Margarita Island Culture Shock

We arrived on Margarita Island in August of 2009 and I must admit it has been a bit of a culture shock. Thankfully, I am a long time participant of the Burning Man Festival held each summer in the Nevada Desert 100 miles north of Reno. This prior experience has eased my adjustment somewhat to life on Margarita Island.

Some aspects of our neighborhood on Margarita Island remind me of the Burning Man Festival. The fishermen and their families like to party and the music sometimes booms from around lunch time until early morning. The intensity and volume increase as the weekend approaches. When people on Margarita Island say they will do something on a certain date or time, you know that it is probably only a gesture. Occasionally, there are bonfires and drums. My family and I are quite visible here and heads do turn as we walk down the street or swim among the fishing boats as the locals do; my wife says she feels like she has grown a tail or something.

The rather unrestrained culture of the fishing beach across the street from our condo is admittedly not typical of the culture on the rest of the Margarita Island. It is sometimes like living in the Wild West; occasional gun shots, loud music and lots of people walking the streets. But basically, it is just a rather energetic little fishing village with fresh fish at bargain prices. People live a decent quality of life, and seem happy, some might even say that they live in paradise.

Of course, this has taken more than a little adjustment on the part of me and my family. A good sense of humor and an open mind will be essential to our successful adaptation. My daughter, Mariya had to get used to her new school and school uniform and my wife had to get used to insects like this pie pan sized spider we found in our living room.

The Locals

Most of our family and friends ask the same question about Venezuela. With a curious look in their eye, they ask us how Venezuelans feel about “Americans” living in Venezuela. I will write more about this later, but thus far, we have met nothing but kindness and consideration on the personal level. After five months, I can tell you that I appreciate this place more with each passing day.

I know that the U.S. government has historically had a rather harsh and often self—serving foreign policy in Latin America, but people do not seem to allow this to affect how they treat me or my family. Actually, Venezuelan people are very curious about why we would ever move to Venezuela from the US. I usually just tell people how fortunate they are to live here on the Island, they always nod and smile. Visitors will find a startling amount of personal freedom here, almost like the land that lawyers, insurance companies and politicians forgot. It is more than a little chaotic at times and I wonder just how much freedom people really need. Recently, the people who live in the barrio behind our condo blocked the street for a block party. Three days later it was still blocked and they began setting up shade structures and food stands in the middle of the street, eventually, local police asked that they remove the structures and reopen the street.

Like everywhere else we visit, people on Margarita Island tend to treat us like we treat them. I think locals on margarita Island would treat me much better if I spoke better Spanish.

Our Home

It was in September of 2001 when I found my way to Margarita Island. A good friend who is an avid photographer wanted to visit and photograph Angel Falls, the highest and longest free drop of water in the world. Angel Falls is located in Venezuela's Canaima National Park. In 2002, I made my first visit to Margarita Island, where I now spend most of my time.

There was something about this place that felt like home to me, a certain comfort and excitement about the rhythm of the culture and the place. At any rate, I came back a year later and found a beachfront view condo. Five years ago, in 2004, I purchased my condo for under $80K. Though my legal residence of record is still in California, we spend as much time here as possible.

Maintaining a home on Margarita Island is a real bargain, my monthly cost for the condo runs about $110 a month for fees, taxes, and insurance; the cost of living here is also reasonable. It is amazing how this fuzzy dream about living on Margarita Island gradually evolved from just a crazy whim into reality. Visualization can be a very powerful thing!

Though I rarely go, we have several modern shopping malls on Margarita Island that serve as a primary public gathering places where many people go for entertainment. Patrons can purchase imported goods such as electronics, European food specialties, sporting goods, clothes, etc. Venezuelans also go to the malls for an inexpensive outing pretty much like they do everywhere in America. In Sambil Mall there are a large number of restaurants, coffee and pastry shops, a food court and even a Hard Rock Cafe if you need a “hot spot” for your laptop. Young people flock to the modern multi—screen cinema on weekends. This is a good place to get a peek at the local people in there native environment. When we feel like tempting Lady Luck, there is a nice Casino at the Hilton Hotel with blackjack, craps and slots.