Back to Third World Status: Isla Margarita

We are staying in a decent B&B on the island of Isla Margarita, Venezuela, but warnings from locals about muggings, kidnappings and so forth have put a damper on our usually carefree attitude for this portion of our trip.  Add intermittent rain, overcast conditions, a view from the balcony that is not very picturesque, a very hard bed, and making our own breakfast (with food set out each morning), and I am glad we aren’t staying here as long as previously planned.  Additionally, the view from the eating area balcony (the best place for WiFi reception) is of a very poor neighborhood where the homes across the street seem run down and in need of repair.  Intermittently, Latin music (which I usually like) is coming from a car parked in the driveway across the street, but with too heavy a base that causes a vibration in our chests. Luckily, the view from our room is of a sheltered pool and patio area which is very pleasant when it isn’t raining.  Last night, when we set out in search of food, we discovered that the walk to the beach was much farther than we expected or was advertised (about a half a mile) along poorly lit roads that had limited sidewalks that are in need of repair. Thank you Peter (my son) for the flashlight!!. 

As I sit on the balcony writing this blog, the wind has picked up, and it is raining hard again.  We hope this passes soon so that we can get out and walk around and see what else we can find that will brighten our mood.  First impressions are not always what they seem.  But perhaps I am just growing tired of third world conditions where I constantly have to remember that all toilet paper has to be disposed of in waste baskets instead of being flushed and sanitation seems less important in this part of the world.  Somehow I didn’t mind all this in Costa Rica.  We were closer to a beautiful beach, I knew where to have a good meal and we had a car that sheltered us from the dusty roads.

We’ve been told that VZ leader Hugo Chavez is not interested in bolstering tourism, so he doesn’t care about repairing sidewalks or roads. This is unfortunate for the people on the island who depend upon tourism. Some are trying to decide what to do if Chavez is re-elected again.  Currently, all the cruise ships with tourists that once made frequent visits do not come here anymore, and direct flights from the United States have stopped.   Like Costa Rica, car rentals and car ownership is expensive.  However, it costs only about a US dollar to fill up an SUV, due to the very low price of gas.  One bright spot last night was that we did find a restaurant where I had a fantastic grilled, whole red snapper, and Michael had a very tasty spaghetti carbonara and the 9 oz beers were at giveaway prices. I even took a chance and ate a salad without any ill effects.  Our B&B hosts at Casa Trudel couldn’t be nicer.  Dan is originally from Canada, but has lived here on the island for 25 years, and his wife is a friendly and generous Venezuelan.  Hopefully, future impressions of this part of our trip will only get better as the weather improves and we have more time to explore what Margarita has to offer.  In the meantime, do not sell our home no matter what we say in the ransom notes!!