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Hello everyone. Once again i will start this with a sincere apology concerning my grammar. My mum correctly pointed out that i twice used the word "here" instead of "hear". What can i say, it was a free education.
As the title suggests i have been away from technology so unable to tell you about the last 3 days which despite being extremely expensive were worth every cent.
Myself and Torsten (my German sidekick for the last few days and next few) arrived at Ciudad Bolivar´s tiny airport at 8am, bleary-eyed and really hoping that the $250 we had just parted with was going to be worthwhile. It nearly was from the moment we boarded our plane....a six-seater Cessna. As the engine started and the propellor at the front began whirring it felt like i was in a WW2 war movie (although i suppose i wouldn´t be sharing the plane with a German, a Frenchman, a Swissman and two Venezuelans in a war film). After sailing over the tin-roofed suburbs of Ciudad Bolivar i then doubted if this plane, exciting as it was, could actually make it to Canaima our destination lying one hour away. But soon all
concerns over the plane were forgotten because of the astonishing scenery we were flying over. The Sabana Grande (Big Savannah) seems pretty self-explanatory but what the name fails to tell you are the Tepuis (flat-topped mountains) that are situated all over the Sabana. As we approached the rural outpost of Canaima we saw for the first time the River Carrao that leads to Angel Falls and a host of other cascades.
After landing on the dirt strip (there was a runway but the pilot didn´t really fancy it) we were welcomed to the mosquito-ridden town by one of the many guides. Our guide was Freddy a diminutive a light-hearted 35 year-old native to Canaima. After a brief intro to the rest of our tour group we set off to the Carrao River where a motorised canoe awaited us to take us to Angel Falls. The 2 and a half hour journey was fascinating. We weaved our way along the river, negotiating mini rapids and all the time being surprised at the beauty of the Tepui´s to our left and right. In the flatness of the Sabana they stand so imposing on the horizon and attract the clouds so it
is a treat to see the top of one.
The first glimpse of Salto Angel brought a collective "Wow" from the multinational tour group. It isn´t on the highest Tepui but the sheer volume of water and the fact it starts from the very top of the Tepui makes the other waterfalls look like silver trickles or snail-trails staining the mountains. When our boat stopped we still had another hour-long trek up to the Angel Falls´viewpoint. It wasn´t without its perils, Torsten lost one of his flip flops while wading through a river! I was fairly tired half-way up but it didn´t seem so bad when i realised the chainsmoking French mother of two in our group was managing ok. although at one point she seemed possessed as, cigarette hanging out of mouth, she uttered French curses while spraying copious layers of insect repellent on herself and her kids! At the viewpoint I felt slightly let down that i had to share this beautiful spot with a bunch of tourists, but i suppose you can´t have everything. I did at least get to see the top of Angel falls as the clouds that enveloped the top moved away just
after we arrived (maybe they knew a lot of Gringoes wanted photos). For those of you who have been to Iguazu, this is a lot more tranquil because the volume of water is so much less. Instead of that roaring sound it is more like a wave-breaking in the sea, except that the sound is continuous. Also instead of standing on a man-made platform you are perched on a rock on the edge of the jungle.
By the time we made the hour journey back down to the boat and got across to our "campamento" everyone was starving. Luckily the boat driver and his buddy had been hard at work slow-roasting chickens on a stick on an outside fire. After dinner most people retired to there(oops mum look what i nearly did! I obviously mean their) hammocks apart from Torsten, Swiss Guy and I who stayed up chatting about politics, travelling and football.
When i eventually got into my hammock i lay there for a moment in the dying candle-light listening to the gentle current of the river and wondered if that had just been the best day of my life.
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jonny quinn
non-member comment
a world away from germany
sounds amazing ralph, i hope u r recovering well from your german hangover, i'm only just getting over mine. enjoy the rest of your trip.