The big excitement two weekends ago was that one of Cesar's pigs (yes, Cesar raises pigs) gave birth to a bunch of piglets so we went to the ranch (about 30 minutes away by car) to see how they were doing. While we were there, we took advantage of the opportunity to ride horses, something that I had not done in at least ten years. It was awkward at first but I seemed to get the hang of it quickly. I think I look like a natural on the horse (hint of sarcasm.... I know you like the hat). Cesar and I just rode the horses around the ranch which is mostly pasture where cows graze but also has wooded areas scattered about where all sorts of animals live. At one of the ponds there lives a baba, which is a smaller version of a crocodile - I didn't try getting too close to take a picture of it (almost in the very center of the picture you can see her little head sticking out of the water). And then the highlight of my day was that I saw a monkey family, which was my first time ever seeing monkeys in the wild! (hidden in the tops of the trees, found here in the very center of the picture, note the tail... it was hard to get a nice shot while on a horse) It was a nice to be in a different environment and enjoy being in the outdoors, something I should do more often.
After not seeing Cesar for about two months (due to travel and work), and as a celebration of Cesar's birthday, we decided to get away for the weekend with some friends. In many ways it was quite a contrast to our trip to Pui Puy this time last year where we camped out on the beach. This year we decided to see what the "VIP" version of the Caribbean coast would be like. Situated in the mountains/ rain forest/ beachy area in the state of Sucre, this is a unique way to appreciate Playa de Uva. The remote location was beautiful, but the attention we received (i.e. breakfast delivered to the cabin Sunday a.m.) completed the experience. We enjoyed the view of the beach and valley area from the cabins along the ridge of the mountains above. Despite the overcast, rainy weather due to some neighboring tropical storms, we still had a great time. We just missed seeing the sea turtles that nest all along the beaches by about a month and a half. Next time we will stay longer, make time to see the turtles, and of course check the weather first!
Since my arrival to Venezuela, I have been introduced to a variety of new foods. From arepas (sort of a corn bread patty commonly eaten with cheese) to empanadas (cheese wrapped in corn bread and then fried), tequenos (breaded cheese) and cachapas (corn bread pancakes), I have found some delicious options (and yes, corn and cheese are a common theme). Other everyday eats include various cheeses (especially fresh natural cheeses), tomatoes, plantains, beans, yuca, potatoes, eggplant, squash, eggs, etc. I have been "reintroduced" to something called quesillo, which when I ate it in Nicaragua was a tortilla filled with cheese, onions and sauce, and eaten out of a plastic bag, but here quesillo is what we recognize in the US as flan.... they share the same name but are very different foods. Going to the grocery store, I am able to find new things I've never heard of before, as well as some items that I am familiar with from home. Unlike the US, where you can go to the store at any given time and find exactly what you're looking for, it's taken some getting used to walking in and never knowing whether you will find what you are looking - I've seen shortages on basics like sugar, coffee and milk (thanks to a certain socialist president) and other changes in the kind of stock they have. As far as a sort of "hometown favorite" like Skyline, I have yet to find anything that would equate. The national dish, a favorite across the country, includes shredded beef, black beans, rice and fried plantains. I have been served this dish with shredded plantain skins to substitute the beef..... mmmmmm, interesting. Meat is a dominant item in Venezuelan dishes, so it has been a challenge to adapt to, especially when people here have such a hard time understanding the concept of vegetarianism (I have come across only one native Venezuelan vegetarian in the past year). The topic of my vegetarianism comes up frequently at social gatherings (barbecues, etc) and restaurants, and it was especially awkward going to the hamburger stand across the street for the first time. You may ask why I would be going to such a place, but it turns out that Venezuelans eat much more than beef, lettuce, ketchup, cheese and pickles on their burgers. Ingredients range from fried eggs, bacon, shredded carrots, crushed potato chips, various sauces, etc. I of course ordered everything but the meat items. Well, it was a memorable experience.... And just this past weekend we made our own version of hamburgers at the house - this time Cesar invented a sort of veggie burger made with beans. Needless to say, it has taken some creativity and patience to come up with options and I am still trying to figure out how to feel normal as a vegetarian in a country full of meat-eaters.
I don't know how much news about Venezuela you all may get, but this is a big topic of discussion here these days. I came across this article that does a good job of summing up the situation: International groups worry over Venezuela's stance on free press ...I'll let you form your own opinions. I would have posted yesterday, but with the power going on and off all day yesterday, there wasn't much I could do.... more stories about that later. I'm still open to topic suggestions and will be posting about them soon.
So I realize its been a while since I made my last post.... recently it has been relatively quiet for me, and it looks like this weekend will be more of the same. Things are wrapping up for the school year and I will be heading home to Cincinnati in about a month, which I am very much looking forward to. Before my return, however, I would like to do a few more posts. Maybe regarding everyday sights, the new foods I have been introduced to (a.k.a. how a vegetarian has survived in a country where anything meat is the main part of the meal), reflections on my year in Venezuela, etc. Let me know if there is anything in particular you would like to hear about/ if you have any topic suggestions.
As if I haven't had enough adventure during the short amount of time that I've been in Venezuela, the four days that I spent in La Gran Sabana (the Grand Savanna, a.k.a. Canaima National Park) opened my eyes to yet another great part of Venezuela. Located in the southeastern part of the country, La Grand Sabana is a national park known for landmarks like Angel Falls (the world's tallest waterfall) and Mount Roraima (a tepuy which is believed to be one of the oldest land formations on Earth) which people from all over the world come to experience. We were only able to cover a small area of the park, which is said to be the fourth largest national park in the world. Cesar and I set out last Wednesday after work driving about 2 hours to Puerto Ordaz where we stayed the night at Cesar's grandparents' house. We woke up bright and early the next morning to drive more than six hours to reach the park itself. It was amazing to see the change in landscapes as we drove, from farmland to mountains to rain forest and finally savanna. Our original plans involved visiting El Pauji, but the rain and dirt roads did not permit, so instead we stayed at Kama Meru, a place along the main road that Cesar has been to on each of his visits to La Gran Sabana. Here we set up camp and met up with some of Cesar's family friends. In the height of the tourist season, it was very crowded and it was hard finding the right spot to place our tent among all the others. Our second day we enjoyed swimming and taking pictures of the huge waterfall at the camp and set out in the afternoon on a short hike near the camp. Upon returning from our hike we met some friends who were brave enough to take on a trip to Mount Roraima. The third day we enjoyed a nice big breakfast and made our way to the Brazilian border, which was a relatively short drive away from where we were staying. We crossed just long enough to take some pictures and buy a few souvenirs. I can now check off another country from my list of places to visit!! And to keep with the international theme of the day, we stopped at an authentic Chinese restaurant to eat dinner on the way back to our camp. We stopped along the way back to camp to see the sun set - incredible to see all the colors across the savanna. Upon returning, we found that the campsite had calmed down quite a bit as many campers began heading back home. Our final day in La Gran Sabana began with a big breakfast and then packing up to make our way back to Maturin. We couldn't resist making a final stop along the way to go swimming at a site that has a much smaller waterfall and swimming hole. Altogether this was another amazing trip and I hope to return to La Gran Sabana soon because there is so much more to do. Anyone like to join??
