roraima
Written: Mar 30 '00
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Product Rating:
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Pros: hotel
Cons: weather
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| charly2000's Full Review: Roraima |
EXCHANGE:
~Bs.640/US$1.00
Traveler's checks and credit cards not accepted in Santa Elena because of
the difficulty in processing and verifying. Cash only at many places- US
Dollars, Venezuelan Bolivares or Brazilian Reales.
WEATHER:
Beginning of Dry Season
TERRAIN:
Rolling savanna & tepuy mountains (flat top mountains), Gran Sabana area of
southeastern Venezuela
TRIP RATING: 8
ROUTE:
Costs:
Avensa flight, round trip Puerto Ordaz, Santa Elena de Uairen- Bs.146,400
(~US$227)
Por Puesto- Maturín-Puerto Ordaz, Bs.5,000/seat, one way. Same for return
Expedition costs:
Transport, 4-wheel drive round trip, Santa Elena de Uairen-Paraitepu,
US$200/vehicle.
Food (three people, six days)- approximately US$130
Assistance & transport to buy food = US$20
Guide- US$25/day for six days = US$150
Porter- US$20/day for six days = US$150
rental of kerosene stove and cooking utensils in San Francisco de Yuruani =
US$20
Total cost from Santa Elena- $650
comment: I had my own tent, sleeping bag, cooking utensils and multi-fuel
light weight stove. I likely could have done without the porter, and
without renting cooking gear, saving US$200. Also, many of these costs
would be the same for a group, considerably decreasing the cost per person.
If you want to get a good price, you should have enough time to wait and
join a group. I did not have time to wait.
Some of the companies have tents, sleeping bags and the like for rent as
part of their packages.
Starting in Maturín I traveled south by por puesto taxi (one of the taxis
which run between towns, selling passage by the place, or puesto, five
places in a taxi - por puesto literally means by place)to Puerto Ordaz on
the Orinoco. From there I caught a flight to Santa Elena de Uairen, on the
border with Brazil, in an old Avensa DC-3. My intention was to arrange a
guide and porter to climb Roraima, the highest of the tepuy mountains in
the Gran Sabana. I had not succeeded in arranging anything before hand, but
figured I would work it out when I got there.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
charly2000
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Reviews written: 21
Trusted by: 1 member
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