Advertisement
Published: August 31st 2009
Edit Blog Post
Like a dream!!
So what happened when I got off the boat? Exhausted but relieved to be alive and to somehow be strong enough to face the journey ahead, I stepped off with all 50 lbs or my three bags.
I had been the only blond and only foreigner (so it seemed) on the ferry of several hundred of passengers. As I lugged my life down the dock, it seemed a million faces stared at me. I passed the strange taxi men offering me rides along with their hopeful smiles and prolonged stares.
Where was she?? Where was my friend’s sister? Where was I? Walking around feeling awkward I mustered up the courage to ask someone where the hell they think my friend would be waiting for me. Way beyond the other end of the parking lot I began to march in that direction. And before my very eyes as if sent directly from heaven there she was, a tiny, strong, energetic Venezuelan women holding up a large white sign with red writing with my name on it.
YES!!! My nightmare was over. Home at last!! Marisela, was kind and feisty. A powerful and successful woman, and the
only person on earth that I would find out was more obsessed with exercise than myself. She took me home in her red dodge ram. We pulled into a spectacular gated community situated in a luxurious suburb of Puerta de la Cruz, called Letcheria. I was blown away by the million dollar homes!! The development was new, with mansions spurting up everywhere in front of the golf course. But what surprised me more was the extensive canal system extending from the ocean bay that they had built. You could reach nearly every house by boat! So all the yachties could pull up directly to their homes and park in their “yards”!! It was incredible!!! And right in front of the ocean too!! What a sight! They even had a substantial piece of land (besides the golf course) on which there was a lagoon...
Marisela had a beautiful home, which her architect husband had designed. She was a successful business women, owning several large rental properties and a store that sells Christmas supplies seasonally, just for a little extra travelling cash. Her two sons, Arian and Andre, were impressive young men studying mechanical and chemical engineering in university. They both
played musical instruments and spoke 3 languages (English, Spanish, and Japanease, the former german) as they had gone on 1 year exchange programs during highschool in Japan and Germany, respectively.
I had found myself in heaven. Andre was the singer of two bands and had a full drum kit in his basement! Hahaha! We know what that means!! -AND even before we got home from the ferry terminal Marisela invited me to her dance class. It was free and part of the gated community. YES! She said to me to just forget all my problems, let it go and come and have fun!! Despite my exhaustion and dizziness from landsickness I accompanied her, and the class was TERRIFIC!! Bailotherapy they call it.
The instructor (culo de mentira, as we called him) was a beautiful, well at least his ass was! lol ... hmmmm... he was man slash woman... He had a spectacular body, but I swear he was half women, the face, the eyes, the mannerisms all of woman, and the moves!! Ok so he wasn´t attractive from a heterosexual perspective but wow could he move!! What a dancer, what energy!!
In that moment I felt
it was spectacular to be alive!! Here I was dancing on the border of a beautiful canal. The strong tropical evening wind streaming through my hair. My hands flying, my body jumping and spinning, my heart singing to the rhythm of the music! What energy!! What a change from the fearsome, dreary morning, on the boat of psychomania that swayed like a madhouse, to the dock of long departures and uncertain arrivals, to the taxi of unknown adventures, eating empanadas with strange kind souls, to the port of unknown destinations, to the terminal of heavy traffic, to the gateway of luxury, to the jubilance of the current moment!! Wow....
That night I slept in a safe, dry, warm, comfortable bed. I nestled the cotton blankets around my face and thanked god for being there, for my luck, for my friends, for the kindness of strangers, and for the magic of the world.
The next morning I awoke to delicious coffee and a scrumpscious breakfast. It was 6 am and time to get an early start on our daily exercise routine. YES!! Marisela took me to what would become our daily routine, an awesome one hour high power aerobics
class followed by one hour bailotherepy (dance class), than we did about 45 minutes of weights!! How awesome. Later we would start climbing the tiny mountain that Marisela liked to climb every morning before the 3 hour exercise routine. And let’s not forget the other dance class at night 3 times a week, or maybe we climb the mountain again! The tiny mountain had tons of trails, up and down, and was surrounded by ocean with spectacular views of mountains, ocean, and the hundreds of giant oil tankers waiting in the bay, in this country filled with rich oil, history, power, money, poverty, and violence provoked by political oppression. What a damn shame... So much in this spectacular land, including wonderful people....
So the next day came my best friend from Caracas, Amarylis!! YES!
It was totally awesome! I would do my exercises with Marisela and then hang out with Amarylis talking, making jokes, hitting the mall, the town, or far away exotic and beautiful beaches. One evening we went walking along the board walk of Puerta de la Cruz, situated by the ocean and filled with artisans. We had a divine time buying small trinkets and chatting
with the Colombian artisans. One in particular was a hoot. I was haggling with him for about 30 minutes, eventually getting a good price and a few extra gifts. But I couldn’t help but burst out into hysterical laughter after about 5 minutes of his neighbouring friend proposing marriage to me and coming up with pathetically funny pick up lines (I was just being picked up way too much left, right, and center). I looked at the friendly faces and even they couldn’t help but laugh at this guy who had fallen in love with my back and wouldn’t stop ranting and raving... it was demasiado....
In travelling the city around with Lyly, I really received a LOT of attention!! Every time I got out of car the whistling started. -it was almost like being famous!! Seriously, I am NOT exaggerating, it was hilarious and unbelievable!! Even one of the security guards in the pharmacy asked Lyly if she was with me, she asked why, and he responded that he wanted to be introduced to me. She said, what’s the matter loser, never seen a blond before? Lol. It was totally funny, I loved Lyly’s frank spunk, giving
the finger to dudes that cut her off on the road, and just saying what she means. Lol.
But it wasn’t all fun and games. I really got to know my new friend and marvelled at our similarities and differences. Most importantly, Amarylis gave me courage and hope to face the new condition I was suffering from. You see ever since I left the boat I had developed vertigo, and after 6 days of constant dizziness and disorientation I began to grow frustrated and worried. Amarylis knew what it was like to deal with chronic, difficult health issues, and she inspired me with her strength. -and even though it was hard to communicate at times because of my Spanish and her English, she taught me patience, and the reward of listening and understanding. It was like the pot of gold at the other side of the rainbow. If you could understand Amarylis’s quirky sense of humour and colourful approach to life, you could share in amazing ecstatic moments that could only be shared between friends. Amarylis also assured me, gave me energy, and peace to calm my fluttering heart. She re-newed my faith, my love, my vision, my serenity,
my hope.
Thank you.
Advertisement
Tot: 0.105s; Tpl: 0.021s; cc: 13; qc: 29; dbt: 0.0658s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.1mb