Merry Christmas

A lot has been happening in the last month. We’ve been so busy I hardly find time for our Blogg, sorry. Sometimes I wonder how we even fit work into our busy schedule. We had some visitors from Switzerland Peter and Helene. Helene works with my cousin and while traveling in Venezuela they stopped for a visit. We had a wonderful time and it’s always great to make new friends.

We got our quote from AquaVi and arranged to be hauled out by January 15. We thought finding an apartment would be a hassle. The very first place I checked I found an incredible 4 bed/bath condo which comes with two boat slip and is right across from Maremares for $1000 a month. Having lived on Paradise for 20 years, 30 for Sid, the condo is absolutely too big, so we will need a GPS to get around the house. It’s a really cool condo, more like its own house on three levels. It also comes with a patio by the slips, a balcony above by living room, open kitchen, 2 balconies in the bedrooms facing Maremares and a huge terrace on the roof with built in bar and the most incredible view of the mountains. Best yet we have a choice of keeping the maid and for 15 bucks a day we’ll have her twice a week. This is probably the only time in my life I’ll be able to afford one. Terry and I are really excited over this. Yes, we’re having roommates. We’ve known Gerry and Terry on Gymnopedies since cruising in Mexico. They are hauling out at the same time and were looking for a place to live as well, problem solved. We are all really excited. Then of course just when you need it the least something goes wrong. Our car blew up, the dinghy engine melted beyond repair and so we have to buy a new one as it is going to be Sid’s ride to and from the yard.

Other than that all is going well, we have more fun then ever, still meeting every evening under the tree of knowledge and save the world.

After the election life in Venezuela went right back to normal, it’s like there was never an election here, nobody even talks about it. The very next day after the election the stores were fully stocked but there is still no sugar to be found, nowhere. Even the sugar/aspartame mixture is sold out. With Christmas around the corner I wonder how they are going to make Christmas cookies this year, on the other hand maybe they don’t make them anymore.

In the last few months a lot of changes have been going on here at Maremares, several managers have been replace and daily you can see new employees, they are not as friendly anymore as they used to be, nobody seems to be happy working here. They stopped our Happy Hour on Wednesday nights they had for the last 10 years. Marina docks are falling apart and they will not repair them. During the week there are no guests to see at the hotel, it looks like this hotel is financially in shambles.

Ewald from Switzerland, married to a Venezuelan and having lived here since over 7 years, has a good inside of what’s happening. He told me Maremares has just been sold for $500 000, it’s not official yet. He said what happens here in Venezuela is that if a business goes bankrupt the government takes it over, which happened to Maremares a couple years back and ever since it’s been going down hill. So it is supposedly going up for auction. But here is how the government runs the auction. Before it’s posted in the newspaper some El Presidente family, buddies, friends, goons or whatever offer the minimum amount and buy it. Then he waits about three days before the auction is published but of course nobody now has a change to make a bid, but to legally be correct it had been posted in the papers. I guess we just found out how Papa Presidente became to be the richest property owner in this country. They are so corrupt. Ewald also mentioned that when his ex-sister in law came over a few days ago, she was telling him that she just came back from a free three weeks Cuban vacation from her work. You have to know she works for a bank El Presidente owns. He said she was so brainwashed, all she was talking about was Fidel this and Fidel that. Presidente and Fidel have a program where they exchange people for free vacations. He’s on his way to turn this country into another Cuba and will probably get away with it. What we’ve found out in the time we’ve been here are bits and pieces but they are all starting to come together like in a puzzle. I could go on and on how corrupt he runs his country, but I don’t want to bore you any longer.

Christmas is just around the corner, Paradise is nicely decorated in and out, but the Christmas spirit hasn’t set in yet, maybe because it’s still 90 degrees outside? No snow covered roofs for reindeers to land on? No Santa Claus walking around? The cat hasn’t grown her winter fur yet? We’re hanging out at the pool every day? Drinking cold rum drinks instead of hot toddies? No sugar in the stores to make cookies? No eggnog either? Whatever it is I’m sure the spirit will get here when we all prepare our Christmas potluck dinner.

We wish you all the most wonderful Holiday Season and a Happy New Year.

Merry Christmas

Sid, Manuela and Tika

Election in Venezuela

This is indeed a very sad day here in Venezuela as El Presidente was re-elected president. Manuel Rosales had no chance whatsoever as El Presidente controlled all TV stations, waging an unfair propaganda campaign by appearing constantly on state TV, accusing the Manuel Rosales opposition of planning disruption if he won.

During the last two weeks not one channel ever showed any of Rosales propagandas, only El Presidente, there was barely room for regular commercials.

Since he first won office in 1998, El Presidente has increasingly dominated all branches of government and his allies now control congress, state offices and the judiciary. Current law prevents him from running again in 2012 but he has said he plans to seek constitutional reforms that would include an end to presidential term limits. Yesterday rumors had it that if defeated he would not give up power. As the pools opened the pooling stations where it was known to be Rosales followers the pooling was slowed down, causing mile long lines in the streets. I was actually amazed to see that the election was not counted electronically but by hand. As it was shown on TV you either saw one person open vote after vote then showing result to others while one person wrote it down. Some other pooling stations showed the person opening votes but never showing the result to others.

Hugo's campaign was full of lies, one of the gym workers here at the hotel believed and still believes that if El Presidente wins he will give her a farm, so do many poor Venezuelan’s they were told that if he wins they will be given land.

Last week was an intense week for everybody especially for the Rosales followers as many of them will leave the country if El Presidente wins as they will have no future in this country. The black market for money exchange was at an all time high as they all desperately try to get their money out of Venezuela. Foreign property owners are worried that El Presidente will take away their land because he takes it away from his own people and gives them nothing for it.

Grocery stores were busy and 4 days before election shelves were empty. Restaurants are limited as they didn’t get any deliveries this week. Everybody loaded up as there was fear of a strike.

Ever since we arrived in Venezuela we haven’t been able to find sugar in the stores. The only type sugar you can find is a mixture of sugar and aspartame. Sugar consumption is so high that Venezuela cannot provide it and would have to import it, which El Presidente refuses to do.

The unfortunate thing is El Presidente is in the power now to get his wish to turn this country into a dictatorship, indeed a very said day today in Venezuela.

On another note, we had a little fun with our neighbors yesterday as they currently are in Florida. I received an email from them hoping that all was well for us on election-day and telling us to use their provisions if we had to. These are the photos we sent them and telling them that we think we were OK and thanking them for offering their food.

Other than that, we are having a wonderful time and now that election is over and all went smoothly we’ll get through Christmas and then into the yard. Today we are starting to look for an apartment to move in through the haul out.