Canaima National Park (Venezuela) - Water Ballet

Factsheet 4×1

Date: 31/07/2012 to 02/08/2012

Saímos of: Ciudad Bolivar, Venezuela

Destination: Canaima National Park, Venezuela

Distance: 180 km

Travel time: About one hour

Path: We took a single-engine plane from the airport of Ciudad Bolivar to Canaima.

Where to sleep: Acampamento by Tiuna Tours

Tire cheio: The look of the Canaima Lagoon is unique! The sequence of waterfalls flowing into a beautiful pond in front of the beach, with a view of the plains has been an unforgettable landscape and scored more than the actual Angel Falls.

Tire murcho: Poor accommodation and lack of preparation guides. The service provided by Tiuna Tours generally during the ride was not the best. The guide did not explain anything, the food was the same every day and the room was more or less. These are details that bothered him a bit during our visit to that paradise.

Canaima National Park (Venezuela) - Water Ballet

They say to go to Venezuela and Angel Falls do not know is how to go to Peru and Machu Pichu miss. The main postal card of the country really impressed by the grandeur. The Angel Falls is the highest waterfall in the world with almost 1 km is d'Água (979 meters, 807m of which are uninterrupted). With this business card, could not fail to include it in our route and decided that this would be our first attraction to be visited in Venezuela.

The waterfall is in the heart of Canaima National Park, located southeast of the country and relatively close to the border with Brazil. For most it was a great desire to get there with Tanajura, our friend we would expect this time, since the only way to access the park is by plane. I regularly partem Voos Ciudad Bolivar and Puerto Ordaz, cities located further north border (about 700 and 600 km into the Venezuela). We chose sair Ciudad Bolivar, since the city has a higher number of agencies that perform the walk. We found out later that it would be more business out of Puerto Ordaz, as the ride comes out cheaper for the proximity of the section made by plane. Will get to the next.

To get a sense of the cost of this tour, we get the budget in an agency in the town of Santa Elena's Uarén, just across the border with Brazil. The girl who served us at Adventure Tours squandered sympathy and even risked a Portuguese. The laughter exploded when she, after explaining the contents of the package, gave us the price: Bs 3900 (bolivars venezuelanos)!!! It was either equivalent to R $ 870, with the exchange rate we got on the border (1R$ = Bs 4.5). Dear! The price was much higher than we had searched for 3 days and 2 nights in Canaima. At that price would not do the ride. We let the luck to Ciudad Bolivar, where we would try to negotiate something better account.

Walking through the historical center of Ciudad Bolivar, toward the city's cathedral, com trombamos to Angel Falls Tours, a small travel agency managed by a young couple, Rodman and Carla. Dessa vez, beyond sympathy to spare, the price was not scary: Bs 2500 (or almost R $ 560). Much less than the nonsense that has been offered in the Santa Elena Uarén. After some more negotiate, can close the deal for $ 240 (+- Bs 2100 or R $ 480). Moreover, would have to pay Bs 30 (+- R$7) the airport tax and more Bs 150 (+-R$33) not to park entrance. Also circulated by other agencies located at the local airport in search of a more affordable price, but not found. Rodman The break gave us stay in your home, at the branch. We could not refuse.

It is election year in Venezuela and it was impossible to be there and not ask a Venezuelan its position in relation to the controversial president of the country. Moreover, it jumped in sight at every turn, Hugo Chavez had posters everywhere. "Heart of mi homeland" was their slogan to recover after the cirurgia. Some say he never had heart problems, and this was just another maneuver marqueteira. We will never know. His opponent Capriles Radonski was also present in some of the posts, but at a much lower.

We talked about it with Rodman, opposing the current regime of Chavez. His view was that the lack of private investment in the country with the nationalization of companies from various sectors only increases the inefficiency of the state and prevents the country to generate jobs. Rodman believes that the welfare policy of Chavez ally to the greatness of the civil service in the country should re-elect him as economies. Pudemos hair perceber, Chavez represents a dichotomy of love and hatred among Venezuelans, with fanaticism pointing in both cases. Sensitive issue in the country.

We dined at a restaurant that Rodman has indicated. Imagine a simple kitchen, full of old pots and other utensils, two or three small tables and some chairs. To complete, easy smile of a woman preparing dinner. The feeling was that we were in our grandparents' house, waiting for dinner to be served. The place was extremely warm. Imagine how a simple business that would succeed in Sao Paulo, where people, living in the hectic pace of city, no longer know what is a home cooked meal. It was a nice dinner before our departure to Canaima in the next morning.

Wake up early. There was a taxi waiting for us out there. Rodman had already instructed to take us to the place they believe to be the best in town to sample the famous arepas, na typical iguaria Venezuela, before of following the airport. The masses of corn arepas are fried in disc format that Venezuelans usually eat breakfast daily at breakfast or with pure butter. Commercially, it is customary to add stuffing. In this place next to the airport were the options of filling several: meat, chicken, cheese, dust, among other. Very well served, were a delight!

