Venezuela

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Feb and March 2009

Venezuela -We have become marina johns. Seacycle has been seduced into being ensconced in a slip safe behind a large breakwater built of huge boulders from the seas on one side and security guards patrolling the perimeter between us and the large barrio to the east. The rest is bordering on a large lagoon fringed with
luxurious houses. So on one side you have the poor and on the other side the rich. This seems to exemplify the problem here. There doesn’t seem to be a middle class of any size. We are residences of Bahia Redonda a beautiful, inexpensive marina (12 dollars a day) located in Puerto la Cruz a suburb of Barcelona one of Venezuela’s larger cities about two hours to the east of Caracas. It is known as a holiday spot and beach town. The landscape here is dry and almost desert like with scrub like vegetation just like back at Medregal.

We have had two elections since we have been here. Well one election and one referendum to correct the unfavourable results of the first election. If that sounds confusing, well welcome to Venezuela home of unpredictable Hugo Chavez. Last week I got up on Monday morning to go downtown shopping to find that Hugo in some sort of Sunday evening magnimity had decided to call a national holiday for the next morning. Something to do with everybody having worked so hard lately and oh by the way there is a referendum on extending his term next week. And that of course would have nothing to do with the truck loads of free food being given away at tents setup around the neighbourhoods or civic workers posting vote Si signs (VOTE YES) up on everything in sight. Father Hugo can be seen every day incanting for the masses for hours every day on the state channels spreading the revolution. I have never seen a real live demagogue in action but he is the real deal. After centuries of another form of oppression, is it unexpected that those living down the economic scale are eating it up despite all the evidence around them. The recent market meltdown has
thrown a wrench in the revolution’s gears as the price of oil has crashed. The government’s ambitious social programs were based on oil in the 85 dollar range and now it is below forty leaving a serious 30 billion US dollars shortfall. This has driven the Bolivar down and foreigners with dollars live well. There were only a few tankers in the harbour when we first came here. The other day on a walk I counted fifty riding high at waterline empty waiting for the prices to rise. Oil production is also rumoured to be three quarters of the publicly stated number as most foreign managers and technicians have been forced out or just left with the nationalization of the oil industry. The opposition which is splintered refused to run in the last general election as a protest but it has backfired and given Chavez a free hand to rubberstamp his revolution and intimidate dissent. The country so rich in natural resources now imports seventy percent of its foodstuff. People here blame the situation on the DEVILS BLOOD their name for oil saying it has robbed the nation of its drive.

Despite the political situation our time here has been pleasant and our experiences positive. We have managed to get a new stainless steel bimini frame made with dedicated solar panel rails. Deb has sewn a new sunbrella top. We also got a great price and job done by Michael the marina upholsterer on all new interior cushions and upholstery. Everybody complained he was expensive, but we figured it was half of what we had been quoted at home.

I have managed to get some exercise here when I was invited to walk early mornings with Ana a French cruiser and Cathy off of Chill three times a week out to
El Morro the large peninsula that forms the west side of the well protected bay and was home to the Spanish fort. The heat here is incredible when walking and hydration is constantly necessary. Deb tried one walk, over did it and then got ill for a week. The other girls were well acclimatized. To get to the safe walking ground we have to walk a mile along the edge of the barrio to what I call desperation alley a dirt track between two boatyards walls studded with broken glass and other sharp cutting pieces. The end of the alley has a twenty foot wooden boat with a canopy over it which shuttles you across the canal to the condo and beach area. This area is a lot safer with everything being relative and it is here we walk.
There are two large policia stations with all their motorcycles out front and they are constantly patrolling the boardwalk and surrounding roads. The suburb is called Lecheria and on the weekends the beaches and boardwalks are full. We walk out to the headland known as El Morro which has the old fort that overlooked the entrance to the bay. Round trip was a good ten miles, one pit stop for a café lecha and then home for an afternoon siesta. Having spent my work life in the cold confines of Canada working a lot of winters outside you dream about warmer climates. But forget working in it, the heat from mid morning to late afternoon is brutal. Shopping here was good in modern supermarkets but the shortages were noticeable especially with items like coffee and toilet paper. It was much hit and miss with the see it, buy it rule in full effect.

The marina is empty compared to when we were here visiting Neriea in November. After Cathy’s husband was killed in the shooting along with another cruiser being wounded Steve off of ILEAN all the Americans have left. I think there are only seven yank boats here. Interestingly enough in this country the new flame of socialism, all were republicans. The marina’s staff are worried about what will happen to the usual seasonal influx of boaters escaping from hurricane season. This place is well below hurricane belt and known for inexpensive living. But between the shootings and the economic crash the future is unclear. Also the North Americans are known to spend more than the European cruisers as a rule.

You have to consider everything every time you leave the safety of the marina. I am now well past the jewellery wearing stage finally even taking the wedding ring off. Debs stuff has been in the safety deposit box for the last couple of years. I have a new Canon Rebel camera but hardly use it, too much of a thieve magnet.
I don’t have to dress down since I like most cruisers are a ragamuffin lot to start with. After eight weeks the projects came to an end and wanting to be back in Canada for a friend’s wedding in June we decided to find a weather window out. We decided to bypass Tortuga and head straight to Los Roques where there were safer cruising grounds. From there we would take our time and sail through the Aves over to Bonaire and then Curacao where we had arranged to store Sea Cycle for hurricane season. The islands sit just below the insurance line for hurricane season.
To be continued….