There is a place in the remote lands of Brazil, Guyana and Venezuela called the Great Savanna. The vast tropical grassland of unspoiled nature which is inhabited by several indigenous groups evokes the feeling of a lost world in time in the midst of technology and global modern societies.

I had heard about this magical place for many years until the time came to visit. The exploration took us into all its natural glory. The immensity of the green plains is cut out of step by huge table-top mountains called tepuis and imposing waterfalls.
A compass and a map were not enough to keep us from getting lost. The adventure took us into a highly dense in vegetation area with tall plants all around. As I kept walking forward, I watched out for serpents and spiders. Delving into the jungle without a real indigenous guide made it at some point obvious that we had to go back from where we came from if we wanted to make it back at all, let alone unharmed. So first rule: get a local guide. Technology is somehow useful yet insufficient in some places.

Quebrada de Jaspe is breathtakingly beautiful

An out-of-this-world place we visited is called Quebrada de Jaspe (Jasper Gully). The water flows down through magnificently strange red jasper rocks. It captivated everybody’s attention, and they told me to get it on camera. Thus, I took my video camera out. However, postproduction showed that the camera was in sepia mode, and the red got lost in the black and white video recording.
Another great attraction of the Great Savanna is the natural rock water slides. The long plain, soft rock and the mild current provide the ideal opportunity to throw yourself, either alone or accompanied, sliding down the rocks and being carried out by the water current. Still, it is important to know until what point it is safe; you do not want to jump off the coming waterfall or get dragged down by the current.

There are numerous camping sites all over the Great Savanna. Some people like to camp and sleep in tents while others rest in their jeeps. Usually, there is a bonfire at night where people get together, meet each other and talk about their experiences or tell tales. A great amount of Venezuelans are superstitious and sometimes stories involve supernatural occurrences. As well, locals are very easy going and cheerful, so the camping sites become really merry.
Also, people take coal to light their own fires and cook food. Remember that this is a place in the midst of unspoiled nature, so hitting a grocery store, a restaurant or getting electricity is not really an option unless you have your own power supply. Anyway, cooking meals this way is part of the charm of going to the Great Savanna.

There are some bugs called puri puri which are very small but they are all over the place. They suck a bit of blood and cause bumps on the skin as the sting is very itchy. There are some specialized insect repellents highly recommended for these occasions to avoid swelling.

Impressive views, exploration, adventure, fun and much more is what the Great Savanna offers… indeed, an escapade to remember.