You are up early and obviously very sleepy still - how IS work? hahaha!

I am clearly up very late.

If you read the excerpt from the site again, it confirms what you said - "if entering and leaving the country by air"

XT says hello What's her name again? She nearly got a new, rather unflattering one the other day!

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How much does a man live, after all?
Does he live a thousand days, or one only?
For a week, or several centuries?
How long does a man spend dying?
What does it mean to say “forever”? - Pablo Neruda

Hi
I agree that Santa Elena is something apart, and is in no way representative of how things work in Venezuela. It is so far from the nearest big town (650 km) that all services are poor, There are only 2 banks and 2 ATM's. If your card doesn't work in the ATM you always have the option of doing a cash advance on your Visa credit card inside the bank. Lots of foreigners are doing that. But again that will be done at the official rate and is not good business for you.
Another option, since Banco do Brasil opened now a branch in Pacaraima, you could go back to the boder, no formalities required if you go only to Pacaraima, and withdraw reais from the Banco do Brasil ATMs. You then exchange them into bolivars.

I agree also on the bad attitude from the police and military in Venezuela. You will find most National Guard checkpoints between Sta. Elena and Puerto Ordaz. It is not that I agree but they are there to control (or try to) the smuggling, drugs going South into Brasil and gold and diamonds going North, as it is a big mining area and also a border area.
These checkpoints will stamp your passport (where you have the entry for the motorcycle) to indicate your motorcycle passed through. Once you passed the last one (Upata), nobody will stamp your passport again.

As for visas, a number of French and Germans living now in Sta Elena on their tourist status have to exit Venezuela every 3 or 6 months, they do that formality in one hour: exit venezuela, enter Brasil exit brasil and enter Venezuela again... and they have their new stamp for another 6 months. I know personnally 2 of them having done that for more than 6 years !! by this example I mean that no visa is required, you just present yourselves at the border. In any case as soon as I return to Sta. Elena, I will ask directly at the customs officials what is the story about that and I will gladly report back here.

btw I am not venezuelan... I have only 15 yrs here.

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http://www.newfrontiersadventures.com/MC/CentralAm.html

Hey buddy..

Work is crap. Long hours of souless sales in miserable and wet St Helens. lol...

Hows the XT treating you ? I hope shes behaving !!

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Did some trips.
Rode some bikes.
Fix them for a living.
Can't say anymore.