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Ramblings from South America-Anaconda's trip home

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So... almost a trip report, but I'm not riding, so I decided to put this in the Off-Topic folder. Hope you don't mind me sharing my thoughts on my trip with y'all....

I flew home on Christmas day, after not being there and visiting my family for almost three years. The flight departed just past midnight, arriving at almost 7 am local time. The weather was picture perfect: very few clouds, nice cool breeze, and not so humid, even though the airport it's just by the coast. My brother and a friend picked me up, and thankfully, the friend was quite understanding of this photographing fool. I asked him to stop just as we left the airport, as we started climbing up the mountain toward the city. This is the end of the runway, you can't really see the airport, but you can see it's location in reference to the glorious caribbean sea.
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Oh look!!! MOUNTAINS!!!!
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And...more mountains!!!! As much as I love Texas, the one thing I miss the most from home is the green, lush, mountains that form the coastal mountain range ("cordillera de la costa").

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Caracas it's on a valley, nested on this mountain range. So the drive from the coast involves an assortment of tunnels and viaducts to deal with the rugged terrain and change in elevation...From sea level, to 3,000 ft ASL.
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One more look at the sea before we get further towards the valley.

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...and...more mountains!!!. This highway was built in the late 50s, and baring any congestion, it puts you in the city in 30 minutes.

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As we get closer to the city, the harsh reality of the state of our country rears it's ugly head....one of the many shanty towns found around and throughout the city (and all over the country).
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Anyone up for a little cup of coffee??? :rofl:

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Oh, look, a motorcycle!!! :rider:
Normally you can see swarms of scooters and small CC bikes, but it was still early in the morning, with most people sleeping in from the Christmas Eve's celebration, which is when families get together, feast and celebrate until well past the wee hours of the morning.
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So we pull into the garage at our building (we live on an apartment on a highrise) and I see that one of the neighbors still has his Africa Twin. Too bad I don't really know him.
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So I finally make it to the apartment, where my father was busy cooking a spanish omelete:

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I was starving and couldn't wait for the omelette (the spanish omelette has potatoes, so it takes a while to prepare), so I quickly attacked the "pan the jamon", a traditional bread prepared for the holidays which is filled with ham, olives and raisins:

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And a while later, voi-la! The omelette is ready! :eat:

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Food looks yummy Anna and the mountains are beautiful! Have fun visiting your family....:sun:
 
Hours later we drove to see some of my relatives. My cousin prepared "some" food for me, so she invited us over.
Other than the mountains, I really do miss the emerald green of the local vegetation. For such a messy concrete jungle that this city is, you gotta admit it's quite a green city. Hills, trees and vegetation everywhere.

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Weather in the valley can be so fickle. After the picture-perfect clear skies, the clouds where quickly creeping over the mountains. On a side note, you can see how creative the advert companies can get in placing their adds...They used the facade of a building to put up a Whiskey ad...

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Then there is this big...gardener...not sure what's the deal here, but oh well...

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We're entering a nice neighbourhood, quite close to the Avila mountain.
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Close to my cousin's, there is a small waterfall that can be seen on the mountain when there has been a lot of precipitation. The falls end on a small park.
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My cousin's daughter and her brother. This girl has an amazing story, she was born a premie, so small she was slightly larger than my open hand, and had to be fed a few ounces at a time through a syringe. Now look at her!!

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An aunt came by to join us. She's the last one alive of her siblings.
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Out come the appetizers: spanish cheese, spanish chorizo, and iberian ham :eat:
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Then we were served our most traditional Christmas time dish: hallaca. No, I didn't get pics, I was too busy eating!! But I have more at home, and will post pictures later. It's a quite elaborate dish, not to mention quite RICH...

