*music*
Pam: My name is Pamela and in this episode I will take you on a journey through the beach town of Cuyagua.
Get in the car!


Pablo: Cuyagua…. Going to Cuyagua on a friday during the sunset, it's to go through a celestial path

Adriana: The road to Cuyagua begins at the border of the Lemon in Maracay,
a somewhat arid, steep, hot, narrow path...

Gabriel: The road is sinuous and it is narrow. You need to be with the windows down so you feel the mist because you can breathe the amazing vibe that it embodies

Adriana: that as you penetrate it begins to darken, moisten, refresh and cool down
Pablo: it is to start to rise a wonderful mountain full of fauna ...and a tropical forest

there is a narrow way full of curves with humidity and a dense mist, a magical atmosphere is created.

Adriana: in the distance, among the branches, among the trees...

Pablo: all of this ignites my adrenaline and while I listen to good music as “Dark Side of the Moon” (Pink Floyd) accompanies me and I start descending through various bridges to reach a beautiful place...

Adriana: A place with views of rays of sun that enters your lungs...
with freshness from rivers, from small waterfalls that fall along the road… a zigzagging road

Paola: I think one of the most beautiful things was to be on top of the National Nark Henri Pittier and I would open the window. It was a bit cold. I would feel the fog through my fingers

I had to focus on the road so I wouldn't puke

Adriana: a road that seems to be fearful but that also gives you power, when you handle and drive it, it directs you and tells you follow me, full of energy
Pam: ...and passion.


Pam: This episode was about the feeling of going through the road of Cuyagua. Go to the next episode to know about the town of Cuyagua. *end*

*music*

Pam: I am Pam and in this episode my family will tell you about the town of Cuyagua.

Adriana: And after many hours of fresh road, which does not make you tired, on the contrary...that excites you
You come to a beautiful town where everyone knows each other, everybody knows each other and everyone greets you and welcomes you
They invite you to eat something, or someone smiles at you

Gabriel: A picturesque, beautiful, small town that, whether they know you or not, always receives you with a good vibe

Pablo: A town of cordial and friendly people...surrounded by huge big mountains

Adriana: A street that goes up and another that goes down and always crosses the square of Cuyagua (The Square Simon Bolivar)

Pam: She is referring to the main square. That is where the church is…
Can you hear it? Do you want to see the church?

Let’s go!

Pam (whispers): no worries, this is the only church in the world in which you can actually enter using a swimsuit!

One of the most beautiful celebrations happens on June 24th. The San Juan Festival, dominated by rituals of fire and water, is one of Afro-venezuelan heritage.

The large black population that inhabited the caribbean coast performs these Celebrations as an expression of resistance.

During the time of slavery, in Venezuela, slaves were only allowed three days during this Festival to celebrate and make love, and to also plan revolts!

Thus, San juan became associated with the reversal of an oppressive order through the sensuality of the dance and the power of the drums…

Pam: This episode was about the main town of Cuyagua. Go to the next episode if you want to know about Pablo’s house.

*end*

*music*

Pam: In this episode my family will share with you some of their fondest memories of Cuyagua...

Pablo: I fell in love with that place called Cuyagua and I had the fortune to buy a small piece of land in that charming place... ...Surrounded by big trees and I remember, around 500 metres from here there was a pure and crystal clear river (called Pozo de Arena).

Near that river there was a flat stone that I would climb to.... I would sit there to imagine how my house would be.

Pam: Walk to the right!

This is the house he is talking about!

Pablo: The birds would accompany. I used to see the sunset and I would contemplate the dancing of the trees due to the strongest wind called ‘caldereta’.

All of that would give the point where I would design the windows of my house and position it according to the wind. To finally live in the place we built together called ‘PamPao’.

Adriana: I remember from Cuyagua the mosquitoes after 6 pm. You want to sleep with a fan that brings the wind from outside.

In the early evening there is too much heat and you just want to swim in the coldness of the water

But later at dawn coolness the one that makes you freeze!

Gabriel: Once we went up the river through a thin pathway. It was Diego, you and me! (he means me) and we arrived to paradise!

We were alone. It was like an adventure! I really like this memory because we were free in this small town and I felt safe.

Pam: In this episode you heard about the fondest memories of my family. Go to the next episode if you wish to know more about the food that you will taste if you ever go to Cuyagua.

*end*

*music*

Pam: I am Pam and in this episode you will hear more about the food that you can potentially taste if you ever come to Venezuela.
Woman (whispers): What a beauty!

Pam: Cuyagua is Lula. Lula is the woman that made the greatest arepas of these world, and I have eaten many!


Glory: Beans, cheese. I already have the arepas filled with butter… What should I eat the arepa with? Meat?!
No.. this is too much!

Pam: no c’mon! You can definitely eat it. It's not that big, woman!

Glory: My heart tells me beans but my soul tells me meat!
Wait, omg
This is too much! Mmm!
How do I bite this?
Mmmm!

