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In the early 90's, I organized an excursion with my 4 children, my sister Maria (on my father's side), my nephew Hernan Luis, whom I raised as my son, 3 of my nieces: Maria Antonieta, Maria Eugenia (affectionately we call her Geña), Eunice and the boyfriends of each of them, who lived in Caracas and they also lived in Caracas. They were all studying in different Universities in that city. Since it was a school vacation, they came to Cumaná for a trip. A group of them stayed at my house, the rest at my mother's house, which is close to mine. We decided that the first place we were going to visit was Manicuare, from there we would go to Mariguitar.  We would finish in Sotillo. To make this trip we established rules: everyone pays their own fare. We all collaborated and bought the provisions to feed ourselves on this trip. If we camped in those places in the houses of our relatives and cooked the food, everything we dirtied, we applied the Canaima operation (Everyone washes his own pod).

One Sunday morning, we decided to go to the port where the ferry arrived, there we boarded a small one, called the palita, which took us to Araya, upon arrival we took a van that took us to our destination.  During this trip we were able to observe small hills of salt, which make up the salt flat, as white as the sea foam.  The hikers coming from Caracas were ecstatic at the beauty offered by nature. When we arrived at our destination we visited the house of the poet Cruz Salmerón Acosta,
 From there we appreciated the blue of the infinite sea, the cacti, the mangroves at the edge of the beach, the seagulls and gannets flying around the beach, harmonizing with the environment. The young people took pictures of all these natural beauties. Then we returned in another transport unit to Araya, when we arrived we bathed on the beach, then we went to the castle. We went down to see its ruins, we photographed them. The afternoon was falling, we took the paddle again. And we returned home. 

Early Monday morning we left for Mariguitar. We stayed at the house of my father's second wife, Eduviges.
 Upon arrival we took off our clothes,  we put on our bathing suits  and went for a walk and a swim at the cocalito beach, surrounded by mangroves and several coconut trees, beauty of this natural environment, which allow tourists to shelter under the shadows of its palm trees. The hikers did not want to leave this beach, and when it was getting dark we returned to Eucaris' house, who was waiting for us with a delicious fish stew and mango juice. 

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The next day I prepared some arepas with salted fish tortillas, condiments, scrambled eggs, fried plantain slices and we all ate before going to Golindano beach.  There we applied suntan lotion, sunbathed and then bathed on the beach. The caraqueños were delighted to see the infinity of that sea, and to contemplate in the distance the dolphins dive into the depth of the water and come to the surface, in that game that characterizes them. How warm its waters are, its natural landscape formed by several coconut trees on its shore, mangroves and meréis with its fruits, which were unknown to them. They took pictures of this natural environment. when the sun died, to make way for the night, we returned to where we were staying, the doña welcomed us with a stew of mondongo, parboiled yucca and a succulent milky juice. That sancocho sent us to sleep.

Two days later we migrated to Sotillo, the hikers were anxious to get to town, Micky, Geña's boyfriend was complaining and told me: 
"Ma'am, we already passed 3 river passes and we still haven't arrived".
I replied:
"They still have 4 more to go, to get there". 
He answered me:
"My back burns a lot, from the sun I took on the beach, I am tired".
I added:
"Wait, now it is still a long way to go". 
Suddenly Marie Antoinette, began to tremble, her complexion was pale as the moon, when she could articulate words, she cried out:
"My God, I just saw a snake that almost grazed my feet!".
I replied:
Don't worry, as long as you don't attack it, it won't attack you."
Eunice, who was studying architecture, said:
"It looks like I'm drawing a painting in a natural setting, with its birds, their chirping and the cri-cri of the crickets." 
SHe inhaled oxygen and exhaled, then continued: 
"The foliage that transmits the greenery of their plants, and the scent they exhale. They achieve a harmony between these elements".
Him boyfriend Alfredo: hugs her and says: 
"What a nice comment".

We all hurried up and arrived at the village. There we contemplate the natural environment, with Trinitarian plants, large trees, mud houses with coconut roofs that harmonize with the river that crosses the town.

They were astonished to see that in the small square the statue is a pineapple. Soon after they saw a procession coming with people from the village carrying a cross made of a wooden pole and all dressed as farmers carrying it on their men, also the pineapples and vegetables.

Hernán, Luis and María asked me as a duo:
¿What is the name of that stick cross, its meaning and the dress of the tillers ?. " I explained to them:

"There was a great drought in this town. Some farmers found this cross on the road, they asked for rain, from that moment on, this natural phenomenon occurred, the plants became green, the fruits were produced in excessive quantity, especially pineapple".... 

 yawned from exhaustion, then I resumed the explanation: 

"They called her the Cruz de los Labradores, hence the costume and the annual tradition of her patron saint festivities".

At night these excursionists enjoyed the tributes to this patron saint and danced in the street, under the sound of a musical group, until dawn, as soon as the sun rose. We boarded a small car to return home.
When we got home I told my husband how we came; a little annoyed he said to me:
"You are crazy, how did you think of that, if that car had had a mishap, everyone would have perished"!
I answered him: with a smile that delighted him:

 "Thank God, that didn't happen." He hugged and kissed me, and replied:

"Your faith in God, worked that miracle".

This excursion strengthened me; I had not been on a walk for years. My children, nephew, nieces, and their boyfriends were happy. A great friendship grew out of that experience. Today they call me on the phone and recall that trip. Geña, married another young man, had 2 daughters, currently lives in Miami.  Eunice is an architect, married another young man, has two children, works as a designer in a TV channel in Caracas.  María Antonieta had 2 daughters, she studied Human Resources. My sister Maria also has a degree in that branch, lives in Maturin, works in an institution, has 2 children. All of them remember that excursion with much affection and they miss it, since they were able to observe that natural environment. Never seen before. They all still have their pictures. My sons and nephew are graduates, they work in different institutions.  Whenever we get together, they remember that excursion, they tell their children the anecdotes they lived and I feel very happy to listen to them.



















 


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This is a non-fiction story
I hope you like it
the drawings are mine
use deepl translator