This lost world

Known popularly as Angel Falls, these falls are called Kerepakupai-Merú by the Pemon.

(Canaima) While Adamaka Charafukaikuse Endayuritupo, or Henry Campos, knows that he is Venezuelan; he prefers to refer to himself as Canaiman. That’s because for Campos this where his people’s history is etched in the dramatic landscapes of the area that today consist of Canaima National Park. These jungles are the setting of the tales and legends of his people who for centuries have called this ancient landscape home.

Campos enthusiastically tells the tales of how the Pemon people are said to have reached these jungles, the home of the immense ancient rock formations, or tepuis, and the highest waterfalls in the world. The falls, known as Angel Falls, flow from the vertical cliffs of Auyantepui mountain.

“For the Pemon people it is all here,” says Campos, “We have the beach, the river, our people. My grandfather told me that this is lost paradise; it is the land of our gods, the rivers, the mountains the animals and insects. I always thank the gods that I was born in Canaima.”

Mythical Mount Roraima
Long referred to as the Lost World, the nearby Mount Roraima and its grand tapui boasts four hundred meter tall cliffs that formed the setting of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s classic 1912 novel The Lost World.

Among some of the world’s most ancient rock formations, I flew over some of the one hundred tepui that rise above these vast tracks of land in what is a series of elevated plateau that pierce the clouds with their sheer sandstone cliffs. The tepui drop vertically leaving fields precious stones, strangely shaped rocks, unique flora and ancient fauna.

An Amerindian of the Pemon tribe, Campos learned to speak English shares his innate knowledge of these landscapes of South Eastern Venezuela with visitors to some of the twelve guest houses and area resorts.

Arriving in Canaima is landing on an airstrip that until very recently received only small aircraft, leaving it hard to access. Local carrier Conviasa recently launched commercial flights to this remote area, and the site of the aircraft parked on the side of the airstrip dwarfs the small stand-like structure that greets tourists. There is no airport here but a small stall where arts and crafts are pitched to tourists.

Vehicles then shift guests to and from the local resorts and campgrounds a short distance away on narrow dusty roads.

Traditional longboats take guests on day trips to the waterfalls surrounding the resort.

The Canaima Lagoon
Venetur Campamento Canaima overlooks the Canaima lagoon with a view of a series of plunging waterfalls that flow into the waters, with an imposing tepui in the distance. Tea colored waters, sandy beaches and three palm trees literally emerge from the waters as if to emphasize the otherworldly nature of the setting. Traditional longboats ferry guests to and from the seven waterfalls that fill the lagoon.

Jetting off from the resort in a longboat, Campos leads the way to a day of trekking. He explains the origins of the Pemon, an amalgamation of a series of tribes known for having been fierce warriors. As we head out to the lagoon and approach the falls Campos receives a phone call on his cellular phone, and the view is a striking contrast of his tribal tales and the trappings of contemporary life.

We walk through the jungles and Campos points out caves, flora, lizards and even a striking small black and yellow colored frog that is a mystery to even to biologists. They are thought to have originated from ancient times and survived on the unique flatlands of the surrounding plateaus.

Sapo Falls
We pass El Hacha Falls and Sapo Falls, which we climb and follow a rocky path that leads literally behind the falling waters. About every three months I like to live a really magical moment – one where I can stand in front of nature, or experience a profound moment of cultural sharing. Standing in front of these falls, and later exchanging with Campos about the Pemon was one such moment. We showered under the warm falling waters, taking in spectacular views and appreciated the moment.

That evening after a few glasses of whisky, Campos recounts the legend of his tribe’s arrival in Canaima centuries ago. The Homeric journey began, he says, in the northern Caribbean when the son of a shaman predicted a terrible war against the ‘other side’. It was a war that could not be won. Perhaps it was a foreshadowing of the Spanish invasion of the Americas, but this was a tale that the community could hardly believe.

The shaman, however, predicted that there was a land somewhere in the clouds where they could live well and sent his son with a magical potion to give him strength in the journey to discover the unknown earthly paradise. The tale eventually leads to the land around Canaima, to Auyantepui and Kerepakupai-Merú – known today popularly as Angel Falls – whose waters literally fall from the clouds.

The mythical Angel Falls
The last top on our journey was a short flight to these mythical falls and its rugged flat-topped tepui, a landscape that was until recently named after Jimmy Angel. He was American aviator who in the 1930s was first believed to have been the first outsider to see these highest of waterfalls in the world.

A small plane in the distance reveals the immense dimensions of the landscape of Canaima National Park.

Angel Falls are approached either by boat or in our case a small aircraft. In our case, four passengers were crammed into the small plane. Its climb revealed the baby-green terrain, meandering rivers and jutting tapui.

A handful of waterfalls flowed from the cliffs, but it was not until I saw another small aircraft approach in the distance that the sheer proportions of the landscape became clear. We swooped several times as my fellow passengers became dizzy and somewhat nauseous, but there they were – Angel falls flowing from the clouds. Our pilot even claimed to have moved the clouds over during his thee passes of the falls, giving us a better view.

The top of plateau pierced the cloud-cover and the waters of Kerepakupai-Merú flowed ferociously. The backdrop was no less inspiring as it must have been in the eyes of the Pemon generations before. And the minuscule size of the small aircraft approaching the falls just emphasized the sheer vastness of the jungles of Canaima.