We knew that our plane would be small, but did not realize just how tiny he really was. Our ride was a single engine of Canaima Rutaca, Venezuelan airline. Together with pilot, completávamos the plane that was capable of exactly five passengers. The butterflies in my stomach was inevitable, had never been on a plane so small. Engine running and the small plane starts to move. Even with the window open, felt the wind on the path of the runway. The plane was shaking constantly and engine noise was deafening. A small break to breathe and the plane accelerates in speed. While the sound and shaking intensifies the plane finally takes off. All quiet so far. Foi when these, the first sigh of relief, um scare! A vulture approaching faster than ever struck with violence the right wing of the plane, that rocked instantly. The small relief to takeoff led to the seizure. The silence came over us on the plane while the pilot analyzed the failure. A few minutes of observation and finally, to sorriso: "All good!"Finally, could breathe. From dai, the rest of the trip was with emotion, a lot of emotion.

The top view is wonderful. The Park is surrounded by vast plateaus of rock called tepuyes, cut by rivers and colored by dense vegetation. About an hour flight and down the small airport of Canaima. A guide already waiting for us to bring to camp Tiuna Tours, a few minutes walk from the airport.

The accommodation is nowhere near the best, much less the food, but oh well, our main intention was not even eating and sleeping. We ended up being seated in a group that was already there and ride that should do the next day, would do that day. Mal and we should leave for a walk toward the boat that would take us to the highest waterfall in the world.

The road is long, even for those who had taken a one-hour flight. After the walk around 40 minutes, a motorized canoe trip takes approximately 3 Rio Acima hours. We were advised that we could get wet on the way. Indeed, We encharcamos! The flow of rivers is very strong, so that sometimes seemed to be open at sea, waves in all directions. It was like a raft with no oars. It would be amusing were it not so long.

Loin, in the mist, the figure of the Angel Falls began to appear. It is de impressionar. It was late afternoon when we arrived at camp, near the base of the giant waterfall. As it was late já, would be in the camp, since the visit to the closest point to the Angel Falls involves following a trail of approximately one hour. This would be done on the day following, early.

We played small talk with the staff of our group (a nice German couple, Venezuelans and two other couples composed of a Danish and an American) before going to sleep. We spent the night in hammocks, tied in a cabin in the woods. Just as we did in the Amazon, under this time spiders (at least those seen!).

5 o'clock in the morning and everyone has standing to make the track. It was soon, the breakfast in the morning we would only later. There are about 40 minutes to the lookout of Angel Falls. There you can see more closely the giant Venezuelan. A pity that the weather is not favored in. Unlike the previous day, it was raining and a mist covered invariably the top of the jump. Lucky that we took some sharper pictures the day before the camp itself. Following a little farther on the trail, we dive into a pool formed in the midst of falling water of Angel Falls. It was cold and raining, but it was an opportunity of a lifetime. A little courage and we were in the water, at least some of us.

We track back and after breakfast in the morning packed up their bags for more 3 hours back down the river. The ride becomes a bit tiresome by the distance sitting on the wooden canoe, causing bursts of water in the face after spending a night on the network built in the middle of nowhere. But is the price to pay to see the highest waterfall in the world.

Back at camp Tiuna Tours, We had another trip scheduled for the afternoon. It consisted of a tour of the lagoon of Canaima, where one can observe a sequence of three waterfalls (Ucaima, Salto Salto Golondrina and Hacha), followed by a visit to Salto Sapo and Salto Sapito. The view of the waterfalls of the lake is difficult to describe. It was like a spectacle of water, the place is too beautiful. The tepuyes background gives a special charm to the landscape. The visit to Salto Sapo was even more surprising: we could walk under the waterfall, behind the wall of water. It's great fun, water for all side! Then we can have the view from the top of the waterfall. Another breathtaking visual. Sendo sincere, have more fun on this tour than the famous Angel Falls, but this would be a nice discussion.

On the way back, we have seen some young people playing football on the beach that bordered the pond. Brazilians are, we could not go unchallenged. We took one of the Venezuelans who accompanied us on the sidewalk and played a game. Perhaps it was the football with more beautiful visual hitherto. Once more we will be able to admire a series of waterfalls on the beachfront between a play and other? It was a beautiful game. Even more we win!

The excitement of the ride in the evening could not end in anything other than a night of rum and salsa in a bar by the lagoon of Canaima. We found ourselves with some Venezuelans and the guys we camp for the party. Moreover, the party were almost. Besides we, two caisais completed the public bar that night. We could not be more surprised at the amount of Brazilian music that we hear. From backcountry to the university funk. Even the oldest of Olodum played that day! Priceless monitor Japanese, German, Danes, Venezuelans, people of different nationalities together enjoying. We took great laughs, danced until no more aguentarmos. It was a fun night.

Canaima is a special place of travel. Our first destination outside of Brazil ended up being one of the most turísiticos South America. We could meet and talk with people from all corners of the world, a very interesting exchange of experiences. It is a costly ride and sometimes exhausting the despreperaro in terms of service. But how would our friend Fenrnado Person: "Everything is worth if the soul is not small". E valeu mesmo.

To see more photos of Canaima and Angel Falls, visit our Flickr clicking here!