Los Cocos. (barrio in Maracay, Venezuela)

I lived in a barrio called Los Cocos in Maracay, Venezuela. I knew only three people there who owned cars. Everybody walked, rode bikes, or took public vans, camionetas. There was a certain comfort level and informality that made for lots of visiting in the streets, dropping by for a match or some cooking oil, and a shared sense of responsibility in looking after the kids. There were packs of kids. Since there were so few cars, they would take over the street with their games; soccer yes, hut more often, chapitas, baseball with a stick and dozens of bottle caps. During the heat of