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VENEZUELA

ANGEL FALLS, THE HIGHEST WATERFALL IN THE WORLD. CAYO SOMBRERO IN MORROCOY NP (April 2007)   photos

On the way back from Roraima, I visited the stunning waterfall of Quebrada de Jaspe, where red jasper rocks glitter underwater.  There were many other places of interest in Gran Sabana, but I couldn´t wait to see the Angel Falls, the highest on Earth at 979m!  So I booked a tour and the next day I was flying from Ciudad Bolivar to Canaima in a tiny 6-seater Cessna.  From Canaima a long motorboat took all 7 of us up the river Carrao.  The water level was low, sometimes we had to get out and push the boat.  It took 5 hours to the camp, from where it was 1 hour walk to the viewpoint below the waterfall.  As I expected, it was nothing spectacular, as there was little water.  And worst of all, the falls are illuminated in the morning, and we arrived at 5pm, when it was just grey and ugly.  I was very upset that the agency (Bernal Tours) charges $300 (including flights) and arranges tours to save money and not to show the Falls when they are the most beautiful.

The next morning we had to leave early because the other 6 people had a flight to catch.  It was raining at night but I still went down to the river to see the Falls.  The good thing about Bernal Tours it that their camp is right opposite the Falls, although the best view is from the viewpoint 1 hour away.  So I looked across the river for a few seconds and I run back to get my precious camera.  Colorful morning sun was illuminating Auyan Tepui from which water drops down almost 1 km down!  That was exactly was I was hoping to see!  There was at least twice as much water as the day before, due to the rain at night, and clouds on both sides made it look spectacular.

On the way back the views were equally beautiful.  The boat easily went down the rapids that we struggled to overcome yesterday.  Blue water, green trees and huge rock faces of countless tepuis were absolutely stunning.  It was the best boat trip I have ever done, and despite not going to the viewpoint in the morning, I was satisfied and gave up the idea of complaining.

Canaima

Back in Canaima, there are 4 waterfalls on the river Carrao cascading 40m down to Canaima Lake.  The first one of them, Hacha, was my favorite.  It´s possible to walk behind it, and watch tons of water crush down with overwhelming force and noise.  Unforgettable experience, especially when low, evening sun shines through the water curtain. I have to say that I don´t like tours, but there is no other way to see Angel Falls.  It turned out to be a fantastic experience and I met some great people.  A couple from Caracas, Edgard and Isabel, even invited me to the capital.  Ever since my Spanish is good, the whole travel experience has changed.  I meet local people, find out about their lives and problems, exchange views.  So I didn´t think twice and went to Caracas.
  
Morrocoy National Park

From there I made a 2 day excursion to the Morrocoy National Park.  Is consists of hundreds of beautiful, palm-studded islands and numerous coral reefs.  I went to the largest of them, Cayo Sombrero, a 20 minutes ride by speed boat.

The island is spectacular, as you can see from the pictures.  I can not understand why nobody clears the rubbish left by the hordes that come on weekends, mainly beer bottles.  Fortunately, I was there midweek and after 5pm there were only 6 people left on the island, so getting away from the crowds was easy.  Getting away from all the rubbish was harder, but possible.  I just had to walk to the north side, where coral reefs and crystal-clear water are stunning.   photos