All is dull when there is no contrast / Sin contrastes, todo es aburrido

For the unaware North American or European traveler who first arrives in the tropics, a pleasant surprise awaits. Against the reference background of northerner landscapes, the colors of the tropics do stand out boldly.

Get out of my way / Quítate tú pa ponerme yo

That November morning in 1992, Caraqueños woke up to the roaring sounds of military planes. An attempt of coup d’etat was underway.

Caracas in three dimensions / Caracas en tres dimensiones

How do you cram four million people in a tiny valley? The answer lies in the vertical dimension. Caracas, the capital city of Venezuela, grows vertically.

Curious Billboards / Curiosas Vallas Publicitarias

In rare occasions, billboards showcase personal messages. In such instances, billboards will become a strong attention magnet.

A momentous decision / Una decisión crucial

Twenty years ago, we said: “no more” and so we left the homeland. Venezuela has not changed much since then, I am afraid. And now the country faces yet another set of problems.

Minimalism / Minimalismo

Finding beauty in simplicity is a yearning embedded in human nature. Minimalism -as an expression of simplicity- lives in the most unexpected places.

No more labels, s’il vous plait / No más etiquetas, per piacere

Let us face it: we are all citizens of the world and no “identity” label is big enough to describe us *

Rubaiyats / Las Rubaiatas

In the mid 80’s, I stumbled upon the “Rubayaits” by Omar Khayyam, a poet who lived in the 12th century Persia. These poems are not about love but they do speak of the transience of things – just what young passionate lovers need to hear. Thirty years later (and a waning passion), this little reading gem still rings true to me.

Now you see it, now you don’t / Ahora lo ves, ahora no

Life is nothing but a seemingly never ending sequence of farewells and welcomes. Just like a phenomenal magic trick. Now you see a person, now you don’t.

Kindergarten

I certainly was very lucky to access the best education a little guy could dream of, in Caracas, Venezuela, back in the mid 60’s.