From the lungs to the mouth of Pachamama

Days covered: 13

Costs about 600$:

1. Hotel Manaus (amazing staff and cool ambiance) 15$ x4days = 60$
2. Food and drinks in Manaus 30$ x4 =  120$
3. Hammock 20$
4. Boat from Manaus to Belem(don't recommend Liberty Star) : 80$
5. Food and drinks on 5 day boat trip: 80$
6. 40 hours bus from Belem to Recife: 165$
7. Food and drinks on the bus: 40$
8. Taxi to town in Recife 10$
9. Hotel first shared night in Recife 15

Sleep:

1. Hotel Manaus: great ambience, helpfull staff, great breakfast topped by sweet prices, highly recomend
2. Hammock on the boat: come early and get a cool place, don't hesitate to be an asshole and take your space, people will forget that first impression afterwards
3. Bus: Being small has unknown advantages. Strangely I got a place on a full bus just one hour before departure and on the window side

Story:

Week 3

Oi,

Bom dia...obrigado...belleza...uma cerveiza...

Been here in this lovely country for over a week and before I go on, let's just break a myth. Brazilian girls are not as sexual thirsty as they are often painted in North American travel stories and at least in the jungle they're a bit too curvy. Venezuela had by far the loveliest ladies, that seemed to get pregnant a little too soon.

Amazing hostel in Manaus

Chilled 4 days in Manaus, 2 with Benjamin a cool young "Franca" gringo that was going around and with whom we shared the french language. One local couchsurfer was great and came to take us out and show us around. She wanted absolutely to invite us to eat which resulted in all of us walking in dark obscure places for her to find a inexpensive place. We all ate for about 6$ and didn't get robbed so the goal was succesfully and ungracefuly reached. I couldn't be happier with the hostel because it provided lots of new traveller souls with whom to share Manaus vibe.

Aldo travelling alone was a choice, meeting new people and discovering things together has so many advantages, outside of just getting to know someone else's world. Manaus has a special vibe to it, becase of all its culture, it's very visible young people and the market all sharing this intriguing place.

Smooth mural

After 2 great days of chilling with french Benjamin, an invitation came from one of the local splendid girls travellers residing in the hostel. Finally the occasion to see a night club and her friends would come to pick us up. Unfortunatelly a previous invitation for "Carnaval practice" bathed in local beers, had a anesthetic effect on my legs. The proof that one's energy is a limited asset. The good side is that I get to have another first time out occasion. When the pictures came out the next day, there was so much missed beauty and grace that I couldn't forgive myself...for at least a day...

Note to self: Being surrounded by beauty and grace is a "muito legal" new general goal in life from now on.

Pictures Manaus: http://picasaweb.google.com/106908159456560056891/20140217_20140221_Manaus_Brazil

Just when I was about to let the hostel sort out my next boat ride, a new traveller showed up, "Tostel"(El Grandhe) with his imposing 2 meters and wanted to share the ride, which would make the 4 day hammock ride on the amazon a safer trip. Following his advice and in thirst of adventure, we decided to get the ticket straight from the captain, whichwould be 20$ cheaper and we could reserve a good spot for our hammocks. In order to get it from the captain, we have to get to the boat and through the gate, which is illegal. Unsatisfied with such an answer and knowing that the possibility existed...we tried the backdoor or as normal people call it, the pier's parking spot and fell on a cool guard that told us to come later around 19h.....which we did. Unfortunatelly the boat wasn't there and had to wait at least one hour, so we went to a truck loading beer and other goodies on a boat. 5 minutes later we had purchased 12 beers(mostly because of the german collegue) for a ridiculous amount of money, like 6$ and found a spot to create a lovely beergarden. A shy local curious tanned soul joined us randomely and his presence cheered us up. He was a simple guy, 18 of age, missing many teeth already but always smiling. He had a dark skin and was very skinnny, but always with a enlighted look and soft manners. Strangely, he didn't wanted to drink, just to enjoy 2 gringo's company, which was a great exercice to learn the language and passed time so much faster. 2 hours have past and the boat was in. 30 minutes more and we were invited in to buy the tickets. 30 minutes later we're chilling back at the hostel inhabited by a feeling of achievement.

