To all my northern friends, I’m sorry in advance for wishing you a merry Christmas from this perfect 75 degree Caribbean morning in Venezuela. The breeze coming through the open windows is making it hard to remember the sting of cold and snow, and the parrots (guacamayas) flying over the trees outside screaming are a great reminder that there is no snow in the forecast.

I wanted to say a quick merry Christmas to everyone from my travels in Venezuela. We have been road tripping all over the country and are spending Christmas in Valencia… and maybe an afternoon at the beach. 

So far I have only eating one hallaca but will eat many more today, and tomorrow I will learn to make them!

The food (among so many other things) in Venezuela is incredible and I’m not sure I can choose a favorite but I’ll share a few interesting things!

After a long day at the beach, I was treated to this little guy who was quite fresh (but well fried). I was shocked at how tasty he was and I even ate the eyeballs!

A little bit less shocking, I’ve been eating a lot of Cachapas! If you don’t know what a cachapa is, it’s made with a batter of freshly cut sweet corn grilled into a patty like a pancake served with FRESH white cheese (many kinds of different white cheese but my favorite so far has been Queso de Mano… which I guess translates to hand cheese?). 

On Christmas Eve we stopped in the cutest little German settlement way up in the mountains where the architecture and atmosphere is enchanting and feels like you’re walking through a German/Venezuelan fairytale. 

I will leave you will one last photo, a view from a lookout point in Caracas (the Capital) near the (closed) United States Embassy. Hoping that will open soon!

Feliz Navidad!