To sauce or not to sauce....definitely no contest here!

Since I've been living here in Caracas, I have found that there are foods from home that I miss, as happens every time I travel. However, sauces are most certainly not a part of this list. Sauces are varied and abundant: I've never even heard of some of them!

I went to one of the Calle de Hambre (literally, "Hunger Street"), where there used to be lines of hot dog, hamburger and other fast food carts. In the last few years, there have been many improvements and now there are actual restaurants instead of the carts. I went into one of the restaurants with some friends and got to experience the best of the best, all potentially covered in 1,000 different sauces.

Auto Lunch Adriana- your friends' hamburgers!

The sauces that were out on our table when we arrived- were they enough to satisfy us?

He says "¡sí!"

This hot dog brings new meaning to getting it with the works! You don't even need to get french fries because it comes with potato chips already on it.

This stuff smelled like liquid popcorn with extra butter...

My hamburger had a ridiculous number of toppings- bean sprouts, egg, tomato, lettuce, cheese and I don't even know what else! But it was quite tasty.

After a hearty meal, my Rotary counselor, Katy, and I were quite content to show off the additional sauces we could've used if the ones on our table weren't enough.

If you'd like it to rain...

Update on the heat: I have actually gotten goosebumps from the chilly air both in the morning and at night since I wrote the last blog entry (it finally rained a little, cleaned the air a bit and cooled off slightly after sundown)...


DISCLAIMER: The link below is for entertainment purposes and in no way am I expressing my dislike or support for the current government. I simply found this entry funny, about how to finally get it to rain here in Venezuela. This entry has nothing to do with the government, but rather with Murphy's Law.


Along the same lines, when I was searching for a modern-day rain dance or something of the like, I found this: a surefire method for getting it to rain!

If you can't stand the heat...

Bet you thought I was going to say "get out of the kitchen," didn't you?

Unfortunately, it's hot everywhere in Caracas, even outside the kitchen. According to my weather widget on my desktop, it's been in the 90s for at least the past three weeks or maybe month. Most people I've talked to back home have told me how lucky I am that it's warm here, that it's still snowing/raining/sleeting still, etc. Then I tell them how hot it is. They are no longer jealous.

Why is this heat such a big deal?

First of all, it's making everyone irritable. Even the stray dog down the street was irritable the other day and came after me on the way to class. There have been electricity consumption limits put into place everywhere in the country, which means that although the temperatures have been sky-high, the air conditioners in most places are being turned off or way down, as well as some elevators and most escalators.

In addition, there have been extensive problems with the subway system lately. I can't really speculate as to why exactly there are such delays (I do however know that the sauna-like conditions inside some of the subway cars are because they are raising the temperature on the air-conditioning to lower energy consumption and that, combined with an excessive number of passengers, it makes things quite steamy), but I have heard that it has to do with electrical problems and on several occasions I know for a fact that it was for a more morbid reason I'd rather not get into. So everyone packs into the cars with little regard for the comfort of those around them because we've all got places to be. One morning before class the situation was so bad that I had to wait for 4 trains to pass before being able to get into the 5th. Maybe 2 people could get into each car every time one train came, and there was a delay between trains.

It's been so hot and dry that El Ávila, the beautiful mountain range we have to the north of the city went up in flames in several different parts on different days recently. I watched the flames for hours from a friend's apartment and, because of the drought, a small helicopter flew over with water only two times that day/night. The smoke covered the whole city with a grey cloud of ash.

A sad, sad sight I hope not to see again.

Also because of the lack of rain and excessive heat (apparently the heat we've been experiencing the last few weeks isn't normal, even for the native Caracans), the valley has been unable to purify its air. I've been told that the air from Caracas gets "recycled" every day and fresh air comes through because of the winds (I'm no scientist, so if anyone would like to explain this concept to me, please do!). However, lately this hasn't been happening and this grey cloud of pollution hasn't gone away, even though the mountain is no longer burning.

I usually arrive home sweaty and hot, wanting to take 5 showers a day (no worries, I don't- after all, there's a water shortage!) and exhausted. I sometimes have to wash clothes I've only worn for the morning or afternoon because of the condition in which I arrive home.

Are you starting to see how this could make someone irritable? I've definitely had my moments lately. I actually started to feel nostalgia for the icy temperatures of Cleveland in January. I've joked that on some days, it's so hot that the idea of rolling around in the snow in a bathing suit sounds just great to me!

