Venezuelan referendum on Sunday

The streets of Venezuela are boiling. Not so much from the sun anymore, with December close, temperatures has dropped to around pleasant 27 degrees centigrade and we have daily rains. But on Sunday the country will hold its fiercely debated referendum on a new constitution. In it, among several social security treaties, it is also confirmed that Venezuela is and shall be a socialist state, no matter what the people vote for in future regular elections. Critics of course claims that if supported, it will be the end of democracy in Venezuela. But since Chavez has spent substantial amounts of oil revenues into projects benefitting the poor, social security, health care, revamped popular education, support for him is strong among many, and chances are big that the constitution will pass. However, I betted our fiercely chavista taxi driver 20 bolivares fuertes, that it will fail. We´ll see on Sunday.
The constitution also allows the president to hold office without the time limits of today. It will also take away the citizens right to due legal process in a state of emergency. Press freedom has already been limited, and Mr Chavez interest in providing an open democracy is apparently small. He has also repeatedly said that Cuba and Venezuela has one common government, and never misses a chance to bash western democracies or brand their leaders as fascists. The sensible leftist leaders of Latin America, lke Bachelet of Chile or Lula of Brazil (my personal favourite amongst world politicians) are increasingly worried over the antics of the erratic senor presidente Chavez.

Hugo - the man, the moron

I will not bore you. This is the short version. Venezuelas former leaders huge mistake has been the unability to channel oil revenues into projects that benefit the poor, infrastructure, and society in general. The rich has regularly grabbed societies revenues for brash material consumption, and finally, as a result, the populist Chavez emerged and reaped his harvest. Many of his social programs are very welcome and just indeed. However, Chavez disdain for democracy, press freedom, legal accountability and sound economic incentives are appalling and could well spin Venezuela into a terrifying circle of autocratic populism, that in the end will render most of its casualties among its poor. Furthermore, Chavez is clearly megalomaniac, aspiring almost god-like status under the claims that he and he alone represents the working class (the rest he does not care about, exept for downright confrontation). Chavez thrives through confrontation against anyone who does not sport a red cap or t-shirt. He also brands anyone with differing views as "traitors".

The countries problems with rampant corruption, violence, crime, littering to the degree of health hazards, are not likely to be targeted by the hysterically cheerful political mass campaigning he bases his power on. Chavez in many ways actually looks like a carribbean Milosevic, with a potential, when oil revenues are less favourable, to become Venezuelas Mugabe.

Milk and corruption

Corruption is rampant i Venezuela. And it has not mainly to do with people bribing officials. It is something deeper, that sips through every pore of society and distort the way it works. Take the milk. Due to the price regulations of president Chavez the producers and shops are not allowed to charge more than half a dollar for a litre of milk. Since producers can no longer make profits on milk on that level, the make less milk and make cheese or other products instead. And after a while there is not enough milk in the shops. The little milk that comes to the shops a couple of times a week (and irregularly) first of all is taken by the shop-owners, their families and relatives. The rest disappears after the neighbours around the shops realize there is milk and the gossip travel quickly - and two hours after the delivery all milk is gone. Shopkeepers keeps some litres and hand them over to contacts, friends and people they like or want to give favours to. I was standing at the counter yesterday and two litres were handled to a friend of the shop-owner. Since I saw he had milk I explained that I had two small daughters and begged him to sell me a litre or two. He agreed to let me have one. This is one case how corruption works, and how Mr Chavez so called "socialism of the 21st century" works in Venezuela. In one way this could truly be called socialism, since it takes away the purchasing power of money, and makes the social capital (friends, family, dependencies) the main value for the goods. It is both inefficient, and unjustly discriminatory against those who do not have the social networks. A simple eastern european/wartime rationing system would be more just. However after a while you learn how to make those contacts and connections. That is your step into the world of corruption. Favours and counterfavours between connected, no other rules apply. We now know a venezuelan-norwegian couple in a neighbouring town, who has found a shop who has milk certain mornings. They bring us some litres when they get the chance.

