La Gran Sabana
12 August 2005 (Friday) – Santa Elena de Uairen, Venezuela
The tour company I went to last night charged 300,000 Bs per car. If there were 4 tourists, it would be 75,000 Bs each. But as there were only 3 in my case, it would be 100,000 Bs each. That was too expensive for me.
But the guide then arranged for the three of us to go with a taxi driver and each of us paid just 50,000 Bs. Our taxi driver was Santiago and my companions were Lisandro, from Venezuela and Ana, from Spain. OK, our taxi driver was not a licensed guide, but I was quite happy with him, as he exuded a pleasant aura and seemed a really friendly guy. The guide was a little too pompous for me anyway.
As we pulled away from Santa Elena, we passed by rows and rows of cars waiting to get their tanks filled. Santiago told us there were rows for Brazilians, rows for Venezuelans and rows for tourists. And these rows were controlled by the military police.
As petrol is so cheap here in Venezuela, Brazilians come here in loads to buy petrol. There is a black market going on. They buy for X Bs in Venezuela but they sell it for 15 to 20 times more in Brazil. Some of them install extra tanks in their cars so that they can pump a lot of litres. There is some form of control with the car registration or whatever. But people would come over early in the morning, get their tanks filled, leave, transfer the petrol somewhere else, change the license plate and car registration of another car, and return to get their tanks filled again.
Of course, the guy working at the petrol station knows. A little tip for him. And maybe the military police knows. A little tip for him as well.
The tourist jeeps here get special privileges, so they can jump right to the front of the queue, but only if all their papers were right. Otherwise, perhaps, a little tip for the military police to smoothen out the complications.
Santiago is a taxi driver. To him, having petrol in his car is a must. Yet, each time he needs petrol, he has to wait up to 3 hours. Like all the residents living here. Sheesh.
Corruption corruption corruption, Santiago muttered.
Well, back to the tour. La Gran Sabana means The Great Savannah. So, here, as the car drove up and down through the curvy road, we could see miles and miles of pretty savannah and grasslands, with some palm trees and little huts of the indigenous people.
As the undulating grasslands curved away, we saw only clouds. But it did not mean that beyond the clouds were more undulating grasslands. As mentioned yesterday, there are many tepuys or table mountains here. Because of the clouds, you would think that there was nothing beyond, but truly, these tepuys could be hidden behind and would suddenly appear, making absolutely breathtaking views all around.
The area here was one of the oldest in the world. It used to be a huge plain but there was a massive earthquake eons ago, (Santiago said during the dinosaurs age, but personally, I think it is way before) and out thrust these incredible-looking tepuys all around. Along with them, came also gold and diamonds. Hence, this region here is famous for its gold and diamond mines. In fact, the land around here matches with the land in South Africa, which also has many diamond mines. This corner of South America used to be connected to the African continent way back in the Pangaea days.
Speaking of dinosaurs, a few years ago, the film-makers of ‘Jurassic Park’ had come here and filmed this place for a month. Santiago took us to a mirador where we had an impressive view of the great savannah in front of us. Now that he mentioned it, the view here did look familiar, I think I recognised it in the movie where Sam Neil and gang did their first tour and looked upon the savannah below.
Santiago said that during the month of filming, he, together with lots of curious locals, had come here to watch them. They were told the film-makers were making a film of dinosaurs. They stared and stared really hard at the savannah. Where are the dinosaurs?? It was only later that they realised the dinosaurs were added in by computers. And then, in the film, they recognized the view of their personal savannah and even saw papa, mama and baby dinosaurs eating their palm trees. All the locals burst into hilarious laughters at the sight, he claimed. Eating palm trees indeed! With papa, mama and baby dinos, no less!!!
Quebrada de Jaspe is a very nice waterfall with a massive flat piece of red jaspe rock right in front. I could not believe it was just ONE piece of very flat rock. There are also many lines criss-crossing the rock. How very odd. This place is a centre of energy, I was told. Lovely.
At another stop called Quebrada Pacheco, we hiked down and found paradise. There was a series of very beautiful waterfalls and we could bathe in there. We found that sitting under different parts of the waterfall, we received different water temperature! There was even a spot that Ana found that felt just like a jacuzzi. Fantastic!!!! I could not describe how amazing the feeling it was to be here.
We stopped by Salto Kama which was a very big waterfall, and which the guys at my hotel had told me a story that happened a few years ago where a tourist fell into the abyss while trying to take photos! Anyway, they built banisters now, so no one could walk too close to the cliffs.
Another nice spot with a deep pool was Salto Kaui. Here, it was possible to swim as well as sit under the waterfall. Incredible, as well!! Wow, what a great day visiting these places! All the time, I was bitten by puripuris but what a price to pay for paradise, eh?
When we finally turned back towards Santa Elena, I gasped at the trio of table mountains right in front of us. When we came, I had kept my eyes all around and this same spot had been totally covered by clouds. Now, what an amazing sight!!!!! It is as if they just appeared by magic!!! These were the Tramen-Tepuy, Ilu-Tepuy and Kuraimi-Tepuy. According to Santiago, he said these 3 were nearly always, always hidden by clouds. Instead, one could see Kukenan and Roraima. But today, Kukenan and Roraima seemed more hidden by the clouds. And there was another mountain which was just 1 sharp lone tower – Wadakapiapue. Very, very nice.
But as we gazed, they were soon covered by clouds. Wow, how the view changed so quickly.
Gosh, I cannot begin to explain how HAPPY I am here and now, looking at these magical mountains. I know, with a cold that was not totally gone yet, and I had plunged myself into a rafting trip in the rain, getting myself totally soaked, and then today, bathing in waterfalls after waterfalls, getting myself all wet and cold as well, I am so going to die of pneumonia in a couple of days but gosh, I feel absolutely happy!!!
Tags: 05) Merchants of Little Venice
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