The Island Is Sinking!

No - Not really...but it’s may be riding a little lower in the water due to the sheer weight of all the people who have flocked to Margarita Island this holiday season!

Just as in most of the rest of the world, the colored lights are strung along the the major roadways, houses are decorated, and stores are abundantly stocked in anticipation of the shopping frenzy.

The island fills up starting Dec. 10-15 and if you don’t have reservations it is impossible to find a room or bed. People from the mainland come to vacation, visit family, and shop here to avoid the 15% taxes charged on the mainland. Stereos, T.V.’s, appliances, clothes & toys are bought by the basket load. 

The real partying starts Christmas Eve, and it sounds like all hell broke loose! More like a ‘fire-fight’ than Christmas. Every neighborhood has at least one “pyromaniac” so fireworks start before dusk and continue until about 4 a.m.

No one gets much sleep on Christmas Eve. I think the noise would scare hell out of the reindeer and old St. Nick himself! The fireworks last at least through January 5th. Christmas Day is fairly quiet, but the day after that don’t even THINK of going to a store. Every supermarket looks like looters have hit. Very little is left, so if you are on the island before Christmas - stock up!

The problem is that coffee and pork are now so cheap that the growers and farmers won’t work. Consequently there is a shortage throughout Venezuela. It is still possible to get pork at BS 11,000 black market price. Several months ago I reported a similar situation with beef. A few weeks after my story was published a fairer price was negotiated and the stores were full of Argentinian and Venezuelan beef - usually tough, but still beef. 

The most recent shortage will probably be resolved the same way and nobody seems very concerned - these are patient people.

As you might imagine, traffic is also hectic. Many visitors bring their cars over on the ferry. Driving is usually safe here, but add all those extra cars, drivers “not from here”, the holiday rush, and it adds up to too many cars, not enough roads.

To make it even more interesting, this is the rainy season and there are showers almost daily.  Driving becomes a race with the rain to find a parking space where you won’t have to wade to the stores. The island isn’t built to dispose of rainwater rapidly so streets fill up quickly. It usually takes about 20 minutes after the rain stops for the water to subside. The local custom is - if it looks like it will rain for a while, find the nearest bar and wait it out. This leaves the roads to the tourists and their creative driving styles.

Naturally, rental prices are higher in the season. Bargain rentals don’t exist this time of year and rates don’t go down until the end of January.

June 15th to September 15th is ‘high’ season here and if you have a nice furnished property (doesn’t have to be elegant, just clean and functional) you should be able to keep it rented and what you earned would cover your maintenance, repairs, and make a profit. Of course you would have to pay a commission to the rental agent but you would own the property and be able to use it when you wished. 

Do your research and get a reliable person to be your rental agent. They are hard to find, so search carefully.