From the Venezuelan jungle to Ciudad Bolívar

Our time in the jungle with the Pemon indians and our visit to the World’s highest waterfall, Angel Falls, were certainly the highlights of our trip round Venezuela. Access to Canaima National Park is only by air so when we left, the only way to reach Ciudad Bolívar was via a 4 seater Cessna.

It was anticipated the journey over the 30,000 km² Canaima National Park would take an hour. Just us and the pilot in a tiny plane flying across dense jungle. It was a daunting prospect but the only route out of the jungle so there was no other choice.

I would never have not got in the plane but oh my goodness it was a bumpy ride at first. Not helped by the pilot foraging around for things in the glove compartment rather than looking where he was going. I guess he’d flown the route so many times, he could sense where he was. Well that’s what I told myself! Once we’d got over the shock of being in such a light aircraft, we were able to take in the spectacular views. The flight was over before we knew it and we had a surprisingly smooth landing. It was strange being back in civilisation after three days sleeping in the jungle.

Ciudad Bolívar was originally founded as ‘Angostura’ due to the trees that grow in the area but it was re-named in 1846. Angostura bitters were invented there and it’s also where the first Venezuelan newspaper was printed. We were met at the airstrip by a guide who took us to Plaza Bolívar located in the heart of the old city on the banks of the Orinoco river. There we discovered Monumento a Simón Bolívar – a statue of the Liberator Simón Bolívar who declared Ciudad Bolívar the interim capital of the newly formed republic in 1818.

Casa del Congreso de Angostura dominates one side of the plaza. With it’s formal rooms, long corridors and elegant courtyards, it used to be home to the Angostura Congress. The impressive yellow and white cathedral is on the eastern side of Plaza Bolívar and music can be heard if the doors are open. We managed to squeeze in a visit to the San Osrido Museum, where Simón Bolívar stayed for a time, and the San Isidro house where he wrote the Angostura Speech. Now a museum, it provided us with a great opportunity to get a taste of the colonial lifestyle and have a look round the beautiful botanical gardens. Our final stop before leaving was Casa Piar which is where General Manuel Piar was kept prisoner before his execution.

We left Ciudad Bolívar over the impressive Angostura Bridge above the Orinoco River bound for the the airport. The next destination on our Venezuelan trip was Margarita where we’d be treated to hot water. It’s funny if you take away the things we take for granted, you appreciate them so much more when you get them back.

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