How do you say Raw Vegan in Spanish?

[Guest guest]

> So, Monika and I are going to Venezuela in August! We will be staying

> with a family there for ten days. Please email me if y'all have

> information, ideas, caveats, etc. about traveling raw (specifically in

> South/Central America, if you've done it!) Do you recommend any

> particular resources, books, websites? We know it's possible to

> travel raw...but we want to be smart about it, so we're seeking the

> collective wisdom of our community.

 

 

 

traveling raw is pretty easy, especially if you like to eat simply or mono.

i drove to panama and there's produce stands everywhere, especially in

smaller towns and there's usually a mercado (farmer's market) in every town.

 

unless you go into a large u.s. type grocery store (supermercado), you're

probably gonna find only local produce which is in season but even the

supermercados have mostly local produce, except for apples, pears and

grapes. there's plenty of fruit available but you're gonna have a hard time

finding greens unless you're in the highlands where greens are grown.

iceburg lettuce is common and so are cabbage, cukes, bell peppers, carrots,

celery. also, refrigeration is uncommon in the mercados and produce can

look pretty sad at times (even in the supermercados) but the fruits are

usually pretty good to excellent.

i was disappointed to learn that the fruits and veggies are the same hybrid

produce you find in the states and organic is *rare*.

 

and i was amused to find ''grown in washington'', red delicious apples in

the supermarkets and i even saw some in a mercado in the highlands of

guatemala. they weren't refrigerated and looked pretty sad but people thot

they were great.

 

i don't have much experience in the cities but the country/small town people

eat simply. the few restaurants i've been to accompany friends, in were

what's called fonda's or restaurante tipico in panama and they serve the

local fare which is usually rice, beans, a piece of fish or chicken and a

fried plantain ($1.25). i don't know that they served salads but i doubt

it.

 

my neighbors are substance farmers and mostly eat what they grow which is

dried beans, some starchy roots like yucca, fruits, and chicken. they seem

to be healthier than the city people who are more affluent.

 

if your gonna do a home stay, your gonna hafta explain ''things'' to your

host.

the locals are curious about foreigners and ask the same questions; where

are you from, ask about your family, your work, do you like my country, etc.

and... surprisingly ''what do you eat?''

 

at first i'd tell them that i was a raw vegetarian cuz i couldn't find the

word for vegan. then they'd ask, (same as in the states) do you eat rice?,

do you eat corn?, do you eat fish? do you eat chicken? (then they'd serve

you a gelatin/koolaid thingie and explaining everything in my limited

spanish was difficult so i've quit telling people that i eat raw and tell

them that i eat mostly fruits and vegetables. explaining eating mono is

another challenge. (what, no salads?)

i explain that i have digestion problems eating cooked food (which is true)

and eating raw works best for me. people are aware of mainstream dietary

cautions (cholesterol, red meat, etc.) so that seems to satisfy their

curiosity.

 

my dictionary translates vegan as " vegetariano estricto " . the example in my

dictionary is; " que no come ningún producto de origen animal''. (i don't eat

animal products " ). i don't understand ''ningún'' but then i don't

understand alot of spanish (or english

spanish for raw in panama is crudo, venezuela may use a different word. yo

comer comida crudo (i eat raw food)

 

i found hi-tech cybercafes thru out central america as cheap as .25/hour,

usually 50/75¢ hour. and many of them have inexpensive (05/10¢ minute)

international phones and or messenger, etc. i'd think you'll find

the same in venezuela.

 

for books, i'd recommend lonely planet's ''latin american spanish phrase

book'' and a spanish/english dictionary by berlitz (isbn 981-246-192-2).

the lp book is great but neither of the books are totally accurate as

translations/word use differs from region to region. some people understand

me perfectly and other's can't understand a word i say and visa versa but it

helps to smile... : )

 

norm )~

 

...... raw food, simply wonderful .....