TRAVERSE 141
TRAVEL - VENEZUELA
MARIA SCHUMACHER
WELCOMED AMONGST DANGER
“
We can always just turn around , if it is too bad …”
We had met many
Venezuelans in Colombia , and their eyes always lit up with pride and memories of their country when we mentioned we might visit it . Online reports of a humanitarian crisis with hunger , hyperinflation , sanctions and petrol shortages , and Colombians warning us that it was too dangerous , begged to be taken seriously . Many curious travellers were asking about safety on the forums , but few had actually been and could answer the question . Then we heard from a rider we ’ d met in Panama . He was already there , and he swore we ’ d absolutely love it .
That settled it . Unsure if our bank cards would work in Venezuela , we planned a two-week route and took as much cash as we dared carry in small denomination US dollars and Colombian pesos . We filled up our canisters with spare petrol and headed for the border .
After full closure in 2019 , the border had only just reopened in September 2022 . The crossing was bustling with people carrying huge bags , and cars disappearing under piles of household goods that are in short supply in Venezuela . We joined the queue , but a friendly border officer pulled us back out . Since we needed our Colombian temporary import documents closed , we would have to cross at the new border to the north , where the relevant office was located .
The northern border was modern and blissfully quiet and before long we rolled to the Venezuelan side where they simply stamped us in at the barrier and told us to buy insurance “ over there ” before returning to the other border for our Venezuelan temporary import permit for the bikes . All we found over there was an old sign pointing to a residential area . A friendly
TRAVERSE 141