Pam: What do you think Cuyagua smells like?

Gabriel: That smell of nature I don’t know what it is... It's like mango with nature, I don’t know…but that smell is incredible. That’s the smell of Cuyagua...

Adriana: I remember the arepas, el perico. The fried fish, the catalana, the jurel, the tostones (something made with plantain) uyyy it’s so good!

Pam: Papo is a local who I have known since I was a kid. He will tell you about his daily diet.
Papo: I eat everyday vegetables, fried fish, grilled fish... ZERO AREPA. Orange, papaya, passion fruit, guava juice.. low in sugar and low in salt. It's all healthy. We cultivate the yuca, el ocumo (okume?).

The fish is free (because it comes from the sea).

Gabriel: At the ‘Rancho de Lopez’... Ufff! that's the sensation of Cuyagua. The smell of a fried arepa and the taste of the yellow cheese melted in your mouth after being the whole day at the beach.

Glory: Oh, my god!
Gabriel: Uff, no. I miss Cuyagua!

Pam: I hope you got hungry after this episode! Go to the next episode to know about the meaning of the word ‘Cuyagua’.

*end*

*music*

Pam: I am Pam and in this episode we will explore what is the meaning behind the word Cuyagua.

what does cuyagua mean to you?

Pablo: To me is mountain, river and beach

Gabriel: Cuyagua means family... having a great time together with family

Adriana: Cuyagua means beach, sun and sand… a looooooong beach to take a walk.

To me Cuyagua meant rest, to free myself from work, from stress, from pressure. I used to get very sleepy. To the point that when my daughter was a baby (around 1 or 2 years old)
I used to open a plastic pool that we would put close to the shore but still under the palmtrees. Until all of the sudden it was cold so I would hug her and cover her with my body. As time passed we became like two mini fruits in the water. Hydrated (laughs).

Gabriel: That name is relax, there is no way to say Cuyagua and be angry. It doesn’t exist.

Paul: To me Cuyagua means trust, friendship and family because if I take someone to Cuyagua which it is a place that not everybody goes to, like La Guaira (another venezuelan Beach closer to the airport) because Cuyagua is far and a bit hidden so... if I take someone there, that means that I also give them a bit of my intimacy because because it is a very very VERY special place to me (Paul story)


I was at the beach, the waves became kind of aggressive, like they had woken up and all of the sudden waves arrived *tal tal tal* and I was around 5 or 6 years old. And the waves wiped me out. I scratched my spine and I didn't realize I was bleeding until my dad told me some time later...

Pablo: Son! Yout cut yourself!

Adriana: I was afraid to enter the sea when it was like that... it seemed to me that the ocean was stronger than me.

Pam: In this episode you heard about the intrinsic emotional value that Cuyagua has for my family. Go to the next and last episode to hear about today’s reality of Cuyagua

*end*

*music*

Pam: Our journey is almost over!

before leaving you need to taste THE BEST PASSION FRUIT ICE CREAM EVER.

Hello, how are you? Do you have passion fruit ice cream?
Parchita = passion fruit
This ice cream will make you scream!
Eat it fast, otherwise it will melt!

Papo! Why do you love Cuyagua so much?

Papo: I like the tranquility, we are all humble and united
If there was something you can take from Cuyagua what would it be?

All my family lives in Cuyagua, We are 9 brothers and we are all united
I wouldn't leave this place, I got accustomed to my town and the calmness
Cuyagua Cuyagua Cuyagua for life. Cuyagua can't be compared to Ocumare or Cata (other beach towns)

Alberto: Cuyagua to me was the most beautiful paradise we will ever have. It was our reunion place where we had the beach, mountain and the forest.

Cuyagua is a gem of traditions above all, the San Juan festival in the Holy Week or in December

Pam: What is the reality of Cuyagua today?

Alberto: It's such a shame they have damaged it like this....
It was also a school to learn how to live in harmony with nature
Where we thought that at the end of our lives that would be the place where we would a home where we could rest.

But destiny was different.

Pam: Cuyagua is this place where my love for nature grew
It is the place where I fell in love with drums for the first time
Where I tasted Chepa’s besitos de coco;
Where I saw a yellow watermelon;
Where PedroBomba became my pirulin friend (it's a venezuelan sweet)

Unfortunately the people from Cuyagua have migrated throughout the years in the hope of finding a different destiny. With their wrinkles and their smiles…
The first time in such a long time in which they actually leave the Caribbean Sea. That was their place for life and they took it from them.

Gabriel: Cuyagua is Venezuela.
Pam: Beach, mountain and surf.

Pablo: I am Pablo
Adriana: I am Adriana
Paola: I am Paola
Gabriel: I am Gabriel
Paul: I am Paul

Pam: Now it’s time to take you back to the city, back to another reality. You can visit anytime you want! Now you know how to get here and who to find!

*end*