Dreams of Venezuela & Paraguay

I've been all over South America recently.

A few months ago, I was in the airport of Caracas, Venezuela.

It was a very dark airport with basically nothing inside.

Not like your usual airports with stores, lots of people, etc.

In fact, it was nearly empty.

There was only one store next to the migration agent.

The store was selling arepas.

And there was only one migration lady with a line of about 3 or so people in front of me and nobody behind me.

Nobody else in the entire airport.

Once I got my passport stamped, I left through the gate behind her out to a sunny day.

A few taxis and fat brown dudes waiting around offering me a ride through the city.

One of them speaking to me in half-broken English but mostly Spanish as he greets me very kindly.

Asking me "how long you in Venezuela?"

The usual questions given to a tourist.

And, in the distance, was a view that actually resembled more La Paz of Bolivia than Caracas but was supposedly Caracas.

Lots of hills, mountains, slum looking housing, etc.

Some bridge we pass under eventually.

A lot of curves in the roads.

And a new life in Venezuela.

I soon woke up.

Realized it was a dream.

But, despite it being a dream, I was oddly very excited to see Venezuela again.

I wanted to get on an airplane that same day and head to Caracas to see it.

Was thinking about how I'd do it.

Have a party in the slums perhaps up in those hills.

Check out some nearby beaches.

Hike to Roraima eventually.

Hang out with some of the upper class Venezuelans in the nicest areas too of Caracas.

See their more expensive restaurants.

And try the street food too.

Perhaps visit a village or two.

And was thinking seriously of how much time I'd need, what it would cost and so on.

Shit, maybe find a nice Venezuelan lady, get married, the green card to Venezuela and live a nice life as a fisherman.

But, just last night, I had another dream.

This time I was in Paraguay.

At first, I thought it was Asuncion but the dream later revealed it was some nearby city of what couldn't have been more than 100,000 people.

Your guess is as good as mine as where it could've been.

There were a lot of pot holes in the streets.

Those big, colorful buses that let out a lot of pollution and kinda look like what you see in this music video here.

Ven Bailalo Khrix y Angel

While trying to take a picture of a mural, some homeless dudes were trying to get in front of the photo.

At first, I said "move out of the way pendejos!"

But they didn't speak English.

Then we became friends and they showed me around the city.

Before ultimately walking onto some random university campus and sitting in on some random politics class for no reason.

I wasn't a student. I just wanted to see what their universities are like.

And, for whatever reason, a former politics professor that I had in college from Ohio named Jim was sitting there evaluating the professor.

He didn't look pleased and was giving him a bad evaluation.

But then I got bored being in the classroom and also didn't like it because my chair was all fucked up and almost fell out of it like two or three times.

So I got up and left.

Got lost in the hallways trying to find my way out but then stumbled upon some cute Latina university student who was carrying a bunch of books.

She was in a skirt.

Medium brown skin, very cute face, long black hair.

Looked like she had nice tits.

A white shirt tucked into her skirt.

Damn, she looked hot as fuck.

She gave me her number.

But, unfortunately for me, the dream ended before whatever date we would've had.

La mala suerte.

Though she did help me find my way out of the campus.

To which the few homeless dudes were outside drinking Tonayan.

Not sure why they were drinking it if they were Paraguayan.

But they were not allowed on the campus if I had to guess.

So we took off carrying on like before.

Being shown around the town and having a good time.

Before ultimately the dream ended soon after that.

And, like the Venezuela dream, I've been thinking today of going to Paraguay.

Visiting that small city of 100,000 people and befriending a few homeless Paraguayans that oddly enough like to drink Tonayan.

Maybe I'll bring some Tonayan with me and introduce it to them.

That's how I'll befriend them too!

A good friendship always starts with some alcohol.

"This is the drink of my people" I say.

Perhaps play some music from my phone like this here from Mexico.

Cumbias Mexico

And we hit the streets.

They can introduce me to some cool Paraguayan music.

Listening to it as we drink some yerba mate (mixed with vodka?) in "La Chacarita" as you can see here.

Soy de la Chacarita Rolando Ojeda

Was told on Twitter recently that it's supposedly the place to be in Paraguay. All the cool people hang there. 

And then maybe I will find that cute Paraguayan brown Latina who, when she sees a white gringo, thinks "ohhhh k interesante!!!"

Soon we marry.

Then go to El Chaco to raise 10 sons in a happy, Catholic American-Paraguayan family.

I'm not Catholic but let's go with it.

And do whatever else that is cool to do in Paraguay.

Still, it probably won't happen for a while but these dreams have been a reoccurring theme of mine lately.

The Desire to Travel Again

There has been, ever increasingly, a desire of mine to travel again like in my first two years in Latin America long ago.

My desire for Paraguay today is weak to moderate. I'll forget about it tomorrow.

