As I’ve mentioned before, Caracas has an abundance of bakeries – some great and some just okay. I have a few that I go to for certain items (each has a specialty) and when I want a chocolate/croissant pastry, also known as the caracola de chocolate, I go to Pasteleria St. Honore’s. This is the same bakery where I bought my husband’s birthday tart back in February and because they seem to always serve fresh pastries, it’s the closest thing to an authentic French patisserie that I’ve found here.

The coffee there is not the best, but there’s another place right across the street called Cafe Arabica (which I will write about soon) that supposedly has the best in all of Venezuela. This was my breakfast this morning…

Another nice thing about St. Honore is the eating area. It is surrounded by commercial buildings and traffic, but the entire outdoor area is covered with trees and plants and somehow you feel like you get away. So much so, that I can actually get a good 30 minutes of reading my Kindle while there.

Obviously one of my favorite places in Caracas, St. Honore continues to get my stamp of approval

The other day, I saw a gentleman get out of the elevator in my building wearing no shirt, swim trunks and no shoes. Guess where he was from?

Yes, a new American family has moved in and this guy didn’t waste any time getting comfortable. Granted, he was heading to the pool, but that is just something you never see done here. From my first trip here, I noticed how the people on my flight – mainly Venezuelans – were dressed casually, but chic. The men wore nicely fitted jeans with loafers and the women also spruced up their outfits with blouses (as opposed to t-shirts) and accessories. This was a welcomed change because I’ve traveled with Americans who wore pajamas and never understood the rationale behind that.

Which brings me to something people, especially Americans, should be prepared for when visiting Caracas – the effort Venezuelans put into their appearance. Aside from the excessive plastic surgery, Venezuelans look nice everywhere they go. At the supermarket, I never see a woman who looks like they are making a quick stop because they forgot something. Everyone looks as though they got ready to go to the store – makeup and all. It’s nice to look at, but a pain in which to have to take part.

I don’t think I was at all a slob before coming here, but somehow my regular jeans and t-shirt made me stick out like a sore thumb. I didn’t change my entire wardrobe, I just re-coordinated my outfits. For instance, if I am going to wear jeans, I pick a nice blouse and add some accessories. I will never be one to forgo comfort for style, but these changes have been relatively easy and I always feel like I’m a little dressed up.

So, even though the clothes are tighter than what I’m accustomed to, Venezuelans are always impeccably put together and there’s definitely wrong with that.

Photo credits: Selenademi920 and NeoGaboX via Flickr