TESTIMONIALS
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Marcus Tobia. Founding member @proyecto_cumbre. 1st Venezuelan on top of Everest. 1st Venezuelan “Explorers Grand Slam”
Today there are more spectators than those who decide to dedicate their lives to research, discover, explore & develop incredible projects that inspire young and old alike. There are very few adventure & sports projects that manage to frame in a single approach, aspects where sports developed in natural environments merge, together with elements that have to do with research on our ancestors, their culture & ancestral wisdom that motivated them to move & venture to discover the unimaginable through time.
Combining elements that demand great physical effort, with research, the management of ancestral techniques & tools, being able to combine physical energy with the force of nature such as winds and ocean currents, as well as the thirst for adventure, David Bottome after many years of research, experience and training, manages to design unique projects in this style. I dare say that it is one of the greatest adventures in modern times that a man with wisdom, experience, leadership, determination & the greatest conviction considers himself to give the world an incredible story that will undoubtedly write a new page. in sport, adventure and research.
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Fidel Rodríguez Anthropologist (UCV) PhD candidate in Social History of Culture at the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro
David does an incredible and tireless job in order to preserve the Culture and History of the Nueva Esparta State and to promote that story of Margarita connected to the Sea. His work so that the Piragua Margariteña sails the seas again is one of the most important samples of the solidity, affection and love with which David has been doing his work.
I invite you to support his work that is not only having a direct impact on the preservation of history but also making it known to children and young people.
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Lucia Galota. Business Psychologist - CEO LíderLab
David's story is exciting and inspiring. His achievements, his way of building teams to face challenges with purpose, generate an identity and achieve high performance, are part of his personal brand.
At LíderLab we have taken advantage of all of David's experience to inspire our community and to align teams to a shared mission.
David is a great leader with the ability to transform unknown people into high performance teams and capable of inspiring others with his projects and achievements.
In addition to his passion, he has a proven methodology to guarantee results, which makes David a leader who adds true value to his environment.
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Dr. Andrzej Antczak Ph. D. in Prehistoric Archaeology Leiden Univ. Associate professor at the Faculty of Archaeology.
The importance of David’s project is huge, enormous, it is literally weaving the past into the present, for our work to have relevance, it has to have relevance in the present.
We have dreamed of a project like this that would allow us to literally build a bridge between the past and the present, between the continental coast and the Antillean Islands, because we will know that flesh and blood humans, just as in the past, did it also in the present, helping us to humanize the past.
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Dr. Domingo Carrasquero. Director of the Nueva Esparta State History Academy
David, as a native of Margarita, I feel proud of the work carried out by you thru Reto Caribe, rescuing our Amerindian boats, delving into the unknown, sitting in a chair as a friend member in our Academy and also in the open sea. Union of adventure with the desire to rebuild lost traditions.....all the challenges have been completed and you always start planning the next challenge....I honor your perseverance, your spirit, your planning all linked to the study of our history.
The Virgin of the Valley blesses and protects you to continue revealing mysteries and bringing the human being closer to his old customs and traditions. Thanks for that, brother.
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Orlando Corona, Filmmaker, Mountaineer, Director of the Ascenso Adventure Film Festival
David Bottome embodies the classic adventurer in our contemporary times. His motivation is authentic and contagious. His natural element is the sea and he is an extraordinary navigator. He has made ambitious expeditions that pose significant physical challenges and through them he shares knowledge of the history and geography of the region he visits. He uses the camera as a logbook of his travels, consistently producing important documentary films that have been widely accepted and transcended inside and outside the country. His contribution is essential for both the "outdoor" culture and the cinematographic culture of Venezuela. At the Ascenso Film and Photography Festival, he is one of the participants with the most awards, recognition and admiration.
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Bladimir Rodríguez. Marine biologist. Researcher. President Los Roques Foundation. Director Margarita Marine Museum
David Bottome and Reto Caribe surprise us every year with a new challenge, project or idea. First it was "Reto a las Islas Prometidas" ("Challenge to the Promised Islands") emulating our Valencian indigenous (from Nort-central coast of Venezuela) on their trips to the Los Roques Archipelago. After that Reto Waikeri ( "Waikeri Challenge" ) from Barrancas del Orinoco to Pampatar. Then the rescue of the Piragua Margariteña . Always active in researching history to connect the past with the present, with a capacity for enthusiasm that transmits and manages to involve many in projects that many believe impossible and David achieves it with tenacity, perseverance and leadership capacity.
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PhD Benoît Bérard Caribbean Archaeology and heritage studies at the Université des Antilles et de la Guyane in Martinique
The expedition Reto Arawak is truly unique and the collection of data on this type of traditional canoe trip is very important for understanding the conditions of entry of Man (especially the Orinoco/Saladoid groups) into the archipelago and also on the relations between the Lesser and Greater Antilles
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PhD Verni Salazar Dr. in Cultural Heritage, Official Chronicler & Founder of the History Academy of Nueva Esparta
David is passionate about what he dreams of and does through his projects. An adventurer of huge magnitude and an indisputable reference for what he has done for our country from an ecological, historical and cultural point of view.
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Grecia Salazar, Master's Degree in History and Museology, PhD in Heritage
The projects of Captain David Bottome are very important for the Nueva Esparta State because they contribute in a special way to the reconstruction of the history of our region and the preservation of the Neo-Spartan culture.
His research and the demonstration of his theories in a practical way, provide new knowledge to the Neo-Spartan people and future generations.
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Dr. Santiago Perera General Secretary Metropolitan University, Venezuela
David is a great cultural researcher with whom I have participated in countless adventures. Always interested in contributing to rescue Venezuelanness. And undoubtedly a master in the arts of navigation.
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Magaly Salazar Sanabria. Poetisa
Licenciada en Letras en la U.C.V., Magíster en Literatura Hispanoamericana en la U.P.E.L., Doctorado Universidad de Barcelona, España en Filosofía y Ciencias de la Educación. Doctora en Cultura Latinoamericana y del Caribe de la Universidad Pedagógica Experimental Libertador.
Me encanta el proyecto Reto Caribe y toda la actividad que realizas y las instituciones que te acompañan como el Museo Marino de Margarita, legado del gran Maestro Fernando Cervigón. Me encanta tu entusiasmo y todo lo que haces por la Isla. Me encanta tu desafío y afecto marinero. Aplaudo los Reconocimientos a tu labor entusiasmada. Aplaudo tu afán de crear una Margarita más fecunda con la voluntad de gente organizada y trabajadora en lo histórico, cultural y patrimonial.