure

[K.Pavlik]

Hi there.
I intend on landing in Caracas in early October time then making my way down the west then up to Rio for the carnival. I've given myself 5-6 months and Im on my own. Do you think this is accomplishable?

is Caracas a good place for English speaking tourists? if not, will I encounter encounter some problems with the language barrier?

Any tips, great or small, would be extremely helpful.

[Ruby]

English isn't commonly spoken among people in Venezuela. You will need to brush up on your Spanish before you get there since Caracas is not exactly set up for an English speaking tourist and you may encounter some problems.

I'd suggest to blow right through Caracas and go right to Merida, since Caracas isn't much of a tourist spot and you will feel let down if you're going with high expectations.

Also, when changing money, be in the know that the black market rate is not all that great, and contrary to what most people will tell you, you may be lucky to get 3 BF per $1 and 20s get you a lower rate than 100s.