Pan-American Highway (South America) among these countries. It is crossed by three large rivers, but an international system of ferries helps cross these natural obstacles. The highway begins its path through South America in Colombia. However, a branch called the Simon Bolivar Highway runs through Venezuela. This stretch of the highway is an important link between Caracas and Bogotá. The road begins as Venezuela Highway 9 in Güiria, a small town in the state of Sucre just west of Trinidad along the Gulf of Paria coastline. From Güiria, the highway winds west towards the town of Yaguaraparo. Once the highway reaches Yaguaraparo, on the
USS Simon Bolivar (SSBN-641) the Rota SSBN site. Departing the site then diving, the ship headed southeasterly for passage through the Straits of Gibraltar into the Mediterranean Sea. She then went to alert status for her 24th deterrent patrol. Following completion of the patrol, the ship traveled westward across the Mediterranean through the Straits of Gibraltar and into the Atlantic. Seventy four days after departing Rota and submerging, "Simon Bolivar" surfaced off the US east coast in October 1974. "Simon Bolivar" had now been assigned to the Charleston refit site and was again part of Submarine Squadron 18. Submarine tender provided refit and re-supply