Pinch me, must be a dream

The big day is there and having a heavy breakfast in order to prepare my shrinking belly for anything. Got to the boat about 30 min before scheduled departure at noon.
A lovely smile from a random cute sellswoman together with a verbal compliment made my morning and took my breath off, but my knees responded ungracefully letting my full weight plus bags down. No harm done besides the masculine bruised ego. Goes to proove that grace, beauty and charm are once again my weak spot in this life. Its a craving and whoever can fulfill those needs will have the focus of my usualy divided attention.

My hammock between FatBastard and El Grandhe, just before the lady came in between

Back to the rusty Amazon boat with our reserved spots...WTF...there's a HUGE fat(let's call him fat bastard) guy on the space right next to mine and without "vergona" he's laying uncharmingly sideways covering 4 spots with a robe lookalike that would make him a perfect roman. I look at him and say sorry as politely as I can, just to see if he'd move away, while cursing outrageously in my head since I waited 2 hours the previous night to have a cool place and there's many other places on the boat. He doesn't even blink, which is why I chose to call him fat bastard and together with the german, we move our hammock one spot further. Even on this spot, I still have his uncut toenails stabbing my back, so I move around to show him that patience is not my best asset. Just when about to throw him overboard, a lady comes filling the floor with about 20 huge bags and she sets her hammock in between me and big bastard.
Do you know that feeling when anger sets in and you feel like a war lord about to set everything on fire while not taking any prisoners. Exactly like when someone ungracefully keeps pushing his bag in your face when you sit on a bus, over and over again...

Drunk vaqueiro

Only one way to do...breath and relax...and throw the roman whale back into the water together with the lady and her packages. Once again I chose to keep my sexual orientation out of prison and make the best of it, ataching my hammock even further.
The real reason for my lack of action is that my full atention went back to a new younger passenger wearing a lovely pink bra boarding our ship. If there's one thing that beats anger in my universe is definitelly lust. How can anybody resist, young, sensual, graceful and feminine temptation. She speaks french and has everyone's attention with her colorfull dress, even the drunk local vaquero that loves to sing is hypnotised by her presence. He took out a wallet made of black socks that he had tied to his belt, which ended in his jeans pockets and paid her a fruit juice probably hoping like all of us males on this boat to have a sweet taste of her passion fruit later.
Sun was setting on this first day of cruising and strangely we were still in the harbour where these extremelly strong men, keep loading the boat or trucks. at about 18h the boat moves and my German friend is relieved after such obvious lack of precision(6 hours late already). To our surprise, only 2 minutes later, the boat goes back to another part of the pier where we will wait another 3 hours while the boat guys load cars and trucks on board. It's funny to see because at some point one car is half way out from the other side of the boat and all passengers look at the imminent accident possibility. Eventually only a bit sticks out...and it will stick out for the entire trip :)
We are supposed to get free food, but to our discontent, it costs. Eventually we make more friends, there's Venezuelian jewlery makers, Peruvian singers, an English writter and more.

Pink fruit

To my surprise, the only attractive fruit isn't our pink passion fruit and apparently I'm on the menu also, when the Peruvian singer, tries to get me drunk(I decided not to drink on this trip, but still had a glass of acai wine, because thirst for new things is one of my lovely weaknesses) and pushes his luck by grabbing my hand...WTF...I excuse myself politely trying to understand what's going on, since he just said he had a wife and I almost run to my gringo group. Eventually the day got to me and back to stepping between bags to get to my whale infested hammock, which to my sweet surprise chose to move somewhere else around 2AM....VICTORY, next 3 nights will be awesome, especially that I told the luggage lady to move over to the bigger now empty space.

