Venezuela
I was in Venezuela last week. Something special happened. No, it is not only that I was able to see my beloved girl; it is not that the free software community and free software efforts and project rock. No, something very personal and special. I arrived at Maiquetía (roughly, international airport of Caracas) from Maracaibo around 9 pm. At around 10 or 10:30 I was on my way to the hotel on a van where they pick up and down people on the airport-hotel-airport basis. I was waiting for my early flight to Mexico City the next day (on Sunday, at 8 am). On our way to the hotel, I asked a lady sitting next to me: “So, how far away from Maiquetía is Caracas?”. “Around 40 or 45 minutes”, she said. Ah, nice, next time I come to Venezuela I definitively should go to Caracas, I thought. ”You’re Mexican, aren’t you?”. “Yes”, smiling. “I’m going to Mexico tomorrow”, she said, also smiling. “Are you in the Mexicana 8 am flight?”, I asked, being curious. And she was. We talked a bit more and apparently she was coming also from Maracaibo on my same flight, now that’s a coincidence. “It is my first time in Mexico tomorrow”, so it was mine in Venezuela. Arriving to the hotel, we checked in and went to rooms. On the morning, at the next day, I found her on the hotel-airport van again. I thougth she was going to be already on the hotel, specially since I was late for almost an hour, but no, she was there. “So we are late, eh?”, she asked me. “I think so”. After exhausting militar revision (four times, with four different soldiers: Political relationship between Mexico and Venezuela is not healthy nowadays), I documented my baggage. The lady was in the executive line and I was with mortals. She was pregnat, also. The lady on the desk gave the boarding pass (at that point we were supposed to be already on the gate, one hour before time) and pointed me another desk where I was supposed to pay airport taxes. Now, that is scary, since I was not carrying too much on bills or coins. I arrived to the desk: “how much is it?”. “105’000 bolívares”, around 50 USD. God dammit, I was only carrying 45’000 and my credit cards are broken. At that sudden time, I was already thinking I should be spending a couple more days to get that fucking cash and pay for the change of flight, etc. Or… I could ask for help to the lady. What do I lose if she says no? - Mrs, I have a real problem, and I need help. Anyway, I will truly understand if you are not able to do it, but I’d much appreciated it.- What happen? - I need to borrow 60’000 Bs from you, please, please. I don’t have enough to pay for the taxes and my credit cards are completely broken, I didn’t think on taxes when spending money on anything else before.- Don’t worry, let’s go to the ATM. There. There I go. That completely unknown nice lady helping me to not lose my flight. - But I have to go first to a Internet center to make a transaction online to be able to get cash from the ATM.- Yeah, of course, I’ll go with you- What else could I do? She took the cash off and went together again to the taxes desk. She gave me the money and we both paid. Only 15 or 20 minutes were left for the flight to departure and we were trying to do things fast. Fortunately, we both did it since more cops and soldiers were making inspections just on the airplane’s door. When she was on the line I went to the phone booths to make a call home. - Mom, I need you to bring 300 pesos when you go pick me up to the airport. Long story.- No problem. And the lady was not there anymore, I was unable to see her again (probably because she was on executive or because she was an angel :-). When we landed, I didn’t see her again on the plane, in the lines, in the police line, etc. I have no idea how that happened, but it happened. She will be awarded with twins :) She was wearing a David’s shield on her neckless, by the way.
