In order to make this introduction, I searched the timeline of my posts to see when I had published the first post about this place. Exactly 25 days ago, I had described a very curious event I had noticed while doing my running routine in Yagua. In that post, I had hinted that I already knew this small town in the municipality of Guacara, in the state where I live (Carabobo, Venezuela) but that it seemed unusual to me that no matter how hard I tried, it was hard to see human beings in the streets. I'm not lying to you, I had never felt that loneliness in a populated place before?
Well, with the intention of discovering this "mystery", I went back to prepare myself to do a new exercise and running routine in this place. This time, I decided to do my run through the official entrance of the village. You see, I don't know how it is in the small towns where you live, but here in Venezuela, I don't know why, the municipalities and even the cities have multiple entrances. Some are better known, others less so. Yagua would be no exception. Fortunately for me, my parents live relatively close to the main entrance of the place, and that coincidence helped me a lot to be able to make my way through a place that, a priori, should be surrounded by people, since it is an official entrance?
I couldn't have been more wrong... From the very moment I stood at the entrance to the sector, in front of the sign welcoming all those wishing to visit the place, I felt that loneliness was the common currency of the whole place. A strange sensation, not threatening or with negative connotations; no, not at all. But rather a feeling of attraction... I don't quite know how to explain it, but it's totally captivating.
Besides, the weather, honestly, has helped a lot. Although, in the photographs of the place, primary colours predominate, suggesting that it was an excessively humid afternoon, more typical of summer, the thermal sensation indicated the opposite. Come on, ideal for a good walk and to de-stress from anything that might be weighing me down. That's exactly what it did. I marked my vital measurements in an application that monitors those indicators, compared them with my usual records, and everything was in order. My exercise over, I set about the task of documenting Yagua's spaces with my camera.
Incredible as it may seem, I found it easier to find cars on those streets than human beings. And no, we are not talking about a deserted place with almost no population. In fact, according to the local census, around 20,000 people reside there. I looked it up on the internet, and I couldn't believe the data. In the previous post, I said that I had already known the place, I had even visited it multiple times, but I had never noticed that strange fact; the scarcity of human beings... I was unlucky that time. Although curiosity plays mind games with me, I was a bit afraid to ask it directly.
On this occasion, I had already had breakfast. In fact, this time I went around noon, during a burst of curiosity and a pending account with my desire to clear my mind and exercise. So, I was able to arm myself with some courage, I had the right attitude and even a plan "a" and "b", in case I received evasive answers. In a small shop, I decided to have a cup of black coffee. The person who served me was a young girl, no more than 20 years old. Friendly, pretty and extremely reserved. As if for some reason, she knew that I was not from that place.
I asked her, "Excuse me, could I ask a question, something curious?" She smiled, and kindly said to me, "Of course, what is your question?" I smiled back, to create a friendly atmosphere, and neither short nor lazy I asked her, "Why in Yagua, it would seem that there are no people in the streets, ever? I have been here many times. Both for exercise and to visit by car, and I find it very strange to find human beings on the streets...". She came up to me, picked up the jug where the freshly brewed coffee is poured, refilled the cup I had already drunk and just replied: "Normally, here in Yagua, we avoid going out. It's cultural, we feel better inside.
"The streets are narrow, old... Designed for another use. At every moment cars, buses and trucks pass by, making an annoying noise. Over time we learned that it was more tolerable to avoid the streets as much as possible". I swear, that answer left me totally frozen.... Although I had walked all over the place, several times, I had never noticed the detail itself. And it's true. I mean, the topography is totally in the shape of a "snake". The houses, shops, workshops, schools, etc; everything resides on the side of the narrow road of the village. That explains the loneliness...
Maybe it sounds bland, but I had this "debt" to myself. I really appreciate being able to come up with the answer. In fact, that's how I ended my little question and answer exchange with that nice girl; expressing my gratitude for her response; and praising the tranquillity and peace it offers for those of us who choose to go there to clear our minds and exercise. She nodded, and as if accustomed to the doubt I raised, continued with her routine. Not only was it a warm and energising afternoon, but I got to know a little more about the sights of my region. So you see, Yagua, a place of "mystery" but fascinating....
I hope that the photographs you see in this post, can faithfully reflect, what I have described within the content you have read... Also, I take this opportunity to express that the pics have been taken by me.
