Y así empieza...

My name is Karen Varga and I am a Rotary Foundation Ambassadorial Scholar from Rotary District 6630 representing the Rotary Club of Cleveland, Ohio. I will study International Relations at the Universidad Central de Venezuela in Caracas during the 2009-2010 school year.

Today was my second day in Caracas, Venezuela. It's difficult for me to find the words to describe my adventure so far, but I'll try my best.

I arrived into the Simón Bolívar International Maiquetia yesterday, after about 12 hours of overnight travel. By the time I got to the Caracas airport, I was tired (although not nearly as exhausted as I anticipated being), hungry and getting a little nervous, especially going through Immigration. I was sure I filled something out wrong or that I was going to face some kind of anti-American sentiment. One of the reasons that I wanted to come to Venezuela was to find out what the general Venezuelan opinion of the USA is, and to see how they view Americans. Much to my relief, I had no problems in Immigration or Customs. I was both surprised and glad to see an airport security guard checking the baggage stickers we were given against the tags affixed to our suitcases. There were also a few security guards at various points around the luggage carousel. I felt fairly safe.

Probably the most interesting part of the airport was waiting for my bags at the luggage carousel. There was an employee whose only job seemed to be to catch the bags as they came down the first conveyor belt and flip them so that the name stickers were up and they would travel down the conveyor belts without falling out or hitting people.

My friend Elio's parents, Elio Miguel and Mirna were waiting for me outside the gate and it was very reassuring to see the sign with my name on it, with two smiling people behind it. My first thought when I got outside was "If the weather is always like this in Caracas, I'm going to be miserable!" However, they explained to me that since Caracas was about 16 miles away, and at a higher altitude of 2,500-3,000 feet, it didn't get that hot. In fact, some Venezuelans consider Caracas to be chilly (Caracas' average temperature stays in the 70s and 80s) in comparison to other tropical areas that are at sea level. In the two days I've been here, I've found the temperature both days to be quite pleasant all day.

The car ride to the city was enlightening. I saw various forms of pro-government propaganda, as well as some anti-government graffiti. I was thoroughly entertained watching the flow of traffic and the absolute insanity that ensues on the roads leading into and within Caracas. I hope to never have to drive on those streets, however, because I think one must have been brought up here to understand the complicated manuevers that one must make to get to his or her destination. I looked on as the cars parted to let an ambulance get through and was surprised to see a group of well-organized motorcyclists following close behind, taking advantage of the open space behind the ambulance before the cars closed the gap once again. It almost seemed rehearsed. Elio Miguel drove calmly, as if we were on a Sunday afternoon drive, and Mirna chatted with the both of us. They immediately made me feel welcome. Elio Miguel commented that I am arriving into Venezuela at a "crucial moment," because changes are happening quickly, both on a national and international level, and I will experience them firsthand. I am excited to speak with people who have already passed through many of these changes and hear about their personal experiences.

Before we got into the city, we passed through the outskirts of Caracas, best known for their favelas, shantytowns or "barrios." They are poor areas where persons of few resources may live. I have heard that the actual living quarters are poorly built and was astonished by the number of houses and shanties built one on top of each other on the side of the mountain. I hope to speak with more people about these areas to understand them better.

After a few wrong turns and a subsequent scenic tour of Caracas, we arrived at the hotel and I got settled in. Next was a typical Venezuelan breakfast- arepas (a type of fried cornmeal bread shaped like a pita) filled with a variety of foods, from chicken and avocado to cheese to sweet fillings, black beans, fried and scrambled eggs, pulled pork, washed down with amazing fruit juices. I had a ham and cheese arepa with passion fruit juice and enjoyed every bite (see photo above). We ran into a cousin of Elio's, who is also studying at the Universidad Central de Venezuela. He offered to help me get settled into Caracas.

After breakfast we visited a few banks to see if I could open a bank account. Unfortunately (and much to the surprise of Elio Miguel and Mirna), a new requirement has been made that one must be a resident to open a bank account. In another bank, we were told that I also needed to have proof that I had been paying my utility bills in order to prove that I was financially stable. The bank tellers were sympathetic and did all that they could to help me, but said that the changes were on the government level and they had to respect them. I consider this my first taste of the immediate impact that the government's changes are having here. I am not for or against these types of changes, but hope to learn more this year about their positive and negative causes and effects.

That afternoon I was able to meet up with Susan, another Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar living here in Caracas. Rotary International forwarded me her contact information soon after I was assigned to come to Caracas. She has been here since early this year and has been my best source of information, as well as becoming a good friend. She and her husband, Orlando, took me in their 1960s VW Beetle to the local mall to see if I could get a cell phone. I was immediately overwhelmed when we first drove into the parking garage- it was packed and it seemed that there were just as many cars driving around, looking for parking spots. When we got in, I was overwhelmed once again. The mall was 6 or 8 stories high, with a kids blow-up playground in the middle on the ground floor, and every store you could imagine. We only saw parts of 2 floors and I was amazed at the number of people and variety of stores. I saw many familiar fast food places, a few stores that I saw in Spain and other American brands. The cell phone search was quick and I just needed to wait a few hours for my phone to be activated.

The three of us headed out to Altamira to an Italian restaurant and I felt renewed after our terrace dinner. I had been up since 5:15 that morning, so sitting down and having a pleasant dinner with great company was a relief. I finally had the opportunity to ask Susan and Orlando about their experiences in person.

Today I slept in after finding out that I wouldn't meet up with Elio's cousin, Cesar, until this afternoon. I moved to a smaller, cheaper room in the hotel (it's still quite nice) and can finally settle in for the next few days, knowing that I won't have to change rooms again. Cesar came by and took me through the Universidad Central de Venezuela's campus and showed me where my college is located. I felt at home on the campus, especially when Cesar saw some fellow students and we had a lively discussion about world affairs (Cesar is in the undergradate International Studies program, while I will study International Relations on the graduate level). I can't wait to register for classes next week and start going to class the week after. However, I'm not looking forward to the 7AM start time!

We headed to the mall again to find out why my phone won't allow me to call yet and get something to eat. They told me that the systems are down and that my line should be activated by tomorrow night. So no apartment-search calls quite yet.

So far, so good. I'm looking forward to seeing and experiencing everything Caracas has to offer, and meeting my host Rotarians next week.