~English Version/ Versión en Español~
Some years ago I had the honor of being present in the oldest lands in the world and in front of one of the candidates for the seven natural wonders of the world, the highest waterfall on the planet (979 meters), the Angel Falls or Kerepakupai Vená (Deeper Place Waterfall), as it is said in the Pemón language, who are the aboriginal natives of this blessed land located in Canaima National Park, in Venezuela. It is called Angel Falls, in honor of Jimmie Angel, who in 1937 collaborated in its discovery and exact location by flying over it in his plane and perching on its top. This jump has inspired documentaries, books, poems and even the children's film UP and was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1994./ Hace algunos años tuve el honor de estar presente en las tierras más antiguas del mundo y ante una de las candidatas a las siete maravillas naturales del mundo, la cascada más alta del planeta (979 metros), el Santo Ángel o Kerepakupai Vená (Salto del Lugar Más Profundo), como se dice en lengua Pemón, quienes son los aborígenes originarios de esta tierra bendita ubicada en el Parque Nacional Canaima, en Venezuela. Se llama Salto Ángel, en honor a Jimmie Angel, quien en el año 1937 colaboró en su descubrimiento y localización exacta al sobrevolarla en su avioneta y posarse en su cima. Este salto ha inspirado documentales, libros, poesías y hasta la película infantil UP y fue declarado patrimonio de la humanidad por la UNESCO en 1994.
This trip was an ancestral journey, full of magic and many landscapes, which not only feed your pupil, but also remain engraved in your soul. I had the privilege of doing it with a group of travelers that coincided in time and space; together walking and navigating the same path, but with different stories, motivations, cultures and languages. Present were a couple of Czechs, a Japanese, an Englishman, a Brazilian and five Venezuelans, which include the Pemones guides, a great friend and me./ Este viaje fue un recorrido ancestral, lleno de magia y muchos paisajes, que no sólo te alimentan la pupila, sino que se te quedan grabados en el alma. Tuve el privilegio de realizarlo con un grupo de viajeros que coincidieron en tiempo y espacio; juntos andando y navegando el mismo camino, pero con historias, motivaciones, culturas y lenguas diferentes. Estuvieron presentes una pareja de checos, un japonés, un inglés, un brasilero y cinco venezolanos, dentro de los cuales se incluyen los guías Pemones, una gran amiga y mi persona.
On the first day, the trip begins at the airport where we embark on a tiny, low-capacity aircraft that leaves from the airport of Puerto Ordaz in Bolivar State, Venezuela and takes us to the also tiny landing strip in Canaima./ En el primer día, el viaje comienza en el aeropuerto en el cual nos embarcamos en una minúscula aeronave, de baja capacidad que sale desde el aeropuerto de Puerto Ordaz en el Estado Bolívar, Venezuela y nos lleva hasta la también minúscula pista de aterrizaje en Canaima.
Manuel Carlos Piar International Airport (PZO)/ Aeropuerto Internacional Manuel Carlos Piar (PZO)
During the flight, the gusts of wind and cloudiness make their own, moving the small apparatus at will, until the nerves reach their maximum splendor and oneself begins to negotiate with God, of which sins we can get rid of, if we are allowed to arrive on the mainland with good; All this without knowing that after a few minutes all that torture stops caring./ Durante el vuelo, las ráfagas de viento y nubosidad hacen de las suyas, moviendo a su antojo el pequeño aparato, hasta que los nervios llegan a su máximo esplendor y uno empieza a negociar con Dios, de cuales pecados te puedes deshacer si te lleva a tierra firme con bien; todo esto sin saber que luego de pasados algunos minutos toda esa tortura deja de importarte.
Meanwhile, experienced pilots and already accustomed to handling all types of tourists, ignore the complaints or scared faces and begin to skirt the Auyantepuy, one of the many prehistoric geological formations, which are erected with flat sides and tops similar to a tables, minutes later, passengers simply get stunned and can only express a "wow", "God" or simply remain silent about what they can see from the small windows of the plane./ Mientras tanto, los pilotos experimentados y ya acostumbrados a manejar a todo tipo de turistas, ignoran las quejas o caras asustadas y empiezan a bordear el Auyantepuy, una de las tantas formaciones geológicas prehistóricas, que se erigen con laterales y cimas planas con forma similar a una mesa. Minutos después, los pasajeros simplemente se quedan atónitos y sólo pueden expresar un “wow”, “Dios” o simplemente quedarse en silencio ante lo que logran divisar desde las pequeñas ventanas de la avioneta.
