The Lost World

Ok, one last post on Venezuela.

The picture above is from the Laguna de Canaima, just to the north west of Angel Falls. A series of spectacular waterfalls stretch all along one side of the lagoon which you hear before you see. There are also walkways behind them, where you can look out through a curtain of peaty water.

Apparently they shot some of the Jurassic Park series of films here, but it reminded me more of The Lost World, which is not that surprising. The classic book by Arthur Conan Doyle was inspired by stories of the table mountains or tepius of this, the Gran Sabana region of Venezuela, and in particular Roriama. The plants that live at the top are isolated from the land around and as a result of millions of years of independent evolution have become distinct species, half of which don't grow anywhere else.

We saw no dinosaurs but if you look closely at the bottom of this picture you can see a Praying Mantis:

At the time I was reading not "The Lost World" but something very similar, which is also part of what is known as the lost world genre, namely "King Solomon's Mines".

Lots of epic adventure, lost civilizations in the wilderness, boys own stuff, and since then have just finished "She" by the same author, Henry Rider Haggard. Alas in my adventures I didn't meet Aisha or even Ursula Andress but maybe that's just as well.

Instead its back to a soggy Easter weekend here in London. But at least I have a stack of photos and memories of Venezuela.

Truly an amazing country to visit.