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CW 41 2002

29.09. - 05.10.2002

It's Sunday today, a day to go to the beach. Lots of Venezuelans, and from Caracas, come to the Isla Margarita on Sundays. The beach is full of life then and there's one stand with local specialties next to the other. Amongst other things they offer fresh oysters, the dozen for about 1 Euro, so I can't resist and have a few.
There isn't much news about the beginning of the week. I'm organizing the production of a holding device for a wind generator, which Silver Blue will get now, to become even more independent. Silver Blue is already pretty independent; she can produce electricity, can turn saltwater into fresh water, collect rain … only, all that needs a lot of maintaining and that's how I spend the first days of this week.
On Wednesday I need to go to bed early since my two-day-trip to the mainland, to the Orinoco-delta and to the Angel Falls will start early on Thursday.
After a quick breakfast my day starts with me dragging my boat-neighbor Franc, from the hollandaise catamaran Silver, out of his bunk. Franc is kind enough to keep an eye on Silver Blue for the next 2 days and he's also taking me ashore at 6am so that I can leave my dinghy in the davits where it's safer.
Here, at the landing, Bernado is already waiting for me, for the transfer to the airport. As an agent, Bernado offers a range of tours and takes care provides transport, here on the island. And just to mention this right away, the trip was absolutely perfect. At the airport I meet the rest of the group, 18 people altogether, Spanish and English, and the tour guide Peter who will accompany us for the next two days. He's a friendly, reserved tour guide who loves his country and, by the way, also speaks German very well.
At the airport we get into a propeller plane that seats 18 and fly to Tucupita, a small airport in the Orinoco delta in 1.5 hours - and it's all so wonderfully uncomplicated. No controls, we simply walk 5 minutes to the Cano Manamo, a side river of the Orinoco and get into a "penero", a open wooden boat with large outboard engines. From its mouth the 40.000km2 large Orinoco delta branches out into 40 main- (canos) and more than 300 sub channels (brazos).
We travel downriver rapidly for two hours. There are a lot of plant islands swimming on the river, but we surround them going full speed which turns our trip into an entertaining zigzag tour. On our way we see howling monkeys in the trees, but unlike those in Trinidad who howled at sunrise and sunset, these howl at the incoming and outgoing tide. So here, when the monkeys start to howl, the locals go fishing. The locals, living here in the Orinoco delta are Warao Indians (literally translated: people form the canoes). Close to the airport the people living at the river stay in solid houses, partly even with electricity. The further you go downriver the more their way of living changes until they finally still live in the traditional open huts on stilts.

   But one characteristic remains with all the Indians: their friendliness. During our entire drive down the river they wave at us happily.
After two hours we arrive at the camp Mispalafitos, in the middle of the jungle. It's really great, the rooms are open huts on stilts, only closed by mosquito nets. But with a shower, and very clean and very beautiful. Instead of light there are candles. Very cozy!
We replenish our energy with a lunch, but first we go on a little paddling tour in Indian canoes. That's how we discover the closer surroundings, rather wobbly but almost noiselessly. That enables you to really enjoy the sounds of the jungle. After lunch, which we then really deserved, we retire for a little siesta.
We're supposed to leave again at 3pm and I use my spare time to look around the camp for a while. I am really amazed by the creatures roaming about freely as "pets"; different kinds of parrots, posing happily, an ocelot and an absolutely interesting animal making cute peeping sounds.
It's a kapibati, a type of amphibious rodent, which seems to be fascinated by gumboots. And we need just those gumboots now, for our jungle tour. First we travel a bit by boat again, the only way to get around here, and then we walk through the jungle for a while, at times sinking into the mud up to our knees. 		  
   After a refreshing sip from a kind of vine, which stores water, we rather continue by boat to visit an Indian settlement.
That consists of three open huts on stilts with hammocks (instead of beds) and plenty of friendly Indians.
The day is slowly coming to an end and in the light of the sinking sun we drift on the broad river and are served a Cuba Libre (rum cocktail).
The feeling is hard to describe, so beautiful, so peaceful. I'll have to come back here, but then with Silver Blue.

In the middle of the river an Indian family comes by, to say hello and to offer us some hand-made items, but in a very pleasant way.

Ok, quickly back to the camp, it's almost dark already. Both outboard engines are going full power and we fly across the water, avoiding those plant islands I mentioned earlier … but, apparently it's already too dark and we drive right into one of those plant islands. Oh well, besides having chopped up some plants and the skipper having to remove them from the propeller, nothing happened.

  

After a delicious dinner at the camp we still go for a short night drive in the boat. Different animals appear at night and, being in the middle of a jungle, on a river only lighted by the stars, that really creates a special feeling. And there, there's a noise in the bushes; a porcupine shows up. Lots of other noises give evidence of more animals being around, but we don't get to see them. So our group makes its way back to the camp; after all, it was a long day, full of adventures … good night!

   The following morning two small monkeys playing on the roof of my hut wake me up. It's 5.30am. Perfect! Breakfast is at 6am. Maybe they're a kind of jungle-alarm-clock?
At 6.30am we're already back in the boat, on our way back to the airport. After a two-hour drive through the morning sunshine we get back into the propeller plane at Tucupita. After a short stop for refueling in Ciadad Guayana we fly on to Gran Sabana a landscape with impressive table mountains.
The Salto Angel falls off one of these table mountains, the Auyan-Tepu, and with 1005m of free falling distance it is the highest waterfall in the world.
The two pilots try their best to present everyone with a good view of this natural wonder. We fly at, over and around the mountain from all sides and that causes one of the lady's in our group to reexamine her breakfast.
Oh well, but she already felt better as we landed in the close by national park Canaima.
This is where the jungle-river Riò Carrao falls, about 20m, over seven adjoining cataracts to form a large lagoon.
We cross the lagoon in a boat and after a 20-minute walk on the other side we reach the waterfalls Salti El Sapo and El Sapito on the eastern shore of Riò Carrao. What's special about it: you can pass behind the Salti El Sapo - a truly refreshing experience. Tons of water crushing down right next to you … Back at the camp, close to the landing strip, we have Venezuelan grilled chicken for lunch. A tasty ending to this really great tour.
The flight back to the Isla Margarita takes 2 hours.		   

Bernados wife is already expecting me, and takes me back to the landing. And Franc, my boat neighbor, is waiting for me there, with a cool Polar (local beer).
I spend the Saturday relaxing, doing a little shopping and talking about those beautiful days.
What the next week will bring …
you can read about it here, if you like.

Until then, take care

TOM