Orinoco Delta Trip - Wow!

[Cococabana]

Only about 6 cruise ships a year go to Puerto Ordaz on the Orinoco River, so the area isn't geared for tourism. We docked in a small industrial area out of town, but we had booked a tour guide for the day who met us without any problem and took us on a wonderful tour of the area.

 

We travelled about 250km from the city of Puerto Ordaz (Ciudad Guayana) to a place called (I think!) Palua, where we transferred to a small boat and travelled up a caño (waterway), passing warao indian families in their dugout canoes. We saw macau parrots in the trees, turtles sitting on logs, and brightly coloured butterflies, all against a backdrop of stunning jungle scenary. We stopped at one of the indian dwellings along the riverbank, where we bought some locally made crafts, then transferred into a dugout canoe and were skilfully paddled along a smaller waterway by a young warao indian, where we could experience being (very!) close to the water without the noise of an outboard motor. Returning to our larger boat, it was time for lunch, and a chance to fish for piranha.

 

We had an excellent day and were entranced by Venezuela. Others from our cruise ship visited Angel Falls, some local parks, and the hydro-electric plant in Puerto Ordaz, but we reckoned we had the best day - it was absolutely amazing and we can't wait to return to see more of the country.

 

http://travel.webshots.com/photo/2237108650100605981ErtDWQ?vhost=travel

 

http://travel.webshots.com/photo/2602278280100605981MUvuRi?vhost=travel