Every time I have been to the Gran Sabana, from the time I was 20 until today – that is, 50 years later – they have been revealing journeys. Journeys of infinite wonder that transform me forever. Nature tells me the truth. It resolves my anxieties. It makes me radiant. Fullness settles in my body and soul.

No other region of Venezuela leaves such a strong impression on me. And while it is true that I want to show my grandchildren all of Venezuela before I die, I had a special desire to celebrate my 70th birthday in Gran Sabana and to do so with them. Decades are defining. I believe in celebrating them where appropriate. And I am not asking astrologers. Not at all. I am asking my soul.

The 60s were in these lands where the planet originated and it was a glorious decade in my life. I became a grandmother and also a Youtuber. I fell in love. I learned that I was capable of making my own videos. I became more creative than ever. Life taught me that whatever I do with true determination and conviction, I will achieve it. So I planned a trip. Not as I had thought, which was by road from Caracas, stopping in Puerto Ordaz and then the savannah. But by plane Caracas – Canaima and then Canaima – Santa Elena de Uairén. I understood and accepted my daughter Arianna’s argument that these 10hour trips are not for small children.
In short, my desire to reach the Gran Sabana was fulfilled. The flight with full visibility crossing the Canaima National Park from one sector to the other was amazing. In Santa Elena de Uairén, Odimar and his family, friends and guides were waiting for us.

From the first stop at the Quebrada de Jaspe I knew that my grandchildren Rio and Teo would be happy. They are wild children. Of water and nature. They walked on that red stone surprised, but without fear. It was all for them because it was not the season and neither was it the weekend. Full rainy season. The rivers were full. And so it was with every jump. In every river. In every pool.
They walked over the rocks and through the swamp. Along the paths and through the savannah. While the waterfall of the Yuruaní River fell wildly, Rio and Teo found pleasant pools in the rock savannah and bathed there, dipping their feet and hands in. Nature became an amusement park for the two of them. They jumped into the pool and Rio experienced the current in Soroape with his dad at his side. They met the puri puris, the evil plague of the savannah that settled on their legs, arms and face.

But they didn't turn it into a tragedy or a lament because the savannah was compensating them with a sun that was unthinkable in the rainy season. Camping was tough. It was the first time for both of them. Rio at 4 years old and Teo at 1 year and 2 months old. Next to a pool that required a little path to get down. We woke up under a strong torrent of water that lasted all night. Rio decided to pee in the early morning and it was a complication for his dad, but not for him who continued sleeping happily afterwards. But there were never any complaints from either of them.

Their mother was the one who was worried. It was a new adventure for them. You might think that they are too young for a trip like that. I know that they will not forget it. That these moments make them grow. And that when one day they return to the Gran Sabana, somewhere in their memory these moments will be activated, a gift from their grandmother Tina.



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