Dear Mom and Dad,

Venezuela is great! The weather is great, it doesn't get any lower than 70° or any higher than 80° so pack shorts, hats and light colored long sleeve shirts so you don't get bad sun burn. Guess what, Venezuela is larger than Texas and Oklahoma put together. The only problem is that the rainy season is from May to November. But when there isn't rain the water is crystal clear. People go swimming all the time when it's not raining.

The education is OK, elementary school is from ages 7 to 14 and you have to pay to go to school. From 15 and up you don't have to pay. 89 percent of the kids go to school. Two thirds finish primary school.

Mom, since you care about us when we get sick, I have to tell you that urban medical facilities are private and expensive, and rural facilities lack staff, equipment, and supplies. Two thirds of the infants get vaccinated for childhood diseases. But the government is trying to improve. Malaria is active in some rural areas and cholera has affected some people.

The proper way to eat is the mother and father sit at the heads of the table. The fork is in the left hand and the knife is in the right hand. It is not appropriate for adults to eat on the streets. Their eating is sort of different than our way of eating. They eat hot foods such as casseroles, meat pies, stews, and pasta dishes. A favorite is the arepa; a deep fried thick pancake made from white corn flour and sometimes filled with butter, meat, and cheese. Corn is the basis of the meal and rice is common. Black beans, rice, shredded meat, and plantain are also part of the meal. They have fresh vegetables and tropical fruit. Guess what, hot chocolate is more popular to drink in the morning than coffee!

Don’t get worried about getting bored; there is so much stuff to do. Dad, there is baseball and basketball. Mom, there is horse racing and there is horseback riding. Tell David that there is fishing along the coast or in many lakes. We can go see bull fights, go swimming, hunting, or we can learn to play tennis and golf. I can take dancing lessons and go to the movies or go to cultural events. In the rural areas they have festivals that provide recreation. The clubs are for the wealthy people. We can also go to Angel Falls, which is the biggest in the world at 3,300-ft.

If you want to know where we should live I think we should live in the country. We can have a horse farm near a lake so David can go fishing and we can go swimming. The only problem is the medical facilities.

If we have to live in the city we should live in Caracas for Dad’s job, because it’s the capital. They have baseball and basketball areas to play on and good medical facilities. But if we could live in the country we should live a couple miles from a town so it wouldn’t be that crowded like living in Caracas.

Your Daughter,
Eva

PS. Watch out there are anacondas!