Just today, I decided to look for some photos among so many archives, and a lot of memories came flooding back when I saw these photos from 2012, 13 years ago. I imagined it would be the last time I would go to Falcón state, Venezuela, and even the last time I would be with my cousins and my aunt. Later, due to all the problems in the country, practically both my cousins and my aunt left the country, and up until now, I haven't been able to see them in person. The truth is, it brings back many memories and nostalgia of all those moments we shared as a family, those shared times on important dates, and those experiences that will never be forgotten.
I remember that last trip I took when I traveled practically every two weeks to the city of Coro, capital of Falcón state, Venezuela. At one time, many of my cousins, my grandmother, and my maternal aunt lived there. I used to spend several weekends with them because it was closer than going to the state where my mom and dad are.
We usually always used to go to Los Medanos de Coro. As is well known, it's one of the largest deserts in Venezuela and was very close to our house. It was only a 15-minute walk to reach the desert. We often took long walks through the sand, even trying to reach another spot called La Vela de Coro, a beach area historically known as the spot where Francisco de Miranda landed to raise what would become the tricolor flag on Venezuelan soil for the first time. On certain occasions, we even took a bus to that beach area, either to walk a bit or swim.
My cousins are much younger than me, but that never matters if we weren't contemporaries. We usually did a lot of things together. Specifically, a cousin named Rafael liked to talk to me a lot and go out looking for adventures in the desert or other places that caught our attention. Today, he lives in Chile with his now-formed family of two daughters and his wife. Sometimes we talk and reminisce about all those anecdotes and experiences we experienced during our childhood and later in life.
On the other hand, something I always loved about Falcón State was its eternally beautiful sunsets. As you can see in these photos, it was quite a spectacle to be able to appreciate and take photos of the horizon with the sun slowly setting over the desert. For me, they were perfect moments for taking pictures, taking advantage of those beautiful scenes where the surroundings and any motifs were in perfect harmony. Well, that's what photography is all about: remembering moments and looking back on the circumstances of our lives. It's about being able to relive those moments. But I hope that at some point I can visit these lands again and also see my family again to share.
All photographs are my own.
