Venezuela - tank of gasoline for $ 1 Bashny.Net

Olga SHESTAKOVA

The extraordinary friendship between the two distant countries - Belarus and Venezuela - all growing stronger. Hugo Chavez visited Belarus more than once, an oil tanker arrived, and dozens of our compatriots is now live and work there: agrotowns erect, build factories, even the oil is produced.

We wondered how they live there in Venezuela. Our interlocutor has lived and worked in Venezuela for almost six months, from November 2009 to March 2010. He managed to get on the biggest construction sites in the Belarusian and Venezuelan companies, in Caracas and in the hinterland away from the Venezuelan coast.

- It's a different world. Not good or bad, but simply - a completely different! - This is the main conclusion. - And now I tell you the order.

30 year-round, and instead of RAVEN - vultures

When I arrived, the first shock was - stifling heat. Almost all year round in Venezuela 30 - 35 degrees, and comes to 40 in December, a little less - about 28 - 32 degrees.

But this heat is transferred easily because of the low humidity. Every day at 6 am on the street already light, and at 7 pm - dark. Equator! The sun rises and sets in almost one and the same time all year round.

I have long thought that the smell in the air? .. The smell of gasoline, fuel oil, asphalt ... And then I realized - it is oil, it is just everywhere. Oil in the country a huge amount, Caracas stands on oil, it lies at a shallow depth from a few to tens of meters under the ground. In Venezuela, extracted a lot of oil, but does not seem to even explored half of all that they have.

Outside the city are a huge number of parrots. But there is almost no cats - they do not like, do not keep the house. Instead, there are crows vultures, they circle over the city and look out for carrion scum.

Still a lot of snakes. Iguanas are worn! There, these lizards are not like we used to see - a lazy, frozen creature. They are worn at high speed and on the ground, and on vertical surfaces.

Beach

IN ARMED motorcyclists driving around Caracas

In the city a high crime rate, it is true. There are slums next to the palace. Although palaces, of course, surrounded by a fence. Officially, according to the 2006 Census, in Caracas, about 2, 8 million people. But even a few million (or rather no one will be able to count) lives in slums, called "barrio" or "ranch". Small, very crowded, remind such "swallows' nests along the mountains. Most without glasses, almost all with bars on the windows. In such a "house", usually have to climb a stairs from one to another. Most of these buildings are illegal, but the police preferred not to appear there.

Carrying weapons officially banned, but you get the "trunk" for a very reasonable amount - not a problem.

High unemployment and low living standards is the reason that a lot of drug addicts in the country.

In large cities, the scourge - motorcyclists, bikers. Black jacket, black glasses, hard hats, similar to the Nazi WWII, motorcycles, plus weapons. They attack and instantly disappear. May threaten gun at traffic lights can go and grab a bag. Typical episode: thugs in broad daylight block the street car in the middle of the road, and while the vehicles are in a huge traffic jam, motorcyclists rode and cleaned of all: money, wallets, jewelry, phones, computers ...

With these it is best not to argue, and immediately give. All remember how Belarusian translator was killed because of what is not given immediately laptop. Such is the bandit shot him and disappeared.

so look "barrio" - poor neighborhoods in Caracas.




GASOLINE CHEAP BUT MACHINE - DEAR

Machines in Venezuela many roads - 4 - 6 bands (they are called here autopista). And many - jeeps, huge, unbelievable that eat gallons of gasoline. But he kopek: fill the tank costs $ 1 - 2.

But the machines are very expensive, because of import duties. Therefore, the machine "kills" to the last. A "kill" it is not difficult, the road virtually no controls. Few people observe traffic rules on the roads almost find no police, no cops. They appear only in the event of an accident or to razrulit plug in the city, although they, like road signs, little attention.

And along the road - heaps of rubbish, simply thrown out of the windows of cars, a lot of not caring about the environment.

ON THE 15TH ANNIVERSARY OF GIRL CAN GIVE NEW BUST

Women in Venezuela are low, the majority - about 160 centimeters. They are quite unlike Belarusians. The blood of Venezuelans of different races and ethnic groups: Spaniards, Portuguese, local Indians, blacks, Southeast Asia ... very particular appearance. Venezuelan can come to work, taking with him a change of clothes. Half a day was like, clothes seem stale, went and changed!

For girls the most important day of birth, when she was 15 years old - is a transition from childhood to adolescence, a very serious celebration. It is celebrated with great ceremony, called a lot of guests ... this birthday for a long time save money. It is very common, desirable and prestigious is, if parents give money to her daughter ... breast enlargement surgery. Here it is worth about $ 1,000 - one of the lowest tariffs in the world. At first glance - about half of the women in Caracas - with reworked feeding. Impressive, certainly.

