Angel Falls or Kerepakupai-Meru?

Since coming to power in Venezuela in 1999, President Hugo Chavez has renamed the country, the currency and the mountain that separates the capital city from the Caribbean sea. Now he's turned his attention to the country's most famous landmark Angel Falls, or Salto Angel in Spanish, which at 979 metres (3,212 feet) is the highest waterfall in the world, Venezuela's greatest natural treasure and a top tourism destination.

The falls are currently named after the US aviator and adventurer Jimmie Angel, who first saw the record-breaking natural wonder from the cockpit of his plane in 1933 while searching for a river of gold.

Speaking on his weekly radio and TV programme "Hello, President", Mr Chavez said: "How can we accept this idea that the falls were discovered by a guy who came from the United States in a plane?"

"If we do that, that would be like accepting that nobody was living here," he added, suggesting that from now on Angel Falls should be renamed to show respect to the Pemon Indians who inhabit the remote Gran Sabana region in the south of Venezuela, and who were there centuries before the US bush pilot saw the falls.

The waterfall gushes forth from an enormous heart-shaped mesa mountain, which already has an indigenous Pemon name: Auyan-tepui, or Aiyan-tepuy, which means "Devil Mountain", according to Father Cesareo Armellada's "Diccionario Pemon".

Following his first flypast of the falls in 1933, Jimmie Angel attempted a landing on Auyan-tepui in 1937 but his Flamingo monoplane "El Rio Caroni" sank into soft ground.

The crash left Jimmie, his wife Marie (shown left with Jimmie) and the Venezuelans Gustavo Heny and Miguel Delgado stranded atop the isolated mountain. They had limited supplies and had to trek to safety through unexplored terrain.

It took Angel and his party 11 exhausting days to make their way down to the Pemon village of Kamarata.

As news of their adventure spread across the globe, Jimmie Angel's name became inextricably linked with the waterfall, which was named Angel Falls in honour of his exploits.

The "Rio Caroni" was eventually taken down from the top of Auyan-tepui by the Venezuelan Air Force in the 1970s and now stands outside Ciudad Bolivar airport, where modern-day tourists start their trips to Canaima Camp, the starting point for river trips to Angel Falls and flyovers in small planes.

Angel died aged 57 of injuries sustained in a plane accident in Panama in 1956.

In July 1960, in line with his wishes, Jimmie Angel's ashes were scattered over the falls by his two sons.

President Chavez acknowledged that Angel "was the first one to see it from a plane", but insisted the falls should have an indigenous name.

"That is ours, and was a long time before Angel ever got there... how many millions of indigenous eyes saw it, and prayed to it?" he added.

Referring at first to Churun-Meru, the Pemon name for a smaller waterfall that cascades from the Auyan-tepui mountain, Mr Chavez was subsequently corrected by his daughter Maria, who passed him a note stating the correct Pemon name for the falls is Kerepakupai-Meru, meaning "waterfall of the deepest place".

"Nobody should speak of Angel Falls any more," said the president.

However, there could be a challenge to the new name. While some Pemon refer to the waterfall as Kerepakupai-Meru, it is referred to in older reports as Parekupa-Meru, from the Pemon words kupa meaning "deep water", pare meaning "more", and meru meaning "waterfall".

The Venezuelan president's call for a name change comes at a moment of increasing interest in the world's highest waterfall. It featured as "Paradise Falls" in the Pixar/Disney movie "Up" and has made it into the final 28 candidates of a global internet campaign to find the New Seven Wonders of Nature.

By Russell Maddicks

Report on Jimmie Angel and the "discovery" of Angel Falls

Auyan-tepui, Angel Falls and Pemon myths

Angel Falls competing to be one of the 7 Wonders of Nature

Video clip of Angel Falls from David Attenborough's BBC series "Planet Earth"

Pixar's movie "Up" explores Venezuela's Lost World of Roraima, Angel Falls

Spectacular video clip of oldest base Jumper to leap from the top of Angel Falls


View of the falls from a pool below the "Mirador", where in the dry season visitors can bathe in the waters of Salto Angel. (All photos are the property of Russell Maddicks)

La Gran Sabana - Spectacular slideshow of images

Venezuela: Paradise of Birds

With its distinctive geographic areas encompassing Caribbean beaches and Andean mountains, and its location on a major migration route, Venezuela has a growing reputation as one of the most spectacular countries in the world for birdwatching, or birding as it is known to practitioners.

International twitchers flock to the Llanos to see elegant White egrets, prehistoric Hoatzins and giant Jabirus. Others visit the cloud forests of the Henri Pitter National Park, on the roads to Cuyagua or Choroni, to see Rufous-cheeked Tanagers and White-tipped Quetzals, or trek through the jungles of Amazonas State to try and catch a glimpse of a rare Harpy Eagle, a magnificent predator that can snatch a monkey or a sloth from the high canopy without missing a wing beat.

