Back in Venezuela, Puerta la Cruz

PLC is nothing to write home about. Or maybe I just need to get out of this funk. Out of the blue, I sat down at this little café in a plaza that we survey. A man (the waiter) came over to me, looked at my notebook which contained a bunch of scribbled notes and said “oh, are you doing one of those cost of living studies for the oil companies and you’re from Boston?” I was totally, absolutely and completely dumbfounded. He got this idea just from looking at my notebook, what the heck? He recited all of this to me before I even got to give him a nod indicating he was correct, and in fact I found the need to respond with, what? This was one of those instances where I thought maybe I was making up what I thought I heard him say in Spanish. Nope it was legit. What does this guy do with his life that he remembers people from 6 mos, a year, 2 years ago who came here from AIRINC? Unbelievable. And further, to think he got this just by noticing that I might be writing some stuff down from the menu.

Another thing I noticed is that there is quite the machismo mentality here. Every time I even so far as indicate that I am trying to pick up my bag or something like that, one of the Venezuelan men is always at my side helping me lift or grab my bag from somewhere. I’m not sure what I think of that, if I see it as a good or a bad thing.

My hotel is like a glorified motel. Well it’s set up like one. There is one after the other 3 story building on the premises of a pastel pink color. Well really, I’m not complaining. It’s not the Ritz but my room is pretty large at least. In the middle of the “resort” there is a lovely pool that I haven’t quite seen the end of yet it’s so huge. Today there were playing some sort of games there which were encouraged by a dj. I saw a little bit of boys against girls tug of war. Too bad I didn’t stick around to see the end result, I wonder how the Spanish would deal with that one. Would you let the women win to show you are polite and respectable, or would you never be able to let that one down that the girls beat the boys at a strength activity? Good question, if I say so myself.