Christmas, Venezuelan style

Trip Start Dec 20, 2006

283

Trip End Ongoing

Loading Map

Map your own trip!

Map Options

Show trip route

Hide lines

Flag of Venezuela Maracaibo, Venezuela
Tuesday, December 26, 2006

Well, after a marathon journey which involved a 5 hour drive to Madrid through rain and snow, a refusal to check me in with no onward ticket, a 4 hour delay, a 9 hour flight, another 4 hour delay, a 1 hour flight and half an hour getting my cases emptied by the National Guard, I finally made it to Maracaibo where I have spent Christmas with some of my Mum�s family.

My first few days here were spent mainly catching up with the family and preparing for Christmas. As in most places, Christmas involves eating and drinking plenty, although the emphasis seems to be mainly on drinking. On the 24th, we started drinking in the evening and then everyone got dressed up quite smart. We had a typical Venezuelan Christmas meal just before midnight, which consists of pork, hallacas (meat and veg wrapped in a maize flour dough and a banana leaf), pan de jamon and chicken salad

Cheers!!

. Then at midnight the kids get their presents and everyone just carries on drinking and dancing till dawn.

After a couple of hours kip mid morning (I didn�t manage any), it was a quick shower and then onto another family member�s house for more drinking, dancing and a typical "Sancocho", a soup containing ribs, chicken and various types of vegetable. Perfect hangover cure, so I�m told. By about 11 that evening, after some 38 hours awake, I could no longer go on and managed to pass out (tired but mainly drunk)!!

So in a nutshell thats a typical Venezuelan Christmas; at least in my family it is.

Slideshow