Hey! 

First I would like to point out that I suffer greatly for these stories, so 
they should be taken with deep appreciation!  But why talk about suffering? 
Letīs talk about Salto Angel. 

It was worth it all.  A beautiful 945 meter waterfall, the highest in the 
world, where the massive amount of water from the top splits into drops on the 
way to the bottom.  A real phenomenal view. 

We started in Ciudad Bolivar.  After a quick flight in a Cessna to Canaima, we 
took a crazy boat ride up a river.  We walked behind a large waterfall, and it 
was really nice.  Our guide was explaining about the jungle plants, animals, 
and dangerous ants bla bla bla.   As we were cruising up the river with many 
rappids, we got a little wet.  But donīt worry, the rain did the rest of the 
job of getting us soaked. 

On the second day of the tour we were supposed to ride 2 hours up the river and 
then walk for another hour in order to finally see the falls.  However (Maybe I 
should drop this word), it was not as easy as it seemed.  Riding a boat for two 
hours up a river can have a big impact on the shape of your ass.  Not to 
mention the back ache and getting you wet.  But this I can tolerate.  We then 
proceeded for a walk in a beautiful jungle.  You know what jungle means, 
right?  Mosquitos!  But no, this is an improved jungle, the high-tech of the 
jungles.  It has puri puri sand flies.  Their bites swell, hurt and itch very 
hard.  Zillion puri puri sand flies were eating me alive.  Now don`t get me 
wrong.  I did put repellant many times that day, but those bastards always seem 
to like me more than anyone. 

Obviously thereīs more - I was being eaten from the inside as well, literaly.   
In my stomache lure many many amebas, enjoying the very food I eat.  They 
joined me during a breakfast of scrambled eggs I ate two weeks ago in Merida.   
Iīve been sick ever since, and on very strong pills. 
With every step I took in the jungle I felt less and less energy.  Although the 
puri puri were eating me from the outside and the amebas from the inside, I 
eventually did see the falls, and liked it very much. 

Mission over?  Not so!  After the tough day we arrived at the camp and I took a 
nap.  Soon afterwards I felt something crawling over me.  As I reached to make 
it go, it bit me in my hand.  Now this was no ordinary bite.  Immediately my 
whole hand was in pain.  I checked to see if I was dreaming, but unfortunately 
I was awake.  The pain started flowing, in a wave-like pattern into my arm, and 
up into my shoulder.  My wonderful indian guide squeezed the bite and made it 
stop spreading (In case you were wondering, she stopped the blood flow to my 
hand). 

I had an honor to be bitten by a 24-hour ant, whose bite generates an alergic 
response for 24 hours, accompanied by fever and headaches.  Luckily (I still 
don`t understand how) I never got a fever, and the pain passed.  Headaches I 
had anyway.  Did I mention my stomache aches? 

All this time I have been doing what the doctors told me, including taking some 
strong pills that wiped me out each time for 12 hours.  As the treatment was 
unsuccessful, I decided to abort.  Not such a big drama, I only changed my 
ticket to be four days earlier. 

Iīm leaving Venezuela.   
The country where a liter of fuel costs 4 cents (25 times cheaper than Israel, 
and they complain it was once cheaper!).  The country where you need to order 
your food when you predict that you will be hungry an hour later.  The country 
where they serve hot coffee in plastic cups.  Where you need to ask for 
directions from at least 3 people to know the way. 
The country that, unless a miracle happens, will dive deep into communism in a 
few years.  This year, its economy will contract by 10.7%. 

God help Venezuela, 
Hag Sukot Sameach, 
Tomer.