16/10/2011 - Waterfall trekking (day 1)

In the morning I tried and failed to pay for my excursion to Angel Falls, but the nice guys at the posada let me pay half by cash on the condition that I come back and pay the rest after the trip. We were off! From Ciudad Bolivar's tiny airport, we boarded a small aircraft which flew us to the nearby Canaima, from which we'd be exploring the surrounding area. Tomorrow we'd be going to Angel Falls but for today we'd warm up with a smaller waterfall nearby. Although in the back of my mind I was cynical about these kinds of tours, it has so far been undeniably a lot of fun. Canaima is a small village which seems to exist solely as a stopping of point for exploration of Canaima National Park but its has a very relaxed feel to it. Shortly before lunch we went for a quick swim in the lake and I got my first taste of South American scenery. Waterfalls, beautiful beach, jungle extending out as far as the eye can see (my camera and photography skills probably don't do it justice). I think I appreciate it even more acutely after those 4 days in Caracas; the contrast couldn't be any starker. 

 

Our guide Tony warned us that we'd get wet on our expedition to our first waterfall and he wasn't lying. Our mini-trek took us just behind the falling water and for certain sections of the path the combination of getting soaked by the spray, not being able to see because of the spray, walking in flip-flops along slippery rocks and having a substantial drop to your left all made for quite an exhilarating experience. The feeling of having your senses overwhelmed and being so close to a thing of such immense power is, I would guess, why people like waterfalls. And they look pretty too. Angel Falls tomorrow should be quite a treat – its the worlds highest waterfall at 979m. 

 

In the evening we hung out in a bar near our lodgings, playing bingo with the locals and drinking into the night. What really made my night was Alexio, a Brazilian fellow traveller, talking to me about New Order, Joy Division and, last but not least, Inspiral Carpets and telling me how his brother-in-law had a bar in Sau Paulo which played a lot of 80s music! Inspiral Carpets!? I told him how I'd seen them play (well the lead singer anyway) in a primary school to about 30 people a few years ago. This is how it feels when your life means nothing at all.