Ciudad Guayana in 2024: I asked a local about the future and they just laughed
okay, so i’ve been in ciudad guayana for three weeks now, bouncing between cafes with shaky wifi and my hotel room that costs less than my cat’s dental bill back home. everyone keeps asking me, “what’s the deal with this place?” and i’m like, i’m still figuring it out. but i did corner a guy named carlos at a pollo asado stand who’s been here since the city was basically a blueprint. he took a long sip of his club cola and goes, “the future? they keep talking about the future. we’re just trying to have a present that doesn’t smell like the steel mill all the time.”
so i asked him about the big projects, the ones you see in the government bulletins. he just pointed his fork at the smoky horizon where the seit and orinoco plants sit like sleeping giants. “they’re talking about a new port terminal downriver, some chinese-funded thing to move more iron ore. and a highway bypass that’s been ‘starting next quarter’ since 2018.” he laughed. “my cousin’s brother-in-law is supposedly managing the asphalt delivery for that bypass. he drives a brand-new truck for a month, then it ‘gets repossessed.’ it’s a whole performance.”
*the data that actually matters
let’s be real, you’re not here for the tourist brochures. you’re here because rent is $200 for a decent apartment in alta vista, and you can get a arepa con queso for a dollar. but you need to know the real numbers:
| thing | cost (usd equiv) | the catch |
|---|---|---|
| 1br apt (decent area) | $150-$250 | power outages 2-3x/week. bring a power bank that loves humidity. |
| internet (cantv/ movilnet) | $30-$50 | “up to 10mbps” means up to 10am on a good day. starlink rumors are everywhere. no one has it. |
| taxi (short ride) | $2-$4 | agree price before. always. meters are abstract art here. |
| monthly coworking (if you find one) | $80-$120 | usually above a bodega. the ac is a myth. |
safety? look, i don’t wander at night alone. not here, not in most places. carlos says, “it’s not a warzone, but it’s not a disney movie. keep your head on a swivel, don’t flash gadgets, and for god’s sake learn the ‘no tengo_change’ line for when you’re asked.”
*mood of the streets right now
right now it’s that thick, wet heat where your shirt becomes a second skin by 10am. the air tastes like warm metal and wet earth after the 4pm downpour. you can smell the orinoco river if you get close to the malecón-but you’ll also smell the open drains. it’s a complicated perfume.
*where the hype train (might) be going
so the big rumor, and i mean this is the kind of gossip that gets whispered over dominoes, is about a new “tech zone” near the university. some venezuelan-argentinian partnership. they’re supposed to lay fiber optic cables. carlos rolls his eyes. “they’ll dig the trenches. then the rains will fill them. then the trucks will get stuck. then everyone will forget.” but he admits, “last month, a guy from portugal opened a legit espresso bar with actual stable internet in mundo nuevo. that’s more revolutionary than any port.”
*drunk advice from a local (i’m paraphrasing, he was drinking rum):
- “if a project is announced on tv, assume it’s already 2 years behind schedule.”
- “the future isn’t a place here, it’s a verb. you future by surviving today.”
- “go to los patos for a real dinner. tell them carlos sent you. they’ll overcharge you but it’ll be the best overcharge of your life.”
*where to actually get info (not from me)
- ciudad guayana subreddit - it’s quiet but the old threads have gold about what parts of Unidad actually have water.
- tripadvisor: things to do - mostly industrial tours, which are weirdly cool. the ‘cachamay park’ reviews are split between ‘beautiful’ and ‘needs a paint job.’
- yelp: los patos restaurant - yes, that place carlos mentioned. it’s not cheap, but for a reason.
anyway, my flight’s in two days. i’m going to hike in parque nacional canaima before i go-it’s a brutal 4-hour drive but a proper escape from the rust and concrete. carlos texted me: “bring bug spray. and don’t believe the brochures. believe the person selling you the arepa. they know the real city.”
so that’s the future, i guess. less about shiny new bridges and more about who can still sell you a hot arepa when the power goes out. city’s got grit. maybe that’s the project.
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- https://topiclo.com/post/fort-worth-food-scene-locals-eat-more-than-just-bbq