Well I managed to survive Venezuela and wasn't locked up for espionage or anything. Yesterday was a marathon day of travel in which I got up at 4:30 am in Los Llanos, Venezuela and managed to get to the border with the $7 that I had left in local currency. It was a major challenge because the last thing that I wanted to do was get money out of an ATM machine there and get their 4:1 exchange rate when the going black market rate is 7-8:1. I used the cheapest local buses and skipped all meals and managed to walk across the border to Colombia by 4 pm. Although completely exhausted I didn't want to stay in the border area of Cúcuta as contraband seems to be the main trade there so I went straight to the airport and managed to catch a $60 flight to Medellín, home of the infamous (now dead) Pablo Escobar. Today I managed to catch up on some sleep and wander around the city. The climate here is amazing as its set in the mountains so it feels like spring all the time. The local people are among the most friendly I've ever met... and they're extremely welcoming to Americans.
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