Legends of Pterodactyls

One dream that my husband and I shared was to visit Angel Falls in Venezuela. We like to travel, and this was in our top ten list. A few years ago, we made the journey and it was so worth it!

Getting to Angels Falls is no easy task. You must take a small plane to a tar-mat in Canaima National Forest, then stay at one of the lodges or camps overnight. After spending a day hiking in Canaima we set out early one morning to visit Angel Falls. We first hiked an hour or so to a put-in at the river. We hopped in a dug-out canoe (with a motor on back) assisted by two guides of the Pemon tribe who live in Canaima. We traversed the river system for half a day, soon to be surrounded by another world.

Over 65% of Canaima is covered with table mountains called tepuis. These are giant and gorgeous mountains that have flat-tops and they are a real site to see. One can’t help but think they’ve stepped back into the Jurassic time. Are there dinosaurs just around the corner?

Off in a distance, a very special and majestic mountain appears. You can’t miss it! It is Angel Falls – the highest waterfall in the world! Water plunges from this massive tepui over 2600 feet to a river below that disappears into the rainforest. We get closer and the canoe stops. It’s time to hike up that mountain!

The rainforest along the hike was beautiful and pristine. Finally, we get over half way up and find a ledge to sit and enjoy this magical place. I will never forget sitting there next to my husband and feeling the mist of Angel Falls on my face. It was a dream come true. We hiked some more, but without rock-climbing gear, we could not go all the way t the top of the falls. We headed back to camp.

That night we found a camp site across from the river, directly looking at the falls. The power of the water was immense and the most dominant noise in the forest. As we ate dinner, our Pemon friends began telling us about the legends of Angel Falls, called Kerepakupai merú (waterfall of the deepest place). In the legends, there are giant birds that next on the top of Kerepakupai merú. You see, the tepuis are mystical places to the Pemon and home of God. They went on to describe the large birds and animals that lived on the mountain and the influence that they had over the people. Our guides were very clear that it was not a place for humans to go, even forbidden.

It was time for sleep. We slept that night in hammocks in the open rainforest. It is pitch-black dark in the rainforest at night. You can’t even see your hand in front of your face! Even though the falls were still the loudest noise, I managed to hear everything else too. Was that a jaguar?! There were very busy animals that night. As I drifted off, I imagined the creatures that lived at the top of Angel Falls. I knew that plenty of people have been to the top and that there were no documented cases of giant birds. Nonetheless, I chose to believe that there was another world there, unseen by humans. This world indeed had giant birds, Pterodactyls, who made their nests and enjoyed this untouched place. That night, I dreamed of them and even heard them among the other animals.

Early the next morning we awake to the most beautiful sight, Angel Falls was sunlit and drenched in rainbows. The Pterodactyls were probably just lifting off to forage their first meal for the day.