The life of a Russian in Venezuela (10 dollars is a lot of money)

Few people are willing to take an abrupt turn in their lives, even if they are not satisfied with what they have. For that very reason, we love anyone who has decided to make a big change. For example, a Russian boy who went to the other side of the Earth, to the country where they line up to buy food and they make bags with banknotes that are no longer worth, but enjoy the sun and the beach all year, having fun in carnivals and seeking joy in the simplest of things.

At the awesome.club We read with great interest the stories of Vladimir, a user of social networks, who risked emigrating to Venezuela and about whom we are going to tell a little about his life.

I was 27, earning enough, but like many people, I dreamed of moving somewhere with lots of sun and beach. Finally, I went to Venezuela. I have lived here for 8 years, I have a small business (food import and export). I like 350 days of sunshine a year, no hurricanes, no rainy season, with a gentle breeze and 27ºC all year round.

I live in a small seaside town where absolutely nothing happens. His name is El Cardón. Living by the sea is a little tiring. First, the sound of the waves. You can’t get rid of it! Secondly, if I use any electronic gadget on the terrace of my house, it lasts for 3-4 months because of the salt. He eats absolutely everything: laptops, phones, appliances… So these are fixed expenses.

Gasoline is almost free here, and it costs next to nothing to buy an old American car: I love vehicles like that, I own a 1961 Cadillac and a 1979 Dodge.

Every morning the fishing boats bring in fresh fish, squid and other sea creatures that you can buy direct from the fishermen, or at a small fish market. I got used to taking morning walks there.

As I walk, the feeling of stability doesn’t leave me. Just like yesterday, a year ago and even five years ago, the street smells of freshly made arepas, fishermen take their catch home, and short-route buses pass, disturbing the morning peace with their screeching exhaust mufflers. For breakfast, I eat a meat, chicken or fish empanada and have an aromatic coffee in the dining room at Dona Zuli, on the beach.

Every day I get up at 7 am and go to the beach. This one. You can sometimes see a giant tortoise here. But only on occasion.

There are many places for entertainment on the island: cinema, concerts, bars, restaurants. And there’s a water park right next to my house. Prices are quite affordable. Diving, spearfishing — nothing is missing here. Well, if you prefer to fish, as I do… You can find tuna weighing 60 kg, barracudas, dorado 50 kg. I have a little boat so I can stock up on fruit
from the sea any day.

Cheap cold beer, lobster, fish and rum made me gain about 40 kg of extra weight… However, lately I have made it easier to fight obesity, because in 2017 the crisis started in Venezuela. This paradise ended unexpectedly: one million percent inflation, the National Guard registering businessmen in search of speculative goods, crime. Prices have gone up on the roof. Gasoline, meat and rum are the only things that are still cheap.

How is life in the country now? I would describe it in one word: wild! I don’t live in a private development, so having a gun at home is a necessity. This revolver is on my nightstand. But I’m not afraid to walk the streets: I have a large collection of flip-flops and shorts. Flip flops, shorts, credit card… Dress like that doesn’t interest anyone.

I can’t imagine life without WhatsApp in this country. You can only call the police or the doctor by a personal number or by chat. Through chats, information is distributed about where products are sold, such as sugar or chicken, which have become scarce. There’s nowhere to buy eggs, so I started raising chickens. They messed up the whole terrace and the cleaning lady asked for a pay raise from 60 to 80 dollars a month, which I thought was theft. In the end, we agreed to give him 4 dozen eggs. In the photo, the queue to buy them.

And here is the rarest and most expensive plant product on the island. Yes, that’s right… the onion. And beets are 10 times more expensive than oranges.

Yes, yes, yes… This is equivalent to 10 dollars in Venezuelan bolivars. The average salary on Margarita Island is around 30 dollars a month.

Because of hyperinflation, bolivars have turned into paper and Venezuelans make purses out of banknotes… Like these.

Carnival is celebrated in El Cardón! Here, of course, it’s not like in Rio de Janeiro, but the moments of carnival, for the residents, are like a breath of fresh air. How is carnival in a
village? It is a parade led by the mayor, which follows the main street. Our mayor is the woman
in the red hat that distributes the free sweets, and they cause even more emotion than the “Queens of the Neighborhood”.

And of course, here are the queens.

And this is the same King Momo, in whose honor all carnivals are celebrated.

Venezuela itself closes the parade!

Venezuela is a country where time has stopped. Life in Margarita goes without haste and turmoil, without self-centeredness or vanity. Well, when the island is full of tourists, I take this ferry and go to the neighboring island of Coche. I trust she can handle the trip.

And you, would you dare to emigrate to another country?