A casual conversation about Venezuela
By Aleksander Boyd
London 11.01.06 | Went to the travel agency this morning to purchase a ticket to Venezuela. What follows is an approximation to a conversation I had with the travel agent.
Me: good morning, have you got any offers to Margarita Island?
Travel agent (TA): good morning, let me just check. We've got some good deals to Caracas at the moment though, starting at £430. To Porlamar will cost you £520.
Me: mmm... the problem you see, is that there's no access to Caracas from the international airport.
TA: how do you mean?
Me: well, the main road that communicates Caracas with the international airport has got a bridge that's about to collapse and the authorities have taken the precautionary measure of closing it.
TA: you have got to be jocking me.
Me: I'm affraid I'm not.
TA: so you mean the main road between the country's largest city and the international airport is closed?
Me: indeed.
TA: my goodness. What's the government doing about it?
Me: they've said that they will build another bridge.
TA: How long that will take?
Me: that's anybody's guess.
TA: isn't that chap, what's its name, Chavez improving pretty much everything in the country though?
Me: indeed, especially the roads.
TA: we haven't been informed about any of this.
Me: don't expect the BBC or The Guardian to do it...
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