Pictures from the boat Manaus-Belem: http://picasaweb.google.com/106908159456560056891/20140221_20140225_ManausBelemBoat_Brazil

Week 4

This week starts in my element. Indulging smooth ondulating movements. Most people seem to be under a spell or as Toronto's mayor would say "...drunk stupor..." while excitement seem to sneak into my world finding amazement in every breeze.

Pure force and beer

Can you imagine the coolness of a cool night in a hammock on a boat through the biggest and most ecosystem in the world. It's an out of this world experience and not a single grumpy person could ruin such a fantastic adventure. Even spiders changed into these lovely creatures crawling around on their sensitive webs protecting their bigger fellows.

Amazonian heaven gates

Such pleasure can come out of an enriched experience in the heart of Pachamama's lungs where everything and everyone melts together. In every pier we'd get out and the small groups from the boat would get to know others just to create one huge familly on the last day. I love the Brazil spirit, where we're all brothers and sisters. I never felt more welcome and accepted. Once in a while, small boats with locals would come near ours and sell us, shrimp, acai, mango and other exotic tasting goodies. I must admit, my heart was deeply touched by every bite filled with rich flavours.

Amazonian hell gates

In other circumstances, I could've seen rust, bugs, dirt, lack of hygiene, strange people, too much sun, cold water, incomfort, expensiveness and I would have been right all along, but there's also such a richness mostly driven my element and the friendly souls that hanged on in the same boat as I.

I do accept everyone and every style as long as it doesn't get in my way, but you can't stop and admire the strength of will of some stubborn travellers. One example is the vegetarian diet of some travellers, in a country where meat is a pretty important and present ingredient. It only got in my way because there were repetitive angry messages about the staff being unhappy with their chosen alimentary style and I can't but wonder, why would anyone would come to this country expecting to have vegetarian dishes. Either way, by the time you read this, those absurd comments will completelly be expelled from my reality and new ones will replace them. So be a fucking human being, meaning omnivore, and eat what is available...unless it's tarantula juice or cockroach salad. If you don't think that all other people will find you crazy for complaining for your choice of lifestyle...OMG, what do you mean ,you don't have pink slippers?

Amazing Peruvian singers

Back to rich flavours, met two amazing Peruvian singers on this boat that loved singing as much as they loved their alcohol. There isn't one instrument that could resist them and each sound would inspire a feeling in evey listener. The vibrations of their voice or of their instruments was astonishing.

Pictures from the bus Belem-Recife: 20140226_200228_BelemRecifeBus_Brazil

A great memory is burned into my psyche and concerns this local girl in her beautiful hammock and her lovely dresses, that she'd carefully change 3 times a day, always smelling deliciously. I've noticed her looks but until the last day, I didn't wanted to respond because she seemed to have a husband and directed my attention more to the pink passion fruit that seem to start passing her maturing time. Eventually the other members of the familly kept pushing me towards her and I had to admit that her insisting glances where absolutelly seductive. She would play the perfect push and pull game and my heart was stolen already, so I jumped on the occasion to verify if her chaperon was her lover, which he wasn't. A smile broke all damns and our sould met for brief moment, unfortunatelly I wouldn't seek anything in the long run, since she has 2 kids and other problems hidding under that absolutelly attractive allure.

Nothing like a little insisting shy glances in order to make the necessary space for seduction.

El Grandhe and sensual beauty

After many issues with the crew, I suggest you don't choose the boat "Liberty Star", because of staff lack of good vibrations, lack of free food, busted motor, trafiquers, etc. We had armed Narcos come on boat and bust 2 of the crew, also removing about 20 huge 1x1x1 meters boxes. We also had one of the 2 motors let us go in the middle of nowhere which made the last part of the ride, where the river meets the ocean, even more bumpier and slower. Apparently all my new more boat experienced new friends have only greater stories from other boats, so I strongly suggest you try this method of transportation because it has its many advantages, besides the cool stories.
Eventually we ended up sleeping on the boat for the last night saving some money and hoping to find an available ticket on the next night to the party city where I was going to meet backup.