Our pilot/ Nuestro Piloto
Auyantepuy
To their right the Angel Falls unfolds in all its splendor, and then while the passengers continue to be hypnotized, the skilled pilot takes a circle around the "Devil's Throat", until it is perfectly aligned with the front of the highest waterfall of the planet, illuminated by complicit sun rays that make that moment something magical, that leaves you breathless and that, in my case, gave me the certainty of God's greatness, of the infinity of his grace and of having completed something unknown in my soul, and then feel that I could leave this plane in peace, when He arranged it. They are only a few minutes, but they become an eternal memory./ A su derecha se despliega el Salto Ángel en todo su esplendor, y luego mientras los pasajeros continúan hipnotizados, el hábil piloto da una vuelta en círculo por la “Garganta del Diablo”, hasta quedar perfectamente alineado con la parte frontal de la cascada más alta del planeta, iluminada por unos cómplices rayos de sol que hacen de ese momento algo mágico, que te deja sin aliento y que, en mi caso, me dio la certeza de grandeza de Dios, de la infinitud de su gracia y de haber completado algo desconocido en mi alma, para luego sentir que podría partir de este plano en paz, cuando Él lo dispusiera. Son sólo escasos minutos, pero que se convierten en un recuerdo eterno.
Angel Falls 1/ Salto Ángel 1
Angel Falls 2/ Salto Ángel 2
Later, and already more relaxed, we can see the route of the rivers, the Laguna de Canaima and the small airstrip near the town. At that time, you already fully trust the pilot and you can see how he flaunts his skill to slow down and make wheel contact with the worn asphalt of the track. Once we arrive a group of guides welcome us in facilities where they sell all kinds of local crafts and souvenirs, and lead us to what would be our first camp, where the small rooms and a simple restaurant are located, in which we serve our food. There I met the rest of my tour group, and I prepared to make the route through the paths arranged in the village towards the lagoon and then to venture to the first guided visit to El Sapo Falls./ Posteriormente, y ya más relajados, divisamos el recorrido de los ríos, la Laguna de Canaima y la pequeña pista de aterrizaje cercana al pueblo. En ese momento ya confías plenamente en el piloto y logras ver como hace alarde de su destreza para disminuir la velocidad y hacer contacto de las ruedas con el asfalto gastado de la pista. Una vez llegamos un grupo de guías nos reciben alegres en unas instalaciones donde venden todo tipo de artesanía local y souvenirs, nos dan la bienvenida y nos conducen a lo que serán nuestro primer campamento, en donde se ubican las módicas habitaciones y un sencillo restaurant en el que nos sirven nuestra comida. Allí conocí al resto de mi grupo de excursión, y me preparé para hacer el recorrido por las caminerías dispuestas en el pueblo hacia la laguna y luego para aventurarme a la primera visita guiada hacia el Salto El Sapo.
Walking towards the Canaima town/ Caminando hacia el pueblo Canaima
Inn Restaurant/ Restaurant de la Posada
Walking to the Canaima lagoon/ Caminando hacia la laguna Canaima
Canaima Lagoon/ Laguna Canaima
You ride in small boats with a powerful outboard motor, made with long carved trees, they are called “Curiaras”. There the water of the river arrives very close to the edge of the curiara, it seems that if you move the water will get in, but that does not happen, the speed and the balanced design of the curiara makes it a safe means of transport./ Te montas en pequeñas embarcaciones con un potente motor fuera de borda, elaboradas con largos árboles tallados, se llaman “Curiaras”. Allí el agua del río llega muy cerca del borde la curiara, pareciera que si te mueves el agua se meterá, pero eso no sucede, la velocidad y el equilibrado diseño de la curiara lo hace un medio de transporte seguro.
Curiaras
After a little more than half an hour you arrive at a landing point, you walk for half an hour more in a tropical forest and a beautiful waterfall unfolds before you, which flows into the great lagoon and then from there ascending to the top of it, on the horizon you enjoy a spectacular landscape full of palms, lagoons and a large savanna or meadow of green pastures and the unbeatable view of the tepuyes./ Después de poco más de media hora llegas a un punto de desembarque, caminas por media hora más en un bosque tropical y se despliega ante ti una hermosa cascada, que desemboca en la gran laguna y luego de allí ascendiendo a la parte superior de la misma, en el horizonte disfrutas de un espectacular paisaje lleno de palmas, lagunas y una gran sabana o pradera de verdes pastos y la vista inmejorable de los tepuyes.
Walking to El Sapo Falls/ Caminando al Salto El Sapo
El Sapo Falls 1/ Salto El Sapo 1
El Sapo Falls 2/ Salto El Sapo 2
El Sapo Falls 3/ Salto El Sapo 3
My travel companions of English, Japanese and Czech nationality, on the top of El Sapo Fallsl/ Mis compañeros de viaje de nacionalidad inglesa, japonesa y checa, sobre la Cascada El Sapo
View of the Tepuyes/ Vista de los Tepuyes
One of the attractions of El Sapo Falls located on Anatoliy Island in front of the Canaima Lagoon, is that you can walk through the back of the waterfall, in a kind of cave between the mountain and the abyss, which unfolds before you as a powerful curtain of water, semi-transparent and very particular that makes you feel protected./ Uno de los atractivos del Salto El Sapo ubicado en la Isla Anatoliy frente a la Laguna de Canaima, es que puedes caminar por la parte de atrás de la caída de agua, en una especie de cueva entre la montaña y el abismo, que se despliega ante ti como una poderosa cortina de agua, semitransparente y muy particular que te hace sentir protegido.
Behind El Sapo Falls/ Detrás del Salto El Sapo
On the tour, Kaiko, our main guide, a young multilingual pemon, happily talked about their traditions and explained that it was essential to stay together, respect the mountain and the ancestral spirits that give life to all this set of natural wonders. And you can see the hand of God in every corner, so much so that you understand that there is wisdom in his words, beyond superstitions, it is necessary to make introspection of how vulnerable and small we are, in front of the majesty of those landscapes created by God./ En el recorrido, Kaiko, nuestro guía principal, un joven pemón multilingüe, conversaba alegremente sobre sus tradiciones y nos explicaba que era indispensable mantenerse juntos, respetar a la montaña y a los espíritus ancestrales que le dan vida a todo ese conjunto de maravillas naturales. Y uno logra ver asomada la mano de Dios en cada rincón, tanto que comprendes que hay sabiduría en sus palabras, más allá de las supersticiones, es necesario hacer introspección de lo vulnerable y pequeños que somos, ante la majestuosidad de esos paisajes creados por Dios.
When we returned, after showering and dining in the comfort of the camp, and due to the good relationship achieved with the guide Kaiko, we had the privilege of being invited to share the indigenous celebration of Food Day, so we were able to enter the within the community of Canaima, in the non-tourist sector and share with a very hospitable group of villagers (with modern clothes, which are nothing like movies), who invited us to play bingo (a kind of gambling, with a tropicalized style to the conditions of the place; grains and small stones were used instead of sophisticated cartons and markers as they are used in city casinos); to eat from their food, which consisted of different types of Tumás (which are chicken, beef and fish soups, with vegetables and seasoned with various amounts of Kumachi or Katara, which gives them different degrees of spice), served in large pots that were eaten by everyone present, from adults to children, moistening pieces of Casabe (a cake made with the scratch of bitter yucca and cooked in a stove and in the sun), which they took from a pile that was at the end of the table./ Ya al retorno, luego de ducharnos y cenar en la comodidad del campamento, y por la química lograda con el guía Kaiko, tuvimos el privilegio de ser invitados a compartir la celebración indígena del Día de la Alimentación, por lo cual, pudimos ingresar al seno de la misma comunidad de Canaima, en el sector no turístico y compartir con un grupo muy hospitalario de pobladores (con vestimentas modernas que nada se parecen a las películas), quienes nos invitaron a jugar bingo (una especie de juego de azar, con un estilo tropicalizado a las condiciones del lugar; se usaban granos de caraotas y pequeñas piedras en lugar de sofisticados cartones y marcadores como se usan en los casinos citadinos); a comer de su comida exhibida en un largo mesón, la cual constaba de diferentes tipos de Tumás (que son sopas de gallina, res y pescado, con verduras y aderezados con varias cantidades de Kumachi o Katara, que les da diferentes grados de picante), servidos en grandes vasijas que se comían por todos los presentes, desde adultos hasta los niños, humedeciendo pedazos de Casabe (una torta hecha con la rayadura de la yuca amarga y cocida en fogones y al sol), que tomaban de una pila que se encontraba al extremo del mesón.
