An excellent virtual
tour of Venezuela, presented by Vensamit, the Venezuelan Student
Association at MIT.
Gran
Sabana Portion of CIA Map of Venezuela.[jpg-5.2023k]. Try the Xerox
Parc Map Viewer for a user defined(by me) map of Venezuela waiting to be
further modified by the next user with zoom and feature adding capabilities.
Basically you define and create the map you want of any part of the world.
The chalana
across the Rio Caroni just south of Puerto Ordaz, the last major town
until St. Helena deUairén near the border with Brasil.[jpg-16.691k]
The tug
boat used to manuever the ferry barge or "chalana" across the
river.[jpg-23.447k]
In a
very isolated spot in the Gran Sabana(Guyana), a service sorely needed.
[jpg-17.986k]
The
Venezuelan flag flies over a government frontier post near the gold mines on the
river.[jpg-24138k]
A curious
electric(?) or poisonous ray that grabbed our hook left in the Caroni River one
night while we slept. Don Fulgencio, a denizen of the wilds along the Caroni,
would only laugh when we asked about the sting and said he would eat it after we
left. This I don't doubt as I saw him eat armadillo and chiwiri the
worlds largest rodent. [jpg-13441k]
A family
compound with a beautiful painting on an outer wall.[jpg-16.349k]
Somewhere on
the southernmost highway in route to Ciudad Bolivar, an art exhibition a la
Burma Shave.[jpg-14.656k]
An
indigenous couple working at an isolated mine on the frontier with Brasil survey
an inundated jeep with contained amusement.This cargo loading point on the river
leads to the mine upstream a couple of K.upstream. Photos were discouraged at
the mine.[jpg-23.680k]
A lonely
fellow out for a walk in Bolivar State.[jpg-15.377k]
Some
kind and dedicated sisters who had the only available beds and showers for
hundreds of miles who let us sleep and shower. Their community based convent
serves this isolated parish where they provide medical and social services and
fight against malaria (they had the proper anti-malarial drug for the type that
pops up in the area) and other scourges of humanity. Their work extends to
Indians from across the disputed border with Guyana .[jpg-22.220k]
A
waterfall not far off the Panamerican Highway in Guyana.[jpg-24.653k]
The last
leg of the tortuous land and river trip to the mine begins here on the edge of
the Gran Sabana.[jpg-27.169k]
Picture
of Choroni, my favorite beach town. The beautiful fishing town with its
fortifications from the days of the Spanish Main and palm lined beaches is an
unsung marvel perhaps because it has no airport and is out of the way.
[jpg-26.059k]
Another picture of Choroni, taken by a photographer who sold me these upscale
postcards. I believe her name is Sylvia Shiff, but it is hard to read and I
can't remember. I was given permission to place on web with appropriate credits
and now must rely on viewers or my return to make sure I have the name correctly
spelled here. Please inform if you know, dear reader. Also- better scans will
replace these poor ones soon. [jpg-7,032]
Yet
another picture of Choroni, taken by the same photographeras above, Sylvia Shiff,
I believe, but it is hard to read and as described above I am not certain.
Please inform if you know, dear reader. [jpg-6,008]
A
chinchorro or hammock hung at the puesto fronterizo( frontier post)
with Brasil near the gold for the night.[jpg-22108k]
An
Indian house in the Gran Sabana.[jpg-27.280k]
A photo of
yours truly where the Gran Sabana gives way to jungle near the Brazilian
border.[jpg-19.288k]
The
view from the barrio behind "El castaño" in Maracay.[jpg-8.075k]
A future
Jose Feliciano? He was very good.[jpg-23.772k]
A view up
the hill , away from the sea towards the church from the old telegraph depot in Choroni.[jpg-27.811k]
A
once proud Caracas mansion, a little worse for wear but a good example of early
29th century architecture.[jpeg-22.992k]
Windows Paintbrush Recollections of Venezuela.[gif-18.963k]
An
attempt to capture the charm of Choroni with a mouse and Window's paint.
The fishing town which has a small fresh water river to wash off the salt from
the beaches in a park that joins the beach pictured above. It is only 30 or 40
miles from the airport and harbor below Caracas as the crow flies along
the coast but no road exists and it is a 1 and 1/2 hour trip over the coast
range to Maracay and then two to three more hours over the range and down again
to sea level on a winding road. A beautiful drive and worth the time and effort-
in my estimation anyway.[jpg-18.963k]
A constantly changing presentation of pictures of all things Venezuelan and some
from abroad from the Venezuelan Spanish Language on-line magazine "Analitica".
Send a Venezuelan postcard with soundtrack!
Maracay
from atop the coastal range on the road to Choroni.[jpeg-150,310k]
The
sugar plant near Maracay .[jpeg-126,310k]
The
main road to the gold mine referred to in above photos.[jpeg-150,310k]
The
statue of a fighting bull called "Toro" that El Benemerito Gomez
commissioned for placement next to his zoo in Las Delicias, Maracay.[jpeg-6,310k]
The
little sister of a friend on the beach in Choroni after her all important 15th
birthday "quinceria" coming out party.jpeg-13kb]
Oil companies map of The Zuata zone, one of many Production zones in Venezuela,
where untold billions of barrels of oil are projected , with new discoveries
still occurring regularly.
