The Orinoco is a huge river draining most of Venezuela. A few facts about the river are that is navigable for 300 kilometres by large ships and only has two bridges across it entire length all other crossings are by ferry. The tributary draining the Angle Falls area has the 4th largest Hydropower station, which is used for a lot industry
The delta was very large and our lodge 1.5 hours boat ride from the edge after the roads finish. We are still 4 hour by boat to what the local refer to as the Atlantic. I was sitting in the shade typing this while waiting for lunch and the sweat was pouring off me, it’s only about 30C but the humidity is about 99% and every now and then we get spits of rain as the air reaches saturation point.
This resort is another example of the sad state of the tourists industry in Venezuela. This resort has fourteen rooms, with James and I the only 2 guests at the moment. We have been told they have 12 guests coming this month. Back in the good times it had 12 guest most days.
On the way in we left a major channel for a secondary one then tuned left up a channel twice as wide as the boat to the resort built above the tidal flood plain.
The Airport standards leave a little bit to be desired with the fuel being syphoned in to the pane out of a drum and one engine having a large oil leak. however it was good enough to get us from A to B.
On the way to the delta we stopped for our driver to purchase fuel. Fuel in this country is 0.7 cents per litre so it’s only charged out at a token rate. Until then I couldn’t understand how people so poor could afford to drive boats around the canals. The government gives people little bits and pieces from time to time but the 2 things in very short supply are food and toilet paper. One hotel we stayed at rationed the toilet paper to each room instead of a leaving the roll.
I know were all the old light planes of the world end up? In Venezuela! When we went on our Angle Falls over-flight the first plane we got on wouldn’t start so we picked another plane on the tarmac and used it. Make you feel real confident in the system.
The rampant inflation I spoke about in a previous post is not being passed on in the form of pay rises for workers.
We say goodbye to Venezuela today to head to Suriname too collect Penny and join the rest of the rally crew for a Sunday Departure.
