Trips to Venezuela

TRIPS TO VENEZUELA: THE GREAT SAVANNAH

She is one of the nine older geologic Earth areas and forms it leaves from the National Park Canaima, one of but the great ones of Venezuela, and sixth in the world. National Park in 1962 was decreed; it owns the most interesting landscapes of Venezuela and the world. Its extension includes the south-east of the powerful Orinoco river and covers a surface with 30,000 km2s.

Located to the Southeast of the State Bolivar, to the south of the Orinoco river, it is occupied totally by the bulk of the Guayanas, constituted by old rocky concentrations, generally metamórficas, formed by granite blocks.

It is a surface cut by numerous affluents of the Caroni river, that formed cleared hills and escarped tables, surrounded by tabular surfaces that receive the name of `Tepuyes'. To the west of the Great Savannah three plateaus are aligned. The climate is tropical humid with vegetation leafy grass and forests.

Tropical Pemónes natives, forests, majestic impressive water jumps, tepúes of flat top where vegetal and animal species live unique, thanks to its isolation; dreamed landscapes include this almost uninhabited southern territory.

The name of “the Great Savannah” must to the travelling agent, soon explorer and miner, Juan Maria Freixas World, native of Catalonia, Spain, that in September of 1929 published in the Caracas magazine “Venezuelan Culture” an article where it mentioned to the Great Savannah by this name, and affirmed that it was a simple version to Castilian del that they gave the natives him, which according to World was “Teipun” - Great Savannah.

The fauna of the Park is very varied and depends on the height and the type of vegetation. We find: bear melero, báquira, guayanesa squirrel, puma, deer, laziness of three fingers, weasel, fox farmer, monkeys expensive bordered, monkeys machín, mice, giant anteater, water dog or giant otter, jaguar or tiger and cunaguaros, reptiles like the chameleon, iguana, morrocoy sylvan, serpents like the false chorale, Bejuca, anaconda, false mapanare, and poisonous like the chorale, mapanare, cuaima pineapple and bell. Also numerous species of frogs and toads.

As far as the birds we can mention the red Guacamayo, perico expensive dirty, Capucin king zamuro, bell founder, colibrí, birds, gallito of rocks, toucans.

UAIRÉN SANTA ELENA

Population: 16,000 inhabitants

Temperature average: Between 25 and 28°C.

City to the south of the State Bolivar, in Venezuela, capital of the municipality of Great Savannah. It is located to 907m of altitude, in a savannah surrounded by several tepúes. To 15 km one is the border limit with Brazil and the Brazilian town denominated “the Line” (Pacaraima)


It was founded on the year of 1923 by Lucas Fernandez Rock, attracted by the diamantífero height of the zone. It is acceded to the city by main Pan-American highway “10” via Brazil.

It owns airport and its economy is based on the commerce and in the operation of the mining centers although for some years the tourist sector has been increased considerably, reason why the city counts on sufficient services for the visitors.

It is the most appropriate place for the procedure of tourist activities in the zone since one is near more impressive the natural wonders of the Great Savannah.

Santa Elena counts on all the comforts of a city: pharmacies, restaurants, fixed telephony, supermarkets, pizzerías, ecological Hotels of all the categories, Campings, licorerías, Rubber, powerboats, Churches.

Free port: Santa Elena is now Free port, which makes the acquisition of certain equipment interesting

Mining towns

The Pebble
The Earth of gold, as it is known him, began its development in 1854 as a result of the operation of the auriferous quartz in the zone of Ejidos de Nueva Providence of the Caratal, in the margins of the Yuruari river.

The name of the Pebble comes from the first gold Filo'n that was located in the zone. The incalculable gold wealth turn to the place in one of the points of greater growth of the state, with a high index of migration product of the “fever of gold”. Products made in gold can be acquired, emphasizing the call “cochano gold”, a gold without polishing of opaque aspect that is characteristic of the jewelry of the zone.

Carnivals of the Pebble

The Pebble is the scene of one of the more important traditional celebrations of the country, the Carnival, where the Spanish customs with the Antilleans are mixed, English, American and French, carrying out a true cultural fusion whom origin gives calipso and to the own rates of parrandas of this celebration, in which they are united the Spanish, English and the papiamento (dialect of the zone) to conform unique songs.

The celebration in the morning begins the Sunday of carnival with a misa to nine. Soon the turn comes from comparsas. The hard celebration until the dawn of Monday.
One dances calipso and socca, while local English French events are narrated to the rate of music or. The instruments that are used are maracas, the four, the cylindrical rallos, drums, the bells and the whistles.