After 5 nights in boat hammocks

Sometimes the gods are favorable and put small directions to follow. This time, there was a cool Brazilian that was going the same way and facilitated the trip, which was a 40 hour bus in confortable(but not confortable enough for 40 hours) seats. Had some interesting conversations about "Passo Libre", which seems to be a group of people organising violent manifestations to give back the power to the people. I like the idea, but it seems to have yet many holes and the violent part puts me off. On the other side, the guys were very cool and had honorable intentions.

Little stuborn fucker

I have to repeat that I absolutely love Brazilian people, they're friendly and generaly happy. They just seem to share Peruvian's taste for chaos for waiting lines and bus seats. It's almost a habit to lack respect in friendly way by getting into people spaces or push you around. Usualy a smile solves marvelously these small situation, but on my bus, this young guy seating in my window seat, had a problem with moving to his passage seat. It took 3 smiles and about 4 people to convince him. I think he never got over my determination, since he gave me evil looks until he got down 25 hours later. He even tried to incarnate Russia, thinking I was Ukraine, but he fell on Canada's mightness and he couldn't invade my terrritory...in the end behind my smiles, nature's law is the mightiest law of all.

Local sophisticated ultrasound building

Having so much time and a computer with a full baterry, I took this occasion to re-read an intense love story made by the texts exchanged between a sexy soul and me during last year's EuroTrip. To my amazement, we both wrote very passionate texts filling 300 pages that kept my imagination submerged into a bliss of lust. The passion and spontaneous love that resulted from a random kiss with a stranger is the type of life adventure that makes it worth living. It would make a crazy book and it's a worth to do project. Thank you bella ragata for the emotion storm...
We arrived and Carnaval will start, just in time...LIFE IS AMAZING, THANK YOU GODS, ANGELS, ALIENS, CONSCIOUSNESS, PACHAMAMA, [insert belief here]!!!

OH YEAH, almost forgot:

Stop burning babies

To hell and back

Days covered: 7

Costs:

1. Bus to Boa Vista 15$
2. Hotel 30$
3. Bus to border and 2 quick taxis 15$
4. Bus from border to skipping a hotel Georgetown: 70$
5. Food, sleep, drinks on the way to Georgetown during 24 hour bus: 10$
6. Cafe Oasis 20$
7. Bus skipping a hotel back: 70$
8. Taxi to town 35$
9. Hotel (same) 30$
10. Food and outings 30$
11. Bus to Manaus (skipping a hotel) from Boa Vista 65$

Sleep:

1. Hotel Ideal in Boa Vista, 30$, no flushing toilet, dirty and small, good wifi and staff generally friendly
2. Bus: Jumping dirty, rusty and ...
3. Hamacs, only a 2 hour sleep that wasn't very refreshing. No mosquitoes at least.

Food: Freaking amazing in Brazil and didn't get sick in Guyana

Story:
Last post ended before taking the 2 floor bus, which resulted in being a pretty confortable one floor bus.
Seems like a life away.

Maybe I should've called to report the armed guardias that wanted a bribe

What woul a Venezuelian kid do with this (lowest is 20 celsius)

That street bus was filled with 30 people

Border born puppies, having a coffee

Oh yeah, food in Brazil

The moon is still around the earth which will turn around the sun for the 14th time since I left. 2 weeks flew by, time that flows in the sea of the universe. Every day blooms and my hearts feels the excitement of the unknown. It's not always a good thing, but so it's waking up, snoozing 5 times, toileting, coffeeing and numbing away the same quantity of earth spins.

By now, someone is installed in my office, getting through his access demands to be able to make ETL jobs from scratch. He's probably reading a ton of documents that he won't remember and since the rest of the team is busy, he's surfing away looking busy. Welcome to my world. I do miss everyone there and it's probably the first team where we have each other cell phones. Wish you all the best, will probably see you in June and if it wouldn't be for the money, I would never get back. Instead I would invite everyone to have a crazy ride to Guyana and back..it would be more like having a fresh coconut in a hamac in the shade.

