Taking a moment for lunch…
Total Corruption!
The view from the backseat of the car was interesting; the countryside was green, the road condition not too bad, and the hills provided plenty of diversion. The conversation along the way was lively, and I got a precis on the political, economic and social regression of a country that had built its fortunes on oil while that commodity was sold at prices well north of 100 dollars per barrel. Too many pigs at the trough and all that… I was happy to listen and take in the observations.
Only once were we stopped for a perfunctory check, but there was no need to get out of the car, nor even to open the trunk. In a way, it seemed things were not as bad as had been foretold, or I just happened to be extremely lucky – it was the latter. Venezuela is a country that was/is teetering on the edge of collapse, and many basic necessities are not available, not even sodas containing sugar. Only the ‘zero’ versions of many popular soft drinks were in stock in shops, and there were plenty of other things that were not available. I wasn’t to know what else until a few days later. In the meantime, my gracious friends told me about a cement factory that had at one point produced 15,000 bags of cement but was now down to 1,500 due to mismanagement and the replacement of skilled operators with political appointees – it all sounded very ‘communist’. Other tales were of large agriculture operations that had been taken over; farms where once sufficient milk, corn and meat were produced to supply the country. Now, some necessities were being imported or smuggled across the border. (Subsequent reports noted that the military had been put in charge of food distribution – without their approval nothing could be brought in or distributed in the country – a veritable stranglehold on the population and a perfect system for total corruption.)
Alternative transport in Venezuela
Guardian Angels
San Cristobal is a short 50 kilometers from the border with Colombia, but driving time is generally near 2 hours. The city of a quarter million people is nestled in a valley and spreads up the mountains. The city was once the third wealthiest city of Venezuela, with oil discovered here, as well as its rich agricultural land. Unfortunately I did not have time to stay and explore the city for a day or two. We arrived at the central bus station near 1 in the afternoon, and went immediately to purchase a bus ticket to my destination, Barquisimeto. The station was a mass of heaving humanity, a cacophony of noise, and I am sure, had I been on my own, I would not have managed to sort out the bus ticket, let alone find the bus. As it was, my 2 guardian angels cleaved a path through the multitude and found the counter for the right bus operator, only to find out that the first bus was already over booked, and a second bus was being chartered to carry the overflow. This second bus would leave at 5 pm, which would put me into Barquisimeto at around 7 am the following morning…remember bus travel times? After buying the ticket, we left to find a restaurant to enjoy lunch. Then a nice coffee shop to enjoy a coffee, all the while discussing conditions in the country, and waiting for 4.30 and the return to the bus station.
Mother Goose
By 4.30p.m. we were on our way to the bus station once again to sort out the bus and to ensure that I got on it. When we arrived this second time it seemed as though the chaos was even worse than it had been at noon. Where at first there had been a small group of people standing near the ticketing window there now stood a veritable crowd, and no one seemed in charge. It was at this point that something wonderful happened. My gracious guides decided it was time to return some semblance of order to the melee. Finding the harried bus conductress, a few quick words were exchanged, and suddenly silence descended on the group of fellow passengers surrounding me as a single, authoritative voice started providing information and organizing the group. In a matter of seconds, she had managed to accomplish what the feeble bus conductress had not been able to do: line up the passengers, tickets in hand, to check their names against the passenger list. What would have taken perhaps an hour to complete suddenly took no more than 5 minutes as this voice of reason and authority kept order. Moments later, names checked and all passengers accounted for, we were led, like goslings, through the large bus station to our bus. Mother goose had taken charge and was our guide. At the bus, more mayhem was forestalled when she once again took charge in ensuring that all luggage was properly tagged and stowed, and the passengers were boarded.
Generosity and Kindness
As I was the last to board, I shook hands and took my leave of my wonderful and gracious guides, thanking them profusely for all they had done for me that day, unbidden, and out of pure kindness and generosity. As I was about to turn away, I heard the husband utter with extreme pride in his voice something with which I wholeheartedly agree: “My wife, she likes to take charge and get everything organized, and she is highly efficient in doing so. IF only we had her and a few others like her running the country, they would be able to solve many of the things that ail it now.”
Amen.
