Global murder hot spot? No problem, let's stroll around Caracas!

The murder and kidnap rates rival a war zone. Streets often shake to violent political protests. The poor scavenge garbage for food, while the rich go around with armored cars and bodyguards. Only a fool would go for a quiet stroll in Caracas, right? Not so. In the last few years, groups have sprung up offering walking tours of the chaotic Venezuelan capital’s architecture, historic sites and famous hillside “barrios.” Nearly a dozen organizations now run trips of several hours at a time for groups as small as four or as large as 150. While volunteers offer some tours for free, others are small businesses charging between 20,000 and 200,000 bolivars per person - 20 cents to $2 at the black-market exchange rate. More..