Hungover

Yes yes yes daddio - back in Merida. I've somehow lost my filofax.
Bit of a problem really, seeing as the family's address is in it.
Innit. Another small problem is the fact that no change bureau is open.
There is only one, which is at the Airport. Therefore, I'm a rich man
over here, but can't spend anything, as it's all in the incorrect
currency. Bolivars or Dollars only.

To make myself a little happier &; in need of desperate
recuperation, I book myself into Park Hotel - 4 Star. Wicked - it's got
MTV the lot. Oh, &; a wonderful shower. Manage to eat half a dinner
- First bit of food since leaving Blighty. The fear of puking arrives
again. This hangover will be the end of me. The altitude is also making
me feel a tad lethargic. You just forget how low Blighty is. I mean,
here I am 6,000 feet in the air, thinking that the sudden transition
from smoggy London to oxygen free Merida won't affect me. What a wally.
I think a bit of the old yog, followed by a day of laying down &;
sleeping is the only way through it. I'm very lucky that there are
plenty of ridiculous Americans gibbering about their ridiculous gods at
their ridiculous Emmy Awards on TV. A great deal of amusement.

Whilst eating &; feeling a tad queasy in the hotel restaurant, I had
a good half hour chat with the barman, who alike so many other South
American compatriots have an obvious &; necessary interest in
politics. The chap told me that Hugo Chavez, (the new Venezuelan
president) seems to have the people on his side &; people are
extremely content. We discussed the current situation in Colombia, (one
of my onward destinations). Western press seems very mixed when
reporting about this place. One moment, your informed that Chavez has
banned American military planes from using Venezuelan Airspace to spy
on the flourishing drugs trade across the border in Colombia, the next
you hear that there is a significant American military presence on the
border between the two countries, protecting Venezuelas interests. The
latter is incorrect, former spot on. I picked up some quite interesting
factual knowledge, although I only took in half the conversation. The
other half was spent concentrating on stopping my recently consumed
fare from exiting the same orifice it had entered my fragile shell. I
bid farewell &; chilled big time.