Let me paint it for you guys so you know that it's not always that nice to be a traveller.
I was happy last Monday because I finished the last post and I'd like to post once a week my adventures.
I like to think that my standards are pretty low as to travel accomodations and food. So after hearing a couple of bad things about transport, violence and accomodation in the 3 Guyanas, I decided to try my luck too. I mean, how bad can it be? The answer will follow...

Quiet Boa Vista

Yellow church? why not

Pictures_20140211_20140212_BoaVista_Brazil
Since planes are strangely expensive between neighbouring countries, I decided to take a bus from Boa Vista to Georgetown after reading a bit. Slept one night in quiet  Boa Vista and took the omnibus(bus) to the border. I pass both borders without problems following another young Brazilian called Walace that was a great travel partner and facilitator. On the other side 2 indian looking guys are waiting to bring us to an agency.

Here go some stats:
Guyana population seems to be divided in at least 3 main parts, black africans, indian(from India) and latino looking indios(from the Amazon). Most of the country is filled with jungle and lots of gold. Traficking that gold seems to be mostly done by Indians, at least on the Guyana side(because there's also gold on the Venezuela side, where other trafickers enjoy smugling the contry's possesions. Brazilians are the one with the knowledge and will to spend years in mines to come back with enough money to satisfy their initial dreams(buiyng a house and a big flashy car is Walace dream).

Back to the story:
10USD and 1 kilometer later we get to a  farm with tables where I meet this gentle looking lady that lives sometimes in Toronto. She accepts to change my money(at a shitty rate) and she's in charge of the bus company. Since I was there at 10AM and the bus only left at 18h, me and Walace had to wait.

The Toronto Guyana smuggling bus company

During that time, lots of very shady people went by, bringing huge amount of money tightly wrapped in scotch tape and everything was done in plein sight. I also learned that there aren't many prisons, so cops prefer being bribed which makes it very difficult to respect any law. We get in the bus and thanks to Walace, we have quality seats, but don't get excited, it has nothing to do with any car seat in North America(could compare to Cambodia, Ecuator).
For seeing a jail from the outside, while the driver was cursing and paying his respects to the law, it looks like a sauna box and through the tiny window, I could see at least one  face full of tears.

Fueled the spaceship to Hell

We're 8 people in a sardine box that starts speeding while the sun sets. Eventually the cement road leaves the place to sand and the driver starts swearing that police is following us(at this point I'm thinking: So what?). He wasn't thinking the same and starts speeding the sardine box through sand dunes in the darkening night...
Thanks you Walace, for being such an inspiration with his calmness which meant it wasn't the first time and I just grabed to something resistent. 5 long minutes later, it was a motorcycle that speeds by us giving us a friendly horn. The driver relaxes, but still keeps over 60km/h through sand dunes making the passengers aware of their rusty environment. This is only 10 minutes, but the ride went on for 18 hours to a full 24 hours including stops.

The main source of enlightment

The full moon was lovely and gave more light than usual making our driver confident. We went through jungle, dirt roads, sand, mud, everything but asphalt for 15 of the 18 hours, flying with great dexterity with our special cargo that took lots of bribing. We also had 2 flats and the alternator belt broke. While fixing that, the passenger in front of me went for a walk in the jungle. Just when I completely forgot he existed from the exhaustion, we hear shots. Funny how everyone just stood up while the shots got closer. Walace didn't even blink. The gone passenger was back laughing saying something "I busted a shot in the road" and I'm thinking "Why?". No need to know anyways, so just made a joke about thunder. Another passenger was a lovely Venezuelian woman that said she was married to a computer engineer and Walace said she was in fact a prostitute trying to get a "refill" with miners.
I forgot to say that Walace, is a short gentle and quiet guy with short hair and sad brown eyes. From the little portuguese I know, he said he had a lovely 3 years old, but got into a fight with his wife recently and his sad eyes actually shed tears in front of me. He decided to work on a mine for a year, far from them to return, buy a house, a car and win her heart back. It was the 3rd time he went there and I'm glad our paths crossed.

