Just so happens there is a very pretty young lady that has invited me to her city of Guayanas in Venezuela... and despite the fact that she seems exactly what I want in life... well, like you I value my life and so have decided not to go. Would rather she come here to Panama where the situation is very stable and non threatening to we from the USA.I'm considering a visit to Venezuela to learn about the situation there first hand. Obviously, I don't want a "government sponsored" guided tour. On the other extreme, I don't have a death wish. I was thinking of entering at the Brazilian border and going to the town of Santa Elena de Uairen. If things don't look too dangerous, get on a bus on Route 10, being observant, until Ciudad Guayana, where the national crisis has hit full force. I suspect Santa Elena isn't representative because it can be fully supplied from Brazil, albeit at exorbitant prices for a Venezuelan, more than likely with non-regulated items. The thought is to take a "look, don't touch" mentality and learn as much about the crisis as possible, truth, not government propaganda. That includes being prepared to demonstrate that my reason for being there is to learn, not interfere (as tempting as that may be).
Amen to that!Just so happens there is a very pretty young lady that has invited me to her city of Guayanas in Venezuela... and despite the fact that she seems exactly what I want in life... well, like you I value my life and so have decided not to go. Would rather she come here to Panama where the situation is very stable and non threatening to we from the USA.
If I was going in a group and knew I could be armed, maybe I would make the journey, as all life is a risk and I have taken such risks when I was younger and survived just fine. Being a redhead I was an easily identifiable target almost anywhere out of the Western world I chose to go... now that I am older I am still easily identifiable and more of a target with age, so am not gonna chance it.
But I too am interested and know I cannot trust modern media to tell me the real story. I made a similar trip in the past to Nicaragua like you, to find out for myself what the actual situation was.
As an aside: Had I listened to media, family and friends I would hardly ever have gone much of any place... so good luck whichever decision you make.
Amen to that!
That's why I'm seriously looking at Cuba ...
Amen to that!
That's why I'm seriously looking at Cuba ...
I'm not really thinking danger with Cuba, but at getting there before the corps, banks, hotels, and tourists Americanize the damn place! :dohCuba is no big deal, just know where the dividing line is between being deported versus incarcerated. Saying the Castro brothers are dictators might get you deported, distributing literature obtained from the Cuba Libre movement would get you incarcerated. If you really want to "poke the grizzly bear", the following would fit the (hand)bill.
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Keep any US currency well hidden, I would imagine someone trying to kill you for it would not be too unlikely in certain areas. Although that is probably how you will have to buy things no matter where you are. Check in with the US embassy in Venezuela and any consulate so the US government knows where you are. I do not know if the US has any arrangements with other countries like Canada does with the UK where you can get consular services at a British embassy in an emergency but if the US does know where those embassies and consulates are as well.
Actually the US still has both consulates and an embassy in Venezuela https://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/country/venezuela.html the rest of the page is worth looking at also. I never go anywhere without checking the FCO's (our equivilent of the state department) advice first.
I knew that. I was talking about Canada's and any other commonwealth nation's arrangement with the UK. For example if a Canadian embassy does not exist in the country or I am unable to reach the Canadian embassy I can get consular services from the UK embassy. I do not know if the US has similar arrangements.
I'm considering a visit to Venezuela to learn about the situation there first hand. Obviously, I don't want a "government sponsored" guided tour. On the other extreme, I don't have a death wish. I was thinking of entering at the Brazilian border and going to the town of Santa Elena de Uairen. If things don't look too dangerous, get on a bus on Route 10, being observant, until Ciudad Guayana, where the national crisis has hit full force. I suspect Santa Elena isn't representative because it can be fully supplied from Brazil, albeit at exorbitant prices for a Venezuelan, more than likely with non-regulated items. The thought is to take a "look, don't touch" mentality and learn as much about the crisis as possible, truth, not government propaganda. That includes being prepared to demonstrate that my reason for being there is to learn, not interfere (as tempting as that may be).
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