Emily down with dengue

A tropical disease? How very chic! Well yes, for a week Emily has felt bad, but it was only the first three days that she felt in her body, fever, headache. But the headache has been lingering and then two days ago her skin started itching. Hospital test showed today that she had the dengue fever. She was probably infected in La Guardia, where there were a lot of mosquitoes. Luckily, we have had such a comfortable living since coming to Terrazas de Pampatar, so the rest made the sickness strike her comparably mildly. If you want to know how terrible dengue fever can be, check in at the blog of Charles (the american bloke we met in Trinidad and again in Cumaná later). His girlfriend Amber was struck by dengue as they ventured down to Angel Falls (worlds highest waterfall, almost 1 km) in the jungle.
http://charlesthelucky.blogspot.com/2007/11/always-talk-to-brazilian-strangers.html
Anyway, Emily is almost well now, but since her blood value has fallen, she needs to rest and eat nutricious food for some days. That will take care of the remaining headache and fatigue. And there are almost no mosqitoes where we live now.

Best hat twist ever

This is the best hat twist I have ever had. It appeared after I had left a moist summer cap in my back-pack and let it dry. Now it sports a truly postmodern yet personal style, something like, the taliban meets Crocodile Dundee, style Grand Royale. Will I get some kind of official recognition?

Moving images on the blog

Don´t know if this will work. But try to click the image and see if the film starts rolling. Also works as a proof ot that Emily is ok and, if not kicking, at least pushing sand with her toes.

Laziest people on earth?

What country harbours the laziest people on earth? Whatever the final answer to that question may be, there is absolutely no question that Venezuela must be considered the most serious of candidates. This claim is in no way founded on the limited scope of comparisons to north European countries, even though we have been annoyed when shop attendants refuse to stop chatting to friends in the cellphone even though several customers line up, and the striking unprofessionalism and disinterest in many shops and offices. In our building in Pampatar resides a young Spanish hotel manager and his wife, and he forcefully lamented the venezuelans resentment to work, and talked about the myriads of methods one must apply to make them fulfil their duties. Note that this comes not from a stern German, but from a Spaniard, the founding country of the mañana, mañana-mentality. Not all South Americans are the same. Our posada-owner in Juan Griego was from Peru, and she told us that she, after 11 years in Venezuela, has realized that she never fully could and will understand the venezuelans blatant aversion of work. Note that this comes from a peruvian, a native of a mountainous South American country known for habitants that hardly show any sign of productive behaviour other than during the brief intermissions when they stop their eternal chewing of coca leaves to search for new ones. Well, only joking there, of course, but the reaction from her do add a bit of perspective. Much of the lazyness however, is actually entirely understandable, and the reasons apparent: The climate. The heat. The scorching sun. During almost every day of the year, it is very hard to do any work at all during dayttime. And yet construction work goes on during daytime. Maybe that is the big miracle. And yesterday we saw a bow legged 70 year old lady carrying a heavy load by foot in the afternoon sun. Maybe its not really that people are lazy, even if many middle class venezuelans see it that way, its more of a disinterest in the professional work, and much bigger emphazis on social activities in life. For venezuelans, life is a network of social actions, the professional activities are percieved as peripheral.

Around the block

How long is it possible for two minor girls to survive on a strict diet of cheese doodles and french fries? One can consider our trip as an experiment in human nutrition. Well, naw, it´s not really that bad. We cook most our food ourselves, and apart from the lack of milk, sugar, egg, wheatflour,etc due to the price regulations, we eat very well. However Lily has a tendency to pass out immediately after we come home from outdoor life at 6 p.m. and so misses supper. I have felt more worried about the lack of regular friends. To Alice it doesn´t matter, she is in the stage where she acts as a project manager, mostly walking about, examining and looking for things and removing them from one place to another, and taking them from one person to give them to another, and then back again. But unfortunately, even though we have met some nice couples with children (veneuelan-spanish and venezuelan-norwegian) Lily has not met any regular friend to play with. The language differences have not been any major obstacle for the beach games, and she has played with several small girls there. But these have been short contacts. We have stayed in our flat for a fortnight now, hopefully more regular friends will appear. Otherwise, what else. Emily has felt ill for three days but is now almost completely well. We are very fortunate that we have our cool, comfy and well equipped flat during such circumstances. During her weakest days, she could at least venture down to the pool or the beach with us.

