Let's go to the plains of Los Llanos

On Monday 17 November, another Toyota expects us to the posada. Choco the driver and Ingrid, our guide, we will be living a new adventure: The discovery of the Great Plains "Los Llanos". To reach these plains, the road climbs in switchbacks up a hill at 3500 meters. The car rolls on board edge is rather painful. Choco is not a model of driver said, very gently. Stop, turn to him, it's great Choco. Everything is done we go back to the stomach at the edge of the lips. It is a peak for us browser. Josiane upset, comes to lie on the bench, claiming a sore back. It was soon imitated by Sylvie, not very good either. Ingrid announcement when the last turn, we urge all ouf of relief. Choco surreptitiously took the opportunity to push the accelerator and start the Toyota building on the long straights of the tape tarred, dug occasionally ruts or holes, detected by our late Choco. This gives us significant good and painful.

   
The highest village of Venezuela in 3140 meters. Natural Park before the pass.

 

 

Stop the natural park of Sierra Nevada
 
Stop "big" in a kebab restaurant. Choco ice load for the stay.

We make a stop before the Rio Apure, the second largest river which flows into the Orinoco, to the support of logistics. We are one of the last villages before our final destination. We therefore take this opportunity to buy a crate of beer and
Local rum cocktails. Choco load of bread coolers of ice. Beer is cool. Well done Choco.
Choco slows abruptly. An anaconda is on the road, dead. Josiane can get. The sun sets on the savannah suddenly ablaze. Superb!
Headlights of the car, we discover our base camp for the next 3 nights. Everything seems rustic. Ingrid brings us to our room, a dormitory truth. A bed in the middle of this vast room, surrounded by hammocks hanging from the beams of the frame. Josiane using once again the pretext of his bad back, the bed herself. Our friends Claude and Sylvie choose their hammocks, the Canadian Tod and Jane English who are with us for two days, "isolated" in their respective hammock. The surprise is great. We expected a nice posada, we are against hammock hammock around a bed, ours. Charming intimacy.
All punctured without the strength to take a shower in the middle of thousands of flying insects in the light of the toilet, we lengthen our respective beds, not forgetting us without butter mosquito repellent, highly spread on the sweat of the day.
It's muggy, the storm brewing. I look forward with your eyes open. Suddenly the wind rises. The rain also happens suddenly. Whew! Finally awaited fresh air enters the large room by the nets. The door slams in a burst pressure higher than the others. Tod is out of his hammock to grow. I jump out of bed to reach it iron bar that blocks the front door and to any new capricious will of the storm. Strange first night in the Llanos.

    
Choco, Josiane, and anaconda death. Sunset on the Savannah.

I look forward to the light of day between the peak mango. The roosters will give heart to joy. They are everywhere these empêcheurs sleep. I get up and go to the discovery of the camp. Hardiness is found before continuing. The toilets are cleaned of all insects. A good ice shower me forget my lack of sleep. Josiane is much better, and sleep is precious. Optimistic, it relies on the nap and the next night to recuperate. A good breakfast makes us forget our final night. On the program this morning, ride on horseback to discover the wildlife of the swamp near the ranch. The horse is not my favorite means of transport, but is not the ideal animal to stay in contact with nature?
I climb smoothly on the back of my proud steeds which allocated by Alex. We are moving slowly at a rate of not our horse of the Andes. Josiane, sentimental, begins to speak to the ear of his horse to try to guide him. The result is not very persuasive. For my part, to familiarize myself with this unknown animal, I try to apply the basic rules that Ingrid has reminded us before departure. This is hardly better. But the son steps, gestures and make sure the beast is showing slight signs of understanding. I believe!

   
Camp Los Mangos share the many mango trees around. Toilets.
     

 
Preparation of our horses for a walk.
     
Josiane trying to tame his horse and me keep it. This is already quite
 
The ant and caimans

   
  
Nice little beast view from afar. Game of dominoes with Ingrid during the nap.

This walk offers beautiful nature surrounding us. We just have to admire. Full of beautiful birds remain motionless and offer their multicolored feathers. Caimans heat rays of the sun over the low banks of the marshes. They plunge into the murky water from our approach. We go back to the camp, eyes full of stars but lint in the buttocks.
A quick but strong lunch leaves fans siesta time to rest before leaving for a safari car. Josiane took the opportunity to rest his back and probably get some sleep. Claude and Sylvie s'octroient a big nap.
Five young Germans also present in the camp, touring the sights of Venezuela. We do a chat. They leave tomorrow for Cayman.
The siesta over, Toyota takes us in search of the anaconda. Life this time, if possible. Installed on the roof, sitting on a board, my buttocks painful hit hard each pass rut. But the view is magnificent. Savanna vegetation in its place as the eye before our astonished eyes. It's cloudy, it is not too hot. Stop us. Our local friends with Ingrid, go barefoot in the marshes with only a long stick in his hand, water up to their knees, without fear of caimans and piranhas ready to eat all raw. They seek a anaconda, but returned empty handed. We end the safari on a beautiful fishing for piranhas. It is not very difficult. A piece of chicken hanging from a large hook attached to a rod of iron, five meters of wire and go. We must switch quickly if not greedy, you eat all your bait.

