Venezuela
August 1997

Our first look at South America

This is the view while leaving Simon Bolivar International Airport in Caracas.
The runway we took off from points into the sea.

La Culata, which (supposedly) means "the end of the world."

This is Laguna Negra, "The Black Lagoon."
This is how I envision the River Styx.

At an altitude of ~3800 meters, it was quite chilly, around 50 degrees Fahrenheit, and was misty.
Not feeling cold and wet enough, some of our team felt like taking a quick dip.
Here, Breyt emerges from the water, venting off excess testosterone.

We walk a trail above the lagoon.
In the center, Kique wears shorts borrowed from me.
Amazingly, they were returned to me.

This is Pico Bolivar, the highest point in Venezuela, at around 4200 meters.
An hourglass-shaped lake is below us.

Pico Bolivar is the home of the longest serial cable-car system in the world.
Passengers are allowed up to the penultimate leg, at ~4000 meters.
The last leg is unused, as a car once fell, killing all passengers.
The orange dot is a stationary car serving as a monument.

A view of Merida while coming down the cable car.
Merida is situated between two rows of mountains.

In order to land at Merida's airport, a plane must fly between the mountains from the right, make a 180-degree turn at the left and land on the runway.
The runway slopes up to the left, hence the 180-degree turn.
The end of the runway is separated from a river gorge by one or two buildings.