Here...in the USA!!!

We made it! I do not have Internet yet so this will be short as I am at a library.



We left Barquisimeto Friday morning and connected in Caracas to Miami. We checked our passports through the DISIP which is the Venezuelan political police. I held my breath and turned my back on the huge wall photo of Hugo (after I covertly made sneering faces at it!). Made it through ok, my husband kept the conversation on soccer:)



Then I headed over to our gate where we had over 100 people to see us off! The airport people kept coming over to ask if a celebrity or politician or one of the soccer teams was there since there was such a crowd... no, just some gringos. Lots of tears, lots of hugs.



My husband had gone to the Interpol check alone but, sent my brother in law to get me. They wanted to see me. A missionary friend said, "Oh no!! They must read The Jungle Hut and have you on their list!" . LOL!



As we were disembarking the plane in Caracas, a man looked at my daughter and I, and said,

" Yankee, Yankee!!" with a smirk. Oh well, just one bad apple in the crowd!



When we landed in Caracas we found more people had come to say goodbye. From as far away as Valencia!! More Hugs, more tears.



A Chavista worker in the bathroom hogged the only sink with water for ten minutes just to annoy my daughter. The other Venezuelans in line for the sink were embarrassed and gave us apologizing looks. Just imagine the International Airport during the America Cup had no water!!! That's Socialism!!!



In the security check line I met a British reporter from London. He told me that there was nothing to fear from Chavez as he had seen that the Venezuelan people love the American lifestyle too much to be anti-American. I asked him how long he had been here..."8 days", he replied. WELL! Now that is an expert!! So, I had to lecture him a bit. I suggested he had seen only one spectrum of the society, and that there were actually two Venezuelas at this time and he had not seen the reality of more than half of the Venezuelan society. He began to take notes and ask me questions when he discovered I had been here for 20 years. So...anyone in London who reads the Telegraph...maybe he'll print some of my perspective!!I did not get his name.



On to Miami!!! Arrived very tired. As I disembarked the plane, I took a deep breath to see if it smelled of sulfur as Chavez had said of Bush at the UN. It smelled of FREEDOM! In Spanish I said, " No heule a sufre!" Got a few laughs from the Venezuelans and strange looks from others! I am used to that!



NOTE TO SELF: Do not assume that children brought up overseas will understand that moving walkways go in different directions! Jayde tried to step on one going the reverse direction and it was hilarious!!! Well, after the screaming ended and the people realized she was OK and not being abducted or anything!



I hope to have Internet soon!! I can be a little more candid now on some subjects about Venezuela. I am having "blog withdrawal " symptoms. I need to blog about my first trip to the grocery store here!!! So much to say...so little time!!



Thanks for all the prayers!!!