In Caracas at the airport

Alive and well. Despite all the travel warnings and stories of sketchy boarder guards everything was really smooth for me coming into Venezuela. Passed through immigration quickly; got a bit of a pause on my passport which was half eaten a couple years ago by my mother's 300 year old dachsund. She just rubbed it I think to check if the laminate would seperate, which it didn't.. and let me on my way.

Unlike Aruba and Curacao; not everyone speaks english. The lady arbitraging the line was openly annoyed at my lacking spanish when I couldn't answer her question, which was probably 'are you going to the place that all these other people who are freaking out because they are late?'. Since I had like 7 hours to kill; it didn't bother me that everyone was passing in front of me. (We came to terms when I showed her my ticket confirmation).

Only remotely sketchy thing was a bunch of taxi drivers outdoing each other to 'help' me; and after one of them won and the others went to help others and I was directed by him to where I should be going, he tried to do me the huge favor of buying my USD from me at 7 bolivares per.

After passing through what seemed to be completely satisfactory security that somehow didn't dehumanize everyone and take 40 minutes to pass 100 people (didn't take liquids or laptop out of my bag-- kept my shoes on-- !!) I walked to both ends of the terminal and saw all my food options; I was really hungry.

Though, the couple times I tried to speak english having not gone so well I was looking more for osmething I knew how to order rather than what would hit the spot. I tried ordering a couple empanadas con queso; and the guy pointed me to the the cashier. I told the cashier, and she told me no! I think she was telling me to order something more substantial; but maybe they just weren't being made. In either case she kind of drifted away at that so I did too. I am embarassed to say my first food in venezuela was 'new york pizza' from 'Full Pizza' (i skipped the dominos, at least). But whatever, it's the airport.

Haven't taken many pictures; mostly been hanging around airports.

I was kind of surprised by the plethora of fancy electronics; more ipads, mac book airs, smart phones, and hand held video games than one would see in a typical US airport. At least being used conspicuously. In a country with an average income of something like a quarter of the us; I guess it must come from an even more-stark income inequality; where the people with the money to fly also have the money to buy ipads (and I think at 40% over retail; but probably they have ways to get past the import taxes).

Total speculation.

Laptop is running out of batteries; I am on very little sleep as well. I look forward to sleeping and eventually understanding all this talking going on around me.

Will be in Merida next time I report.