Few visitors can fail to be impressed by the Guacharo Cave in Caripe and the nocturnal Oilbirds that fly out en masse to feed as the sun sets.

So what is about Venezuela's bird life that's so unique? We spoke to British bird expert Chris Sharpe, who has been working in conservation and as a birding guide in Venezuela since 1988.



Venezuela has been described as a "Paradise of Birds". Is this because of the numbers of birds you can see in the country or the unique species you find there?

Both. An average two week guided trip to northern Venezuela will encounter 500 plus bird species - not far off the total number ever recorded in the UK. Unique species might include anything from the skulking Merida Tapaculo to the showy Northern Screamer, or from the diminutive and - until recently - almost unknown Scallop-breasted Antpitta to the stunning White-tipped Quetzal. Showy birds like our two Cocks-of-the-Rock, Scarlet Ibis, the three Hawk-Eagles, Solitary Eagle, Harpy Eagle and Red Siskin are more easily and regularly seen in Venezuela than anywhere else.

In terms of endemic species what are the highlights and where can you see them?

The main areas of endemism are the uplands: the Tepuis, the Andes and the Coastal Cordilleras. Venezuela has dozens of endemic species and, in addition to some of those mentioned above, they include the Pygmy Palm-Swift of the Maracibo Basin, the woodpecker-like Chestnut Piculet of the arid northwest, Merida's Rose-crowned Parakeet, the colourful Venezuelan Troupial, the cryptic Guttulated Foliage-gleaner of the Coastal Cordillera, and the aptly-named Flutist Wren and Red-banded Fruiteater of the Tepui region.

How does Venezuela compare to other countries in the region such as Colombia, Brazil or Peru?

Brazil, Colombia and Peru vie for the status of top country for birds, with over 1,700 species recorded in each. Venezuela boasts 1,340 species, making it number six on a world ranking. However, Venezuela is relatively compact and has a better transport network than any of the others, so it is ideal for the birders who pursue these species.

How long typically do most birders spend in the country and what is a typical itinerary?

The birders we assist spend anything from a day (tacked onto a business visit, for example) to three months, but two weeks is the duration of a typical trip for the nature tour companies we supply. Our most popular itinerary is Henri Pittier National Park, the Merida Andes and one of the Hatos in the llanos with about five days in each region. After that, people usually return for a fortnight to bird the Paria Peninsula, Oilbird Cave and Tepuis.

Where would you take somebody just starting out as a birdwatcher?

The Avila National Park, adjoining Caracas is a wonderful place to start. Over the years, I've taken many beginners there and we have observed anything from White-tailed Nightjars to Lilac-tailed Parrotlets and Foothill Screech-Owls to Ornate Hawk-Eagles!

What should people be aware of before they come birding in Venezuela?

The main thing to remember is that Venezuela is more of a challenge to the independent birder than, say, Costa Rica, Belize or Mexico. Few people speak English, permits to access birding areas are tricky to obtain, car hire is a nightmare and security is a concern. For that reason, most people engage a reputable local guide or form part of an organised tour.

Is there a "bible" to birding in Venezuela or do tourists need to hunt around for information?

Venezuela is one of the best known countries for birding and there is a long and distinguished ornithological tradition with a wealth of published information. The twin Testaments are Mary Lou Goodwin's "Birding in Venezuela" which advises on where to go and Steve Hilty's "Birds of Venezuela" which helps you to identify what you see.

What is your favourite place for birdwatching?

My favourite place is the Tepui region, especially the Canaima National Park, with La Escalera being about as good as it gets for me - anywhere in the world. I first visited the Tepuis in the 1980s and have had the pleasure to return many times since that and even work there. Sierra de Perija and Junglaven are close seconds.

When did you first come to Venezuela and why?

Together with three fellow students, I organised a zoological expedition for the University of Cambridge. Based above the village of Macuro, we studied the threatened endemic birds of the Paria Peninsula for BirdLife International and Flora and Fauna International. I became involved with Provita and the Venezuelan Audubon Society and stayed to work on conservation projects.

Was it a shock coming from your hometown of Yorkshire in the north of England to the tropical wilds of Venezuela?

No. It was a wonderful experience, not in the least shocking. I was so warmly received by the Venezuelans that I decided to stay.

Are there any birds in Venezuela that you still haven't ticked on your list?

Oh yes, there are probably hundreds to go. However, I am not a "lister", so I can't tell you just how many. I like the idea that there is always something new and unknown for me out there!

