Blogs :: Belem to Venezuela, Part 4
Overcast and early, we arrived in Boa Vista to find the next bus leaving for Venezuela at 12 noon. Having read the following in the Lonely Planet, I ventured into town to take care of business:
"Travelers of many nations, including USA, Canada, Australia and most EU countries, need to obtain a Venezuelan tourist card before entering Venezuela by land. The process can be completed in Boa Vista and takes about a half-hour; you’ll need to present a passport photo, and copies of your passport data page, your Brazilian entry stamp, and the front and back of your Brazilian tourist slip and yellow fever vaccination certificate. Photos are available at booths in Boa Vista’s main plaza, and there’s a copy shop around the corner from the consulate Xerokão Center (Rua Barão do Rio Branco at Av Ville Roy). Be aware that the consulate is open weekdays until noon only, and Venezuelan border control is not as lax as it used to be." - Lonely Planet, Brazil, Latest Edition
However, when I arrived at the embassy after having my photo taken near the park as described, the lady working pulls out a 10 year old copy of a policy that says United States (and most other) citizens do not require anything. WTF? Knowing its 3 hours to the border, and 3 hours back, I am afraid of having to return should she not have understood me correctly, but we head back to the bus station anyway to purchase tickets north after a breakfast of hamburgers and a little further, inconclusive, internet research. Guess I will take my chances, what other choice do I have?
Having read about Venezuela's parallel (i.e. black) market rate differences and not expecting any ATMs at the border, I pulled as much cash as my bank would allow or about 2 weeks worth of money, and boarded the bus as soon as possible after I kept watching this guy stare me down following the withdraw and counting process. We arrived at the border town and immediately started being hounded by the money changers. The rate was better than expected and it actually seemed quite safe to carry around the large wads of cash we just converted.
We crossed the border without issue. What? Lonely Planet, fail. My name was jotted down in a book, no tourist card was issued, no immigration form filled out, no photograph required. Nothing. This, I was to find out over the next few weeks, would be one of the first of many Lonely Planet failures. Later, in skimming the back of his older, more outdated, South America on a Shoestring, Nigel found a conflicting report to the above.
It was only 6 days away from my 6 month anniversary of arriving in Brasil and now I was officially checked out, and checked in to another country. I was happy to trade the Portuguese for Spanish, but I was of course sad to leave my home for the past half a year. A cab was awaiting us past the guards, who never even looked up, and for a mere $2 took us 30km into Santa Elena de Uairen where the next 6 days would be spent trekking Monte Roraima. Bienvenidos a Venezuela. Tchau tchau Brasil.
borders, Brasil, Venezuela
Posted By:
Brendon
8/28/2009