San Cristobal

Day 111, Oct 21, 2013, 304km

I was out like a light bulb and slept like a log if that is possible. When I woke it was almost 9 and that never happens to me. I now also realize that I have no more cash, so it will have to be some left over cola with 1 granola bar for breakfast, a travelers culinary delight (or so I keep on telling myself).

There is a toilet in the closet with no seat and a pipe with a valve on it sticking out the wall with no shower head and no sink. Trying to stay positive  I’m thinking this is great you can shower and take a dump all at the same time, just my kind of place super efficient.

It's already 10 as I head out but will need some cash soon because my fill up from yesterday is already flashing empty. After an hour I'm getting nervous and that's when I see a sign with airport 1km written on it, thinking there has to be a ATM or some kind of money exchange going on, so with relieve I head to the airport but only to find this small building with one ATM that won't give me any money and the other ATM showing on the screen “choose your boot device”.

Are you kidding me this is it, I ask around and everyone is saying the same no money exchange, I'm now becoming desperate so I head to the restaurant and ask the guy at the cash if he would be willing to change some US cash to Bolivars if I have something to eat, thank god he agrees, so now I get some food and cash all at the same time (theme of the day).

Venezuela is great when it comes to having to fill your gas tank, yesterday's 18ltr. did cost a whopping 1.25Bs or about 20cents US and today it did cost nothing because when I was at the pump the attendant points up at the ceiling that have these scanning panels hanging on it and says to me that I need a something or other to make the pump work. That's when a military truck pulls up behind me and the guy in the truck signals that I put my bike behind his truck so that it can be filled. Okay I understand and thinking that they will restart the pump but no the attendant after filling the truck comes to me and fills it up without stopping, I ask how much and the guys waves back nada, now isn’t that great.

Made it to San Cristobal and will head back to Colombia.

Donkeys on the road with goods to some remote village.