tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7225088520200629410.post4209585459192171029..comments2024-01-16T07:18:56.206-03:00Comments on Fly Brother: Ghetto Fabuloso -or- Where I've Been: CaracasFly Brotherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02675211627726489759noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7225088520200629410.post-22096580348629546192009-05-16T09:53:00.000-03:002009-05-16T09:53:00.000-03:00Fly Girl: Dude has screwed things up royally, and ...Fly Girl: Dude has screwed things up royally, and as Cubano says rightly, mis Latinos do everything with great gusto, for better or for worse.<br /><br />Cubano: I'm living the anarchy, my brother. Colombia is it's own special head case, as is Brazil...yet I can't seem to leave the region. ;-)<br /><br />Joia: How come the only other Venezuela fans I know out there are <I>sistas</I>? You are, like, the sixth black female I know who's given props to the VZLA. To me, that's a very positive endorsement. I'll definitely concede that the place has plenty of good-looking cats, so I can see why the ladies would enjoy it.<br /><br />Thanks for commenting, folk.Fly Brotherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02675211627726489759noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7225088520200629410.post-34020980857135221722009-05-15T20:24:00.000-03:002009-05-15T20:24:00.000-03:00Ahhh Venezuela!! I went 10 years ago, right befor...Ahhh Venezuela!! I went 10 years ago, right before Chavez was elected and before I really paid attention to all things international. My 15-year old self had an amazing time trekkin through El Avila, yachting around Los Roques, lunching in El Hatillo, and hitting the beaches of Puerto La Cruz. To this day, I am still amazed by the beauty of these people...just mind-boggling. Awesome post! Thanks for sharing! :)Joiahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02825935231079360520noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7225088520200629410.post-37948167110537574532009-05-15T10:46:00.000-03:002009-05-15T10:46:00.000-03:00'They say Caracas es Caracas, lo resto es montes y...'They say Caracas es Caracas, lo resto es montes y culebras—'<br /><br />Change 'montes y culebras' for 'areas verdes' (green areas) and that's our motto in Havana. Welcome to Latin anarchy, my friend! We never do things in half, we do things in more than one and a half :-)!<br /><br />Brilliant post.<br /><br />Greetings from London.A Cuban In Londonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16423293358605007539noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7225088520200629410.post-4994190247735137192009-05-15T00:54:00.000-03:002009-05-15T00:54:00.000-03:00Well, this sounds like the Caracas that I've heard...Well, this sounds like the Caracas that I've heard about. Straight ghetto fab. I've also heard about the reality of day to day living and Chavez has not made it easy. No joke indeed.Fly Girlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18191335990973494972noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7225088520200629410.post-55545897922572348742009-05-14T22:51:00.000-03:002009-05-14T22:51:00.000-03:00Ladies, thanks a lot for your compliments! I've be...Ladies, thanks a lot for your compliments! I've been thinking hard about Caracas after writing the post. Seriously, a few years ago, the place was hood, but it was vibrant and folks found ways to be happy: you could imagine kids cooling off under an opened fire hydrant or a group of girls jumping double-dutch (you see the pics of the boys ballin on the court). Now, it's just <I>Boyz N Da Hood</I>.<br /><br />Random Personette: I think part of the reason my experiences in Caracas have been different than others (including dude who wrote the whole "Nuke Caracas" post) is because of my phenotype; I've never been harassed by police as a foreigner there because I don't look like a foreigner. Why would they think I had any cash when I'm a brown-skinned, Latin-looking dude in t-shirt and jeans like a million other Venezuelan brothers? I guess, also because of that, I was able to make so many friends easily.<br /><br />I also think their posts/comments speak to a sense of entitlement that certain American travelers have that I'll have to talk about in a later post.<br /><br />Ali: I hear you! I was one of those in the ivory tower of academia in Chavez's amen corner when he first hit the scene, when I think he embodied needed change. Since then, as described to me by in day-to-day snippets of life experience, he's become ridiculously oppressive, as the cost of living has skyrocketed (Colombians are returning home after <I>decades</I> of better wages and better opportunities), and staples like rice, eggs, and meat disappear from the stores. Regardless of one's political stance, that kind of instability precedes the downfall of a society, and I'm not looking forward to watching the train wreck. If I could be the benevolent dictator of any country, it would be Venezuela.<br /><br />Workhard: I was referring to the stray bullets in Caracas, but yes, Rio definitely has its share. That was why I felt nervous in the city; not because of being mugged or anything, but of being caught in an open-street shoot-out between a gang and the police. Caracas ain't no joke.<br /><br />SDG: Why is it that certain gangsta movies make you want to visit the place despite the danger? I would have loved to see Scotty kick Nino's ass out on the street.Fly Brotherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02675211627726489759noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7225088520200629410.post-2140626140021873182009-05-14T22:09:00.000-03:002009-05-14T22:09:00.000-03:00Fantastic post. I love the visual styling of your ...Fantastic post. I love the visual styling of your words. I feel as if I'm there. New Jack City is definitely apropos for the opening sequence of the film.Lenoxavehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17146647934577010384noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7225088520200629410.post-91195654608018575742009-05-14T14:21:00.000-03:002009-05-14T14:21:00.000-03:00Would love to visit caracas.. Really are there str...Would love to visit caracas.. Really are there stray bullets in Rio?<br /><br /><A HREF="http://www.randygridley.com" REL="nofollow"> Meridian Homes </A>workhardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02139837491287164337noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7225088520200629410.post-44744252183033657922009-05-14T05:29:00.000-03:002009-05-14T05:29:00.000-03:00Awesome post. I really would love to visit Caracas...Awesome post. I really would love to visit Caracas. I made it to the Gran Sabana, via Brasil, on a road trip back in 1999 and was fascinated by what I saw along the way. <br /><br />I appreciate what you said about Chavez's social revolution strategy. All of my Venezuelan friends bitterly criticize the measures he has taken, to the point where many have gone into exile outside the country.<br /><br />I find it interesting that still, among a liberal-left portion of Americans (and others, to be fair), in particular in academia, there is great admiration for Chavez and his anti-imperial, nationalistic policies. How can you even begin to judge the impact certain policies have on a population if you haven't been there to witness the reality first-hand?<br /><br />That's why I appreciate so much the viewpoints of people who *have* been on the ground, even if I might not agree with said perspectives. Thanks for sharing!Ali Ambrosiohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00521627345210424042noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7225088520200629410.post-24907262152820180702009-05-13T13:50:00.000-03:002009-05-13T13:50:00.000-03:00Great Post.Glad you've decided on a timetable for ...Great Post.Glad you've decided on a timetable for your posts.Your blog makes me happy.Now I can plan my life/reading/internet shopping and general procrastination around it.LOL.<br /><br />I've always wanted to go to Venezuela (Caracas),sounds hella interesting, although from the amount of travel/personal blogs I read,you're the only one who has had anything nice to say about the place!For example...<br /><br />http://travelvice.com/archive/2007/04/caracas-should-be-nuked.php<br /><br />See what I mean?Random_Personettehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11258034507961949332noreply@blogger.com