Log 21 June 2008

A new country, new currency and a new language. Last time for Spanish had been in the Dominican Republic in 2006. We anchored off of Porlamar, Margaritas largest city and headed into the dock area not having a clue where to go to check in or how to find a way to convert some currency. Not speaking the language we might as well have had neon signs on our foreheads saying GRINGOS but near the dinghy dock we found the Guardia office and started the check in procedure. We thought we would try ourselves as opposed to using an agent which for years has been the recommended way. All the recent chat on the coconut telegraph suggested that the agent Juan was over charging but after totalling the bill at the so called official office I’m not sure there was much of a difference, especially after factoring in all the services he offers gratis to cruisers. The four boats (two were Identical sister ships) were charged a different rate and also given different change. True to form, my request for a receipt was answered with a Manana (tomorrow). When we had booked space at the Madregal yard back in February the black market rate was 5 to 1 so it made everything quite cheap if you were holding US dollars. The money here is called the Bolivar and just shortened is referred to as Bs. By the time we got here the rate had gone down to 2.9 to 1 which has made stuff expensive. The official rate on credit cards and on bank transactions is regulated at 2.1. The black Market rate fluctuates all the time and last Christmas had gone as high as 6-1 and of course while it is illegal everybody participates. It’s just free market demand and supply, legal or not. The best way to change money is to find a store that is willing or needs the hard currency. At home in Canada Margarita Island is sold as a winter destination vacation and it probably is, but not here, maybe somewhere off to the northern part of the island in a gated compound. Vibrant but rundown, Porlamar doesn’t take long to show you it’s rough edges. We went for a walk as a group with everybody from the four boats and it didn’t take the woman long to get uncomfortable. We finally found a jewellery store who wanted to change but I had only fifties and twenty dollar bills and they only wanted 100s and so Kenny off Joint Venture loaned me 50 worth of BS while I kept shopping. The best rate we could get was 2.9 to1. Otto of Vagabond was having the same problem. While the woman were looking at clothes and trinkets (what else) in a shop some character sidled up to me and offered to change money. When I asked him how much I was told 4-1 and looking incredulous I said how much. Realizing he had over played his hand he said 3-1. Now ignoring reality with my usual self denial and rationalizing to myself that the first offer was just enticement or a loss leader so to speak, I called Otto over and
together we told the guy ok, 100 each and he said to follow. Heading off the main street for a block Otto said he didn’t want to go any further so we told the guy far enough and under a corner wall topped off with broken shards of glass we started the deal. With almost two decades of owning a retail outlet of our own down on Queen St. West, I pride myself in thinking that I have seen a lot of street theatre. Particularly in the early years when as a track it was like the wild west, long before the Drake Hotel and the dilettantes moved in gentrifying the area. So wrapped up in that little bit of hubris even if delusional I was somewhat comfortable doing the deal. Even though the closest I have ever come to changing money on the street is watching Lonely Planet episodes. The guy was also extremely nervous which in turn was making us extremely nervous. Standing on a corner Otto watched one way while I watched the other. The big issue with the guy seemed to be the cops and he kept looking furtively around making a production of counting out the money which should have come to 620 BS. He then made a big deal of handing me the money while in a brilliant act of faith taking none of ours. I counted out the dough with him haranguing us on to hurry but the count came up about 30Bs short so I told him. In hindsight I should just have pocketed the money at that point and walked. But I told him and he took the wad back ratcheting up the nervous quotient, eyes flashing everywhere, apologising the whole time working us along. Finally he counted the money out in front of us and as a good will gesture pushed the money quickly at Otto this time sticking it in his pocket. Then we gave him our money and we all turned to walk back to the street exchanging pleasantries. Back at the store with the others I asked Otto for my cut and he pulled out the dough and started to count it out. It was about 500 BS short. Basically all the 100 Bs bills. Realizing immediately what happened I lit out to the street and up to the corner in a futile run cursing my idiocy but of course he was nowhere in sight and probably a good thing as I was to find out later. I felt bad for Otto since it had been my idea but I quickly wrote the whole episode off to experience, going through the sequence of events and seeing just where he must have palmed the large bills as he shoved the bills in Otto’s pocket. Big lesson here about the delusion of hubris. The ironic and laughable thing was that back at the store Geoff and Kenny had managed to change another 100 each at 3.1 with the trinket salesman so I just figured it wasn’t my day and the gods taketh what they giveth.