EXCURSIONS

• Excursion in 4x4
• Trekking
• Visit and/or Excussio to Mining Towns and their Mines (Pebble, the Claritas, Santa Elena de Guairén)
• Natural monument Stone of the Virgin
• River navigation Kayak- Curiara
• Indigenous community Pegón - Paraitepuy, Kavanayén
• Rivers, Jumps or Cascades (Kama Merú, Kamoiran Chinak-Meru- San Francisco Yuruaní, Broken of the Jasper (jade, semiprecious stone), Aponwao, kukeman
• Expedition or Excursion to the Roraima, Canaíma and Salto Angel

Luggage and recommendations:

Comfortable vaccine of Yellow Fever, Measles (obligatory to enter and to leave Brazil), purses with weight smaller to 10 kg by person, solar protection, cap or hat, sport slippers, rain-cape with hood, bathing suit and towel, repulsive against personal insects, medecines, lantern, camera and spools, personal documentation in rule.

RORAIMA

TEPUY RORAIMA
Tepuy (language indigenous pemon) = Mountain

Fantastic formation geologic. These called mountains tepuy are primigénicos vestiges of our planet overcome that us to thousands of million years.

To the south of the Orinoco the Shield Guayanés, a geologic formation of oldest extends of the continent, which formed and consolidated more ago than two billions of years and that since then have undergone diverse processes, one of them is the happened one in which today it is known like National Park Canaima.

Roraima:
He is highest, with 2800m, and more known the Tepuyes of the Great Savannah. On its summit is the border landmark denominated triple point for being the place where the borders of Venezuela converge, Brazil and Guyana; this landmark was placed in 1931 by an international commission. The highest point constitutes the rocky formation called Maverick Car.

The correct name is “Roroima” and esteem that these formation have an antiquity of near 2000 million years. Numerous scientists agree in which in this point it happened the separation of the continents (pangaea).

Composed of arenaceous quartzites and with some thin slate beds, DES treats an important tabular relief in the form of plateau, presenting/displaying a totally flat summit and vertical walls, in which beautiful water jumps hurry. In their slopes waters for the systems of the Esequibo by the Kako river are drained, of the Amazon by the small Cotinga river and of the Orinoco by the Arobopó river, affluent of the Kukenán. The endemic vegetal species have great importance that are, on the other hand very little and have been object of important studies.

Their walls are extraordinarily vertical and in its top we found Lagos like the “impressive rocky Gladys” and formation, product of the erosion through the centuries. He would be very extensive to include here all the beauties and particular characteristics of the mount Roraima or Tepuy (thus they call the Pemones to these flat mountains)

Rivers that are born in the Roraima:
Arobopó river (Venezuela)
Cotingo river (Brazil)
Kako river (Guyana)
Kamaiwa river (Venezuela)

Important:
The expedition to the Roraima is one of most interesting than they are possible to be realized. Is a energizante and incredible experience; it demands one long one and strong long walk and five days are needed at least about to realize it. A stage can only be done of the route in 4x4. In the top of this magnificent impressive metareniscas rocky natural creation they are possible to be observed formation, endemic vegetation and the unique sensation to be in this place that emanates a special energy.

Recommendations:
We must remember that to realize this expedition it is necessary to have suitable equipment that they include stores with sobreceiling, as well as agreed clothes, preferably with mountain boots for the rocky route and by all means all the accessories that any explorer requires:

Luggage:
Comfortable Morral with waist adjustment, capacity 70 to 85 lts. Canteen (1 liter), coat to sleep (5 º C), insulator, raincoat for rain, jersey for the cold, boots of trekking, several pairs of heavy socks, underclothes, 2 long and comfortable pants, that are not cattle tenders, preferably of clear color, short pants, bathing suit and a small towel, hat or playeras cap, sandals, personal lantern, medecines, Blocking repulsive lot and of cream insects, soaps (biodegradable), water small bottle.

Note:
Each article to dress must be empacada in individual bags (preferably with closing) that will be put within another great plastic stock market within the morral. In this way the impermeability of the same is guaranteed.

In order to make this type of excursion it is had to have experience reason why it is obligatory to take a guide. Also it is important to understand that to visit the Roraima it is necessary to transact a permission in the offices of Imparques.


Roraima expedition

• River navigation and visits of the Rivers Tek, Kukeman; cascades
• Indigenous community Paratepuy
• Trekking ascent/Roraima reduction
• Called cave “the Hotel” (ascent)
• Summit exploration of the Roraima
• Visit of Crystalline Valleys, the springs and the border “triple Point” (point of contact of 3 countries (Venezuela - Brazil Guyana)