So what does one do when it's so hot that even the stinky, warm breeze of the incoming subway train feels refreshing? Well, here is how I've gotten through it:

1) Never underestimate the power of a fan, especially when your bedroom doesn't have a window. Enough said.

2) COLD water. Enough said.

3) COLD water with Nestea powder mixed in it.

4) Laughing at the things that are out of the ordinary or just plain don't make sense!

Chacao police on Segways!

5) Air-conditioned belly-dance classes, museums and outdoor nighttime yoga sessions (soon to start!)

6) Talking to people in cold climates while drinking Nestea.

7) Spending time with friends- they always distract me from the fact that I'm roasting! :-)

Out with friends at the Hard Rock Cafe.

8) I know which side of the street is going to be shady at any given time of day. Enough said.

9) Reading something interesting (or required for class the next day, either one will make me sit still for awhile, which helps me cool off).

10) Opening up all windows and doors in the apartment and standing in the cross-breeze.

11) COLD showers (plus I'm saving energy by not using the water heater!)

12) Rolling around in clay/mud (you know, like the elephants do!). Nope, not kidding!

Told you I wasn't kidding! At a natural clay deposit at La Sabana, a beach close to Caracas. As seen by my expression, this is a very strange concept to me.

Man, I'm hot. I think I'd better take my own advice, drink some COLD water and remain as immobile as possible (i.e. go to bed :) ). Until next time, here's hoping you're enjoying whatever climate you're in right now. I know that, in spite of everything, I'm still having a great time!

Political Marches in Caracas- Red or White?

Disclaimer: The opinions represented here are my personal views on current events here, and not necessarily those of Rotary International or the Rotary Foundation .

On January 23, 2010, two very different political marches took place. January 23 is an important date in Venezuelan history, as it was the day that the dictatorial regime of Marcos Pérez Jiménez (1952-1958) was overthrown. Fifty-two years have passed since then. Venezuelans from all parts of the country flocked to Caracas to show their support for the Chávez-led government or to march for changes to the current system.

The first of the marches, described as the "Red Tide," was made up of government supporters dressed in red. I was not present at this march, which happened simultaneously in a different part of town than the opposition march, for a few reasons. First, in this march they were celebrating no longer being under a dictatorship and forming part of the current socialist revolution, which aims to rid the country of imperialistic influences (such as the USA). Since I am from the US and tensions tend to be high at events such as these, it was in my best interest to stay far from the march. In addition, I recieved an email from the US Embassy in Caracas advising me to stay away.

I went with a group to observe the other march, a peaceful protest against some of the current government's policies. Unfortunately, many marchers were not permitted to enter Caracas (especially anti-government marchers) and their buses were forced to turn around and return to the city from which they had come. The slogan for this march was "Chávez, you're outta here!", a baseball reference. According to this article, the slogan came from a baseball game in Valencia in which students had it written on a sign and the National Guard confiscated the sign and jailed two of the students. Throughout the march's route, there were quite a few policemen and other security officers, which didn't help the already high tensions (if you're working as a policeman or are in the military, it is assumed that you are a government supporter) in the opposition march. Also, a government helicopter circled over the march a few times, which led to loud protests. I asked a friend why they were yelling at the helicopter and he explained that when there is a pro-government march or event, helicopters are not allowed to fly over them. However, since this was an opposition march, the same rules were not followed.

Policemen along the side of the road watching the march.

The morning was extremely hot and humid and the majority of the opposition marchers wore hats and white shirts (representing peace). I was glad to be wearing a neutral green shirt so as not to be considered part of either group.

Since pictures are worth a thousand words, here is the march as seen through my camera.

Government propaganda above the subway station, which was right along the route of the march. "Thanks to President Chávez they can travel safely in the dignity car" (the first car of every subway train is designated for pregnant women, senior citizens and persons with disabilities).

"You, Chávez, are outta here!" (or "have struck out").

Some of the marchers.

More of the marchers.

"As a Venezuelan, I demand decent public services: drinking water, electricity, public hygiene, safety, employment. I demand respect..."

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"Freedom is a right, not an option."

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"This isn't life. Every day more Venezuelans die as victims of violence before the indifference of the government. We want to live in peace!"

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"No more power outages"

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"3 Strikes: lights, water, electricity. President, you're outta here!"

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This video is of a Chávez supporter (the man in the red shirt, waving the red flag) walking through a shopping center right by where the anti-government march ended. I was shocked that this man would intentionally put himself in the middle of this situation. It could've very easily become violent. You can see towards the middle of the video a part where he gets into an argument with an anti-chavista woman.