About an hour later in front of the big dept. store Rattan the whole scenario tried to play itself out again, this time with Ken of Joint Venture. Now Ken is a big, little john type with a booming and infectious laugh and some very unorthodox views of the world. As we sat there some young guy came up and tried the whole cambio thing again this time offering 4-1. Ken giving me a side glance with the raised eyebrow said sure and pulled out his hundred. I told him,” Ken it’s the same racket, watch he will try and lead you down an alley and palm the money off you”. But Ken having the benefit of our caper was adamant he would not be taken and after all how hard could it be hold your money, count theirs and then give them yours, he had his hundred and when the guy tried the switch he would counter it. “Ok your money I said” and the charade started with the kid making a big show out of counting out 400 BS and handing it to ken. At this point in time two cops rode up on their scooter and parked at the bench next to us. The kid took off going and standing in front of window a couple of doors down eyeing the cops and making sure he kept eye contact with Ken. This left Ken sitting there holding all the money, his and the dealers. Finally the guy motioned for Ken to come over. Now I have to admit at this point I was even thinking hope springs eternal and that I could make up some of my previous loses but I was still wary. I followed Ken as we walked following the kid. After a block instinct took over and I told Ken no this has the same feel as the last con and that I was heading back. Now Ken is standing there in the middle of the side walk a different currency in each hand trying to give the money to the kid. Me I can’t figure out how the rip is going to happen since Ken has all the money finally the kid reappears by Ken and makes his move telling Ken he has made a mistake and Ken telling him no take your 100, things are good and at this point the kid suddenly runs up and rips the Bs out of his hand. Well after, a told you so , we figured to hell with it and started back to the boats, when Deb told us an older guy who had been watching the whole episode was following us. When I turned to look he was following and talking on his cell phone. So we walked another block and seeing that he was tailing us I turned and confronted him “Amigo what do you want”. Unbelievably he then told us he wanted to change dollars. “What rate?” I will give you 5-1. Well at this point I had had enough and so had Ken so the guy got a group #@%^&*^*& and we headed back to the boat through the side streets. The consensus was that this must be the Fagin of the group and seeing our want for a deal, was probably telling the previous kid watch and learn. Certainly no one was feeling comfortable. A few days later I overheard a conversation on a bus where a charter captain with years of experience here was complaining he got taken for 800 US in the same con so we probably got off light. We headed back to the boats and as usually will happen the conversation soon segregated the women from the men and we found ourselves putting some distance between the two groups. I had noticed two young guys, one of them on a bicycle kind of shadowing us on the opposite side of the road but with so many of us, even if spread out a bit, didn’t really give it much thought. Suddenly Lily on Vagabond was calling Otto for the girls because two guys were coming quite close one of them on a bicycle and were leering in a somewhat threatening way at the girls. So we tightened up and finally as a group we worked our way back to the boats on the sea road past rundown fishing barrios mixed in with gated high rises and empty lots full of refuse. On another occasion earlier in the day we were stopped by two ladies on the sea wall board walk as we walked to the west looking for the gas dock. They were adamant about us turning around and not going any further as it wasn’t safe.
After a couple of days just hanging around the anchorage I managed to find a local who changed money for me at 3-1 and then ready again just the four guys headed into town to find a boat chandlery and hit an internet cafe. Once at the cafe we did our business and Otto finishing first probably because he was jonesing for a shot of nicotine headed out to the sidewalk. When I came out Otto told me you will never believe what just happened. It seems not recognizing Otto the same hustler who ripped us tried it on again. Otto just told him no and just as I came out he had rounded the corner disappearing with what appeared to be another cruiser. I walked to the corner and there sure enough was our buddy negotiating so I walked towards him and started to yell no cambio at the cruiser. At this point the hustler thinking I wanted to change motioned at me not now so I continued to yell. After a bit more yelling the slow realization of who I was and what was happening crossed his face and he started to yell back at me. I kept yelling as the hustler tried to lead the guy further away. Getting fed up he whipped out his cell phone and started to yap into it. Next thing Otto was giving me the heads up that we had company as two guys one on either side of the street started to approach in well yeah, a kind of meaningful fashion. Thinking great how am I going to handle this I suddenly had both Geoff and Kenny appear behind me stopping the other two in their tracks and creating a standoff. Finally the cruiser looked at us, pocketed his dough and started to walk towards us. At this point with nothing to gain we turned and hoofed it adrenalin running high. The cruiser turned out to be Brazilian and was trying to change Euros. He thought the rate was great but clearly with us yelling figured something wasn’t kosher. This also made us realise that the older guy the other day was probably some kind of organizer and the whole thing was an organized gang. Somebody mention calling the cops, but I figured they would just make a show with the hustler, rip him off themselves and maybe even hit us up with some kind of street fine so best to let it slide, lesson learned,
To be continued,