Today’s only task was to look after the tires and have the best option done. I started my research and went to the main street that was coming from Ejido to Merida. I thought I start kind of at the entrance of the city and work my way to the end. I passed the airport and could see in the distance that the next traffic light was blocked by some cars. I did not get close enough to see the reason and turned around like all other cars in front of me. On the way up I spotted the first dealer on the opposite side, Good Year. I turned around again and drove to the dealer.

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I just wanted to have the first professional opinion about the tire that had hit the hole and broke. The youngest assistant looked after me and explained that one could save the tire. The cut was not too bad and at a repairable location. The tire would have to be vulcanized at approximately 5000 Bolivares. This price was not too much but I did not want to spend that money at the moment. I was still far away from the border and the chance to withdraw and change more money. I asked for plan B to change both tires that I had in the trunk. 500 Bolivares, I had no choice but to quickly say yes and have the work done. Once at the border I would change money and have the broken tire vulcanized.

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I drove the car onto the hydraulic lift, the car was lifted, both tires removed, the reserve tire that I had changed in the steep curve went back into the reserve in the trunk. 20 minutes and I had both tires changed and was ready to go. I expected for my research to take the whole day, now it was still early in the morning and I was ready. I did not want to continue driving to the next destination today; I had prepared my mind for another day and night in Merida.

I definitely had no other plans for today and drove direction to the center; another road block. I changed my mind and decided to drive to the cyber and drove direction one of the bridges to cross to the other side of the town; another road block. Now after the third road block even I noticed that something was wrong and something bigger was going on. I parked the car in one of the side streets close to the center and walked to one of the road blocks.

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I asked the owner of a kiosk and he explained to me that all taxi drivers of the city had set up the entire road blocks at all entrances into the town, around the city center and in front of the main bridges. The reason for the road blocks was to enforce a meeting with the governor to discuss the insecurity of the taxi drivers. Various drivers had been assaulted and killed or had their car stolen. They had my compassion, taxi drivers around the world are very vulnerable, especially the ones that drive during the night. Venezuela was in a difficult economic situation which had created overall insecurity and had allowed crime to grow.

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I went to various road blocks in the center to take pictures and then tried again to find an open bridge to cross to get to the cyber. I managed to find a bridge and made it. I could not believe the luck I had this morning to find a mechanic in the blocked city and now to get to my cyber. I worked for two hours, had lunch and worked for another two hours before meeting with my friends from the snack bar, have my final special hamburger menu and say good bye. I had met them every day during the time I had been in Merida, for exactly seven days, a full week.

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