We got to sleep in today because all the people we will be visiting are working.
The water is turned off, no word on when it will come back on.
Typical Venezuelan breakfast: Arepas con jamon y queso, mango, pan, y jugo de naranja.
Most of the day is spent talking and playing with Nene. He learns fast and is very persistent for attention. And of course, he has boundless energy.
Late afternoon and it is very hot and humid, little to no breeze to be found. At least we have the comfort of fans, right?
The power gets cut, but as a consolation, we hear the siren that water will be turned on again. Cold showers (there is no other kind here) are a welcome remedy for the heat and it comes just in time too before we head out.
Lethy’s Aunt (on Ricardo’s side) lives on the opposite side of Valencia. 5PM is rush hour – lots of sitting in traffic. Thankfully we have A/C in the car and gas is cheap to not feel so guilty using it.
5PM Traffic in Valencia Cross Town
El mono es muy furioso
As always, plenty of food and lots of meeting with people.
Left to Right: Suegra, Tia Rosa, Astrid, Ricardito and Nene, Prima Fiorella, Ricardo, Mark, Leticia, y Tio Freddi
Mark and Lethy with Tio Freddi and Tia Ana
Mark and Lethy with Tia Mercedes y Victoria
Ricardisimo and Victoria
Lethy and Fiorella
Lethy, Mark, Suegra and Tia Rosa
Time for Cake!
Successfully evading the camera: Victoria’s father, Tio Ricardo and his wife and their son…. Ricardo (yeah, it’s confusing). Also, Tio Roberto and Tia Mercedes’ husband.
Thunderstorms break out as people prepare to head home. Driving in the dark and rain is an experience I’d like to avoid doing again. A quarter of the cars have no lights. Half the motorcycles have no lights… and are still on the road in the dark and pouring rain! And by pouring rain I mean shotglass full sized drops of rain that sound like hail when they hit. Also, a tour bus is stopped in the middle of the highway with MANY police cars surrounding it. Highway is closed and everyone forced onto local streets. Everyone assumes it is a “buy my wares or I’ll rob you” gone wrong. Vendors board buses in traffic along the highway selling fruit or bread or lottery tickets. Apparently if they do not get the sales they want on a bus, it often becomes a hijacking. Yet another reason to be thankful we are driving ourselves.
When we get back both the power and water are on. Despite a couple of hours of very heavy rain, it did not cool off much and the humidity seems to have actually risen. Having to sleep without a fan would have been tough. Ricardo tells ghost stories and then we all head to bed.