The state of Carabobo in Venezuela is a small region that can be crossed from end to end in less than a day. Although in all the years I lived there, I missed many places and towns, and this time I had the opportunity to visit a small town called Güigüe, located about 40 minutes from the city of Valencia. It's actually very close, but in all my years living in Valencia, I never took the initiative to go, even though I had friends and acquaintances who lived there when I was a university student.
To get to this town, you can take public transportation from various points in the city of Valencia, and it's quite busy because many people travel through these areas. The cost is also very affordable. Of course, if you have your own car, it's much better and more comfortable, but I prefer the experience of seeing everything along the way.
Güigüe is one of those towns in Carabobo state that surround the majestic Lake Valencia, nestled between small valleys and vast savannas. That's how I saw it during my bus ride; it was a new route for me, and I really enjoyed it. Once you arrive in town, it's typical of every Venezuelan town, with stops right in the center to see all the local businesses. But my destination was Bolívar Square to see the famous Güigüe clock.
It was just a short walk from where the bus dropped me off to the square, a popular spot for locals. Many young people come to hang out after school, and even older folks enjoy the place. Of course, I explored both squares, either adjacent or very close to each other, but the one I was most keen to see was the one with the famous clock, which, according to local chroniclers and residents, is cursed.
According to legend, every time someone tries to repair the clock, they end up dying. Of course, we're talking about people who are technicians specializing in repairing this type of clock, and they mostly come from European countries. It's said that this has happened twice already, and for that reason, no one has dared to try to repair this clock anymore. The last time was perhaps during the dictatorship of Juan Vicente Gómez, when the clock stopped at the exact hour of his death, only for it to be learned later that the technician who had repaired the clock would also die.
Well, I'm not a believer in these kinds of things or beliefs, but it's part of the history and folklore of a town or country. I'd always heard this legend and wanted to see it for myself, so I made this trip to see it. I also briefly went into the church with its typical colonial architecture and walked around the plaza. It might seem like it wasn't much of a trip, and perhaps Güigüe has many other places of interest to visit, but this was the goal for that day: simply to explore part of Lake Valencia, visit a town I hadn't been to before, and see the famous cursed clock of Güigüe.
All photographs are my own.
