We continue to talk with VW fans in Venezuela. There’s something about that German engineering that gets into Latin blood, it seems. Fans rave that they’re beautiful, unique and reliable, running on pure gasoline.

Collecting, restoring and “souping up” Volkswagens is a passion shared by Latin Americans from Baja to Buenos Aires. They love the mechanics and the mechanical lingo. But what’s as clear as the Adicora sky, is that what keeps them united is not pipes and motors but friendship.

Have you been under a lot of stress recently? Do you think it’s time for a vacation? Here at Yabla, we have the perfect solution: the beach, the waves, and some drinks in wonderful Adícora, Venezuela, the perfect place to let your worries sail away.

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.

Carlos is a fine artist and an athlete who, when not painting a canvas, can be found sailing windsurfers and kites from his little guest house on the breezy south beach in Adícora, Venezuela. We asked him if he would give us a little presentation from atop his roof. You can hear for yourself that this spot is all about one thing, el viento!

A little spot to build, to create, to listen to the sea, what more do any of us really need? Francisco takes a beautiful public space and makes it his own through conservation, beautification, and an open invitation to all to come, enjoy and treat nature’s work with care and respect.

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.

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.”

Francisco’s little Taller Arte is guarded by the ever-vigilant Señor Coco, who never sleeps and sees all! Taller means “workshop,” and, as in English, this word can have a range of meanings, such as a place where artisans create, a place where things are fixed, or an event where people get together to work on ideas.

Not only did poor Manuel Rosales lose the election for president, but winner Hugo Chavez’ supporters are trying to knock him out of his post as governor of Zulia. In a faux futuristic recounting of a would be history, this wildly hopeful presidential campaign ad (disguised as a movie trailer) not only dared Venezuelans to vote for change, but dared to sell a bearskin before actually catching the bear.

Manuel Rosales attempted to become the next president of Venezuela. He had the support of much of the middle class, the upper class, and even some of the lower class, but in the end the populist appeal of Victor Hugo Chavez was just too big of a hurdle. Don’t feel too bad for Manuel, he is still governor of the state of Zulia.

Chober and his buddies are building a little club on the beach that is aiming to provide services to beach goers and visitors, while at the same time providing events and opportunites for community members, particularly young people. Like his friend Francisco, Chober is concerned with the environment, and finding uses for discarded materials.

You know what a calavera is, no? If you see one, especially on a sign in a former war zone, be very, very careful. Soldiers from Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela and the U.S. came together to reduce the need for these signs in Central America… reclaiming fields filled with anti-personnel mines so that farmers can return to using them for crops.

Francisco sees potential for creation and innovation in a wide range of materials: drift wood, shells, seeds, goat skin, even plastic debris. He is speaking with the governor about creating a tallerr, or workshop, that can be used to teach artistic skills to the young people of the area, as well as to showcase the work of other local artisans.

A fishing village like Adícora can be a place of work and industry for locals, but also one of rest and relaxation for travelers. Chober comes from a fishing family and knows the trade, but he recognizes the growing importance of tourism. His generation realizes that the survival of both ways of life necessitates better care of the environment and increased ecological awareness.