SOUTH AMERICA
Planning your trip to Venezuela
THE BEST WAY TO VENEZUELA
From LAX, Continental, Delta, American, Mexicana, LACSA and Copa offer connecting service (change of plane) to Caracas. Restricted round-trip fares begin at $663. Check with your outfitter to find out about internal transportation to your jumping-off point.
WHAT TO TAKE
Take everything you can't do without for six days. Remember, you will be carrying all your personal items, so be judicious. Don't forget medications, warm clothing for nights on the top (and the bus ride where the air conditioning makes it arctic), rain gear, water bottle, camera, good hiking boots, hat, suntan lotion and insect repellent.
TOUR GROUPS
Backpacker Tours, which is run by an efficient German expatriate, charges $920 each for two people, $450 each for four, plus $70 to rent a sleeping bag and ground mat. You can find the company, Agencia de Viajes, Calle Urdaneta, Santa Elena de Uairen, Edificio Bolivar, Venezuela, 011-58-289-808-8817, fax 011-58-289-995-1415. e-mail info@backpacker-tours.com; www.it8it.com/agent_intro.asp?agent=584.
You'll find a variety of other companies with similar treks, including Arassari (www.arassari.com) and Amazon Adventures (www.amazon).
TO LEARN MORE
If you don't know the story, pick up a copy of "The Lost World." It will sharpen your awareness of hidden dinosaurs.
The standard guidebooks on Venezuela provide practical information, but make sure you do an online search including such words as Roraima, Lost World, Venezuela hiking.
Embassy of Venezuela, (202) 342-2214, www.embavenez-us.org.
 Should we take offense, order a drink, or what? That depends, of course, on where you think these words turned up. |
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