Things We'll Miss About Venezuela

• Arepas, empanadas, cachapas, pabellón criollo (for Tom)
  
• Batidos, merengadas (fresh fruit juices and milkshakes - particularly passion fruit, strawberry and pineapple!)
  
• Tang - ghastly stuff made of pure sugar, to which you add water; Katherine and I appear to be addicted (uh oh)
  
• Mérida - top place, very cheap
  
• Isla Margarita, and the Caribbean coast in general
  
• Cosita Rica - like Neighbours, but with more love triangles, identical twins, armed robberies, long-lost brothers, broken marriages and, um, rappers (or is it hip-hop, I'm never sure)
  
• President Chávez's addresses to the nation - awe-inspiring mastery of rhetoric and propaganda
  
• Por puestos - why don't we have these in England?
  
• The climate (as long as it's not too hot...)
  
• The Andes
  
• Luverly Plaza Bolívars
  
• Polar beer
  
• Palm trees