The infamous HellMobile

He told me between other things, that everything costed a lot near the mines, since it was far in the jungle and prostitutes was one of the articles. Apparently they bathe naked in the river to attract their wallets fulfillers.

The poof that there's love everywhere

Pictures_20140212_20140215_Guyana
Also, since I was with Walace the next day for Valentines, he actually worked out a huge smile after talking with his dear wife. Apparently the same recuring trust issues were bothering his couple also. Funny how he was ready for anything for her, unless she had an affair, as if one night of curiosness mutates the person into ... hey screw that nasty bit... or then again, how many halfs does an orange have?...been there on both sides of the inner battle and eventually I found forgiveness more soothing, aldo the lack of trust will always remain present. If I can't trust myself in her situation, why would I trust her :)

Anyways, back to jumping around in smelly, rusty and filled with mud sardine boxes. The cool thing is that no one abused me on the way there, because my body would have given out without a single fight...yeyeye
I also got to sleep in a hamack for 5USD for 2.5 hours, which seemed like a scam, but I would have paid 100USD to get 5 minutes on the way back, when the driver went on for almost for 15 hours straight, besides bribing cops. Another cool part was that I could've carried anything, since no one checked my bag, EVER. If you're white, smuggle US dollars to Venezuela, then buy jewels and gold there to smuggle them further, then go into Guyana and enjoy the rides, just to smuggle even more gold. You'll be a rich broken man. Obviously it's wrong and personally I prefer to enjoy my current sexual orientation outside of a crappy jail.

Around 6AM, mandatory "Ferry" stop...and police bribing

Talking about crappy places to sleep, the jungle had amazing commodities, probably to attract miners, but once in Georgetown, houses were about to fall and toilets keep getting stuck. Eventually we arrived 24hours later and sun was coming down. I had no more money, because the 30USD exchanged to that Guyana-Toronto lady was gone in food, hamacs and coffee. Nobody exchanged money and my host was nowhere to find. Eventually a Brazilian lady in a cute Brazilian restaurant near the bus stop accepted to take my "reals"(Brazilian money).
Dirt was transported by rivers of sweats down my body, the surrounding infrastrutures were falling appart. I was camouflaged into my surrounding, everything was smelly and dirty. There where armed people everywhere and Walace proposed to sleep in his room.

Good things happen in horrible places. Great tasting fruits that is

He's an amazing guy and I wish him the best. Eventually my host arrived with a brand new car and wanted to invite me to eat...too late, but at least I had a place to sleep, a nice comfy couch where my bones finally relaxed under hundreds of mosquito bites. And Internet...at least...such an addictive thing, I could finally see puppies and inspiring pictures on FB after answering my emails. While my host was working on a project, I looked at the few expensive ways to continue my way as planned and took the decision of getting out of there cutting expenses short and not fulfilling my initial goal of 80 countries.

Proud to be Guyanese

After mopping my host house, because the toilet overflow for 2 hours...reminds me of FB funny pictures that say "When you see it you'll shit bricks"...apparently I saw "it" and now the toilet was blocked. Another small event was seeing the guy go to the bathroom with his door open.... Eventually he exchange me some money and left me where he picked me up where a very well guarded bus operator (7 guys with machine guns, shotguns and knives) shook my hand happy to see my money.

Selling house, perfect condition, some small scratches

I was so happy to find Walace again, who laughed at my stories and said that it was all normal. I chilled with him in his room for the rest of the day before another speedy adventure of 16 hours(only an hour of stops, with kerosene inside and a drunk miner passenger playing around with a huge sword he just acquired). Another thing that I forgot it's that since there's no police and probably even less in the mines, pretty much every miner is armed. They also start having addictions to alcohol and drugs since they have money....I'll keep my job for now.

