Venezuela: Angel Falls, Llanero Culture and the Arepa That Feeds a Nation
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Angel Falls — Salto Ángel — is the world's highest uninterrupted waterfall, dropping 979 metres from the Auyán-tepui tabletop mountain in the Gran Sabana of southeastern Venezuela. The falls are twice the height of any other waterfall on earth. The tepuis — the ancient flat-topped mountains that define this landscape — are among the oldest geological formations on the surface of the planet, their surfaces isolated from the surrounding forest for so long that they harbour plant species found nowhere else. The Lost World that Arthur Conan Doyle imagined for his 1912 novel was inspired by reports of these formations.
The Llanos — the vast tropical grasslands of central Venezuela — are one of South America's great wildlife habitats, home to capybaras, giant anteaters, giant otters, anacondas, ocelots, and the highest density of bird species in South America. The llanero tradition — the cowboy culture of the Llanos — is expressed in joropo music, played on harp, cuatro, and maracas, with lyrics about the open plains, cattle, and the particular melancholy of the working man far from home. Joropo is the national music of Venezuela.
The arepa — a thick corn cake grilled, baked, or fried and stuffed with meat, cheese, black beans, or avocado — is the Venezuelan national food and a perfect portable meal. Arepas are eaten at any time of day, from any of the hundreds of areperas that operate across the country. The Reina Pepiada — filled with chicken, avocado, and mayonnaise — is the most beloved variety. No matter what has happened in Venezuela, the arepa is constant.
