Enjoying the beauty of Canaima. Canaima: Third Part.

Since we arrived in Canaima I was levitating! That green! That bright in everything! I even had ask my fellows if it was something that someone else had put in my coffee or if they also have been watching everything more brilliant and with more color… but they said I was right.

The small ranch at the resting place was already ready for the lunch and part of its atmosphere was tropical music at the background.



Ericka, our guide, recommended us to wear the most comfortable cloth we had. It was a perfect day thinking about the light and weather, but as far as it´s at the Venezuelan jungle, we could swept a lot after walking a bit, her recommendation, as far as the plans were including to swim in a river, was about being just in swimming suit. They had small rooms for us to change the cloth and even places to leave our belongings. The ranch had a house in front, with some baths, the mentioned rooms and afterwards I discovered also a shop there. Both buildings were at the middle of the jungle. So, being at the ranch, all you can see was the house, the way to the airport and the vegetation… so! It really wondered me a lot to discover we were just few steps from the lake with the beautiful waterfalls we saw from the plane! :D

We went to the shore of Canaima´s lake and while we were enjoying the view, Ericka was explaining us about the place, its settler, the Pemons and about the laws that protect the place (just Pemons could buy lands there, something that from my point of view is quite good, btw), about the vegetation, the animals, that the color of the lake was due the tannin… just that I was levitating so much watching that marvelous place, that I really don´t remember a lot, I´m afraid.

We navigated at the lake to the other shore in a dugout canoe, going as close to the waterfalls as possible. I like to take binoculars with me to this kind of places, it´s always great to appreciate a bit closer them.



We walk a bit in Anatoliy Island, they, the Spanish people, Germans and Americans were quite impressed by the vegetation, for me it was quite alike Guatemala, which is always great for me.



(To be continued.)

From Orinoco´s delta to Canaima. Canaima: Second Part.

The landscapes from the air, going from the Orionoco´s delta to Canaima were just great! :D



The Savannah, viewed from the air, precious! The Tepuis: impressive! And to watch the waterfalls while landing… amazing!! I felt in a dream! :D



In the same airport we found a small handcraft market, the guide told us we have just one more place for buying handcrafts, so we stayed a bit watching there. After that we went to a ranch that was at the same time the place to eat and the place to rest a bit.

Here a video for you to also enjoy it, just I should say it has no comparison with watching it right there.



(To be continued)

Going from Margarita Island to the Orinoco´s Delta. Canaima: First Part.

It was 6:20 in a Sunday morning. Esther, Rosa, Curro and I were already at the Hotel Dunes ´ reception waiting for our taxi. The night before we haven´t went to sleep soon, as far as that was the night of the end of the Scrabble in Spanish World Championship, but our illusion about what was coming up made us to be there that early with a big smile in our faces! :D

When we arrived at the airport they went to take a coffee to at least pretend to be awake! ;P I haven’t, because if I eat or drink something before 9:00 I usually have stomach problems, and wasn´t a good idea to take that risk before travelling by plane! We did the check in so quickly and went inside the waiting room talking about the experiences of the last days. In a point, I don´t remember exactly why, I started to sign and dance a bit of “valió la pena”, the song Esther and I sang at the karaoke… and she placed at my side to sign and dance as well! All this at the airport, full of Europeans and USA tourists! Hehehehe ;D

Our plane was a small one of the company LTA. At the waiting room we meet some Germans that would do the several days tour (lucky them!). Their guide explained all of us our respecting tours.



We should go first to an airport close to the Orinoco´s delta (sorry, I forgot the name!) :/ there the other group would start their adventure and we should continue to Canaima, flying over Salto Angel in our route to Canaima. So, it was important to choose a good window for taking the best photos and videos… something that I´m afraid wasn´t easy even being just few people, due the windows were with a lot of scratches or/and dirty.

The view was magnificent! Quite a lot of green, so brilliant, full of life! Sometimes you don´t released about how big is a country since you watch it from the air. It really wondered me, because other countries of the area, like Argentina or Brazil, exploit a lot their natural resources in a touristic way, but Venezuela, at least as far of what I had heard or watch before going there, doesn’t do it as how they should.

Here a pice of the beauty you can watch from the skye going from Margarita Island to that airport close to the Orinoco´s delta:



We arrived at the first airport, the other group went out and I took advantage to try to find a better place with a window without scratches neither dirty, but actually I haven´t found it, the best window I found was with a sight of a wing and part of one motor and I had to ask for a napkin to clean it up. After few minutes the steward told us that we should go out of the plane as well. We left our belongs at the plane, but nobody told us that more people will come in as well, so, I left the bag at the seat, but actually the right thing was to left them at the lockers of the plain, that´s what Curro did, for example. We went in different seats, in order to have a window of our own each one.

