Happy weekend to everyone reading this! Today, I’m here writing my entry for Edition 305 of Weekend-Engagement, and I’d like to tell you a little bit about what was—without a doubt—the best road trip of my entire life. Although I’ve been on many of them, the top prize goes to a concert tour we undertook in July 2022—the final national tour for my choral group—during which we performed in various states and at iconic venues across Venezuela. You should know that I’m a huge fan of geography, maps, and routes, and that passion made this particular journey all the more special—even more so than our international tours.
I remember that most of the guys in the choir would fall asleep the moment the bus pulled away—and perhaps I dozed off a couple of times myself, especially after concerts or when we were traveling at night—but in truth, if I did happen to fall asleep, it was due to the darkness of the Venezuelan roads, which made it impossible to admire the scenery, let alone take photographs; during the day, however, I was always wide awake. This trip lasted eleven days, and unlike our tours in Spain and Rome, our national tour through western Venezuela was conducted entirely by bus, with a schedule perfectly arranged to allow us to perform in each consecutive state.
There were two buses, driven by the very same two drivers from our own musical institution, so the trip was truly comfortable—especially regarding stops. And I don't mean just bathroom breaks; rather, we stopped at the most popular spots so we could take photos—particularly at the monumental entrance arches of each state, at prime locations featuring works of art, and wherever we caught a glimpse of the sea. On that occasion, we set out from Caracas and visited the states of Aragua, Carabobo, Yaracuy, Lara, Falcón, and Zulia. It sounds easy, but it wasn't quite like that; it was a mix of exhaustion and fun. After all, spending so many hours together obviously helped us bond more closely as a group—not to mention the constant singing that broke out, at least on the bus we were riding in! 😅
I think the best part was having shared those 11 days with my wife—who, at the time, was my girlfriend. With her, I felt 100% free to do whatever I pleased: talk about life, snore without embarrassment, and take photos (for Hive) without having to offer lengthy explanations as to why I was recording or photographing everything I saw—though nowadays, everyone knows that I write for a blog. The buses were truly beautiful and comfortable—100% luxurious—and they turned heads everywhere we went: on the highways and in every town we visited. I also recall that one of the most special states I visited was Lara. We performed two concerts there on the very same day in locations quite far apart, and at each event—both in Barquisimeto and in Carora—I met fellow members of the Hive community.
There were two iconic moments during that road trip (even though the entire journey was special). The first occurred as we left the concert at the Teatro Armonía in Coro; since our hotel was located on the Paraguaná Peninsula, our driver pulled over right next to the Los Médanos de Coro desert. We were still in uniform—as the drive ahead would take over an hour—but no one cared about keeping their dress uniforms pristine; instead, several of us simply dove onto the dunes! 😍 The very next day—a first for many of us—we crossed the Bridge over Lake Maracaibo: a place to which so many songs have been dedicated and which is steeped in history. We sang non-stop as we crossed that bridge, all while taking in the breathtaking views.
My wife certainly kept me company and made me happy, but she also tended to fall asleep—sometimes for hours at a stretch—so I was able to listen to plenty of music with my headphones on, which is something that brings me great joy. It truly was a perfect trip; little did we know at the time that we would later embark on a couple of tours abroad—journeys that also involved traveling by road, though combined with trains and planes—meaning we haven't had another tour quite like this national bus tour since. I believe that this year, as we celebrate our 20th Anniversary, we will be visiting the Andean states and the southwest region of Venezuela. Consequently, I am eagerly looking forward to—and musically preparing for—that new experience. In the meantime, I am always happy to reminisce about so many anecdotes here on Hive through the Weekend Experience. Thank you, Dr. Galenkp 🙏
