Islas Los Testigos (The witness Islands) Our position now 11.21.53N 63.07.77W
Chaser 2
Yvonne Chapman
Sun 5 Aug 2007 02:46
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Having left Trinidad, an Island so different from
the rest of the Windward and Leeward islands, we arrive in the islands of Los
Testigos which are different agian. They are a small group of about five islands
the largest being about two miles long. The total population being only 180
people. This is our first taste of Venezuela, the language is Spanish and has
that feel to it, albeit a little more traditional. We traveled here with our
buddy boat 'Waylander' and when we arrived took a stroll on the beach and sand
dunes. As you an see from the first two photos the sand is white and the
remoteness is stunning. Few people visit here, only the cruising sailboats that
divert here on the way to or from the mainlands en-route east or
west.
The people here survive it would seem on fishing.
There is no agriculture to speak of, the land is dry and quite baron. The locals
do have some goats and chickens and there are many wild Iguanas but most
things have to be bought and brought from the mainland of Venezuela or Isla
Margarita 40 miles away. There are no gas stations, no telephones, newspapers or
even shops. They do have electric from their generators but even then the diesel
has to be collected from the mainland. One or twice a week the men get into
their boats for a trip to the mainland to buy their fuel for their generators
and outboards, some stores maybe, and if they have room a couple more planks of
wood for the fishing boat they are building. There is a school for the children
to the age of 14, they then choose whether to continue the education on
the mainland or join the fathers and grandfathers as fishermen. The boys choose
to fish. You can't say it's a tough existence, as you an see there
are far worse places to be poor in. They live as many of us caught up in the rat
race dream we could do when we retire.
The snorkeling was good, as good as Tobago, the
waters were quite clear albeit with a greenish tinge as a result of the effluent
from the River Orinoco. A Moray eel, stuck his head out as I was passing, he
didn't like my camera and appeared to silently growl as I took his picture. The
two fish are called cow fish for obvious reasons, but although you can't
appreciate from the foto they were at least two feet long. I've seen similar
before but only about 6 inches in length.
The other two fotos show first, the shopping mall,
the only shop, in fact its a house that has a trunk with some souvenirs in,
necklaces, mini hammocks for fruit and veg, a bikini or two, and that's it, they
do sell beer, so you an take a cold one while looking at her wares. The
coastguard outpost is the long building with the Venezuelan flag
outside.
We (Chis Tony and ourselves) spent 3 days in these
glorious Islands, we enjoyed the sunsets and sundowners, the distant merengue
style music but now it is time, again, to move on, this time to Isla
Margarita.
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