Ever since I was a child I have loved the road. Every time August vacations came, my parents would prepare a trip to the interior of the country. The preparations began in the previous months, my father would take the car to the mechanic so that everything would be in optimal conditions.
The destinations took turns, one year we would go to our mother's family in the state of Lara, in the center west of Venezuela, and the other year we would go to our father's family, a little further west, in the state of Táchira.
Every time we went to Táchira, my father was encouraged to go to Colombia, since the car repairs were much cheaper there. With each visit to Colombia the car returned with the brasswork painted and the upholstery completely restored...
I kept that taste for traveling all my life. When I started working the first thing I did was to buy a car and I remember that on the first long trip I made I took my children's great-grandmother and my mother with me.
On that occasion we went to the state of Falcon, where there is an area of large dunes known here as "Los Medanos de Coro". It was impressive to see those two old ladies marveling at those stretches of fine sand.
One of the trips I remember most fondly was in 2007. At that time my eldest son had returned to the country after spending several years working abroad. It had been about five years since we had last seen each other and we both wanted to spend some time together.
One day while we were talking he asked me if I knew the "Gran Sabana", a large expanse of virgin land located in the south of Venezuela, very close to the border with Brazil.
That was one of the destinations I had never dared to go to, precisely because of the solitude of the area. Besides, in order to fully enjoy it, it is advisable to have a rustic vehicle.
So when my son suggested it to me, I immediately said yes. He had a four-wheel drive truck with which we could go where my vehicle could not. The trip was made by five of us, my oldest son with his wife, and my wife, my youngest daughter and myself.
Before going, I had met many people who spoke highly of the place. They said there was a special vibe. I thought it could be people's exaggerations.
But from the very moment I arrived in the "Sabana" I realized that these were not exaggerations. In each of the ten days we were there I could feel its magic, not only in my body but also in my spirit.
One of the things that impressed me was the silence, that experience of absolute silence is really shocking, in the cities you can never know a silence like that.
Another thing that also caught my attention was its special brightness, that may be due to the purity of the air, it is an area where there are no factories or facilities of any kind that are polluting. For those of us who come from the cities, the air is completely different.
Part of the magic of the site is explained because "La Sabana" is one of the oldest areas of the planet, almost all of it is a gigantic block of stone. It is part of the first geological uprisings that occurred on the planet. Throughout the region there are large deposits of minerals and perhaps that is why it feels there such a special magnetism.
Our trip was made during the rainy season, which allowed us to enjoy the great waterfalls in the area. One of the most impressive is the Aponwao waterfall.
To get there we had to make a short trip across the river in the traditional boats used by the indigenous people, they call them Curiaras. They are indeed very fragile boats, but the Pemón Indians are great navigators, they know perfectly well how to keep these boats afloat.
From about two kilometers before reaching the waterfall you can hear the roar produced by the falling water, it is something really overwhelming. One of the most impressive experiences I have lived is to see, feel and hear that almighty force.
That trip to the Savannah is a unique experience, one of those that should be done at least once in a lifetime.
Another great traveling adventure I had in the mid-seventies. At that time, together with my second brother, we went to travel around Colombia by train and bus. We were there for a month and we got as far as the border with Ecuador. That was also a great experience in which we took some risks.
The farthest I have gone abroad was to Lima, where I was with my wife in 2013. At that time the city was wonderful, I liked it a lot and I thought I could live there without any problem.
Now I travel little, conditions have changed a lot and my energy is not the same. Fortunately I took advantage of my youth. With my wife and children I traveled all over the country, the jungle, the plains, the coast and the mountains. I have fond memories of all those trips.
I am publishing this post motivated by the initiative proposed by my friend @ericvancewalton, Memoir Monday, in its week ten. For more information click on the link.
Thank you for your time.
Translated with DeepL.com (free version)
Logo creado por @themanualbot
