Venezuela. Part IIMapFebruary 0413, 2008 There are busts on the sidewalks. ![]() In the markets. ![]() And at the top of the mountain, which takes almost an hour to reach by cable car, with four changeovers. ![]() Regular monuments, the kind with arms and legs, are very rare. ![]() Several important changes have taken place in the country since January 1, 2008. First of all, Chavez instituted his own time zone: the time in Venezuela is now half an hour off from its neighbors, instead of an hour like it always was. ![]() Coca-Cola is going through a rough period here. The company has almost lost the Venezuelan market due to its ill-conceived distributor relationship policy. This is why Coke-branded fridges are filled with cold cuts or Pepsi. The price label on the photo above is the price for regular water. Pepsi, on the other hand, is everywhere here, even though I cant stand that over-sweetened crap. ![]() Liquid volumes are indicated in cubic centimeters, which is something Ive never seen before. ![]() If youre from the former Soviet Union, you might experience a feeling of déjà vu at some of the shops. ![]() The most popular street dessert seen at roadside stands is strawberries and cream. A national delicacy. ![]() Mérida has a heladería thats listed in the Guinness Book of World Records. It sells ice cream with flavors such as spaghetti, hot dog, meat, beer, fruit and basically any food product under the sun. The largest assortment of flavors in the world. The garlic ice cream was a bit too natural-tasting, leaving me with no desire for seconds. ![]() In the best traditions of capitalism, the newspaper stand is stuffed with glossy magazines. But in the best traditions of socialism, it has a partition to protect them from the grubby hands of the people. ![]() A Venezuelan-style protest isnt students marching with their little banners; its a street battle. Every cop knows its every students dream to shoot a cop during such a clash. The cops are openly despised for their total corruptness. My guide told me that a cop hit him in the face during a protest and got beaten up tenfold in retaliation. The guide was thrown in jail, but released by morning, because he has a relative occupying some important post. This means of getting out of jail isnt considered corruption. ![]() When the tensions between the citizens and the police exceed a certain point, the army steps in and sends everyone packing. The military is incorruptible and simply proceeds to kick everyones ass without wasting words. Speaking of the mess here, littering is part of the national character. ![]() Thats why all the cities try to put up as many trash cans as possible. ![]() I came across a brilliant sign with the trash collection schedule (a cousin of the bus stop sign in Kuwait) in one the capitals wealthy areas. ![]() The storm drain grates on Venezuelas roads are huge. The gaps are just wide enough to fit a disposable cup in each one. ![]() The capital, Caracas, is fairly densely populated. Not only are tourists advised to stay out of many neighborhoods, even locals try to drive through them as quickly as possible with their car windows up, and only in the daytime (and only if they absolutely have to). Express robberies are booming in the city: two people with guns jump onto a bus, rob everyone and run off. ![]() Visitors are strongly advised not to set foot even in neighborhoods that are simply poor. ![]() Better to go here. ![]() Since the entire country consists of mountains, people have gotten used to living on slopes. ![]() The rural landscape boggles the mind: absolutely every surface level enough to hold up a tractor or an ox has been tilled and sown. ![]() A kilogram of marijuana costs $100 in Venezuela. The locals consider this a bit too expensive. Everything grows really well here. ![]() Even the power lines have their own parasite: beard lichen. ![]() The mountainous landscapes in the uninhabited part of the country, called Canaima National Park, consist entirely of tepuis—fragments of an ancient plateau. All of these mountains have the exact same silhouette. ![]() This is also where youll find the world tallest waterfall at 979 meters, Angel Falls. The top of the precipice is often obscured by a cloud: its height is so great that the water dissipates into fog as it falls. ![]() The only way to get here is by plane, so Venezuelans know about these places only from watching TV. ![]() Heaven on earth exists until someone builds a road to it. ![]() There are practically no tourists in Venezuela. Margarita Island receives more tourists than the rest of the country combined, although theres absolutely nothing to do on Margarita. The only interesting thing here is the curve of the streetlight arm, which is endemic to the island. ![]() All the stores here are duty-free, so people flock to the island for cheap cigarettes and booze like pelicans to a launch. ![]() If youre flying abroad out of Margarita, the so-called «airport fee» (a form of legalized robbery common in the Caribbean) is fifty dollars. I was, in fact, heading to Trinidad and Tobago. |
january
|
february
|
february 2008
Venezuela. II
← Ctrl →
|
february
|
february
|
© 19952025 Artemy Lebedev |