We arrived in Venezuela a few days ago, and I can tell you that the people and culture here are resilient and full of energy. I attended a wedding that brought together people from the Netherlands, the U.S. and Venezuela. I talked to a lot of people last night and I have a few small observations. I learn a lot by listening. What amazes me is that the Venezuelans recognize that their leader is capable of making mistakes, yet they have their eyes set on what a bright future the country has despite the hiccups. Like many of my peers, I feel the same of the prospects for America. Venezuelans do not hate Americans, they merely misunderstand what is happening with American politics and why. I learned about their politics here, in one the oldest democracies in South America, and feel pretty good about having come here. The overall point is that through the lens of travel and exploration I learn of others. So, take heart that Venezuela welcomes Americans…leave your prejudices at home, pack your luggage with some light clothes and come to a warm and friendly land…where the President may do wacky things…but the people know the future is a brighter place. Oh, and bring a sense of adventure…there are a lot of things to see and do in this big country!!

This entry was posted on Sunday, December 30th, 2007 at 7:42 am and is filed under Lifestyle and Leisure, Observations and Trends, Travel. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.