So, we went out of the plain, but nobody told us we should go inside the airport, so we stayed right there, at the side of the plain… till someone told us by signs to go inside. We stayed in a waiting room with a cafeteria, at that time I was able to eat something with no stomach problems, so I went straight to ask for a coffee and something to eat. Another lady came after me and she tried to ask about her food before me. Actually this is something “so Latin-American” so, I had life training on it, so I know perfectly what to do to avoid it (that means I asked about the food the first) ;P

Immediately I went to choose a table, they were doing the line to ask about food as well. I got sit giving them my back, as far as we had no idea of how long we´ll stay there; I started to eat as fast as I can. I wasn’t watching them, so, I couldn´t avoid laughing a lot when I heard Esther claiming so angry: “Ok! Does someone else would like to cut in the line like if I would be invisible! Damn!” :D Yeap, she was out of training for Latin-Americans´ customs! ;P

We were waiting for another group that was coming late from nobodyknows ;P they were a lot, mostly Germans. (Just that nobody explained that to us). Thanks of God we had our seats reserved! Well, more or less, in Curro´s case, as far as he left his belongs inside the locker, the seat looked like an empty one and somebody took it. So he had to sit in another one with the window with a lot of scratches. All this for finally not over flying Salto Angel! They said we´ll do coming back to Margarita, but with no explanations about why. Actually, if there´s something I really should complain about in that tour, is about the constant lack of information.

(To be continued.)

Café Pushkin: an emblematic place in Moscow.

Louis invited me to din at the Pushkin Restaurant at Cafe Pushkin that btw I haven´t heard about in my whole life… so, as far as none of us were dressed as for going to a fancy place, I didn´t thought it could be one… and it was! I felt a bit embarrassed when I saw how the people going there were dressed… but well, Louis was also with jeans, so, at least I wasn´t the only one! ; )



A video of Café Pushkin food: (this one isn´t mine!).



The place was great, just so expensive… but… I wasn´t paying! ;)

I also drunk a cup of chocolate, the way the waiter did it was like they in Russia use to do some centuries ago, was a small show at all! : )






I have already talk about this place at the post "From Russia with Love! (Final Part)" but someone advised me it will be more useful to place them in different posts, so here is it, it contains exactly the same of that post, in case of new comments about this place, I´ll write a new post.

Mayke Ame: Tibetan Refuge in Beijing.

Just getting inside of Mayke Ame, was completely like travelling to another world. The decoration, the music, the cloth the staff was wearing… wow!



Guess what! At the entrance it was a Prayer Wheel! Oh yes! I made it to run! :D



To select the food was so difficult, but I always like to try the food of other cultures, so finally I just let Zoe to choose the more typical things.

The first thing I got was the Yak Chas Tea, made with yak butter, tea and salt… this is a quite typical drink in Tibet. I´m afraid I didn´t like it… maybe it´s the kind of savors you should have the custom of taste them to enjoy them, so, I´m not saying it´s not good, just that wouldn´t be something I´ll drink again.



The different dishes we had were really good, you can have an idea of them here:







As I mentioned, Zoe was friend of part of the staff, so in a moment she ask the Chef to come to our table and to explain me how to cook Tibetan food… :$ Oki, I had hear the explanation and even recorder it in a video… but no, I haven´t try to do it by my own! ;P



There it was a special food offering chest:





During the dinner different artists had been singing and playing Tibetan instruments, wearing as well typical cloth.






When we were finishing our dinner, someone of the staff was with a lot of white neckerchiefs and started to distribute them to the clients.



So, everybody should give (as far as we want), neckerchiefs to people, no matter if you knew them or not, wishing them good luck, with a special music played for that. In one of the tables were several Lama´s Monks and they were the ones that started, after the musicians went to sing specially for them. So, it became in some kind of “wishing good luck dance” with all the people at the restaurant. After exchanging the neckerchiefs, the leader of the group invited all of us to continue dancing, so, we all, including the monks, made a big circle taking the hand of people situated at both sides and started to jump-run-“dance”. I should say it was really happy and funny surrealistic moment! :D




At the end Zoe took me to the monks table to great them, so the one that was some kind of the Dalai Lama´s representative gave me a special blessing plus a signed pic of the Dalai Lama. I had been searching info about that to explain it better at this post, but I´m afraid I have no clue if it´s normal to be a Dalai Lama´s representative in Beijing, I was quite surprised of that.

(Hem... yes... he was talking by the mobile when I took this pic! ;P )

Yeaph! Was such a great experience! A Tibetan party with a lot of strangers including Lama´s monks! :D




I have already talked about this place at the post "A Mystic Experience: Lamas in Beijing Second Part" but someone advised me it will be more useful to place them in different posts, so here is it, it contains exactly the same of that post, in case of new comments about this place, I´ll write a new post.