My life in “Gran Sabana” – delivery #1. Indigenous community of Kumarakapay.

One of the most beautiful and ancient places on the planet is in Venezuela. Located in the south of Bolivar State, it is part of Canaima National Park. It's a fascinating place, majestic, infinite. The eyes are not able to cover the immense expanse of land, adorned in the background by spectacular stony mountains called "Tepuyes".

Its inhabitants are mainly indigenous to the ethnic Pemón, so this place is special to let us know our oldest cultures, we approach our ancestral origins and direct contact with the cultural manifestations of our Indigenous.

I am married to one of them, hailing from these lands, specifically from the community of Kumarakapay. It is a hamlet located just on the edge of the road "trunk 10" that leads us to Santa Elena de Uairén, last town of Venezuela on the border with our immense neighbor, Brazil.

Aerial view of Kumarakapay -Source

And here's a shot from the road - Source

Being the wife of a Pemón Indigenous, leader of his people, I have many experiences in the Gran Sabana: places that not many know, customs, habits, legends, tastes (I love their meals) and even a little of their complicated language.

My husband is a graduate of the prestigious University of Carabobo, with a degree in Mathematics. He speaks perfectly his native language called Taurepan and knows in depth his ancestral culture. In this photo, we married a second time, but that's another story ...

Here we are ... Red Skin and Pale Face, LOL!!!

Many people know the Gran Sabana, but not many have had the privilege of living in it for five incredible years, seeing Mount Roraima from the garden of their house.
Although I no longer live in this paradise, I visit with my family every year, without fail; and every time I go (24 hours overland) I feel the same amazement, the same excitement, the same admiration I felt the first time I saw this incredible and immense place.

As I have many experiences and photographic records, I have decided to make a series of deliveries so that I can share my experiences, all of them colorful and impregnated with the beauty of the savannah.
In high seasons the Savannah is filled with tourists and visitors, but the rest of the year the Gran Sabana is just for us, almost a private paradise.

Here, my beautiful son Luis Carlos spent his first years of life and in these photos, I show you what it is like to play outdoors, completely owner of the landscape.

Growing in direct contact with earth, sky, the sun, and water is a great blessing that not all children have in these modern times. Here we see him playing with the pebbles, natural elements that called his attention since he was a baby.

Here, we see my son in this natural jacuzzi for him alone.
In this photo, he was about 4 years old.

And here, being about 11 years old, he does not lose the habit

The water in the savannah is freezing, very cold. But this native of these lands is not afraid of cold!

After a bath like this, it is inevitable to finish completely relaxed...

This is the Yuruany River, near which the community was founded.
This river has a length of 290 km; It is born in the mountain massifs of
El Yagual and flows to find the river Cuyuni in the vicinity of
El Dorado City.

Although, at first I do not like the icy water and I find it hard to enter it, once there I can enjoy long and relaxing baths. Here is a photo of the family bath:

Baths in the river are not just for pleasure. We also do it as personal hygiene and, sometimes, we are going to wash our clothes, which can be a quite fun experience if done with family. Of course, the soap we use should be biodegradable to protect the water.

This is a very contrasting place; although far from the main cities (9 hours of way by land the nearest) here we can get everything; in addition to multiple inns and restaurants, you can find many imported products like Tupperware®, Herbalife®, Amway® and many other things you would not expect to find in a place like this.

Here, for example, we are enjoying an energizing drink in a Herbalife Club (without advertising mention):

Another attraction of the community of Kumarakapay is its stone church. It is a temple belonging to the Seventh-day Adventist Church, a religion practiced by the majority of the community. There are several stone churches in the Gran Sabana in addition to this one. Uroi-Uarai, Wramasen, etc.

Seventh-day Adventist Church

In next stories, I will tell you the many activities that the community performs like cycling, marathons and triathlons, the Fair of Tumá, championships of hoop and arrow, etc., where people from many parts of the world participate, especially Brazilians, Germans, Canadians, Japanese, Americans, etc.
I will also tell you about the culinary art of Pemón and my failed attempt to learn how to make the famous “Casabe”.

I hope you liked my first installment of "My Life in La Gran Sabana" and I say goodbye thanking in the language Pemon: Waküpe man!

@kaizag

Notes: All photos belong to me, except those that have the source at the foot.