During the Easter break, we wanted to take a trip outside of Caracas. While doing some research, I came across a place called Colonia Tovar, which is a town that has preserved the architecture and historical aspects of its original German settlement. The place has a pretty well laid out tourist site that details the things to do and places to stay. So, I assumed it would be easy enough to look through the different options to make a choice – until I realized we weren’t the only ones that had this place in mind for the break.

After calling at least 10 places, I finally found one that was available and could accommodate our group. The catch was the owner wanted to a deposit of half the total amount (understandable), but the only way to get it to her was by taking it there (out of the question) or depositing it into her account (worth a try, right?).

I left my house at 8:30 AM – to beat the rush (the joke’s on me) – and arrived at the bank at 8:40 AM. I took my number from one of those ticket machines and proceeded to wait my turn. At 9:45, the bank manager announced that they had to close for the day because the network was down. So, I left the bank on a mission to find another branch. I called my go-to Venezuelan, who is patient enough to try to understand my broken Spanish, and he informed me that usually when one branch has problems, all of them have problems. He encouraged me to try anyway   .

Good thing I did, by 12:15 PM – after another hour wait – I was finally able to make the deposit. The best part of this day was finding out that I could have made the deposit online through my bank account.

I don’t care what anybody says, this was one of the most informational days that I have had thus far

To honor my adventurous spirit, I decided I wanted to go grocery shopping on my own during my first week in Caracas; even though my Spanish is very basic. After several trips to finally get everything I need, I came up with the following strategy that seems to be successful 80% of the time (hey, nothing’s perfect .

Step #1: Make your shopping list with the Spanish translation of each item.

Step #2: On your way to the store, repeat over and over in your head ”Permiso senor(a), tiene…?”

Step #3: If you are anything like me, when in the US I frequent the same stores simply because I know where everything is – so you must search the whole store for every item that you want since they are not likely to be where think they’ll be.

Step #4: In case of emergency and you cannot find your item after looking through the whole store at least twice, find the nearest employee (one who’s stocking shelves) and use your memorized text “Permiso senor(a), tiene <missing item>?” He/she will likely answer you with what seems like a thousand words that you have yet to memorize. Simply nod and say “Bueno, gracias”. Walk away and do another walk through the whole store to try and find your missing item.

Step #5: Now for paying – the cashier will ask you for your Cedula (your ID number that gets used for EVERYTHING), but it will sometimes sound like “Grrbbb”. Simply say your number. The easiest way to complete the transaction is by using cash, but if you must use a debit or credit card – you’re going to need more memorized words. In this instance, the cashier will ask you if it will be with the same cedula – again “Grrbbb la misma?”. You say “si” and then he/she will swipe your card for you. Once it has been read, he/she will hand you the keypad to enter your PIN. Please note: you can avoid everything but the Cedula by paying cash.

Step #6: This one should actually be done simultaneously to step #5 – start bagging your stuff. Sometimes, a roaming bagger will come around and help you out, but for the most part – you are on your own.

Step #7: Some of the stores will ask to see your receipt as you leave (sometimes to stamp them). This is similar to the Wal-Mart practice in the states.

And presto, your shopping trip is complete! Like I said, this has worked pretty well for me. It isn’t easy, but it can be done .

One more thing, at some of the larger supermarkets, they offer babysitting services for FREE. I have used them on two different occasions and the kids love it!

Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/wcouch/ / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

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