Seasoned traveler Geraldine Joaquim found herself on high alert after encountering multiple issues during her trip.
She has since shared what she describes as one of her worst travel experiences and the reasons why she refuses to return to the city.
While global travel slowed during the pandemic, many are now making up for lost time—like one man who has managed to visit an incredible 190 countries.
However, if you’re looking for inspiration for your next destination, one woman has made it clear there’s a place she’ll never set foot in again due to the stress it caused her.
Geraldine Joaquim, an avid traveler who has explored over 60 countries and takes around four trips a year, believes it’s “important to see the good and the not-so-good” of each place rather than expecting a “sanitized version.”
However, one particular overnight stay left such a lasting impression that the 54-year-old hypnotherapist and wellness coach has vowed never to return.
She shared that she was on a work trip to Isla Margarita, a Caribbean island that is part of Venezuela, and had flown from Montevideo, Uruguay, to Venezuela’s capital, Caracas.
Since her flight arrived late at night, she had pre-booked a car to take her from the airport to a hotel in the city center for a one-night stay before continuing to her final destination.
Joaquim recalled: “It felt pretty normal until I started waiting for the transfer, and waited and waited. I was there for hours, and as the small airport emptied, I realized I was alone.”
Joaquim explained that her phone “wasn’t working” and she was completely alone when “a man showed up and said in broken English that he was here to take [her] to the hotel.” Feeling relieved, she got into the vehicle.
However, her relief quickly turned to panic when she noticed another man already sitting in the front seat. Her “stress response went through the roof.”
“I would never normally get in a car with two strange men, but I had no other options. So I got a tiny pen knife from my hand luggage and spent the 30-minute journey on high alert, clutching it in my hand,” she recalled.
Fortunately, Joaquim made it to the hotel safely, but a restless night followed, and the unsettling experience didn’t end there.
The next day, as Joaquim arrived at the airport, she was met with yet another ordeal—her bags appeared to have been stolen while she was paying the driver.
When she caught up with the man carrying them, he claimed to be offering an informal “check-in service” and demanded payment.
Reluctantly handing over some money, she then proceeded to her flight back home to the UK.