João Nélio arrived in Venezuela on the 15th of June. It was his first visit to the country, a journey to see his daughter, explore the area, and experience a different way of life. However, his trip took an unexpected turn when he experienced what he describes as “the biggest scare” of his life.
He was in Caracas, on the upper floor of a house, and preparing to travel to La Guaira, when his mobile phone began to sound an unfamiliar alert.
“It started making a strange sound,” he recalled. Shortly afterwards, the house began to shake.
Having never experienced an earthquake before, João Nélio said it took him a few moments to understand what was happening. “The house was moving everywhere. We didn’t know which way to go. It was something I had never experienced,” he said. The initial tremor was followed by aftershocks, bringing further uncertainty. João Nélio said the ongoing movement left everyone on edge.
“We were always worried. I looked at the house, and I looked at the ground. It felt as though everything was falling apart,” he explained. Since then, he admits his sleep has been affected by the experience. “We keep waking up during the night. It is a trauma. It’s not easy,” he said, adding that the experience is unlikely to be forgotten quickly.
His return journey had been scheduled for the 29th of June, but the earthquake has affected his plans. With flights still unconfirmed, he is waiting for arrangements that will allow him to return to Madeira. “I’m desperate to get back home,” he said.
Despite the experience, João Nélio has not ruled out returning to Venezuela in the future, particularly to visit his daughter. For now, his priority is returning to Madeira and recovering from the shock. “I want to come back here too. But it is not easy. This is not something you forget quickly,” he concluded.
Samantha Gannon
info at madeira-weekly.com
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