   
Part piranha fishing. Mine rather small but still biting well. Mistrust.

    
Partie de pêche aux piranhas. Plutôt petit le mien mais il mord bien quand même. Méfiance.

Alex, the anaconda hunting or fishing for piranhas, always adventurous.

In the evening we taste our frying fish is excellent. Finally it's much better than that or we savor these little beasts there. Last month, a local party to fish piranhas, never returned home.
After dinner, a festive atmosphere reigned over the camp. Josiane and I take this opportunity to slip a few dance steps salsa on a local broadcast on the CD of the Toyota. A 21:30, lights out, the generator is stopped. After a shower, despite the insects become more familiar, we Never mind under the sheets. Without sleep. Another night unforgiving. After the various snoring, the rain. Then the cocks. Then rain, snoring and despite the rain, roosters. Brief at 6 o'clock, I wander around the camp. It's raining but its intensity begins to decrease.
For our second date, Toyota leads us on a muddy track beside the River. The team installs the Yamaha 40cv on a long metal canoe 9 meters. We all climb on board, then we start on the river in search of pink dolphins. The boat slips at full speed on the narrow canal which joins the River. The scenery is magnificent. The birds, very numerous, flying with our approach. We would have preferred a more discreet approach to stay closer to wildlife. The piroguier finally slowing. I filmed the ash and tiger herons, turtles, caimans and a kingfisher. Two large caiman lying lazily on the shore, slip, in our approach, in the brown water of the Rio. Their two long teeth exceed their long snout under their nostrils. Breu! It does no good to fall.

   
Spatulas roses and I can not remember. I did not take enough notes. Sorry.

     

Wildcat. Beautiful birds taken from the dugout.
   
Baby heron and majestic tiger heron
   
Short stop on the River. The boat winds through the vegetation at full speed.

We do a half turn after a short pause, put the canoe on the sandy shore. We hear the breath characteristic of dolphin. A short pink wing tip to the surface, appeared too ephemeral to photograph or film. But we saw the pink dolphins, we are overjoyed. As grand finale, two macaws of the color of the Venezuelan flag, yellow, red and blue colored take off for a moment and follow the river bed. We go back to the camp full of images in the eyes, delighted with this beautiful walk.
At lunch, on our plates, the wild pig, caught in the bush by the team of the camp during our exit on the River. Josiane do not, personally I find the beast rather good and the flesh can not be more natural.
A small boy just us. We leave momentarily black pig on your plate and follow the small with Ingrid. He guides us through the fields. At the edge of a path, a 4-meter anaconda is half coiled. Ingrid caught with speed and dexterity behind the head. Helped Alex and Claude and Josiane, it raises. I film, I photograph, we have our anaconda. Ravis, finally we get our black wild pig.

   
An anaconda, alive this time. Josiane loves anaconda bear.
     
Bébé héron tigre et majestueux héron cendré
 
Choco, Ingrid and Little Cayman. The children of the camp.
   
The rustic sleeping. The team camp around the senora.
 

 

A little rest. Claude also in a beer.

The afternoon is nap. I want to write some notes in order not to lose the thread of this unique experience.
A new safari is scheduled for late afternoon. We must wait Choco party escort Tod and Jane at the bus stop nearest to two hours by car. They come each in their respective countries. Choco will not happen, we walk on the muddy trail admiring the flight of birds. Alex, in light of his torch, we found a small caiman. Curious, we follow carefully the detailed explanations of Ingrid interesting if possible and unbeatable on the fauna and flora of his country.
It is time to return to Puerto la Cruz. It's raining. Choco us to Barinas. The road is long. We have lunch near the bus terminal. We split, with exchange email addresses. I will send pictures, I promise. Chao friends. We are pleased to have shared some of their lives, although for them we are tourists. This second voyage, different from the first, is also a rich experience in human contact. After 17 hours of bus, we arrive at Puerto La Cruz, completely frozen, it's 12 degrees inside the bus throughout the night.
A taxi takes us to the marina. This is the end of this amazing voyage of discovery of Venezuela for the procedure, very different from the coast that we know so far. In these distant plains, people are close to nature and respect the land on which they live. They are honest and generous. We never felt the slightest insecurity.
A beautiful journey. Sylvain thank you, Marcos, Ingrid, Choco, and all friends who have helped us to appreciate this beautiful region.

Written in Puerto la Cruz on 23 November 2008 (day of the anniversary of Yannou). Writing.
 
Souvenir photo with our friends Sylvie and Claude.