blood relative

hi all,

i am actually writing to you from caracas right now, and i might even post twice on this fine saturday...

flaaarida

coming from florida was a little bit tough. gammi was hurt up...pulled neck and back muscles. but after ten days of bed rest and pain, her spirits brightened a million times with the arrival of her two granddaughters.

we sat, talked, laughed, cried, cuddled, did her hair and make up, picked out clothes and went downstairs for dinner and even for happy hour! when i said goodbye, i couldn't shake a pain in my heart that after years of being blessed with knowing this fine lady, she had the feeling that 88 years are wearing on the body...but it was truly a fantastic and beautiful time together, one i will never forget.

time was also spent with aunt, uncle and argentinian cousins...i think the next trip will be to buenos aires for sure.

caracas




i arrived here last nite after a delayed flight from miami. in the airport, i was surrounded by venezolanos of all shapes and sizes...twins, young couples enamorados, old men...sitting next to me on the flight was the sweetest man of all - rafael. we talked the night away about the values of teaching and planning, love, marriage...the temporality of it all. conversations you can only have in the dark, on the plane, at midnight, with an 80 year old man.

now, i am in carmen's apartment. que bello! last night, we talked the night away on her terrace, catching up...today, it was lunch, a walk downtown, and a walk in the national park el avila right next to the house! que bonito. caracas es muy lindo, and they play music in the metro station!

here are some pictures of our hike today...more to come soon!

besos, abrazos, y mas y mas y mas...
alis