Vela, a word often used for “candle,” or “sail,” can also mean “wakefulness,” as in “vigilance.” It’s related to the verb velar, “to stand watch.” The name of the port city of La Vela de Coro refers not to the “sails” of merchant ships (as many assume) but rather to this town’s role as a “lookout” point for marauding pirates. One-eyed peg-legs are now less common, but the carnivalesque annual festival of Los Locos continues on.

Most English speakers have at some time in their lives heard Donovan sing “The Hurdy Gurdy Man,” but how many knew what such a man did? The woman in this video talks about a musical family that used to play the sinfonía, and indeed this is the Spanish name for the hand-crank organ known as a “hurdy gurdy.”

It’s quite possible that El Día de Los Locos, as celebrated in La Vela de Coro, has its roots as far back as the Roman Empire, which celebrated Saturnalia at the same time of year. Both festivals, historically, involve turning the social order on its head, with slaves dressing like their masters.

La Vela is a small town in the state of Falcón, on the northwest coast of Venezuela, where every December 28th Los Locos [“The Crazy Ones”] arrive wearing colorful and elaborated costumes. The whole town becomes a party, with businesses closing and people dancing in the streets. It’s a tradition that could be in any magical realism novel and that desperately struggles to not fall into oblivion.

On the coast of the Paraguaná peninsula, in Venezuela, lies El Supí, an enclave formed by four beautiful bays. In this video we meet Diosimar, owner of Chalet La Aventura, who shares her experience and explains, among other things, the reasons that led her to invest in this unique place.

Franklin continues his journey through El Supí. On this occasion, he meets the owner of the Playa Cardumen restaurant, who tells us how his business was born and the story behind this project.

After concluding the conversation with Reynaldo, Franklin heads to Yupifood, another service provider that will be present during the MTB SESAN 2026 Challenge in El Supí. Let's listen to what it's about.

Franklin continues his tour of El Supí, visiting and interviewing different service providers who will be part of the upcoming MTB SESAN 2026 Challenge, including the Abasto y Licorería San Vicente store and the Papa Yayo restaurant.

After interviewing several tourists who are enjoying a day at the beach at Papa Yayo's facilities, Franklin continues his tour to chat with Jorge, owner of the Togogo Food restaurant.