Venezuela, the first border: 1s First impressions, 1º s perrengues

Factsheet 4×1

Venezuela, the first border: 1s First impressions, 1º s perrengues

Date: 27/07/2012 the 30/07/2012

Saímos of: Manaus-AM

Support (sleep) in: Boa Vista-RR (10 hours of travel), Salto Kama-Venezuela (11 including almost hours 3 border), Upata-Venezuela (almost 12 including hours 4 consertando hours to Tanajura ) - All time include lunch and a few stops for photos!

Final destiny: Ciudad Bolivar, Venezuela

Total distance: 1.683 Km (in 4 days)

Path: From Manaus to Boa Vista took the BR-174. The road is good at the beginning, but after leaving the Indian reservation Atroari some sections are pitted and well before the final miles are pretty bad Caracaraí. But passing this town the road is very good to Boa Vista and can even drive at night. Boa Vista to the border the road presents excerpts very bad. Already in Venezuela, except a hole or other, the roads are very good!

Where to sleep: Boa view (Inn), Salto Bed (tent, within a rustic lodge), Upata (tent, inside a hostel).

What we eat good: Our last Pirarucu no Brasil. As pies Venezuelan at breakfast.

Filled Tire : Cross our first border! And the help of the Brazilian Federal Police.

Tire murcho: "Poisoning" of our dear Tanajura on our first day in Venezuela. (more details in post)

Although we have already made several trips together and even some outside Brazil, this was the first time we entered the 5 together in a foreign country.

"We were excited as children on first trip! But, just in its beginning, Venezuela has showed signs that a brand new stage in Expedition 4×1 iniave-is. Something very different from what we had lived up there. Risks even say that was something strange, or at least very different from what we could imagine. Although as next country (geographically), the reality of Venezuela is very far from our. Crossing its territory was a big culture shock since the 1st km after the border… and soon his face a great start already perrengue”.

We left Manaus at around 10 am the day 27 July and went straight to Boa Vista-RR. The only stop was the tourist town of Presidente Figueiredo where we met two young college students who are opening, together, a tour company and adventures. Students Eng. Forestry and Geology they told us that is the second Geopark Figueiredo of Brazil until the World Cup 2014 the city - which has several waterfalls - receive investments to leverage the already bustling tourism at its waterfalls.

We came to Buena Vista late and tired after 780 km and almost 10 hours estrada. It, despite being a Friday, the town was empty. So, we did our last dinner in Brazilian territory and left for the greater (and more "decent") gas station next to the road, to sleep last before the first boundary. But as soon as we stop Tanajura to assemble in our tents when we won by a drunk decided to pull over your nice car with a very high sound, packed by music somewhat "libertine". Give up! In the hostel we got closer to fourth 3 people, played two mattresses on the floor and, after negotiating, can 3 pillows! Yes, negotiate because they wanted to charge us more for pillows "extras"!!!

Well, at 7 am we left Boa Vista. As we walked away from the capital roraimense the vegetation changed slowly. They were the last remnants of the Amazon Forest. And at around 11:20 we reached Pacaraima. Estávamos quiet, after all, had just exchange bolivars for real (Venezuela is one of the few countries in the world where it is more advantageous to exchange their currency market "parallel" than official exchange offices) - Still Pacaraima - and had all the necessary documentation! We had already?! Well, at least we thought we had. First things first and details:

Stage 1: Give low (output) the Brazilian Federal Police – The first police barrier at the border is the Brazilian Federal Police. There was no guard, plate or any explanations. Nevertheless, went to the police station to investigate and…yes! It was here that we had to stamp our passports (or could present the RG) for the record output of Brazil. Simple as that! Only one stamp and two policemen were released by thin people who beat up a conversation and gave tips for us. We entered Tanajura and we rumo the second police, us 200 meters to Head.

Stage 2: Give input in Venezuela - Beside the police barricade was a Venezuelan customs building. And as we saw a car stopping there Brazilian, also decided to stop. Again no plaque or information available, follow the "brazucas" inside the enclosure. After a brief chat with them, Gustavo (which, not paper, or gift is from Tana) followed to validate the documents Tanajura in a booth and the others followed to stamp the passport entry in Venezuela, on another. The queue for the stamping of passports went pretty fast and after a few 2 or 3 questions (basically where it comes from and to where vai) the kind sir Venezuelan (who wrote down everything in its "ultra-strict-master-technological-notebook" that looked more like a concierge of the building) carimbava logo or portkey. Freed?! No, faltava to Tanajura! And wings to começava gymkhana!! Preparations? Valendooo:

Task to present the following documents: Copy and unique: 1) Passport of the owner of the vehicle, 2) vehicle documents, 3) Driver's license (CNH Brazilian same), 4) compulsory insurance of the vehicle (which in our case we had no, because our only asset in Brazil - but we knew that we could do at the border) and 5) a statement known as "contained nothing". Easy, nor? So here we go:

Obs.1: Tínhamos paid USD 50 (50 USD) in Sao Paulo next to the Venezuelan consulate to get a document that said there is essential and, border, the girl who served us said he was unaware and not necessary. (It was the only consulate that something was charged and eventually useless!). The document was a copy of the car certified by the Venezuelan Consulate.

Thus, tínhamos to perform a mission 1 do give: go to Santa Helena de Uairen - first city in Venezuela - and buy the compulsory insurance of the vehicle. Challenge: accomplish the mission before the lunch break of the post that would last almost 2 hours. It was 11.55 in our watches and put closed at 12pm. It would be impossible!!! Ops, would, the difference was not 30 min spindle of Venezuela in relation to Manaus (which were our watches). Venezuela is strangely (GMT – 4h30). In other words, 11:25 am and we were actually 35 minutes. We were lucky to find a place selling insurance within 500 meters from the boundary. Paid 1.650 Bolívares, approximately R $ 366. We returned to the tax office with insurance in hand before 12pm and now with all the documents in hand!!! When suddenly arises Obs.2:

Obs.2: This document "nothing has" (that had not even been mentioned at the consulate in Sao Paulo and we found, unconsciously, by gentle friend Gustavo's father - Mr.. Decio) is referring to a statement that the vehicle in question is not in any pending, as fines, rates, crimes, etc.. And Brazil, just print the DMV site. But the border wanted it to be stamped by the DMV and our printed version we had with us, not worth.

Da obs.2: surge a mission 2: achieve such a document stamped by the DMV! Challenge: get a document by our dear DMV in full Saturday at 12h30 (Manaus time) in Pacaraima - a tiny town.

Ficamos frustrated! If indeed we needed this document signed by the DMV would not cross the border that day! Would have to wait until Monday! Thus, decided to apply the method to learn from other hikers in our pre-trip, in the Serra da Canastra and that was more or less like: "Boys, whenever any der "bullshit" on trip: feel, something to drink and relax, that a cool head if you think best!"It, so, we had lunch nearby. It, coincidentally, went to lunch at the same restaurant that the federal police who had stamped our passports output. We happened and what they found absurd the Venezuelans do about rules and requirements documents Brazilian jurisdiction. Thus, themselves made a statement and nothing contained stamped. Once the fiscal position of Venezuela reopened at around 14h back there to take a chance on the new document, and… Deu certo!! Authorization paperwork in hand, back to the road and, after a few meters, crossed the border into final! It was around 15h when adentrávamos the land of Hugo Chavez! Ufa!! Ufa!?!? In moments is more!!!

Well, As mentioned earlier in this chapter, cross the Venezuela caused us a great shock. Was estranho think that much of the recent 900 km, and only 1 or 2 days ago, were in the middle of the Amazon! And in a few miles on Venezuelan soil vegetation changed so fast.

The dense vegetation and tall trees of the Amazon once gave a great clearing of undergrowth with some spaced trees surrounded by large plateaus and a few isolated hills. Only a few miles on it and we were inside the famous Gran Sabana! A view to take your breath away that deserved break for a nice photo.

We approximately 100 miles and stopped to sleep at Salto Kama. We set up tents in front of an inn "semi-abandoned" (semi, because, that "active", some of its dependencies are abandoned, as the restaurant and some outhouses) jump in front of the Kama, a waterfall 50 meters, unless 200 meters from the road, where we take a cold shower, comemos um lanche wings held, and, still early, went to sleep.

The 5:20 a.m. the next day and we were standing on the road 6:30. We had more than 550km and approximately 7horas to drive to Ciudad Bolivar, a road with many curves on a stretch of mountain. We, therefore begin 9:30 second by Adventure…

Before telling this second part, are some curiosities: Petrol is subsidized in Venezuela. And MUCH! This means that the fuel tank almost the entire cost us less than Tanajura 75 cents (this same, R$ 0,75!!) 65 LESS custam liters 1 REAL!!! Fuel E is a very good quality. Thus, within a radius of several hundred kilometers from the border with Brazil and Guyana, most stations have long lines and are protected by the army to prevent "theft" of fuel smuggling (but do not worry, tourists in transit through the country present a passport and has the right to "jump the queue"). Such positions have posters, banners and pictures and paintings with references to Hugo Chávez. E but!! In one of these posts more "exalted" propagandists played loud music boasting Chavez, with lyrics that compare to Che Guevara and Simon Bolivar, calling him president liberator. Songs that cry out against George W. Bush and call the South American countries of "delivered" to U.S. policies. Some letters praising the armed struggle and say Chavez was the one to give opportunities and rights for all! (will comment more about our perceptions about this in later posts)

But back to tell about our second day in Venezuela and our early departure to Ciudad Bolivar and…already had a MEGA perrengue!! Within hours of the first city alcançávamos output path and needed supplies for the first time in Venezuela. It was 9 am and soon after cut the huge queue of cars, we filled our tank. Happy at very low price paid. Saímos dali and, 5 min depois, a light illuminates on the dashboard of Tanajura. Light havíamos never seen before. Even with Tana moving look at the manual which explained that the light indicated a little more water in the fuel filter and that, then, this water would be good drenarmos. But as we read the manual to Tanajura just stopped accelerating. COMPLETELY STOPPED. We did such a drain as the manual indicated and kept out of the water filter.

We try to direct the tank and siphon…only water! Poor thing's Tanajura was completely "poisoned" and had no more to do. Result, a guy towed us back to a shop near the station stocked and we had stayed there over 3 WHOLE hours to disassemble the tank and drain almost 60 liters of fuel that had filled.

"Fuel", crap that it was in Tanajura was a liquid comprising at least 70% and water only 30% de diesel. Then we went back to the clinic and, for our "happiness" it was closed for a few hours to clean the pump that was with plenty of water!!!! Clear! We were the last "felizardos" supply before that "technical break"!!!

After perrengue follow up Upata arriving in the early evening (I could not get over to that day in Ciudad Bolívar). And the next morning there would. E Tanajura?! Ah, the girl's already good! Quick Cure =)

To see more pictures of this post, visit our Flickr clicking here!