In Venezuela, a Haircut Costs 5 Bananas and 2 Eggs

Making do in a crumbling economy by trading goods and services.

A street vendor sells bagged portions of sugar, salt and beans at a stand in the Petare slum of Caracas, on April 14, 2018.

Photographer: Carlos Becerra/Bloomberg

Editor’s Note: There are few places as chaotic or dangerous as Venezuela. “Life in Caracas” is a series of short stories that seeks to capture the surreal quality of living in a land in total disarray.

The other day, I made a baguette-for-parking swap. It worked out brilliantly.