Chorroni.. the beach washing the feet of Tropical forests

Look at the tropical forests.. behind the beach.. the mountains are so huge and so wild and so steep.. some times.. our taxi had to go in reverse to accomodate an oncoming car.. place was so steep that they had to carve in to the rock to make a road.. some times rivulets flowed over the road.. i cant say how pretty it was..

In the state of Bolivar, is the place Canaima. Imagine the wierdest and most awe inspiring piece of nature that you can... Go ahead... try all the ultra-zoom-out shots from The Lord of The Rings, use every piece of wonder from Harry Potter, sky is no limit... Now... open your eyes.. and look at the Amazonas in Canaima.. the color of the deep red wine caressing the pink beaches.. the lushest green if ever there was one.. the myriad of shapes of the leaves .. and the infinitely streched .. tall table-top mountains.. called Tepuis... You will, I assure you throw all your DVDs, and games.. down the drain. and never ever think of human imagination being better than nature's creation.

We, Prince, Sandhya, Elvira and myself, took a most fortunate excursion in to this land of wonders. It was too short, too wonderful.. TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE. But luck gave it to us and we bathed in its abundant blessings.
I took my new camera. Digital SLR Canon Rebel XT 350D, with its most amazing Sigma lens. We tried to capture the GREATEST beauty in 2 dimensions. In vain to say the least. I put here some pictures of us taking the trip.. I will however, put a photography page up some time.. but .. right now., this is it.

After an infinitely long journey from Chorroni to Cuidad Bolivar (including a 5 hour taxi.. and then 10 hour bus) .. we are at the Bolivar airport.. When there is such a small plane.. there has got to be a miyaan beewee and the small plane photu.. no? 

The fancy airport at Canaima.. we wait for some other people of the group.. and I load up on my daily doze of caffeine.. love the place already... inspite of the coffee.. not up the the venezuelan standards..  

We wait for the boat to take us to the Ucaima base.. one place with a shed full of hammocks and a kitchen.. right next to the Hacha falls.. the realitiy of this place is still to sink in to me.. I am looking at the red water.. believe me .. it is not muddy water.. it is crystal clear .. but looks like.. cococola.. or .. beer.. or.. something.. just pure RED water !! .. and pink sand.. and pink pebbles... of the color of strawberries.. of .. flesh... of .. all shades of pink... amazing is not even close..we wait for the boat.. looking at the serene.. yet wild beauty of the place.. i remember all the beautiful poetry.. that describe the creator called nature.. "yeh kaun chitrakaar hai?"  

This is the red I am talking about.. crystal clear red water!! ... it is the first level of unbelievable things happening to me..

Finally we take off on this boat to the Ucaima camp.. which is on another side of the basin..I cant keep the grin off my face.. it is a delightful beginning ..  

there are 4 waterfalls pouring in to the basin of Orinoco at Canaima lagoon.. Hacha, Wadaima, Golondrina and Ucaima.. We take pictures in all kinds of fancy styles.. 

I want to linger around.. but people hurry along.. the reality of this place.. and its beauty .. i never had the time to soak it in..  

we set off for a 5 hour long journey .. to reach the base of the angel falls ( there is a camp at that place) .. the deep red river.. is simply unbelievable.. it is not the .. mud kind of red.. it is just.. RED !! The first look at the tepuis.. the one in the middle.. looks like.. a muffin.. only .. 10^99 times the size.. i guess.. 

You get closer.. it just becomes more and more wonderful 

The river is twisting and turning around the forests that look like they cant stand the weight of the trees any more.. the river is shallow and about 100 feet in width and trees around you are about 50 feet.. there is not much you can see.. then all of a sudden the river turns.. and you can see.. this ! .. this infinitely long wall ... hosting many many waterfalls........ the forests trying their best to reach as high as possible to cover the bare walls of rocks.. and the clouds.. forming the crown .. lingering around in the most elegant fashion.. it is unbelievable !!  

The gorgeous gigantic tepuis.. surrounded by the clouds.. all the hundreds of waterfalls on these tepuis.. are the result of the clouds... only the clouds.. no cloud no water ! it is amazing..  

We bathed in water for almost 3 hours.. trembling with cold all the time.. it was fabulous.. Met some strangers .. from different parts of the world at the campfire .. never took pictures.. though.. that is a little strange.. and went to bed in hammocks .. listening to the rustle of the river.. and .. the occassional flashlights of .. our boatsmen seeing if the rising river has taken away their boats.. every hour or so.. it was pitch dark.... and simply beautiful night..  

We walk at 6 AM in the morning towards the view point of Angel falls.. the forests are great ! .. but some how.. haunting.. due to the red water, there is almost no animal life here... no birds.. no insects.. only ants.. it is creepy.. green .. wet.. and breathtakingly beautiful.. Any pattern of leaf you can think of .. it is already been done over and over again !  

when we reach there....we just sit there spell bound ..Sandhya doesnt speak for quite some time .. !  

Isnt that a very long T shirt ? He is too much in a trance to notice.. 

The necessary photographs.. Do you see the mist behind me? that is actually the water .. which falls down about 1 kilometer.. by the time it comes down.. it is already turning in to such fine droplets, it feels like mist.. if you actually look at the falls, it feels like.. it is a slow motion picture.. every stream of water is falling slowly...... and about 30 percent of it is already joining the clouds.. that crowd the top of the falls.. it is the most amazing thing!  

The rocks are holding me up .. right from my feet up to my waist.. if not.. i would be going down .. all the way to the river! It was freezing.. Prince forced me to enter the water..  

I go in finally !! .. can you see that yellow poncho that started acting like a sail .. I had to stand sideways to let water go through my sleeves so that i am not going down with the falls !!  

A parting view of the Angel falls is more clear than when we were right at its feet... I have GOT to go back there for a week atleast..  

Ready for the walk under Sapo.. not so scary from here eh? 

Right under the sapo falls.. the most exciting 200 meters that you can walk !  

Can you see our shadows in front of the Sapo ( frog) falls? We actually walked behind that thing and some times even under it!.. It is deafeningly loud.. The wall of rock .. has a rope for support.. you hold on to it and hope to god that you dont slip... It is slippery.. and sometimes water is crashing so hard on your head that you cant breath!.. It is simply fabulous!! 

The next morning.. we are about to leave.. the day was 30th .. the day is wrong on camera..I am tanned and happy..  

We are about to head back.. Princy .. retrospects.... No wait.. ! he is checking out the sunbathing old man !