IN THE WAKE OF SOCIAL DISILLUSIONMENT AND UTTER CONTEMPT FOR PEERS, VELAYAS ABANDONED EVERYTHING. "I WENT SOUTH IN SEARCH FOR DESTINY, FREEDOM, SOUL, GOD OR MY DEMISE. AND AFTER A RELENTLESS TREK THROUGH LATIN AMERICA, SOUTH OF THE ORINOCO, DOWN THE AMAZON, DESCENDING THE COAST OF BRAZIL, SOUTH OF CORCOVADO, I FOUND MYSELF LIVING ON THE STREETS OF S O PAULO. I WENT SOUTH 'TIL I RAN OUT OF MONEY. I LIVED IN THE GUTTERS AS A VAGABOND READING CLASSIC POETRY: LORD BYRON, KEATS AND POE. THEY WERE MY FELLOW EXILES. I CONSUMED NOTHING BUT DEVOURED VERSE, DREAMS, VISIONS OF PAIN AND I WAS DUBBED A CITIZEN OF THE WORLD, FOR NOBODY BELIEVED I WAS AN AMERICAN. FOR WHO, SACRIFICING SUCH COMFORTS WOULD LIVE AS I: WRETCHED POOR! AND IT WAS THERE I FOUND MY SOUL, MY GOD, MY DESTINY; THERE IN THE GUTTERS!"