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Who are the Llaneros?
Life in the inhospitable, wild territory of the Llanos
contrasts sharply to that of Venezuela's modern cities. The
first settlers arrived in the mid 1500s and its colonization
gave birth to a new people, the Llaneros, whose ancestry
is a blend of Indian, African and Spanish blood. During Venezuela's
fight for independence in the 1800s, the Llaneros made a name
for themselves among the Spanish for their daring and their
courage, and many would argue that this reputation has always
held fast. The Llaneros are Venezuela's answer to that all
but extinct species of pure, unadulterated machismo, otherwise
known as cowboys that once inhabited America's Wild West.
And like their North American predecessors, the Llaneros are
a stoical if somewhat masochistic bunch. They need to be to
cope with the unforgiving and not to mention highly dangerous
environment that is the Llanos.
Daily Life
The Llaneros cheat all the hazards of nature to live on the
land they have inhabited since the 1500s. They wake up at
an ungodly hour to round up their cattle in the cool air of
daybreak, lasso stray beasts, and break wild horses. Not bad
going before breakfast is even up. As if that were not enough
Llaneros don't seem let such minor details as the deadly anacondas
and crocodiles commonly found in the waters surrounding
the Llanos plains stop them from fishing for a few tasty piranhas
to throw on the fire for supper in the evening.
Social Life
But despite their hardships Llaneros still manage to enjoy
themselves with the same irrepressible verve that they live
the rest of their life with. Singing and dancing to the music
in the famous Joropo style is intrinsic to the existence
of the Llaneros. More than this, the Llaneros' musical tradition
has become part of the cultural fabric of the whole country
- Venezuela's national music is in fact referred to as 'Musica
Llanero'.
Visiting the Llaneros
If you so wish, it is possible to experience the Llaneros'
culture first hand by staying at one of the Llanero ranches
or Hatos. Three of the best-known and popular are the
Hato Frio, the Hato El Cedral, and the Hato
Pinero. These Hatos on the whole tend to offer much the
same facilities and as such the prices do not differ hugely.
Most visitors book through a pre-paid package of typically
three day and two night stopovers that include full board
and one or two excursions each day. Such tours cost around
US$100 to US$150 per person per day, although in the rainy
season there prices may be up to 30 percent lower. |