In general, the Venezuelans may seem at first glance passive. Little wonder little read, somewhere to go ... Restaurants them - is mostly fast food establishments or self-employed. In the evening, most restaurants are empty, and the streets in the evenings there is no one - it is dangerous. Exception - youth discos, but central street, where a lot of people all day and most of all, to you no one will jump out of the corner. Listen reggaeton and merengue styles. Stars but unknown to us the local name is Jennifer Lopez, Shakira, Enrique Iglesias ... They like to listen to rock and go: the stadiums were newly concerts Metallica and Guns'n'Roses, they were sold out, and then there were many broken cars around after . Fans are the same everywhere.

Venezuelans do not invite home pending. By the way, in a fairly typical Venezuelan apartment for middle-class families - unusual for us to plan: one room of about 20 square meters. m - this is a common living room, and on the perimeter of another 3 - 4 small rooms, on 6 - 8 squares.

Venezuelans in the majority, except compulsory here in high school basic English (Level "read and translate with a dictionary"), no language known. Spanish vernacular is called castellano. Of course, not knowing it would be here in isolation. Exceptions are good hotels there speak English, understand and help.

Beach Caracolito (translates roughly as Ulitochka), one of the favorite holiday destinations of Venezuelans and tourists.



Devaluation HELD FOR ONE NIGHT

Bolivar devalued overnight January 9, 2010, and the dollar rate was two: 2, 6 bolivars per US dollar for transactions that are considered a priority for the Government, and 4, 3 Bolivar - for all others.

Prior to that, the bolivar against the dollar was 2, 15. So, the national currency depreciated by 17% and 50%. While the black market exchange rate jumps greatly, and in the spring reached 7 bolivars to the dollar.

Of course, the stores immediately began cranking prices. Chavez gave the order, "walked" on them, and a few days after the devaluation "for unjustified overstatement" price closed 619 stores across the country.

By the way, they have an amazing coin denominations of 12, 5 cents, it appeared after the denomination in 1000 to 1 in 2008.

Do not be late for work - received the award

Conventional hard workers get (in terms of the real exchange rate) $ 400 per month, 800 - this is above average, the salary of one thousand dollars - it's very good. Social aid - somewhere around $ 200 a month.

Health care - social, free medicine. Secondary education - compulsory and free.

Trade unions protect workers in full. Extra hour worked - pay double. If a person has worked for five days and did not receive a reprimand, not too late, she is not asleep - he was supposed to award the good work in the form of paid-sixth of the day!

In addition, work is issued about $ 3 for a meal every day, by the employer, it is called a cesta ticket.

LUNCH washed down with cola

Alcohol is sold in Venezuela to 21.00. Venezuelans drink Beer light, easy. Dark is almost impossible to find. Whiskey, rum and Coke necessarily diluted.

But wine imported from Chile, Argentina, and, interestingly, at the price it is - almost like we apparently because of import duties.

It is funny that all the beer in cans at 0, 25 and 0, 33 liters. Why? .. Because then drink only beer is very cold, and in fact it is heated instantly! Here and sell in quantities that do not have time to warm up before you drink them.

Apples are several times more expensive than the mango. Just like strawberries, peaches, plums ... That is what it does not grow. By the way, cucumbers they - muck rare, with a thick skin, watery, like zucchini.

On the table there are Venezuelan "Russian salad" - is something a la vinaigrette, chopped Only very large pieces. Seafood - fresh, cheap, is always and everywhere. But rather poor Venezuelans while often eat rice and potatoes with chicken and washed down with Coke. And the eyes get fat.

THAT HOW MUCH?

Tomatoes, mandarins mango - $ 1 - 2 per kg.

Tuna, dorado - 1 - $ 2. Per kg. On the beach for 4 - $ 5. You will be served a bowl of finished seafood, very different and very tasty.

Meat - $ 5. Per kg.

Delicate smoked sirloin - $ 14 - 15 kg.

Sparkling wine - about $ 10.

Beer (0, 33) - 0, $ 5.

A bottle of whiskey 0, 7 is 5 - $ 7. Local or 10 - $ 15. Scottish.

Great fresh baguette - 1/6 dollar.

In Venezuela, the word "Negro" is not a dirty word, it's just a black man whom the majority there. Negro - he, negra - she said. The girl on the shirt can be written - "I love my nigger" about.

But it is a very bad word "Indian." Just hear this conversation, my eyes fill with blood. It's like a "savage».

Most use the word culo - «ass", "ass", "ass", it is not obscene or abusive, so in conversations with each other guys can be called Woman, "How's your culo doing?". This is generally a favorite place on the body, the woman regarded with such "family" forms. In general, the farther away from the cities, the villages, the girls soon formed, and at age 14 Pregnancy is not surprising.

Source: