Thu 22/08-2013 Day 482

[pe2-image src=”http://lh6.ggpht.com/-Bs1PY2Yquns/Uhark0ZoEII/AAAAAAAAWXg/heOba520KkU/s144-c-o/P8220076.JPG” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/112133179186774955122/SouthAmericaSection2Stage15VenezuelaBoarderColombiaToCaracas#5915103809627492482″ caption=”Press conference in Hotel Lago Mar – Leonet Cabeza, the minister of sports of the Zulia state, José Gabriel Fajardo, my Maracaibo manager and translator, myself, Maria Cecilia Castellano, tourism manager of the zulia atate, and the hotel manager lady.” type=”image” alt=”P8220076.JPG” ]

 

Press conference and radio show

Pos: here
Loc: Balneario Lago Mar
Acc: 5-Star Hotel Venetur Lago Mar

I managed to do a bit of office work this morning, before José Gabriel showed up again to pick me to do chores. He already spent all yesterday with my issues, and is non-tiredly working for me on the spot also today. Thanks very much, José Gabriel! We first visited a supermarket to buy some fruit and fresh water and to get a bit of “education” in local food supply habits, fortunately the rest of my supplies I have still in enough amounts for the next two weeks.

I mean “fortunately”, as there was a lot, but not everything available. Important supplies like milk powder, once in the shelfs, are instantly bought up by the indigenous people here to smuggle it over the boarder to Colombia to their fellow native tribes. This comes down to latest once a supply truck parks in front of the supermarket to unload, the word of mouth and rumors spread fast via cell phones these days, and long queues of native people built up in front of the supermarket, kept at bay by the military and police. The authorities form special aisles guiding those mass buyers to the certain shelves, not to bother too much the regular shoppers. Still every single person is only allowed to buy e.g. four bags of each item, but if you show up with your extended family the number items sum up. The intense run remains crazy, lasting a few hours as long as the certain supply is in the shelf. It reminds me to East German times…this issue should disappear once I am more distant from the Colombian boarder behind the next peninsula.

[pe2-image src=”http://lh3.ggpht.com/-PoZzxe7WqSM/UhasGiYmAqI/AAAAAAAAWYU/7NmRA9HQLOE/s144-c-o/P8220123.JPG” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/112133179186774955122/SouthAmericaSection2Stage15VenezuelaBoarderColombiaToCaracas#5915104388906877602″ caption=”Thanks to the crew of Kayak Maracaibo to organize the press conference and to look after me so well, mainly José Gabriel (2nd left) and his cousin Gabriel (2nd right)” type=”image” alt=”P8220123.JPG” ]

Kayak Maracaibo scheduled a press conference at 2 pm in the hotel, and I was busy smiling in cameras, answering questions, taken pictures and signing cards for a few hours. The highest guest of honor was besides Maria Cecilia, the Tourism manager lady, Leonet Cabeza, the Minister of Sports of the Zulia state of Venezuela, who presented me a small beautiful hand crafted native carpet, a native handcrafted plate and a few other things. I got some more t-shirts and caps from Corpozulia and other officials, very sorry when I am not able to remember all names and functions properly. I may be able to add them later. Thanks a lot to all of you treating me so well and friendly!

[pe2-image src=”http://lh3.ggpht.com/-5BLP_c0jJ2k/Uhar3Nk487I/AAAAAAAAWXs/L2tW1n5cO00/s144-c-o/P8220103.JPG” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/112133179186774955122/SouthAmericaSection2Stage15VenezuelaBoarderColombiaToCaracas#5915104125623268274″ caption=”One of my many presents – a beautiful smaller version of the colorful handmade carpets, presented by the Minister of Sports of the Zulia state – and he is digging for more goodies in his bag! Many thanks!” type=”image” alt=”P8220103.JPG” ]

[pe2-image src=”http://lh6.ggpht.com/-sLE7MNI_hQc/Uhar8K8L89I/AAAAAAAAWX4/cVBCjLjyC54/s144-c-o/P8220109.JPG” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/112133179186774955122/SouthAmericaSection2Stage15VenezuelaBoarderColombiaToCaracas#5915104210815022034″ caption=”Jose Gabriel from Kayak Maracaibo, my great Maracaibo manager and translator, with Maria Cecilia Castellano, the tourism manager of the Zulia state, with all my different presents I got. Thanks to everybody!” type=”image” alt=”P8220109.JPG” ]

[pe2-image src=”http://lh4.ggpht.com/-ozPrBDOi9H0/Uhar4PQBUAI/AAAAAAAAWXw/1f5vNMLvuCo/s144-c-o/P8220119.JPG” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/112133179186774955122/SouthAmericaSection2Stage15VenezuelaBoarderColombiaToCaracas#5915104143252475906″ caption=”José Gabriel from Kayak Maracaibo, my ‘Maracaibo manager’ and translator, the manager of ‘Corpozulia’, the hotel manager, myself, Maria Cecilia Castellanos, the tousidm manager and cousin Gabriel (Kayak Maracaibo)” type=”image” alt=”P8220119.JPG” ]

A mutual lunch/ dinner with Kayak Maracaibo in a traditional native restaurant followed, and a visit to the very popular radio station OK 101 who put me on air with José Gabriel translating for quite a while. It was followed by an “airless interview” of José Gabriel’s and Veronica’s lovely sweet two-year old daughter who acted like a professional on the microphone, having watched me all day, the little smart girl! Thanks to Jimena Alarcon, the famous radio moderator doing the interview with me!

[pe2-image src=”http://lh4.ggpht.com/-q2KwT-g1ICM/UhbMoHUJhZI/AAAAAAAAWcU/2qTPG2zr1YM/s144-c-o/P8220002.JPG” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/112133179186774955122/SouthAmericaSection2Stage15VenezuelaBoarderColombiaToCaracas#5915140150128117138″ caption=”The radio station in a ‘glass house’ overlooking the main boulevard of Maracaibo” type=”image” alt=”P8220002.JPG” ]

[pe2-image src=”http://lh5.ggpht.com/-usPty6OV0Ic/UhbMq5knscI/AAAAAAAAWcc/bwoSj9-TgLM/s144-c-o/P8220001.JPG” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/112133179186774955122/SouthAmericaSection2Stage15VenezuelaBoarderColombiaToCaracas#5915140197978714562″ caption=”Famous OK 101 radion moderator Jimena Alarcon to the right doing the interview with me” type=”image” alt=”P8220001.JPG” ]

[pe2-image src=”http://lh6.ggpht.com/-qy6JCLaIlKE/UhbQAR8OiMI/AAAAAAAAWdI/6bt5WfBe6OI/s144-c-o/IMAG0116.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/112133179186774955122/SouthAmericaSection2Stage15VenezuelaBoarderColombiaToCaracas#5915143863832316098″ caption=”José Gabriel was translating Jimena’s questions simultabeously for me, not an easy task neither for him to listen and speak nor for me to listen and to think. Thanks!” type=”image” alt=”IMAG0116.jpg” ]

[pe2-image src=”http://lh4.ggpht.com/-OKI_G5GIjCs/UhbQASp4DyI/AAAAAAAAWdA/SnTPxEE1enY/s144-c-o/IMAG0115.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/112133179186774955122/SouthAmericaSection2Stage15VenezuelaBoarderColombiaToCaracas#5915143864023781154″ caption=”Jimena put us quite a long time on air, just interrupted by a few pop songs. Thanks!” type=”image” alt=”IMAG0115.jpg” ]

[pe2-image src=”http://lh6.ggpht.com/-bYooqPlbj7E/UhbQARCmgRI/AAAAAAAAWdQ/FtZ0ptGTdHM/s144-c-o/IMAG0117.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/112133179186774955122/SouthAmericaSection2Stage15VenezuelaBoarderColombiaToCaracas#5915143863590617362″ caption=”Gabriel, another radio moderator, my interviewer Jimena, myself, 3-year old Valerie, José Gabriel, Veronica and another radio moderator.” type=”image” alt=”IMAG0117.jpg” ]

Back in my hotel, I barely managed to organize a few pictures before I got my deserved rest!

 

[pe2-image src=”http://lh4.ggpht.com/-nqJUEybi7JY/UhbQCNzFhqI/AAAAAAAAWdM/dgxjn-GZbF0/s144-c-o/IMAG0118.jpg” href=”https://picasaweb.google.com/112133179186774955122/SouthAmericaSection2Stage15VenezuelaBoarderColombiaToCaracas#5915143897079973538″ caption=”One beautiful palm bush” type=”image” alt=”IMAG0118.jpg” ]

13 comments on “Thu 22/08-2013 Day 482

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