Can you describe your most magical birding moment in Venezuela?
Probably rediscovering the Recurve-billed Bushbird, a bird that had not been seen since 1964, during an exploration of the Sierra de Perijá. I had heard a song I did not recognise and knew it must be the Bushbird. I whistled an imitation and, after a short interval, a male and female dropped into the mist net. It was such a privilege to be the first ornithologist to set eyes on these birds for half a century.

Is there a single word that sums up the experience of birdwatching in Venezuela?

"Crippling" is a term that British birders often use - perhaps "astonishing" would be a fair translation.

For more information about birding in Venezuela visit Chris Sharpe's comprehensive website: http://www.birdvenezuela.com. Alternatively you can contact him direct by email at sharpebirder@gmail.com. Chris owns and runs Venezuela's premier bird tour operator, Birding Venezuela, which organises Venezuela tours for the major British and American bird tour companies. In addition to his conservation work, he leads bird tours throughout America, from Alaska to Argentina.

Click here for report about the Guacharo Cave in Caripe

Video: The Sights and Sounds of the Guacharo Cave

To see Steven L. Hilty's field guide "Birds of Venezuela" click here:

Pixar movie "Up" explores Venezuela's Lost World

"There's adventure out there!"

Venezuela makes it onto the big screen this May as Pixar's latest animated characters explore the mysterious tepui mountains of the Gran Sabana in the comedy movie "Up".

The movie is billed as "a 3-D tale about a grumpy old man who ties balloons to his house and floats away with it to the South American jungle."

Some insider sources have suggested that "Up" is a loose adaptation of Miguel de Cervantes classic novel "Don Quixote", but it's more like the Wizard of Oz.

The story revolves around a curmudgeonly old balloon salesman called Carl Fredricksen (voiced by Ed Asner), a 78-year-old widower who promised his late wife Ellie that he would take her away to "Paradise Falls", the most beautiful and awe-inspiring waterfall in South America (based on Venezuela's Angel Falls).

When developers threaten to move him into an old people's home, he decides to fulfill his promise to Ellie and embarks on a barmy plan to explore the globe in his own house.

However, after tying 10,000 ballons to his home and sailing up into the sky he gets a nasty shock when he finds an 8-year-old Wilderness Ranger called Russell stowed away on his front porch.

A report in Entertainment Weekly quotes co-director Pete Docter - who directed Monster Inc. - saying the Pixar team initially considered a desert island for Carl and Russell's destination but finally settled on Venezuela's majestic tabletop mountains after visiting the highest waterfall in the world Angel Falls and climbing a tepui called Mount Roraima.

This area in the far south of Venezuela near the borders with Brazil and Guyana is known as "The Lost World" after a 1912 adventure novel of the same name by Arthur Conan Doyle - the creator of Sherlock Holmes - which tells the tale of a group of British explorers who climb a tepui only to find deadly dinosaurs and terrifying pterodactyls inhabiting its summit.

Conan Doyle based his imaginary Lost World on descriptions of Mount Roraima by the first people to climb it, Everard Im Thurn and Harry I. Perkins, who were on an 1884 expedition to conquer the mountain sponsored by the Royal Geographical Society.

Im Thurn described the summit of the flat-topped mountain as having "wildly extraordinary scenery" and "rocks and pinnacles of extraordinary shapes; seeming to defy every law of gravity!"

Anybody who's ever been to the summit of Roraima will instantly understand Im Thurn's wonder at the ancient black rocks of the summit and the strange shapes they have been worn into by eons of erosion by the rain.

The explorer marveled at "rocks ridiculous at every point with countless apparent caricatures of the faces and forms of men and animals, apparent caricatures of umbrellas, tortoises, churches, cannons and of innumerable other incongruous and unexpected objects."

The Pixar team have done an incredible job of recreating the strange summit of Roraima in Up.

To make sure they got the feel of such an otherwordly place, the director Pete Docter and 11 Pixar artists climbed Roraima in 2004.

"We hiked up to the top of the mountain and stayed there for three nights, painting and sketching," Docter says, adding "it was great" and "everybody made it out alive."

In another interview he described Venezuela's Lost World of tepui mountains as "a fantastic, weird place" with the "oldest rock on earth".

Ronnie Del Carmen, a story artist who worked on the film, writes on his blog that visiting Roraima was "the grand daddy of all research trips. Easily the most adventurous, rigorous trip I've ever been involved in (and I've been in a few. They are a walk in the park by comparison)."

According to del Carmen there was "danger at every turn: snakes, falling off cliffs, lethal bugs, spelunking under a crumbling cave ceiling... you know, fun."

