ANGEL – THE HIGHEST WATERFALL IN THE WORLD 

Years ago when I first learned that the world’s highest waterfall was located in Venezuela, I thought that I’d never get a chance to see it. After all, Venezuela is not one of the most visited tourist destinations, on the contrary. But life takes you to unexpected places and right now I was right there – Venezuela, even though the reason behind it was far from the Angel Waterfall. There was no way I was going to miss the opportunity to go see it. 

I shared my desires with Siro and right on the spot he had an offer for me. I had to take a charter flight and fly over the entire country in order to reach Canaima National Park. There, in the middle of the jungle, near the Brazilian border was situated the Angel, with its impressive 979 meters height. The plane was to fly multiple times over the falls and land in a reserve nearby. Siro explained there was a possibility to see it ‘in person’ but in that case, I had to be prepared for a three-day hike through the jungle. Besides he was not sure he was going to be able to find me a guide. I chose the easier approach. 

So here I was, on the small propeller plane, racing the clouds over the Venezuelan sky. There with me were also three Italian and four Swiss tourists and we were all thrilled about what was awaiting us. The plane circled four times over the waterfall. The view was absolutely spectacular – the water fell from such a height that it was simply impossible to remain liquid on its one-kilometer drop so it was turning into vapor. What a true masterpiece of Mother Nature!

Angel Falls

Around noon we landed in the reserve and we were greeted by a group of Indigenous people and one guide. They had prepared a tasty meal, and after we finished it the guide took us through the jungle. After a short hike, we reached the bed of a broad river where we boarded a small canoe that took us across the river. From there we continued on foot. I honestly had no idea where we were headed, but I also didn’t really care. I was all eyes and ears; it was my first time in the jungle and I was exceptionally thrilled to be there. 

It started getting noisier and the reason behind it was a huge waterfall which obviously was exactly where we were being taken by our guide. On arrival, it became clear that we would pass behind it. Indeed behind the waterfall, there was a small path, carved into the cliff so we all started taking off our clothes. Evidently, they were all well-prepared, with swimsuits under their clothes, unlike me who simply rocked my undies. We put our clothes in plastic bags along with all our gadgets and crossed the waterfall from behind. This added another unforgettable experience to my list. 

I was happy with the fact that I didn’t listen to my brain, but instead followed my spirit and decided to ‘emigrate’ to Venezuela. Yes, not everything was going according to plan, but let’s be honest – when does anything in life follow our plan? Exactly – never. 

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