After I inhaled my hallaca, out came the second entree. Lettuce and avocado salad, and lamb. Oh, the avocados around here are not that overpriced tasteless stuff they sell over at HEB. They are hug, buttery, creamy and delicious! Hence why you can make a salad just out of avocados!
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Like that wasn't enough food, my cousin got a little carried away with the desserts. Yes...desserts...plural.... We had caramel custard, a tres leches that shames the stuff they sell in Houston restaurants, and papaya preserve

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My cousin, and today's chef:

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And no good meal is complete without a good cup of coffee. Notice the size of the cup. That little cup is just the right amount of flavor and caffeine. Drink a mug of this and you'll without sleep for days...:trust:

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One of the views from my cousins' apartment. The tree in the foreground is a mango tree.
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We left a few hours later. Gosh, I forgot how big the trees get around here! !!
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And last but not least...A ginormous Santa on a vespa!
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And all of this on day one!
 
I was starving and couldn't wait for the omelette (the spanish omelette has potatoes, so it takes a while to prepare), so I quickly attacked the "pan the jamon", a traditional bread prepared for the holidays which is filled with ham, olives and raisins:

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Ummmm. I had some of that a few years ago when a co-worker brought it to a pot luck. Yummy!
 
Cool report!

Moving it to the Story Telling section. Still a trip and you even have bikes in it ;-)
 
There is nothing like going home for a visit. Every time I do I wonder why I ever left. Have fun with your family and keep sending the pics.
 
Glad you are taking the time to post up the story and pics, Ana. The "pan the jamon" looks too yummy, I think I could make a meal of it easily ;-) :eat:

Please continue the report, it's great. :clap: :zen:

PS: Any chance you'll get to ride while you're there? :rider:
 
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Nice! One of my favorite cities. Best looking women in the world there too!

I was there for the events of April 11, 2002 but have not been back since :( My usual hangout was the Tamanaco.

Saludos,

Mike
 
Know how your feeling visiting home, after not being there for several years. Everything seams to be the same but at the same time everything has changed.
Enjoy there rest of the family visit
 
Great job on the story Ana!!!! Bring some of that green back to TX with ya. We could use it.
 
Great Report Ana!!!! :clap:

My Wife and I are traveling to my Mother's home in Missouri. It has been several years since I have been there as well. No excuse!

We have some dear friends who have been missionaries to Venezuela. Over the years we have seen and enjoyed many pictures of the mountainous regions and villages.

I have never seen the food............. :eat:

We are now going down to the motel lobby for our "breakfast".
I fear that I will be sadly disappointed. :rofl:

Please continue the report. You are doing GREAT!
 
Just what I need. Been eating all manor of fattening food and I wake up this morning to see a delicious looking omelet. :giveup: :giveup:

Hey, great pix! No English influence there apparently 'cause they all drive on the proper side of the road. I was nearly killed several times in the Bahamas...:giveup: :rofl:

Our travels this holiday took us to exotic Surfside Beach. :rolleyes: My family is in Angleton and they got a beach house for the festivities. Grand daughter enjoyed the beach, though.
 
Great travelog. Can't wait for some more of it. I love these things when they show a human side, good food and the culture. What in the heck is an Africa Twin? Guess I'll go google it.
 
Today's been a much quieter day than yesterday. My dad and my brother had to go to work, I woke up late, and it's been raining on and off. After running an errand for my dad I took a little walk around the neighborhood.

To my surprise, I found that one of the local police departments is using the Wee as a police bike. This one hasn't been farkled much yet, it didn't even had a license plate, but it already had the blue lights.

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I spent a couple of hours talking to a family friend. From there back to the aappartment, but not without talking a picture to one of the oddest buildings in town:

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And let me throw in a boat-shaped building just because...

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Looking at this thread at work, a colleage was looking over my shoulder and said "that looks like Caracas!"

He was thrilled to see all the pictures of places and foods he knows all-so-well. ;-)
 
Ana, Thank you for this report and for sharing your family with us. I would like to make a trip to your Country on the Goldwing for sure.:trust:

It is hard to imagine how anyone could leave a home in such a beautiful Country.

Enjoy your family and stay in touch.
:sun:
 
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