I'm Leaving On a Float Plane...

Buenos Diaz from Venezuela!

Climbing into the little floatplane, that held 4 other people, I started on my amazing race to Venezuela. 
Salt Spring Air is fabulous. Halfway across the water to Vancouver, the pilot spotted this incredible tall ship. He circled it low so that we could get a good look of the wooden decks, the masts, the sails.  Check it out: http://www.sailtraining.org/membervessels/vessel.php?@=222&pg=Public_Information)
I took some nice aerial shots with my phone but the photos wouldn't send once I got to Vancouver - so I can't post them here. 

View from the condo

The next flight took me to L.A. and from there I was on a midnight flight to Miami. Slept like a log all the way. In Miami airport I had many hours to wait but found a great little coffee shop with wifi. Then the 4th and final flight took me to Barcelona, Venezuela. It was cool to fly over the Atlantic and then the Carribean - seeing the Bahamas, Cuba and Haiti/Dominican Republic. I'd never been to South American so am learning more geography as I go. For instance, I didn't know that Costa Rica and Venezuela are basically at the same longitude rather than north/south of each other.  

Making arepas.

It is a balmy 34ºC here and quite humid. I'm staying with a wonderful teacher/librarian who feels like an old friend (she did visit me on Salt Spring this summer!). I booked a few extra days so right now it feels like a holiday. Turns out that today and tomorrow are Virgin del Valle Festival, a religious holiday. First, her library assistant came over to cook a traditional Venezuelan breakfast. She made scrambled eggs with onions and tomatoes, with arepas (Ah-ray-pass) - round bread made from corn flour and baked slowly on a special flat baking sheet. We had sliced avocados, fried plantains and freshly squeezed orange juice with it. Pretty awesome, what a welcome!

Coast of Venezuela

Then we spend some time in and by the pool under the palm trees (while Arnout emailed a photo of the first snow fall in northern Canada... heehee). We walked to the beach where the festival was in full swing, with lots of people, music and stalls with food. At the first stall we bought the most perfect pina coladas I've ever had.. Good festival.

Next we sampled warm tequeños, deep-fried breadsticks with melted, white cheese inside. Yummy. And of course we had to take home tres leches cake and torte de chocolate to eat on the balcony in the warm breeze after our bean soup and wine. I must say... I like Venezuela so far! But.. things could deteriorate once I have to go to work...