Venezuela 2023
 

Hi all,

I just wanted to add some information on Venezuela because It can be hard to find. You can check these guys out who did all the countries in South America. You can find their post on Venezuela.

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100055717486945

Currently I am doing the same route more or less in Venezuela.

Just a few tips if you are entering from Brazil.

1. From the border until close to Ciudad Guayana there are no gasoline stations. Fill your tank in the border. You can find gasoline everywhere there on the street on bottles, but be prepared to pay 3-4 dollars per litre. After that is not a problem, you can find everywhere with a fixed price of 0.5 dollars

2. No cards accepted until the same city, and the nearest town to get money from an ATM is, I think, Boa Vista in Brazil. There is a place in pacaraima where a guy can charge your card and give you cash, with a 10% charge.

3. Getting money out is a pain, you can't use ATMs. Probably you have to do the same trick as in pacaraima. I managed to get money from western union, but only with a help of a friend that I made here, because they won't let people without a Venezuelan ID pick up cash.

4. Revolut also doesn't work, they block all the transactions from revolut side (f***ers). All other cards works though, especially once you get to the most touristic places, west of Barcelona. You can always make online payments through if you want no problem, in Airbnb and PedidosYa if you are sort on cash.

That's all I think. In general people are super friendly and want to help in any way possible. Just have enough money for gasoline and you should be fine. I speak a bit of broken Spanish though.

Of course exercise caution as in any country in the south America.

Oh, and the seguros agent for the motorcycle in the border doesn't work on weekends. They won't let you pass without one. If you have some international that mentions Venezuela you probably can make it, but I would recommend to buy after crossing one here two. They drive quite crazy. In general it's better to pass until Friday I think

Inside vs Tourista
 

Many have no plate on their bikes here, neither do I - but I am waiting of course as I paid the taxes etc and all is fine. I think the license plate is in the making... I wait now over two years, but the first word you learn is "patiencia".

Of course there are lawyers and they promised me to get it for anything between 1500 and 2000 USD... but would you invest in sunken costs?

Does anyone care?
Yeah, I did in the beginning, but nobody else. I do not cross borders though - so I am in prison, but it is a nice one.


No petrol problem. The last "dry season" I remember was, when The Donald kidnapped the Iranian tankers and stole the oil (i.e. my petrol).


Cash.
I pay my shoppings with Visa, so I can survive staying with the supermercados. Outside USD are needed or I use a Vene card called Punto (Bolivares).

So how do I fill up my Vene card or how do I get USD in my hands?
It is called magic!
I send an info to a Venezuelan I need Bolivares on the Punto account or USD in my hand, he sends the rate and a account no. in EU, I fill that account and he fills mine or sends a motorbiker with some greenbacks.

Might take a week or ten days and when he forgot, I send another message...