"Up!" will be the first Pixar film to be presented in Disney Digital 3-D.

It is also the first animated feature to ever kick off the prestigious Cannes film festival - after it shared the limelight on 13 May with Quentin Tarantino's movie "Inglourious Basterds" and Terry Gilliam's "The Imaginarium of Dr Parnassus" - Heath Ledger's last movie.

Pixar's Up will go on US release on 29 May and a video game based on the movie came out on 26 May.

By Russell Maddicks

To buy the DVD of "Up!" in the UK click here:

To buy the DVD of "Up!" in the USA click here:



To buy "UP: The Video Game" click here:




Arthur Conan Doyle's epic adventure yarn "The Lost World" is set in Venezuela's Gran Sabana region


Related posts:

Report on Jimmie Angel and the "Discovery" of Angel Falls

Auyan-tepui, Angel Falls and Pemon myths

Video clip of Angel Falls from David Attenborough's BBC series "Planet Earth"

Spectacular video clip of oldest base Jumper to leap from the top of Angel Falls

Indigenous Pemon myth: "The Great Flood and the Creation of Roraima"




From Disney*Pixar comes "Up", a comedy adventure about 78-year-old balloon salesman Carl Fredericksen, who finally fulfills his lifelong dream of a great adventure when he ties thousands of balloons to his house and flies away to the wilds of South America.

But he discovers all too late that his biggest nightmare has stowed away on the trip: an overly optimistic 8-year-old Wilderness Explorer named Russell.

'Up' takes audiences on a thrilling journey where the unlikely pair encounter wild terrain, unexpected villains and jungle creatures.

From the Academy Award-nominated director Pete Docter (Monsters, Inc.), Disney*Pixar's "Up" invites you on a hilarious journey into a lost world, with the least likely duo on Earth.

Up will be presented in Disney Digital 3-D in select theatres.

Make Angel Falls one of the 7 Wonders of Nature

Newsflash! The results are in and Angel Falls is one of the 28 finalists vying to become one of the New Seven Wonders of Nature. Read about it here:

After the success of the 7 New Wonders of the World campaign in 2007, the organizers have now launched a similar internet search for the Seven Wonders of Nature and Venezuela's Angel Falls could be one of them - if enough people vote for it.

Back in 2007 more than 100 million people from all over the world cast votes for hundreds of architechural gems.

The final seven Wonders of the World were Machu Picchu in Peru, the Pyramid of Chichen Itza in Mexico, Christ the Redeemer in Rio, Brazil, the Colosseum, in Rome, Italy, the Great Wall of China, the ancient city of Petra in Jordan, and the Taj Mahal in India.

This time it's all about natural treasures and, apart from Angel Falls, Venezuela has seven other candidates, including the Los Roques Archipelago, Auyantepui Mountain, Mount Roraima, Pico Bolivar, Sarisarinama Mountain, the Guacharo Cave, the Gran Sabana and Canaima National Park.

The voting system is simple, you just have to visit this page and introduce your email and a few details that they promise will not be used for any purposes apart from the voting.

Basically, every vote counts, so please get in there and give the Venezuelan candidates some votes.

Angel Falls, the highest waterfall in the world, has a good chance of making it into the final 21 if we all mobilize our friends and families to make their votes count.

On 29 September, Angel Falls was 29th on the the live ranking list of the 77 top candidates, with Asia dominating all the spots in the top 10. That's a pretty cool result, considering that Mount Everest is at number 12.

And there's a long way still to go.

Voting for the nominees will continue through to 31 December 2008, when the candidates will be whittled down to one per country, with only the top candidate from each country being allowed to proceed.

Then on 7 July, 2009 the New7Wonders of Nature panel led by Professor Federico Mayor, former Director-General of UNESCO, will review the top 77 nominees and choose 28 finalists, to be announced on 21 July 2009.

Those 28 finalists will then be put to the popular vote.

But before that it's important that the Venezuelan entries get official support. Angel Falls has support from a sponsoring body in Venezuela but it has not been officially recognized yet.

Meanwhile, Iguazu Falls has the full backing of Brazil and Argentina.

Rather ominously, a note on the new7Wonders website for Angel Falls says that unless the issue of sponsorship is resolved Angel Falls "will be eliminated from the finalist section".

But don't despair. Get voting. And lets get all the Venezuelan entries high on that top 77 list, where they deserve to be.

By Russell Maddicks

Report on Jimmie Angel and the "Discovery" of Angel Falls

Video clip of Angel Falls from David Attenborough's BBC series "Planet Earth"

Spectacular video clip of oldest base Jumper to leap from the top of Angel Falls

Travel article: Cueva del Guacharo - Oilbirds and Elephant Ears