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Published: July 18th 2006
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Gran Sabana
Ricardo talks... Coming into Venezuela from the south, our first stop was in Santa Elena de Uairen - gateway to the gran sabana (the big sheet is wot it originally meant) which is characterised by largely flat terrain dotted with flat topped mountains known as Tepui. These Tepui are the remnants of a time when dinosaurs walked the planet. Erosion left them standing isolated from each other, with the tops of the tepuis around 2500 metres above the rest of the land. Its estimated that upto 70% of the ecosystems of these tepui are totally unique seeing as how they are essentially islands 2000 metres up in the air.
We got into Santa Elena, in the middle of a rainstorm. Apparently the hostel guy in Brazil wasn't lying - its rainy season in the sabana. As we entered our hotel we were greeted by a cheesy looking fella with slicked back miami vice hair, who asked if we were looking for a tour into the sabana. Although knackered we sat down with him to see what he had to offer and were immediately struck by his propensity to talk (especially after the laconic Andeans). We sat there and let his patter wash
over us for a while, before we finally agreed on a price and he said our guide would pick us up in the morning.
Marcela was pretty ill with the same kind of virus that had beasted me in the amazon, but by dosing her with paracetamol and plenty of water she seemed to avoid the worst effects...she might disagree with that point, but I am pretty sure that mine was far worse due mainly to the fact that I thought I was dying of malaria/dengue. Marcela: Typical male take on their own illnesses (far worse than anybody elses... for the record Vic made me go on the tour in spite of my acute stomach cramps... but i stoically soldiered on).
Next day the tour guides cancelled our tour, a blessing in disguise cos we were knackered. Rain poured down in unbelievable amounts, rivers flowed in the streets...and 4x4s splashed water all over any pedestrians in the town. The next morning we the tour was on, but first we had to drive around town while our guide, Ricardo, bought a tarp, petrol, rum, lemons, and even a CD for the journey. Why hadn't he done this the day
Waterfall
we climbed this one... before I wondered...I mean the tour had been cancelled after all. Well folks, that just aint the way things work in Venezuela. Venezuela is like a Lilt advert, but in Spanish. Or at least Santa Elena is anyway.
The tour itself was wicked, we walked in jungle (again) mostly along a river this time, until we got to a wicked little lagon at the foot of a massive waterfall. We swam here, after a little tot of rum handed to us by Ricardo. Ricardo wore a cowboy hat, talked non-stop in either spanish or english, knew every human being on the sabana and was a nutter. He runs "adrenalin adventures" the point of which is to make people do things that scare them, whilst drinking tots of rum apparently. Anyway, back to the jungle. We also climbed a waterfall. This sounds fun, and it is really (once you have finished the climb in view of the total lack of safety equipment- safety harnesses, helmets etc... it all adds to the fun). Its surprising how hard it is to breathe when half a ton of water is splashing onto the back of your head. We made it though and promptly
Another waterfall
trying not to fall in... walked up another river to another waterfall, 50 metres high. Thankfully ricardo gave us another tot of rum, although we were all glad to hear that he wasnt gonna make us climb this one.
After a few hours of being in the jungle we began to tire of it...its hot, damp, full of insects and its not easy to walk in, see? So we were glad to leave and head back to the jeep for lunch. Unfortunately for us we were the dined upon as well as the diners...the worlds hungriest blood suckers known as puri-puri live all over the sabana and they just love fresh meat. Marcela, beset by stomach cramps was not amused to find that she was puri-puri caviar...they followed her in a cloud and feasted upon every bit of exposed skin. The bites are not painful at first, but later they swell and you find a little dot of blood in the middle. Soon the itching begins and it continues for hours. Little bastards. The puri-puri were the main reason we had to wear long sleeves most of the time. Better to sweat than be eaten alive!
That night we were taken to another
waterfall, and we drank more rum as we watched the white foamy water roar past us. Ricardo was much saddened, apparently the water level was too high for him to take us behind the waterfall. "If i did and you were washed in, the river would tear your body apart...too bad man...(sigh)". Like I said...nutter! Later on after a delicious dinner back in the indigenous village we stayed in we drank more rum and tried various local foods, including giant fried ant (taste like pork scratchings!), and the worlds spiciest sauce - made from wild plants.
The next day we saw more waterfalls, a river with a red rock bed, which looked amazing. At the bottom of this river you could see a lagoon, and Ricardo told us that locals had recently caught a 16metre long anaconda there. Apparently anacondas are big, but not very fast, especially after dinner. We also went to several viewing points to get a look at the tepuis...but rainy season meant clouds and clouds meant no tepuis...we saw one or two partially uncovered, but not the incredible (apparently) sight of several tepuis all around us. Curious thing though, at one of the viewing points
locals pile stones in little pillars just like in Peru. Pachamama baby, pachamama!
After the tour we said a sad goodbye to ricardo - he really was a legend, one of those people who has done so much in their life and who you'll never be bored around. Cheers hermano, and thanks for all the rum!
We headed north on a bus that was stopped at checkpoints several times, for soldiers to check our gear for drugs. We wouldn't have minded but it meant that we got no sleep...this was followed by discovering that our bus was trapped in a road blockade (again!). We were transfered to another bus and spent over 12 hours sitting in the middle of nowhere (Villa Canoa) with no food or water. Eventually a geezer driving a van full of cachapas (venezuelan scotch pancakes) opened the doors of his truck and made a handsome profit selling packets of the stuff to starved travellers. Finally the blockade was lifted (it was due to drivers protesting re a road toll...I mean you can understand blockades like the one in peru where people are fighting for their livelihoods, but a fricking road toll?) and we were
Tepui or not tepui?
there is one out there, can you see it? off...5 hours and a complete tyre change(in El Tigre) later we arrived at Puerto de la cruz, and I saw the caribbean for the first time as we queued for the ferry to the island. The ferry itself was a big old boat, rusting in places, i had imagined padded seats but...
....We arrived at Margarita at 7am after sleeping on wooden benches in tourist class. Now partially immune to sleep deprivation we took a taxi to Marcelas aunts flat and civilisation! We spent the next few days eating, sleeping, and going to the beach. It was hell. Har har. Margarita is a big island and has many beaches...I'll leave the rest to your imaginations. Anyway, we loved it and were somewhat reluctant to have to leave in order to take a plane to Caracas and the real world once more.
We'll leave you there, leaving Caracas for the next installment,
Much love,
V and M
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lindas fotos!!
mish, q lejos q andan ya... manso viajecito q se han pegado... Yo por aca ando a la caza de alguna pega y he aprovechado de pasear todo lo que he podido a la daphnita. Bueno eso, besos y abrazos!! y cuidense!!!