Venezuela

The Two Extremes Of Latin America – A Story Of Insecurity And Kindness From Venezuela

February 28, 2012

I wrote this article a couple days before being robbed in Manizales, Colombia. Still, nothing changes and this post is still valid. But it has taken on a new meaning for me. After visiting Venezuela, many people have asked me how it was. But it’s not like a “how was it” question. It’s like a [...]

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Cucuta, Colombia – New Friends, Inspiration, And Venezuela’s Contraband Gas Station

January 24, 2012

Crossing The Venezuela-Colombia Border I left Merida, Venezuela at 8am on a bus destined for San Cristobal, Venezuela. Though the journey is only 180km/112mi, it took 6 hours. There was the 30 minute stop for lunch, lots of slow uphill climbs, winding through the mountains, and speed bumps in the small towns we passed through. [...]

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An Unexpected Taste Of Home In Merida, Venezuela

January 21, 2012

An unexpected taste of “home” at a bar in Merida, Venezuela:

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Merida, Venezuela – A Perfect Introduction To The Andes

January 18, 2012

I left Caracas on an overnight bus to Merida. The journey was supposed to last 12 hours, but it ended up taking closer to 15. Still, the bus was the nicest I’ve ridden. It was a double decker and there were only three seats – two on one side and a single on the other. [...]

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What Time Is It? Now, Always Now…

January 16, 2012

My impromptu trip to the beach to ring in New Year’s was wonderful, but literally right before we left to come back to Caracas something happened. I went to the bathroom and thoroughly washed my hands and arms to get the sun screen off of me. In the process I took of my watch. I [...]

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La Vida Es Bella (Life Is Beautiful) – Thanks Luis!

January 14, 2012

As I’ve already discussed in my Christmas and New Year’s posts, I spent the holidays in Venezuela with my friend Luis. In reality, Luis and I both studied at IE Business School in Madrid but our paths hardly ever crossed. We both took a day trip with a group to El Escorial, a town just [...]

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1984 In Venezuela

January 12, 2012

Last year I accomplished a long-standing goal to read George Orwell’s classic 1984. It was amazing, as expected. Unexpectedly, no matter where you live on this planet, elements of the book are already in full effect to some extent. I saw the billboard signs below on New Year’s Eve as we drove to the beach [...]

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Caracas, Venezuela – A Green And Beautiful Capital

January 10, 2012

Caracas is a hard city to write about. I spent way more time here than I expected to since I had such a good time with my friend Luis and since my volunteering opportunity in Eastern Venezuela fell through. Saftey When I first arrived, I wasn’t nervous about being in a city with a bad [...]

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Celebrating The New Year In Venezuela – Impromptu Trip To The Most Beautiful Beach I’ve Ever Seen

January 9, 2012

I haven’t really been on top of things here in Venezuela. I’ve been having a great time with my friend Luis and things have been awesome. The volunteering opportunity I arranged in Barcelona, Venezulea didn’t work out, so just before New Year’s I found myself not knowing what to do. Staying longer felt like overstaying [...]

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