Caracas - Week 1

Shipments

I had 4 shipments out of DC for the move to Caracas. A company came the day before flying out to load my vehicle on a trailer and take it away for loading in a shipping container. They said it'd go from the port of Baltimore to Miami before heading to Caracas. It joins the rest of the stuff in Miami waiting on clearance to proceed including a Household Effects (HHE) shipment from Stockholm.

The other 3 shipments were the Unaccompanied Air Baggage (UAB), Consumables, and a supplemental HHE. If there's any HHE weight leftover then it's surprisingly easy to ship some more stuff from DC or home leave if you need to buy new appliances or anything else for the next post. It just has to be over 200 lbs of stuff or it isn't worthwhile to ship and the request will be denied. Now it's just a matter of waiting for all of the various stuff to get here which could be several months to transit and clear local processing.

Flights

The flights were good with a Miami connection breaking it in half. It's easier flying for 6 or 7 hours when the time zone doesn't change. It definitely makes going to work the next day a more wakeful experience.

Above was the only decent sign I noticed in the airport as a sort of welcome sign while waiting for my bags. SENIAT is their version of the IRS. I didn't have time for picture taking or pulling out a phone for any reason when I came out of customs. I was surrounded by guys offering me taxis or to change my dollars to bolivars since I looked like a guy lacking bolivars. I quickly found my driver and left.

People

All of the people at work seem great. I keep hearing about how nice and friendly the Venezuelan people are and I've seen it myself so far. Unfortunately for me, many of them outside of work don't speak English so I really need to get busy with the language program at work. Hopefully I can turn my old High School basic Spanish into something useful or at least survivable.

Crime

Caracas is competing for the top spot for crime in the world. Safety has really been on my mind so I'm taking it slow with figuring out how to get around. I also have to take a driving course at work before I can drive a loaner vehicle. I've already noticed red lights are suggestive instead of mandatory. It's not a unique driving style though and I feel like I'd seen worse in my short time in Seoul. My first week has been getting around with work drivers and a few new friends. 

So far, I'd have to say it doesn't feel much different than big crime cities back home. I've been in areas that look just fine but I'm advised to be careful anyway because criminals pop out of nowhere and disappear just as quickly. I'll follow the lead of the people who have been here a while and stick to the good areas just like I would in any city back home. I saw these golfers and they're out enjoying the nice Caracas weather. There's also a fence behind them topped with barbed wire. It's a city for cautious living but it is lived in if you know where to be and what to do.

Money

I hear inflation has been crazy this year before my arrival. Below are 2 stacks of 100 bolivar bills which is their highest denomination. This is 20,000 bolivares. It's also about $20. I've eaten for anywhere from $5 to $15 depending on what and where but it takes a big stack of bills to pay for it. I can't wait to get my local bank account setup so I can start using a local debit card instead of this...

Caracas Pictures

I've spent quite a bit of time relaxing in the hotel from an intense week of checking in and working already so I don't feel like a security shut in just yet. It does hamper my ability to take photos since I'm not very mobile yet without a car. Caracas is in a valley surrounded by mountains and it's full of beautiful views and generally good temperatures. It's the rainy season with scattered thunderstorms but I haven't been rained on yet. They always seem to be "over there" instead. It's really nice with the clouds on the tops of the mountains even when they're storm clouds. Here's a few photos I've managed to take until I can get out more: