Rolling Stone : Venezuela

Friday, January 29, 2010

Visit to the Angel Falls, Venezuela

Gran Sabana Interlude

...... Canoe access to the Angel Falls is restricted to the rainy season, June to November, and here it was the end of November. Thanks to El Niño, the rains had continued and the river was negotiable, but only just. Alternatively, weather permitting and with absence of cloud, you can fly by the Falls, but blink and you’ve missed them.

The Rio Carrao was up to 200 meters wide and led straight to Auyan Tepuy. We donned lifejackets and huddled under canvas drapes to shelter from the spray. Several scary rapids were negotiated. Towards dusk we pulled into the bank at Camp Orquidea - a jungle camp beneath towering rocky bluffs. This camp is used by other tour groups and is the site of the base camp used by the 1949 National Geographic expedition that first reached the Falls by land to measure their height.
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Thursday, January 28, 2010

Float trip in Los Llanos, Venezuela

Off the beaten track in Venezuela

...... By afternoon we had arrived at our destination. This was the start of our float trip on an obscure tributary of the Orinoco ..... the Rio Masparro.

We slid the cumbersome inflatable boats down the bank into the muddy waters. Our guide seemed all confident about this float trip through Los Llanos. Before us were central grassy plains of Venezuela with its maze of tributaries feeding into the mighty Orinoco, the third largest river in South America.

Roads are few. The rivers are navigable by motorized dugout canoes used by local Indians who live in grass huts along the riverbanks.
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Accommodation in Managua and Granada

Accommodation in Puerto Varas

Puerto Varas is a tourist town with a wide spectrum of accommodation, ranging from five star hotels (5), to large backpackers (2) to numerous small family guest houses, or hospedajes. Hostels can be found from the website Hostel World and provide private rooms for US $20 to $45. Large backpackers, Casa Azul and Compass del Sur are listed with Backpackers Chileand offer economical accommodation ranging from $10 to $20 dorms to shared rooms with a buffet breakfast for $3.50. They are similar to a large South African backpackers and offer tours, excursions, Spanish classes, you name it and they'll provide it.

Most economical are the family guest houses or hospedajes costing $10 to $15 per person, and listed in guide books like Lonely Planet. A family may rent out to travelers a couple of rooms in a large family house. If you are lucky you may get to share their kitchen to cook meals and learn some Spanish for free at the same time. So you learn how a Chilean family operates. In Puerto Varas I have gone back and stayed at the same hospedaje three years in a row. (and with a different companera each time, which confused mama)

Cape Town for backpackers

Backpackers are very well accommodated in Cape Town. There are dozens of exciting backpackers to choose from. A little booklet called "Coast to Coast" lists them all, with details for booking. The same information is on the Internet for Southern Africa, just put in "Cape Town" for the region.

I shall not recommend any backpackers because that would be unfair and half the fun is finding a good one that suits you. Important factors in your choice are that the backpackers should have good Internet facilities, a good kitchen and dining area, a travel bureau office, a swimming pool, and be close to a popular restaurant, plus any more factors? Many backpackers have ALL these facilities and are converted mansions of old. Lucky you!