Trips to Venezuela

TRIPS TO VENEZUELA: DELTA OF THE ORINOCO

The Delta of the Orinoco is the second delta of the continent as far as amplitude after the delta of the Amazon river. It occupies a surface of approximately 25,000 km2s. The river has a length of 2140 km and it is divided in 40 main channels that transport their waters towards the Atlantic.

General performances

State or dependancy: Amacuro delta.

Capital: Tucupita

Temperature average: 27 ºC

Geographic situation: The state Amacuro Delta is located in the Eastern region of Venezuela.

Surface: The state Amacuro Delta counts on 40,200 km2s.

Bordering situation: The state Amacuro Delta, where the city is located of
Tucupita, limits by the north with the Gulf of Pariah; by the south with the State Bolivar; by the east with the Atlantic Ocean and the Republic of Guyana; and by the west with the Monagas State.

Population: 120,000 inhabitants approximately.

The Delta of the Orinoco

It is a fascinating region and a destiny worthy to visit, possessor of a unique flora and a fauna. It only can be compared with the one of the Niger river, in Africa. Its center more colonizing is Tucupita, the others are forest and water.

“Orinoco” means water weave, and that is the Delta: a complicated aquatic network furrowed by hundreds of sewers and tens of mouths of rivers that intercross like a labyrinth. One is put under great fluctuations of the water level due to the regime of the Orinoco river.

Its ecosystem of humid tropical forest is protected by the population of Waraos Indians, the second greater indigenous population of Venezuela.

The Delta of the Orinoco offers an endless number of attractive for the traveller, only existing in this part of the world. It has one varied infrastructure concerning organized campings that offer the necessary thing to enter itself comfortably and without problems in this still virgin earth.

Other populations of the State: Tucupita, Antonio Diaz, Pedernales and Casacoima.

Orinoco river….A great river
The Orinoco is the eighth longer river of the world, the second longest one of the South American continent after the Amazon and widest of the world.

It is born to 1047 ms on the level of the sea, in the Amazon State, the South end of the country, near the border with Brazil. The border with Colombia runs first towards the north drawing up and soon tour to the east towards the Ocean, dividing to the country in two.

Fauna
The life animal of the delta also extremely is varied and rich. Jaguars, Pumas, ocelotes, Capucin and chilladores monkeys, capibaras, acutíes, otters, manatíes and dolphins are only some of the innumerable species of mammals that can be observed in their natural habitat. Between the extensive population of birds they are guacamayas, pericos, toucans, caciques, cormorants, herons, hawks, eagles and polychromatic colibríes. Also there is a great amount of amphibians, reptiles and fish. Anacondas, boas, serpents choral, iguanas, caymans, turtles, pirañas, mantarayas and catfishes can be seen.

Tucupita
State Capital Amacuro Delta, was founded on 1848 by native people of the Daisy island. This city underwent a great height as of 1933 thanks to the oil operation that stayed until beginnings of the decade of 1960.
Tucupita concentrates the 76,5% of the population of the state. It is located to 110 km of the coast on the Eastern border of the Mánamo sewer, where it joins with the small Tucupita sewer, that runs in direction this and ends at the Atlantic.
Distance to the city of Caracas, capital of the country is of 730 km.

Pre-Hispanic population and the Waraos Natives
The pre-Hispanic population of the State Amacuro Delta was formed by different tribes: The Aramayas, Arawak, Caribbean, Pariagotos and Panacayos were located in which today we know like the High Delta and the Tiuitiuas or tiguitiques, the Mariusas and Waraos inhabited the deltaica part proper. At the moment all the ethnic groups have disappeared with the exception of the Waraos.

It is considered that the Waraos was based in the Delta does about 19,000 years, from where moved to different islands from the Caribbean Sea.

The Warao term means people of the boats. In its language “wa” means canoe and “arao” people.

At the moment the indigenous population of the Waraos is of approximately 25,000 individuals.


Uses and Customs
Originally the Waraos took a nomadic life that has been replacing by a greater sedentarismo or afincamiento in certain places. Even so, at some times of the year they completely move to other uninhabited sites leaving rancherías.

Their houses continue being in their great majority the typical habitat of their ancestors although with some modifications that obvious let notice the influence of the transculturización. The houses are located generally parallel to the river, with the ceiling of two waters covered with the palm with temiche, and constructed on palafitos, of way like the floor of manaca always is over the highest tide.

The activities of traditional subsistence of the Waraos were the fishing, the hunting the harvesting of wild fruits. Without a doubt, the culture of these natives continues tie to the plant of moriche that provides food, drink, house, ornaments and a shelter to them to sleep as it is the small boat (it swings). At the moment, many of them evolve as working rural by a wage and serve their in agricultural fundos, sawmills and factories of manufactures of the palm heart, without forgetting the hunting and the fishing.

It is important to mention that one of the most important properties of the Warao, due to its aquatic environment, is the canoe or curiara of a single trunk.

It is not possible to be said that the Warao marriage lacks formality because a ceremony for such cases does not exist, is no a previous engagement. The woman is used to “escaping at night” with the pair chosen under the shades. The Waraos is not dissolute by nature. Normally they make marital life only with the pair that has taken as it handcuffs and usually they make it very young, especially the woman, who in the majority of the cases contracts marriage in her puberty.

The Waraos, politeístas, render cultured to the sun, the moon and the waters, to which they attribute special powers.


Spas
• San Salvador: Located in the main route of the Community of San Salvador, to borders of the Mánamo sewer.

• Small Venice: In the outskirts of San Salvador, where spectacular dusks can be enjoyed.

• San Rafael: Alongside straight of the Mánamo Sewer to little kilometers of Tucupita.

• River De Piedra: He is one of the natural spaces of greater beauty, in the Imataca Mountain range.


Strolls
• Central base: Located in the avenue Monsignor Argimiro Garci'a de Espinoza of the city.

• National park Mariusa: Immense park, of 320,000 hectares, owns a fauna rich and varied and ebullient vegetation. Its access is only possible by waterway or aerial (in helicopter).

• Stroll Mánamo Levee: Located in the right margin of the Mánamo sewer, by their tame waters aquatic strolls can be realized, or is in motor boat or typical curiaras (boats made by the waraos).


Campings
The best option for the tourism ventures or eco-tourism. Anyone is their location and comfort level, the campings try to reflect the life in the Delta. Are cabins construídas to the traditional way of the indigenous culture Warao, in wood and palm. The majority is palafitos, on river.


Excursions and tourism of adventure in the Delta of the Orinoco:
• Navigation by the sewers of the Delta, in the deep forest, on board
  traditional boats (indigenous canoes or curiara).
• Adventure in Kayac of sea.
• Fishing of pirañas.
• Discovery of fauna and flora during the route.
• It visits indigenous populations of the Waraos, with possibility of acquiring
  crafts: scale hammocks, baskets, canoes, carvings of birds and animal,
  necklaces.
• Free excursions to explore the environs, and long walks by the jungle.
• Excussio or transfer from the Delta to the Peninsula of Pariah.


Luggage
Marine purse small or knapsack for the personal effects, monkey or sport chándal, cattle tenders, pole long sleeve and cuts, short bathing suit, pants, cap or hat, sport slippers, repulsive lotion of mosquito, bath towel or beach, long pajamas, frontal lamp, protective lot, boots, rain-capes with hood.

Important
The insects are abundant in the zone, especially during the long walks by the forest, but using repulsive and clothes of long sleeve, they will constitute a smaller obstacle before as much beauty.