We arrived in Ciudad Bolivar on the 6th February after a two stage, 18 hour bus journey from Merida which featured a Venezuelan special, the utterly freezing night bus. They really go over the top on the air conditioning here and it's quite amusing to see all the Venezuelans with hats & coats etc on in such a hot country. We had to wrap up warm too. The excuse we've heard for this is that the cold temperatures minimise the smell from the toilet!! Ciudad Bolivar is the gateway town for the Angel Falls and we arranged a tour to there via the excellent Posada we stayed in here. We also met an English couple (Sue and Will)and their son Tom who we also met in Merida, doing the Catacumbo trip who had also booked the Angel Falls for the same time as us. Ciudad Bolivar really isn't much of a city (more of that later) and is also bloody hot. Normally, it's the dry season this time of year and boat trips to the Angel Falls have stopped as the river levels are too low. However, the rainy season continued very late this year meaning that we got lucky and were able to do the trip. Another week or so later and the tours would have to stop for a few months. Indeed we heard conditions were perfect as the weather was dry for the boat trip but their was sufficent water to be able to make the trip at all plus enough water coming over the falls itself to make it spectacular. In the dry season the water is a faint ribbon of mist. Our Angel Falls trip, starting on the 7th was a three day, two night affair that started with a one hour flight on a six seater Cessna plane to the Canaima National Park, where the Angel Falls is. This was a highlight in itself with terrific views of the park, rivers and mountains. We started the long journey to the remote Angel Falls very soon after we disembarked from the plane. Our mode of transport were long, wooden boats sitting two abreast to make the 5 or so hour journey up the river to the falls. The jungle and tepuis (flat topped) mountain scenery was spectacular although there was little in the way of wildlife and the boat seats were damned uncomfortable and there were some seriously sore backs by the time we made camp around 5pm. The camp was very close to the falls giving us an early, spectacular viewing before we enjoyed a swim in the river then dinner and bed in our hammocks. The next morning we made a tricky one hour walk to the vantage point and swimming pool, on a level below the falls. The view of the falls at 963m high was superb and the swimming even better. It was a great feeling to be swimming below a water fall, look up and see the Angel Falls, nearly 1km above you. We were also able to watch helicopters, flying just over us taking toursits on $400 trips and landing precariously on the level above us. After lunch we were back in the boats for another uncomfortable 4 hour journey back on the boats back to the camp near the airport where we stayed in fairly basic lodgings. The 3rd and final day at the Canaima lagoon was every bit as good as the Angel Falls itself. This place was magical, a real paradise. It had a georgeous white sandy beach and was lined with palm trees plus it had huge waterfalls at one end. We were able to walk behind the curtain of one of the waterfalls, the El Sapito. This was a totally exhilarating, unique experience. After lunch we finished our trip with another plane ride back to Ciudad Bolivar. Aside from slight reservations about the uncomfortable boat and a couldn't care less guide this was one of the highlights of our trip so far. The next day (the 10th) we had a bus booked in the evening to Santa Elena on the Brazillian border so we just killed time that day, a process helped by a 2 hour wait at the bank to get money. Later as we walked back to our posda after an early dinner to get our luggage to go to the bus terminal it was time for that essential South American travel experience; being robbed at gunpoint. Yes, you read that right but don't be alarmed, all is well. It happened right outside the posada believe it or not, in daylight. We're 99.9% sure it was the same guy who robbed two Norwegian girls who were on our Angel Falls trip the day before at the same place. Jo is kicking herself because she saw him as we walked to the Posada and sensed it was him but before she could say anything he was walking towards Stuart with a gun. Fortunately Stuart only had around 16 quid on him so he reluctantly handed the money over (no time to be a hero) whilst Jo rang ther posada bell hoping someone would open the door but no-one came in time. The guy then scuttled off round the corner to the sound of Stuart, swearing in frustration at him before the staff in the Posada opened the door. We were obviously shaken up a little but this soon turned to feelings of anger and frustration that something like this could happen at such a place and time. The posada owners were obviously concerned (and so they should be with two robberies in two nights) but didn't seem bothered about calling the police as they felt the police wouldn't care. Ludicrous, but thats the way things are here. We caught our bus an hour later consoling ourselves tha at least he didn't try and rob us a couple of hours earlier when we were coming back from the bank with a stash of cash, Stuarts bank card and passport. Now that really would have been a nightmare! Every cloud has a silver lining.