Merry Christmas everyone! Time to kick back, relax, and enjoy time with the family. Time to eat too much and drink to excess. Time to exchange presents and have a kiss or two under the mistletoe. To tell you the truth after 5 months on the road and a tiring 6-day trip to the summit of Roraima and back, the only Christmas present that Christi and I are looking forward to sharing is that of doing … [Read more...]
socialist nirvana, Venezuela, Day 151
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Another frustrating day in the socialist nirvana that is Venezuela. Things normally work out here, but only with extravagant effort. First, our laundry barely arrives in time for us to checkout. Second, our fixer, Miraye, was able to get us on a bus to Puerto Ordaz, but it’s another night bus (and according to Miraye not a very good one). Next the staff at our eco-friendly hotel (Ya-Koo) wants … [Read more...]
Canaima, Venezuela, Day 152
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Our overnight bus ride to Puerto Ordaz is literally a frigid experience as the air-con is set to maximum. All interior lights are switched off, making reading impossible. The seats don’t recline very far and neither is there much room making sleep problematic. We pass through numerous army checkpoints and one in the middle of the night insists we disembark – at gun point. Men are segregated to … [Read more...]
Carrao River, Canaima National Park, Day 153
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And so begins our next adventure: a journey to the base of the highest waterfall in the world. Christi and I together with Kelvin and Ashley and George and Chow-Lung are in a long narrow speedboat and on the Carrao River by 8:30 am – earlier than any other tour group. We are the same group as yesterday and team for this trip comprises Elliott (our English-speaking guide) plus two crew. The … [Read more...]
Angel Falls, Venezuela, Day 154
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Our guide, Elliott, wants myself, Christi, Kelvin, Ashley, George, and Chow-Lung to begin hiking to the base of Angel Falls at 5:30 am. The neighboring camp sites have a different plan, however, and loud voices disturb me at 4.15 am as hikers stumble past our hammocks. Elliott suggests we follow along and we scramble to comply. Elliott hikes fast through the root-infested rainforest, eventually … [Read more...]
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