Pemón Indigenous Community playing Bingo and Celebrating Food Day/ Comunidad Indígena Pemón jugando Bingo y Celebrando el Día de la Alimentación
Bingo Cardboard with Grains / Cartón de Bingo con Granos
What surprised me most about this experience was that the tumás were really spicy and the children ate it as if nothing was happening; that nobody was serving his plate apart, if not that the idea was to share all of the dishes arranged on the table and; of the energy of familiarity and joy that was felt in the environment, despite the fact that different families were present, all of them formed a single family, even with the foreigners we were present at that time./ Lo que más me asombró de esta experiencia, fue que los tumás estaban realmente picantes y los niños lo comían como si nada estuviese pasando; que nadie se servía su plato aparte, si no que la idea era compartir todos de los platos dispuestos en la mesa y; de la energía de familiaridad y alegría que se sentía en el ambiente, a pesar que estaban presentes diferentes familias, todos conformaban una sola familia en ese momento y su trato era como tal, inclusive con los foráneos que estábamos presentes en ese momento.
Children and adults eating the Tumás/ Niños y adultos comiendo los Tumás
Also in this space we were offered a drink also made from bitter cassava, called Kachiri, which served from a rather tanned carafe to small tapas, which are vessels made of a rounded fruit that is cut in half and resemble cups without handles. This drink has alcoholic peculiarities that come from the fermentation of cassava, the adults drink it and they smile with pleasure every time someone takes a long drink, because the cover must be passed to the next diner. I confess that I did not like its taste at all, but I could not reject it the first two times they offered it to me for education, not thus reaching a third time, in which I dispensed by mentioning fatigue to retire to my room in the camp. I think that my lack of acceptance was the skepticism of how it was prepared, well, although they explained to me that it is done by scratching the cassava and letting it ferment by itself; In some indigenous communities, they usually chew the cassava and spit it out in the container, which favors the fermentation process (I pray to God that this preparation has not really been the case)./ También en este espacio nos ofrecieron una bebida también realizada a base de yuca amarga, que se llama Kachiri, la cual servían desde un garrafón bastante curtido a pequeñas taparas, que son vasijas hechas de un fruto redondeado que se corta a la mitad y asemejan a tazas sin asas. Esta bebida tiene particularidades alcohólicas que provienen de la fermentación de la yuca, la toman los adultos y se sonríen complacidos cada vez que alguien da un trago largo bebiendo todo el contenido servido, pues la tapara debe ser pasada al siguiente comensal. Les confieso que no me gustó para nada su sabor, pero no pude rechazarla las dos primeras veces que me la ofrecieron por educación, no llegando así a una tercera vez, en la cual me dispensé aludiendo cansancio para retirarme a mi habitación en el campamento. Creo que mi falta de aceptación, fue el escepticismo a como se preparó, pues, aunque ellos me explicaron que se hace rayando la yuca y dejando fermentar por sí sola; en algunas comunidades indígenas acostumbran masticar la yuca y escupirla en el envase lo cual favorece al proceso de fermentación (ruego a Dios que realmente esta preparación no haya sido así).
Drinking Kachiri/ Bebiendo Kachiri
We said goodbye to the moonlight, with a heart grateful for life and for the opportunity to have seen everything I saw that day, and expectant because the next day we would begin the trip to the 2nd camp at the foot of Angel Falls./ Nos despedimos a la luz de la luna, con el corazón agradecido por la vida y por la oportunidad de haber visto en cuerpo presente todo lo que ví ese día, y expectante porque al día siguiente iniciaríamos el viaje al 2do campamento al pie del Salto Ángel.
So far I leave you the experience of my first day in Canaima friends, with the intention of continuing the story in a second publication./ Hasta aquí les dejo la experiencia de mi primer día en Canaima amigos, con la intención de continuar la historia en una segunda publicación.
Maythe.
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Oh thanks a lot @axeman, It's an honor.
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Hiya, @#LivingUKTaiwan here, just swinging by to let you know that this post made into our Top 3 in Daily Travel Digest #630 .
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thanks a lot! It is an honor for me to be in your top 3.
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Thanks a lot @travelfeed and @elsaenroute. I'm so happy
i wish i had a chance to go to..
I wish you had the chance too @suparna 😉
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Amazing shots! Definitely reminds me of UP. The plane ride sounds like such an adventure of it's own. Glad everyone was safe.
Thank you @pushpedal. It was amazing!
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Thank you so much guys! 🤗
Excelente públicacion me agrada ver el parque en steem, debería de existir una forma de curar a través de visitas al parque