Gringoids - Day Two

Up at 7am. The nausea has subsided somewhat. Shower up with dub
&; time to go to the Airport to finally exchange my pounds for
Bolivars (?1=1000Bs). On the way, I bump into Issam. One of the crew I
met last year. He informs me that he &; some friends are in a band,
trying to get a record deal. He compares it to a kind of Latino Talvin
Singh. Seeing as I've recently purchased a funky Jen keyboard from The
Jones Machine, we have agreed to meet up this afternoon &; jam round
one of the boys houses. Should be cool, as Issam likes a smoke up, so
hopefully I'll be toke up this afternoon. I'm considering hunting out
the bastard who fed me a clump of baccy last year &; force him to
eat a clump of the herb &; see how he likes it.

Just cruising around Merida for the rest of the morning. I already feel
totally at home. Merida is so chilled. Lush tropical mountains rising
upto 20,000ft surround the town. The air is very clean. The people just
love staring at me. Obviously, I greet each enquiry with a big cheezer,
a thumbs up &; an 'Hola'. Haven't got a clue as to whether I get a
reply, as I've got 'Blur' pumping out of my Walkman. Merida is also the
administrative capital of the Andean region of Venezuela &; is home
to one of the oldest Universities in the country. Therefore, the town
houses a cosmopolitan atmosphere, with a dash of class &; decorum.
Ideal for olive eaters &; a man of my social standing. There's a
mixture of Spanish, Indian &; African descendants that make up the
population of the town. Very few Westerners, so there is a distinct one
world, one love feeling.

I think the stomach is starting to calm down now. Had a ham &;
cheese sandwich for breakfast &; feel only a little ill. Downing a
black coffee with enough sugar for 2 bearturds (Snickers) has done the
job. I'm actually considering eating a full meal tonight. I don't half
know how to live life to the full.

Merida definitely has more money than it did have last year - there are
plenty of new shops &; restaurants. In Centro, there's even a
department store. I decided to visit a pizzeria I remembered from my
previous visit. What rank fodder. Tasteless apart from the pepperoni,
which tasted of nothing I've ever tasted before. A non descript meaty
plastic is about the best description. I managed to get the stodge
inside me though. It must have been the most difficult meal I have ever
had the displeasure to consume. Even worse then those terrible memories
of being force fed roast dinners when I was a youngster. It took 3
glasses of coke &; a litre of agua before the pulp finally slithered
down my gullet. There was a high degree of physical &; mental pain
after that experience, so I decided to blow out the jam up &; do a
good hours worth of the yog.

I'm enjoying this lone vibe. I can be as selfish as I want. The head I
have at the moment is telling me to take it easy &; that is what I
intend to do. Off the booze to get rid of the handles of love I have
acquired over years of imbibing a cornucopia of libations &; yoga to
soothe mind &; body. If I keep this up it will be surprising, but
we'll see how it goes.