Unless I have another dream where that same Paraguayan woman is bouncing on my dick. Then I might HAVE to fly to Paraguay!

But, when I had the Venezuela dream, it was like a kick in the ass.

There really was that part of me that, for days, was contemplating VERY seriously about how I'd go to Venezuela.

Probably go back home and stack up on an extra supply of dollars that I know I'd burn through.

I could live in Venezuela if I kept it under 1,000 to 1,500 a month but, if I was to go, I don't think I'd want to live there.

I think I'd want to make it a short and fast paced trip.

Instead of living there for a year and casually checking off the things to do and see, I'd probably just burn through cash way quicker while not focusing on making any money for a few months.

Mostly because, given its crime, corruption and bad reputation compared to other Latin American countries, I don't know if I'd want to take my laptop with me.

So probably leave the laptop in Iowa.

Burn through the cash I made from a few months of work.

And check out every corner of the country in 2 to 4 months.

Just constant hitting the road.

Not a second wasted.

Though, when I was thinking about it, I did think I'd probably want to do the 2 to 3 months of doing cool shit and then give myself 1 to 2 months of actually living in a specific city like Caracas probably where I'd just party the fuck out. 

Probably do questionably legal substances. I don't know. I like coffee. Coffee, yes?

And then move on.

But that urge to travel really has been smashing through the ceiling the last few months.

When I visited a lake in Mexico City recently called Lago de Los Reyes Aztecas as you can see here, I felt that urge but, also more importantly, happiness from doing something different and seeing something cool.

It brought out that adventure feeling inside me.

While I have been satisfying that urge by just traveling around Mexico City and seeing completely obscure or dangerous areas also, I don't think it's enough for me.

It's cool and all.

To sit upon my rooftop with views like this here.

And, while that doesn't look nice to most, I dig it.

A lot.

It does have a certain thrill to see that and live here.

But, like I said, I've kinda seen it plenty of times now.

It's just not doing it for anymore as it was before. 

Though, being honest, there are reasons why I haven't said goodbye to Mexico just yet.

The main and only reasons why I haven't left Mexico temporarily are because of the following:

1. There's a select few neighborhoods/areas I want to live before I leave (Tepito, Pantitlan/Agricola Oriental, Milpa Alta, Santa Fe, Polanco, the area by Metro Refineria, Chimalistac, etc).

2. I want to get residency through the regularization program before I leave so that I have a place to call home after I'm done hitting the road for a second time (this is by far the main reason. I know that, when I leave, I won't qualify for the program anymore and so I don't want to give up that opportunity).

3. A part of me does feel very reluctant to leave Mexico City (even if temporarily). I'm comfortable here. Literally all of my friends are here. I'm familiar with life here. Got years here and don't feel like rocking the boat. But, like I wrote here, I've come to realize that my life is often better and more exciting when I do rock the boat. I have a tendency to not want to and prefer "stable" and "calm" but I noticed a decade ago that I get rewarded and life is more awesome when I do rock the boat. 

4. Perhaps as just a bullshit reason stretching from Reason 3 but there is a part of me that says "you should make more gains in the gym before traveling." Can't leave if I don't got arms big enough for that cute Paraguayan woman I mentioned, no?

But, above all, it's really Reasons 1, 2 and 3 (and mostly 2) for why I haven't left yet.

With Reason 3, like I said, I know I need to rock the boat.

I've just learned a decade ago that you really do just need to look yourself in the mirror and say "FUCK IT! FUCK IT! WE'RE DOING THIS AND IT'S GOING TO BE FUCKING AWESOME!"

And it does become awesome!

Awesome ass stories that come that you remember for a long time.

It's just hard this time because all of the time I've spent here and not wanting to leave behind everyone I know (even if just temporarily -- assuming I can get residency first or else it could be permanent unless I come up with another way to get Mexican residency in the years after).

When it comes to Reason 1, I can probably get that done by the beginning or middle of Summer 2023.

I'm sure my arms will be big enough by then also for La Morena Bonita de Paraguay.

WHITE BOY SUMMER HERE WE GOOOOO!

And I'll probably pursue the Residency by then also once we get closer to leaving.

There are reasons for why I'd prefer to resolve that issue closer to the end.

There isn't an exact date for when I plan to leave.

Hell, maybe I'll say "fuck it" and come back this winter of 2022.

Or maybe later than Summer 2023.

But it's whenever the shit gets done.

Then?

Well, probably give it 6 months to be home since I haven't seen my family back home in almost 3 years as of this writing.

Could stack up on dollars then.

And then hit the road.

Above all though, that urge to travel through Latin America is getting stronger everyday.

So we'll get to it when we can.

If you got anything to add, drop a comment below.

And follow my Twitter here.

Thanks for reading.

Best regards,

Matt