Every Monday of the year, and after a long process of manufacturing, ranchers from the area around the village of San Rafael de Atamaica, Apure State, Venezuela, ride their canoes on the Arauca river into town to sell their highly regarded cheese, “queso llanero”. Under everyone’s watchful gaze, the blocks of cheese are placed on rudimentary weights to establish the price, and then loaded into containers to be transported to wholesalers all over the country. In the meantime, the town turns into a cacophony of food stalls, vendors of all kinds, and even improvised barbers! As in any other neighborhood market anywhere in the world, people take advantage of the occasion to socialize and to catch up on the latest gossip. To see the entire gallery of images visit this link.
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Todos los lunes del año, y después de un largo proceso de manufactura, hacendados del área alrededor del pueblo de San Rafael de Atamaica, Estado Apure, Venezuela, llevan sus canoas por el río Arauca hasta el pueblo para vender su cotizado “queso llanero”. Bajo la mirada vigilante de todos, los bloques de queso se colocan en pesos rudimentarios para establecer el precio, y luego se colocan en contenedores para ser transportados a mayoristas en todo el país. Mientras tanto, el pueblo se convierte en una cacofonía de puestos de comida, vendedores de todo tipo, y hasta barberos improvisados! Tal como cualquier mercado local en cualquier lugar del mundo, la gente aprovecha la ocasión para socializar y para enterarse de los últimos rumores. Para ver toda la galería de imágenes visiten este enlace
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— Gina Santi is a freelance photographer born and raised in Venezuela and currently based in Tempe, Arizona. She earned her master’s degree in Cultural Anthropology from Northern Arizona University and has participated in various events in Northern Arizona, including the annual Celebraciones de la Gente at the Museum of Northern Arizona. Visit http://www.ginasantiphotography.com for more information.