June 19, 2007

Tuesday

Day 1

 

Forty-one members of the Seattle Peace Chorus met at SeaTac airport at 9:30am to begin the check in process for our trip to Venezuela.  It was speedy and efficient, and then to the gate for the wait for our plane.  We were entertained there by a Children’s Choir from Uganda, and we sang “Mathisi” for them in return.  Then they danced for us, and we sang “Nkosi” for them.  It was a moving experience as the group covered their hearts with their hands.  Once  on board a very full airplane, the pilots flew us very close to Mt. Rainier, a beautiful sight.

 

We hopped off the plane in Houston at 5:00 and onto an air conditioned bus headed to St. Mark’s United Methodist Church, where we were met by Pastor Marilyn.  Her church, along with the Committee for Justice and Peace, welcomed us for an hour concert.  It was well-received and we were treated to a most welcome reception of fruit, vegetables, bread and tuna fish.  Little did we know it would be the last fresh fruit we ate in quite a while! 

I met a woman there named Carrie, who was very involved in the Green Party.  Her husband is from Iran, and her daugher, aged 22, is currently visiting relatives there.  She was hoping that her daughter would return back to the US before Pres. Bush declared war there. 

 

Then back to the airport for a spontaneous concert in the waiting area with guitar, fiddle, shakers, sopranino with dancing (Sabina, 9 and Sophie, 7 joined us – they had a Venezuelan mother and a North American father, who was in a missionary in Valencia) and singing.  We arrived in Caracas about 6:00am, losing 3 hours total in our trip from Seattle. 

 

June 20, 2007

Wednesday

Day 2

 

After a night of no sleep, we arrived to high temperatures and high humidity and a 4 hour layover before our plane to Isla de Margarita would take off.  We were swarmed by black market money changers, who offered us a good rate of exchange, in fact, much better than the banks would give us.  $3400 bolivares to $1.  Bank=$2100 to $1.  It became a matter of conscious for us to avoid the black marketers, who horde US dollars and then will make a killing when inflation hits Venezuela again, as it is likely to do.  It’s something we dealt with on our entire trip.  Black marketers are very convenient, and at every street corner, while ATM’s didn’t work, going to a money exchange office was very time-consuming, and were only open short hours.  So what to do?  It was a dilemma!

 

Most people at the airport didn’t speak English and we muddled through and walked the airport corridors.  It was here that I learned that in most places, especially fast food or cafeteria type restaurants, that the customer pays first to a person in a little booth, and then takes a ticket to get their order.  Before I learned this, it took me 5 tries to get a cup of coffee.  But it was worth the effort.  The coffee was the best I have ever had, with chocolate overtones, thick and rich, without bitterness.  I learned to drink it “con leche” which was even better.

 

Among the stores and restaurants in the airport:  Hello Kitty, Cinnabon, Benihana sushi, Dominoes Pizza, and TGI Fridays.  No Starbucks!  We met a delightful children’s choir, Ninos Sonata, and we formed a fast friendship with them, which was to last throughout the duration of the festival.  They sang for us, and we for them.

 

A short flight brought us to Isla de Margarita, a desert-like island off the cost of Venezuela.  Bouganvilla, cactus, and flowers which I didn’t recognize lined the streets.  We were quite disappointed in the buildings that we passed to the hotel, which were uninspiring and unattractive in their architecture.  Our hotel, the Marabelle, was also disappointing, very run down, with no hot water, and as it turned out, no water at all for much of the time, and no amenities.  But it just added to our sense of adventure. 

 

We ate lunch at 2:30, starving since we hadn’t eaten since 6:30 or so that morning, a meal of spaghetti, white bread (which was a staple here), fish, and fresh salad, which all but the most stalwart avoided.  Boy, did it taste delicious after 24 hours of airplane food and snacks.  Then napping, relaxing, visiting and some choral practice before getting into our concert dress (black velvet and stockings for women, and tropical shirts and black pants for men – HOT!) and a trip to the Ramon Brita performing Arts Center.  We performed with 2 children’s choirs, the first in green t-shirts, a group including some disabled kids (absolutely darling and inspiring!), and the second in red t-shirts, our darling Ninos Sonatas.  Then two adult choirs, including Antonio Jose de Sucre.  At last we performed (apparently, the closing choirs are the honored choir).  “Si Somos, Shenandoah, The Storm, Sicut, Nkosi, and This Little Light of Mine” as an encore.  A Cuban women’s choir, Voca Luna, ended the night.  They took 1^st place, we were 2^nd and the Ninos took 3^rd.  We were thrilled!

 

 Back “home” for chicken, rice, plantains, salad (untouched) and white bread at 11pm.  It was Karen Ernst’s birthday and after we sang, two Spanish renditions were sung to her, quite beautifully.  Since the hotel was filled with choruses, it was like a symphony orchestra of voices. 

 

In bed after a long 48 hours with no sleep, and the bed felt wonderful!