Dreams and nightmares in Venezuela

4April to 10 April
Playa El Yaque, Isla Margarita, Venezuela

Just in venezuela at the mo on Isla Margarita windsurfing. The company (Club Vass) is great. My first day was spent realising that I was back to beginners level AGAIN for the 3rd time. That really was a downer. I thought I would not be that bad as I had got on well the last time I went but it was about 3 years ago. So I guess no surprise there. Of course the weather decided that it was going to really blow and then it introduced the added obstacle of waves rather big ones. Unbelievable. What was worse was the wind and the waves got worse for pretty much the first week. It is only in the last 2 days that the waves have gone and the wind is not howling a gale. I really felt like quitting after the first few days but it got a little better. By Friday though, Patricia and I were ready to go to the end of week meal which was fajitas. The meal was great and the staff were all there. The staff, Patricia, myself and a few of the others guests went on to the local Night club (Pirates) if you could call it that. It was a hoot as got to see the locals dancing this type of dance which seems a cross between salsa and samba but basically the girl keeps dancing away for them the guy and he keeps following her. Sort of typical of latin men and women around here. I laughed as it reminded of me of the men chasing us girls in Jeri. ha ha. Patricia and I were soooo happy that we got to stay out til about 2am. We had done well and had actually gone out for a night.
Well there was no stopping us now. We got invited to drinks in The penthouse by this couple and their 3 kids (Deeta, Dominic and Monty, Louis and Darcy). They are a pretty cool family. And the 2 boys are pretty amazing windsurfers and they are only 8 and 10. I hate them. Not really they are cool. Everyone got a bit tipsy and Amy and John invited it so a leaving dinner of some of their friends. So we went off had a laugh and ended up in the main bar in town, Gabys. Monty was there with his dad and although Patricia and I were knackered we were adamant we were not leaving before a 10 year old So we waited until he went home about about 1.30...
Sunday we went to the Happy hour drinks with Club Vass then dined and then bed. God it is so not like Vassiliki. But at least we have socialised 2 nights this week.

This week has been great, for windsurfing that is. Things are clicking into place. The first week also Patricia and I were wrecked. I had spent about 4 days travelling with one nights stop in Manaus and had very little sleep. Patricia had just flown in from Dublin and was jet lagged. So spent the first few nights going to bed at around 10 or so. Then Patricia got some bug and was vomiting for hours. I had left her in the from for a few hours and came back to see if she wanted to go to dinner after a rest but she was still vomiting. I lay down on the bed and just couldn't drag myself out of it and missed dinner. I couldn't figure out why I was so tired until about 5.30 am when the diarrhoea started. Ah great. Just what I needed. I got to class at 9.30 and actually had the best morning but when I went for lunch I couldn't even wait to pay for it as the cramps started. So I spent the day and evening in bed. Over those days I realised my cards had been blocked. ALL THREE OF THEM. So much for having a security blanket of safety in numbers. I rang the various banks all 3 of them. 2 were released. The 3rd I have to get to cash machine to unlock. So I tried using one card seemed ok.

Then 08April.
I tried to pay for a restaurant bill as I had forgotten I had spent my money earlier in the day. It didn't work.

09April. I tried to check out of the hotel I was in and pay the bill. Ha no way. My 2 credit cards didn't work. I thought that maybe they had not been unblocked. So I rang again to find that 2 of my cards have been used to buy about 4000 pounds worth of goods. A lot in Golden shoes. So now had to cancel these. I then tried to get them delivered here as emergency cards. Oh the sheer joy of that. Egg cards don't give emergency cards. Be warned. So This will be delivered to the UK. The Irish card will deliver but only via the bank it was issued form so not going to happen before I leave here.
The 3rd. Ah John Lewis. My favourite company. The people were nice in the UK, then I had to ring Mastercard. These are in the US. Well the line was disconnected 3 times then I had to go through all the security questions over and over again then some idiot started hammering while I was trying to listen. I was then informed that I would not be able to use the card on the internet or in ATMS and that to get cash I would have to go inside a bank and sign for it. Which means I will be charged even more. They then had to ring John Lewis for approval. Then one of them then told me that I would not be able to use the card for 7 days.

I am rarely pushed to tears but I swear I was nearly ready to ball my eyes out. The sheer frustration and idiocy of it all. Un effing believable. Excuse my language. But you are lucky I am writing this today. I was soo peed off yesterday that I found it really hard to shake it off and only raised my mood slightly. I then got to the door of my new Posada. Well did the key work, oh god no I wanted to scream. I felt I was in Jeri again with Estebans faulty locks that often were really difficult to use and lucky with mine I had a knife that I could use without having to ask Esteban for help but others were not so lucky but he was always there so not an issue. Here there was no Esteban to call and NO ONE was answering the door. But after about 20 minutes of sheer exasperation, he owner turned up. God the relief. But at least I have a really good hot shower and a lovely room.

Well after the time I have had in Venezuela with cards etc. I decided I am going to take the bus to Caracas get the first taxi to the airport and the first plane out of this effing country. But now I know why I was so edgy and wary about coming here and why it took so long to leave Jeri. I just really didn't want to come to Venezuela even though I did. IT was really weird. I had a really bad feeling about Venezuela and I couldn't figure out why but now I do. I always get this feeling when something bad is going to happen. I don't have this feeling about anywhere else. Bizarre! So I hope no more bad things will happen.

It would appear that the machine I used on day one in Venezuela was a fake and they have been using my cards since. Anyway I had another credit card in my purse that I never used and could not remember if I had activated it or onto. Well I paid this bar bill and the card worked so......fingers crossed. I think I found my pin too. Please please let it work.


April 10. First of all Happy Birthday to Collette. Hope its a good one girl.

Well Today was not in a good mood, was in a really crap mood. Windsurfing started off BAD. I just couldn't do any beach starts. I thought here we goo but Amy my sooo excellent teacher came to the rescue and they improved and I got into a harness a few times and actually had the best day I have had. I think I may have even been planing. Whey hey. Well I got really fast anyway.

I had to ring Mastercard again. They didn't sort emergency cash out and John lewis had the effing audacity to refuse my card at first. But it will come but not the 11th or 12 but the 14th Ah great. Fan effing tastic.

Well that's the news for the last week or 2. The good thing though is, at least it is nice here in El Yaque.