February 5

(Ryan)

I took the high road and Dan took the low road. We both have fits of panic wondering if we will have enough money to complete our journey and this time it was Dan's turn. He chose to cut this one out. I placed a higher priority on seeing the highest waterfall in the world than Dan and we agreed to meet after my tour of the falls. 

Ciudad Bolivar is the jumping off spot for tours to Angel Falls. The city is situated on the southern bank of the Orinoco River near the only bridge that spans it's 400 miles. It is from there that flights to Canaima, a staging point, initiate and where I start on my journey to the highest waterfall in the world. 

     8:00 am. Other members of the tour begin to arrive and mill about in the lobby of the hotel. There is an Italian couple, a German couple and a Britt. It's early and there is not much chatter. The six of us are all loaded into a waiting jeep and there is talk of it being crowded. (HA! Six in a jeep, that's nothing! But I keep my comments to myself.) Ten minutes and we are at the airport. There are members of other tours there and I'm split off from my group temporarily and will fly to Canaima with the other group. The single engine Cessna's are gassed and waiting and after a small tax we are off. Many of you are now saying: "Well, I thought they weren't going to take any planes?" I had no choice. There are no roads leading to Canaima. We left Ciudad Bolivar behind and were soon over a broad savanna. There were winding rivers that finally emptied into a huge lake. It took a while to get over the lake but when we did I saw the most perfect green I had ever seen. The jungle below was like a fine textured carpet as far as the eye could see in every direction. For a long while there wasn't a single deviation in the perfect green. Then ?tepuis rose out of the jungle like the ones in Arizona but green up the jagged sides. Before we knew it we were over Canaima and descending for our landing. The guide book described there being some other waterfalls of mild interest in the area before you proceed to Angel Falls but I couldn't believe my eyes. Situated around a large lagoon there were numerous thundering falls spilling into the lagoon. We only caught a glimpse before we landed and met Otto, who was to be our guide. He explained that we had an hour to look around before we were to meet back at the Airport where we would proceeded to the tour companies camp. Canaima Lagoon was just a few hundred feet away and we could already hear the pounding falls filtering through the jungle between there and where we were. The German couple, the Britt and I followed the rumble to the pink sand shore of the lagoon. Coming over a small sand burm the view was astonishing. If this had been the whole trip I would have been contented. We all agreed to walk together down the beach and made our introductions. Corinna and Focal were the German couple and the Britt's name was Phil. We made small chit chat and walked to the furthest part of the lagoon were there was a hydro plant we all explored then back to the airport. 

12:30 pm. A large army style people mover was waiting and we met a few others aboard that would be joining our tour. It was a short five minute trip to the camp were we could smell food being cooked, we were all hungry. While we waited, Otto gave us a brief description of the next few days going-ons. 

1:00 pm. After lunch we packed only the things we would need for a few days then boarded a boat for a short trip around Canaima Lagoon for an up close look at the Canaima Falls. We then landed on an island in the lagoon and took a short hike to a few other falls 30 minutes away. It just kept getting better. We learned a little about the jungle on the way and I ate an ant. (The local Indians eat ants as a staple. They make a pure from them and put it on almost all of their food.) After jungle 101 the trail came along a cliff side and we could hear the next waterfall. We weren't going to stand away from the fall and enjoy it's beauty, no, we were going behind and through to experience and feel the waterfall. It was fantastic! Some laid on rocks and sunned while others of us let the fall drench us thoroughly. (I needed a good shower anyway.) We dried ourselves in the sun before continuing our hike to the next waterfall then eventually to the top of the waterfall we has passed under. Then backtracking under the falls again and up to the other side of the top of the falls where a dugout canoe was to meet us and bring us three hours up the river to staging area camp #2. The boat wasn't there but the sun felt nice and we were able to explore more of the top of the waterfall. 

4:00 pm. The canoe arrived roughly an hour later and we could hear words between the guide and the boat driver. It was nice that the guide was on our side and didn't take the tardiness for granted. It's not to say it seemed like a long wait, it was such a gorgeous day. It was only 45 minutes and there was another half hour hike while the canoe made it up some rapids that tourists weren't allowed on. The canoe was again a little late and it was discovered that the 50hp motor was having some problems. The back up motor sitting in the back of the canoe was also in disrepair. Luckily another canoe of the same company was coming down the river at this time and we did a motor swap. The new motor was a big improvement over the last and we began to make good time. This was good because everyone was beginning to get hungry and wondered if we would make it before dark.

We weaved through winding rivers as the sun began to set and cut through water that was like glass. If it wasn't for the Anaconda and 150 other venomous snakes it would have been a water-ski paradise. Luck for us for that it wasn't. We saw some wild Macaws flying and cawing along the river as we came to the first of the many rapids we would overtake and I have to say I was a little nervous. Now I know this was no level 5 rapid and you rapid riding friends of Dan might think me a wimp but we were not riding down a rapid in a pro inflatable boat. We were headed up river in a small dug-out canoe shaped from a single tree that required constant bailing. As well we had all of our provisions and belongings aboard as well as my new camera which I kept having day mares of going overboard. I was thinking for sure we would have to get out and walk around but just then the canoe driver guns the motor and we charge the rapid. The engine was screaming then suddenly you could hear the boat man tilt the motor out of the water to clear the rocks and we were through. Everyone looked at each other in amazement! as Otto said that it was  the first of many! We passed a few other rapids in this same fashion and just as the sun fell behind the mountains and the light grew thin we arrived at camp #2. 

6:30 pm. We were greeted by those who had been to the Angel Falls that day and were pointed to our hammocks to unload our stuff and change out of our damp clothes before dinner. Otto gave us rookies a lesson in sleeping in a hammock so that our backs would not be hunched in the morning and then it was time to eat. There were a few other English speaking tourists there from Canada and we exchanged travel stories. Dinner over Phil broke out the rum and we settled into getting to know each other better. 

It was very interesting to hear some of Phil's stories. He had spent most of his live traveling and been around the world at least once. His story of a 65 hour bus ride across the United States with no money and ten sandwiches reminded me of the book by Jack Karowak "The Road" that I had just finish . I promised to give it to him when we returned to camp #1. The rum was soon gone but everyone's stories continued into the night. Then it was hammock time.