As you may – or may not know – I am from South America. I was born in one of the hottest but most beautiful cities in Venezuela: Maracaibo. That is my hometown. It’s a major seaport and the country’s second largest city after Caracas.

“Maracaibo is a city in northwestern Venezuela and the capital of Zulia state, known as the center of Venezuela’s oil industry. Its old town is marked by colonial buildings, including the colorful houses lining Calle Carabobo. On central Plaza Bolívar, Maracaibo Cathedral houses the statue of the Cristo Negro, or Black Christ. Nearby is the 18th-century Casa de la Capitulación, a culture and history center.” — Wikipedia.

Derived terms: Maracaibero, Maracucho and Marabino.

Background

It is on the coast of the lake named after the city and discovered on August 24th, 1499 – by Alonso de Ojeda a sailor of Columbus' crew in his second trip to America.

The city was founded three times. First in 1529 by the German Ambrosio Alfinger, who named it Maracaibo or Villa de Maracaibo. The lack of activity in the zone made Nicolas de Federman evacuate the village in 1535 and move its population to Cabo de la Vela nearby Coro. A second attempt by Captain Alonso Pacheco turned into failure. The third and definite foundation of the city, occurs in 1574 when Captain Pedro Maldonado establishes the village with the name of Nueva Zamora de Maracaibo to honour Diego de Mazariego’s place of birth, Zamora in Spain. Since its definite foundation the town began to develop as a whole.

The name Maracaibo comes from the brave indian Chief Cacique Mara. A young native who valiantly resisted the Germans and died fighting them. It is said that when Mara fell, the Indians shouted: “¡Mara cayó!” which translates into English: “Mara fell!”. Thus, originating the city name. Other historians say that the first name of this land in Indian language was “Maara-iwo” meaning “Place Where Serpents Abound”.

Maracaibo: The Beloved Land of the Sun. When people hear about Venezuela, they either don’t know what I’m talking about or there’s a negative connotation tied to it because it’s what is generally covered by international news.

Apart from recently being named the lightning capital of the world by NASA; Maracaibo, the city I call home, has many other wonderful things to offer that make it worthwhile to go back to.

Cuisine

Maracaibo’s cuisine is so diverse: tequeños, pastelitos, cachapas, patacones and mandocas are so mouthwatering and rich in taste.

There’s a “Lago”, a “China” and a “Puente”

Lake Maracaibo is where lightning strikes almost 300 days a year. Yes, my friends! It earned the top spot receiving an average rate of about 233 flashes per square kilometer per year, according to a recent NASA study.

“Cuando voy a Maracaibo y empiezo a pasar el puente… siento una emoción tan grande que se me nubla la mente.”

With a total lenght of 28,543 feet. The General Rafael Urdaneta Bridge not only connects Maracaibo to the rest of the country but it is also a symbol of the state of Zulia.

And how could I forget about “La Virgen de Chiquinquirá”? A visit to the Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary of Chiquinquirá is mandatory every Sunday evening. November 18th, Maracaibo celebrates La Chinita festival, with tons of processions around the city in her honor and in proof of our devotion to her. One of the main city avenues, Bella Vista, is closed for several blocks and the city puts lights along the whole avenue. The lights stay up for months, until after Christmas.

But there’s one thing that I miss the most about Maracaibo: my parents. And today is the day that my parents arrive to the US for the fourth time in two years. I haven’t seen them in eight months… eight freaking months. And friends. I am happy. Very happy.