More goodies

Pictures_20140215_20140216_BoaVista_Brazil
Yesterday, after arriving and getting screwed once again at the border for a taxi, I decided to go see the local nightlife and I must admit that I loved it, but there's still 3 month and a half to go, including carnaval.
Also, a romanian friend from Canada will join me for 2 months. It will feel safer to have somebody to watch each other's back.

Back to life, back from the gates of hell...

Besides that, EVERYONE is welcomed to join in. I can also give you hints and help you around.

Otherwise, I hope my blog will inspire you to follow your dreams

Angels and Calypso

New section with stats that will be there from now on:

Days covered in this post: 8

Money spent aproximativelly in US Dollars:

1. 240$ Flight Montreal to Trinidad
2. 40$ Food in Trinidad and outings for 2 days
3. 125$ Ferry from Trinidad to Guiria
4. 300$ Exchanged money to avoid being cheated by the legal system(Euros, US Dollars and Canadian Dollars) used to pay food, transport, trip to Angel Falls(200$) and stay

Sleep:

1. CouchSurfing 2 nights with a great host in a cool place over Trinidad
2. 1 stranger's house for 3$ in Carupano after Posada la Nena was Closed(reserve first in this country
3. Fancy Hotel la cumbre for 10$ with full unstopable freezing AC in Ciudad Bolivar. I don't recomend, besides meeting the misses Venezuela, the room is very cold, small and sink didn't work
4. Angels Falls deal, 1 night bed and one night hamac(lovely way to rest), 
5. Posada Senora in Ciudad Bolilvar(hostel) for 8$ with souper and breakfast for another 4$
6. Tonight in a 2 floor bus for 4$ and 9 hours towards Brazil

Food:
Extremelly cheap and tasty...and rounding...most locals have a beer with it

Timeline(wrote yesterday while waiting in the airport for my ride):
Tonight I'll be celebrating a week and just yesterday I was bathing with angels in a higher lost wild and beautiful place. Didn't get wifi in over 3 days, so no soul in my old place knows where I am. And I am in a lonely place waiting for ... a sign.
Let's go backwards, I arrived to this place on another angels wings, a cesna, what a great experience it was, if I only think that back in Montreal, the idea of paying for such a flight crossed my mind, but to go over wild exotic places in a antiquity plane, only one can wish for such dreams.
Pictures_20140209_Canaima_PuertoBolivar_Venezuela

Why isn't this thing in a museum just like the one under

The origin of this flight was in the heart of the oldest Venezuelian jungle with a lovely not so indigenous comunity hiding the key to the Angels Falls. A package of 3 adventurous days opened the doors to  a new friendship and magnificent memories. All of this because of Jesus, an old collegue and friend of mine that destiny put on my path.

Canaima from the Cesna

Back to the jungle where I woke up this morning in a hamack with water from angels wispering in my ears. Yesterday, I was bathing with them in a place where water falls one km over a lovely view. I was swimming there with Max, a cool russian new friend that works in the same field and has the same taste for adventure and travels. Thanks to him, I had great company for these 3 days.

The basic Kavak team, Japan, Russia and Romania

Pictures_20140208_Canaima_Venezuela
One day ago,  the way to the angelic pool included a 5 hours boat upstream, where my camera swallowed some water and a good 60 minutes of climbing through the jungle. Enough to tire even the best of athletes.

Behind the scene

Angeling around

My best friends, kept mosquitoes away

Pictures_20140208_SaltoAngel_Venezuela
Especially that 2 days ago, I was going through behind smaller but more powerfull waterfalls, swimming in the river for hours and letting the sun colour my skin.