Emily writes: Oh what a cloudy morning, says Palle hopefully, only to find the clouds passing faster than all his calculations. But after 2 hrs he goes again "Rain probably will fall this afternoon". But rains fall mostly at night, cooling the nights, and leaving only traces on the dirt roads, but not sparing our days from the scorching sun.

Our home and telephone number

This is how the building looks where we live. The big, pink and blue one behind the beach restaurant with palmtrees on top. Terrazas de Pampatar, it it called. We now also have a telephone number. Feel free to call us at 0058 412 358 11 82.

Luxurious Pampatar

A room with a view? Oh yes. Luxury living? Most certainly. We have now returned to our final and more permanent destination in Venezuela and it is luxurious for several reasons. The flat has a bedroom, two baths, and a living room with kitchen and excellent, adjustable air conditioning. Clean and fully equipped. Swimming pool on a patio two floors down from us. But best of all: The view over the caribbean sea from the living room, from the hill where the vacational complex is situated, , is absolutely gobsmacking. There is a beach with two shaded beach restaurants 150 meters away. Takes five minutes to walk to the grocery shops in Pampatar.

Lounging in Lagunamar

Lily and Alice has been wonderful, has accustomed to their new environments and been able to play together during many of the days without other friends. Yesterday we treated them into a wonderful 24 hours at Lagunamar, an all-inclusive resort, with a intriguing water playground for children, and indoor "dagis" facility, an exquisite supper buffet and big comfy double beds with shiny white linen. (And no mosquitos, that unfortunately molested our nights at capitan Enriques). Lagunamar was a bit like a reversed Guantanamo Bay, a haven of western world comfort completely sealed off from the venezuelan normal and admittedly shabby life. The size of Lagunamar is impressive, just to let you have an idea of it I can mention that to get to the playground you have to pass no less than six swimming pools, all with different shapes and functions.
Alice strutted around in the water in her light blue swimming suit. Lily frenetically ran around the playground, totally immersed in the feeling of the 30 degree soft water and the slides and tunnels. We had a water cannon war this morning, firing from fixed angles at each other. However, she did not want to go with me to the giant "toboganes" the extremely thrilling big water slide (works like a bobsleigh track). Like me, Lily doesnt boldly venture into physical games, rather than throwing herself into a water slide, she stands beside it officiously explaining how to REALLY go about to use it properly.
Check out the pictures from the link below.
http://www.lagunamar.com.ve/

Note to the image: Many guests like this stayed at Lagunamar. Very big and rather menacing looking buggers, but harmless.

El Capitán

The owner of our posada, Capitan Enrique, is worth a story of his own. He is a 60 year old ex airline pilot, ex Wall Street Broker, fluent English speaker, opera lover, founded in the Caracas upper class. Very well connected. Most of his time he spends in his private den in the posada, a white tiled kitchen with no windows, where he reads philosophy books, practices his Buddhist belief and lets his bass voice out, listenes to Puccini and even occationaly Jussi Bjorling. I have been invited into the kitchen where he has explained the strained situation of the venezuelan culture and society.
Sundays he volunteers in a group who cleans some of Margarita streets from the droves of rubbish, beer tins, tyres, paper, food remnants and dead dogs that litter much of the country. He has also run for senate as an rather unlikely co-founder of the local socialist party (PSUV).
- Thieves. We are a country of thieves, in an ocean of corruption, he says and explodes in a smile that blends pure joy of life with the darkest, bitterest of sarchasms.
Yesterday he drove us to the bank and in the middle of the road he was upset by a pushy lorry driver, urged him to step down to resolve their differences with the fists and when the driver declined, capitan Enrique made several allegations about the lorry drivers mothers virtues. He also directed the word "Huevón" several times to the driver in a manner that did not seem entirely ameliorative.
- I have been in many fist fights in the traffic. Venezuelans don´t know how to drive, and few of them know how to fight. They are cowards. Ill take them out any time, oh yes.
The captain has been very helpful to us, and the week at his posada was tranqilizing, since the posada is so well maintained. However I have had some difficulties in understanding how he unifies his Buddhist thinking with his fiery traffic behaviour and overt propensity to resort to fists for rather feeble reasons.