The strength of the Aponwao
A few years ago I went on vacation to the Gran Sabana region in southern Venezuela. My eldest son had told me about the advantages and disadvantages of visiting the area in the dry season and in the rainy season. I decided to go during the rainy season to be able to better appreciate the imposing waterfalls.
Since we arrived at the site we had rain every day, usually in the afternoon and evening hours. In the morning the weather was sunny, but the volume of water that had fallen during the night made the ground muddy.
As soon as we left our small hotel we would find large puddles of water, there was nothing dry to walk on. The problem was that our shoes and socks got wet and the situation could be quite uncomfortable, but it was the price to pay to be able to see the big waterfalls at their best.
With some local guides we planned the excursion to Aponwao, one of the largest waterfalls in the area. In normal conditions it was possible to get there after a walk of several hours, but the intensity of the rain made this option very difficult and risky since it was easy to sink in the mud up to above the knees.
The other option was to navigate a part of the river and then walk about four kilometers to the site. However, in order to do this route, the volume of rain had to be lowered so that the river current would not be so intense.
We had to wait several days until the conditions were right. In the meantime we visited some indigenous communities of the Pemón ethnic group.
After a day without rain, the guide told us that the next morning we would go on the excursion. We drove for about two hours by jeep until we reached the river bank.
It seemed crazy to me to try to navigate in those turbulent waters, I was about to give up because I was going with my wife and my teenage daughter, but the guide assured us that we could do it. My son, who had already been there on other occasions, told me that yes, we should trust that everything would be all right.
For an hour we sailed down that wild river in a small boat called a curiara. The fear did not leave my body and was only attenuated a little by the beauty of the landscape.
We reached the shore and started walking. From that moment on I felt a kind of roar in the air, as if the turbines were on. I asked the guide and he replied that this was the sound of the Aponwao. My wife and I exchanged looks of amazement.
With each step we took, the roar increased, it was impressive, it was like going into a tunnel where nothing else could be heard. All the other sounds of nature surrendered to the roar of the water...
Once in front of the waterfall, the experience was spectacular. The sound was so loud that we had to shout to hear each other. One felt as if the earth was trembling and the sound waves made the last fibers of the body tremble. It was overwhelming to become aware of human smallness before the power of nature.
With the first hours of the afternoon we had to return, we could not run the risk of an unforeseen rainfall that could stir up the agitated waters of the river.
We made the entire return trip in silence, something inside us had been touched by that telluric force. The Aponwao had left in our hearts a part of its magic.
Throughout my life I have had the opportunity to visit many places, I have been able to see landscapes and locations of great beauty, but nothing compares to being in front of the great water mountain of Aponwao. If you have the opportunity, try to go sometime and make it during the rainy season, I'm sure you will be moved.
This is my entry for the initiative called by the @WEEKENDEXPERIENCES community, week 139, in the section "Beautiful on vacation".
Thanks for your time.
Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)
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An enchanting trip, a unique Venezuelan landscape that welcomes visitors with its charm. Surely a dream vacation dear friend.
Glad to see your post and greet you. Best regards
It is a truly magical area, you feel a very strong magnetism. Seeing and hearing that great waterfall is wonderful. Thank you very much for passing and comment. Be well my dear @slwzl . A big hug from Maracay.
What an exciting experience my friend @irvinc, it gave me a healthy envy to read your post, you have really aroused my curiosity and want to know that waterfall, just imagine living that experience makes my skin crawl.
I hope you have the divine grace of God to get to that beautiful place. Greetings and many blessings to your family
Hopefully you can go at some point, being there is an unforgettable experience, I would also like to go again. Thank you very much for passing and comment. Be well dear @sidalim88 . A big hug from Maracay.
Greetings, friend, that excursion for on Great Saturday to see Aponwao, it was a great adventure, the truth is that I would not dare to travel for an hour in a curiara in winter, I would like to in summer.
In summer it has many advantages because you can walk in many places but the waterfalls are reduced, in some there is only a trickle of water left. Thank you very much for passing and comment. May you be well dear @cetb2008 . Blessings to the family.
must have been an extraordinary experience. I don't know the Gran Sabana, it is on my list to visit, the pictures are beautiful.
A hug friend @irvinc.
You are a little closer. It is an unforgettable walk, I hope you can go at some point. Thank you very much for passing and comment. Be well dear @mafalda2018 . A big hug from Maracay.