A little enhibriated on a demo motorcycle

Lovely view over Ciudad Bolivar

Pease come and reroute the plane, door kept open all the time

Pictures_20140207_Ciudad_Bolivar_Venezuela
I needed that break after meeting random helping hands on a day that hurt my liver and opened so many doors to paradise. That was 3 days ago, with a executive ride, a local new car filled with 4 people besides the driver, riding at 160km/hour devouring the curvy asphalt filled with deeps traps. Ciudad Guyana was shown by destiny going to see a stranger's sister that could change my money, because money is a problem in Venezuela. It's also a benediction if you happen to have dollars with you, because you SHOULD sell them on the black market for at least 10 times their worth in the bank. I got introduced to a secure person that could make my change safe and that had contacts to get to the angels. The night went in many different pleasant ways and finished in a fancy Hotel with a hangover, where I got picked up the next day.

Mix of local and foreign values

Miammmmm

Two angels in an Irish pub...

Pictures_20140207_Ciudad_Guyana_Venezuela
4 days ago was a scary day. It's my first contact with Venezuela  and she was fiesty. Started on a boat in Trinidad and finished in a lovely wavy and surfable north town, called Carupano. Very soon, I'll decide if I go back because local money is running out (update: didn't go back north, but chose to head to Brazil instead). Got out from the boat in a organized slow chaos and money changers were harrasing us to sell them our dollars. Eventually, together with an older canadian traveller who've been there before, we had enough to grab a ride. An old rusted falling appart american type of car barelly holding together was flying through the holly(full of holes) road driven by "El chino", a big strong tanned guy that seemed to have had a hard life. He made 20$ with both of us when it usually costed 3$ and was very happy with his luck, without showing it. After a couple of hours, where I learned that 20 litres of fuel costes 20 cents, which makes it virtually free, but that flour, milk was hard to find and hospitals are falling appart. It all reminded me of stories from comunist Romania.

The 2 white guys got to go in the back followed by armed guardias looking for bribes just minutes after this shot. "El Chino", the driver was patiently waiting for us.

Anybody said flamingos

Delicious meal prepared by a local german lady

Cool surfable beach in Carupano

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At some point we get to a "guardias" post, where army looking guys with machine guns stop our car and go through our stuff. My guess is that one of the guys who changed our money called them and now they were asking how much we had. After trying to force their hands on our money by bringing us in the back of a building with their weapons in their hand, I decide to offer one of the guys a gift of 20$, machine guns got lowered and they even carried our bags back to the car. I don't think they would have shot us, because one guy looked 16  but it sure worked to scare us. Are 2 lifes worth 20$, is it okay to encourage them by bribing....so many questions come to mind, but I'll let you guys make your choices when you'll be in that situation. Eventually my canadian new friend decided to make a long run for his destination the same night and our paths divided.  My hostel was temporarilly closed(same like the city airport)... Walking around in this cool place, a lady offered help and ended up sleeping in a stranger's house for about 3$. I was happy, he felt honest and sincere. This stranger helped me find my way to the angels the next day.
Sometimes just trust destiny.

Boat to Chavismo

So many cool things in one place

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5 days ago, started in Trinindad, a lovely place to wake up in, especially with Carnaval approaching and with an amazing CS host that I couldn't thank enough for everything he'd done. Thanks to him, I had a pretty complete overview of "Trini" in just 2 days and this with him working. He also happen to have a very cute and friendly dog and them together helped me over my initial step of breaking comfort. The Caraibes are just beautiful places, but the strong accent in english makes me ask for repeats every single time.  In these 2 days, I tasted doubles, rotis, baken shark(sorry for all the divemasters that try to save sharks, but wanted to try it at least once), a big KFC  and of course beer. Another great event was a Calypso concert outside for free by the local police department which I enjoyed fully.

Cooling fountain hiding the calypsonian police orquestra

Can't stop and wonder where those vikings come from since 99% of population is black or indian

Cool artwork

My bank

Liming at Shakers

KFC and gas in TT(Trini dollars)

Countdown to carnaval

Having a go at a local instrument

Que viva la salsa