Venezuela

Day 2: We were joined by an overland group, which made us a group of 12. We set off in a long canoe with two Indians for "drivers" and a great guide, Alejandro, who spoke five languages and knew much about local folklore and the rainforest. The river level was low because they are just coming out of the dry season, therefore, there were many exposed rocks and rapids. As we traveled north by canoe, sloshing, slipping and rocking upstream through the rapids, the landscape became more dramatic with 3,000 foot table-top mountains, many with waterfalls tumbling down. Apparently, there is a waterfall higher than Angel Falls, but it does not have water all year round. At one point on the river, the drivers deemed the rapids too wild to take a tourist-filled canoe, so we got out and walked a bit through the rainforest and were ATTACKED BY ANTS... It does not seem possible to be attacked by an insect that is smaller than a fingernail and cannot fly, but let me tell you, IT HURT!! One of the first people had inadvertently stepped on a column of large ants and the ants therefore looked at the rest of us like the enemy. They quickly crawled up our legs and into our shoes all the while biting like crazy. The line of people rapidly turned into a screaming, hitting mob trying to run for the boat. Not fun....

We arrived at our second camp where we would stay for two nights, and again sleep in hammocks, and were informed that the water was not working and would have to bathe in the river. This turned out to be wonderful. The water was refreshing and the tannin helped keep our hair soft and clean without shampoo, if you can believe that! (Good too because Kate forgot the shampoo!! )

We set out for the falls the following morning. Another 3 hour, nail-biting canoe ride and a two hour hike uphill through the rainforest brought us to the falls. They are magnificent, just a ribbon of water cascading down and changing into mist before it hits the bottom. There is a tiny, rock-filled lagoon at the bottom where we swam and filled up our water bottles for the hike down. I bounded ahead of everyone going down and hiked by myself for about an hour, lost the path for about 15 minutes, got claustrophic in the jungle, thought I was a goner, and basically was scared sh...less. I really thought I was lost in the Venezuelan rainforest. The problem is that everything looks the same and I went down a dry river bed which I thought was the path. There were no other people anywhere in the vicinity. We were the only ones, amazingly enough, visiting the falls. Luckily, I found the path again and made my way to the river but was still unsure the whole way if in fact I was correct. A bit of a scare.......

So, now, we are sitting here sweating our ...... off. It is hot..... possibly the hottest I have ever been. Get me back to Brazil! Kate and I may go to a salsa bar tonight with the pilot of our plane, Simon. I am not sure I can even dance, though, or I may pass out.

Ok, tomorrow we start the insane journey back to Manaus. We will spend a day in Manaus and then fly off to Cuiba, which is a town in the Pantanal, an area the size of France in the middle of Brazil bordering Bolivia. The Amazon may get all the fame, but the Pantanal is the place to go to see wildlife. A week there and then Kate's parents are meeting us at Foz de Iguacu, huge waterfalls on the Argentinean border. Only five weeks left!!!!!!!!!!!!!

"To travel single is to sign up for chance encounters and serendipitous experiences, to be able to follow your heart on the spur of the moment. There is a freedom in independent travel, a the-world-is-my-oyster exhilaration."

Judi Dash