» Departures

Welcome to Caracas, the murder capital of the world. Five million people in Caracas, last week there were forty-seven murders. This I did not know.

In case some of you don’t know, I left last Wednesday (5/11/05) for South America. I flew into Caracas, Venezuela and fly home from Buenos Aires, Argentina some time in June or July. Between the two, Michael and I don’t have much set in stone. The highlights should be: Angel Falls, the tallest waterfall in the world at 3300 ft; Roraima, the mountain (~9000ft) from Conan-Doyle’s Lost World, a 4-day boat down the Amazon from Manuas to Belem; Rio de Janeiro and Buenos Aires.

What would a trip without visa troubles? Brazil requires a visa for any American to enter. The fee is officially called a ‘Reciprocity’ fee (at $100 its pretty steep for a visa). We give them a hassle to come into the US, so they return the favor. The Houston Brazilian Consulate website says five business days for processing, but I talked to several that have done it in the last few years as next day service. The not-so-friendly staffer must not have liked the look of me because his solution was for me to change my trip. When I confused the issue by mentioning that I was flying in to Caracas and wouldn’t be into Brazil for several weeks, he said I could get the visa in Venezuela and was through with me. I knew this, but wanted to only rely on that if I had to. As you may remember, getting a visa outside of the USA (and in another language) can be a task itself.

I don’t know how these things always happen to me. The Atlanta-Caracas flight, my seat was in between two pairs of Polish models on their way to a fashion show in Caracas. Hey, I’ve been to Poland! Somehow I managed an invite to a party at a club in Caracas hosted by the designer they were going to be doing the show for. I also now have a place to stay if ever I am in New York or Warsaw.

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