Jakera Lodge & Mochima Kayak Tour

We took a ferry off Isla Margarita on July 2. The ferry was a long way from Playa el Agua. We started our journey at 6am, walking the main road with heavy backpacks in search of a taxi. After 20 mins we caught one and drove for an hour across the Isla to the ferry terminal, not knowing what time the ferry was leaving or how to purchase a ticket. We arrived a the terminal about 8:15 and we sad to realize we were at the boarding area, with no tickets! A very nice taxi driver saw our distress, and after some very weak Spanglish he figured out we needed tickets. A short taxi ride, a very nice ticket lady learning English, and all was well as we made the 9am ferry!

It said in Lonely Planet that the slow ferry took about 4 and a half hours to get to Puerta La Cruz. After 6 hours we were hot, sweaty, a little seasick, and quickly losing patience as we tired of the stink of gas fumes, children and noise. We eventually made it, and after a short taxi ride to the bus terminal and a brief introduction to Puerta La Cruz, we were off to Jakera Lodge!

We made it to Jakera Lodge in Playa Colorada around 5pm. We were very, very happy to find a lively place with lots of friendly faces from all over the world. Everyone who was there had arrived a day earlier to start an eight week traveling Spanish course, so after some discussion, we joined the group for the time we would be there. The program had different events happening each day, with 4 hours of Spanish classes. We have a great teacher named Isaias (try pronouncing that one!), and with 20 hours of Spanish classes under our belts we can now make some sentences.This really, really helps us out in the day to day in this country, and no doubt the rest as we go along, and we now feel a lot more confident asking for what we need.We also got breakfast and dinner included, and with a little convenience store with beer, and a fruit and veg stand nearby, lunch wasn´t difficult either. One of the activities one night was a merengue class/competition, which ended up being won by the Canadians!! Along with the friends we´ve made, this place has been just perfect for us!

The next big thing on the schedule was the kayak tour. 16 students and two guides/Spanish teachers set out Saturday for our 3 day kayak tour of Parque Nacional Mochima. There are tons of islands around this area, not so unlike the West Coast in Canada, except the water is like a bath, the foliage birds and animals way different, and the temperatures over 30+ degrees everyday!

The first day was about 2 hours paddling along the coast, and then more open ocean to get to our camp. Camp was on a peninsula and called La Peña. On the way we spotted two pods of dolphins from far away, but still awesome to see. The next day was a 6 hour tour around 2 Islas to snorkel and tour around. As seems to be the norm in Venezuela, everyone was up at 6am, fed and packed up and ready to depart by 8am.

The first spot was a snorkeling spot with a chance to jump in the water to cool off - man was it ever needed! The water was a calm as a lake and we spotted two more pods of dolphins, but again from a far distance. After that we paddled to a pristine beach with awesome snorkeling to and to stop for lunch. Jess and I hand in hand, snorkeling with beautiful fish all around was truly a moment to remember! We saw parrot fish, butterfly fish, trumpeter fish and all kinds of colourful ones we have no idea of the names!

Next was on to the open ocean where we felt some swell and some waves as we paddled and used most of our energy. We rounded the bend and back to calmer waters and a short break. Two hours to go and the heat and exhaustion had taken its toll. But then, all of a sudden, we could see lots of birds, and then a pod of dolphins chasing a school of fish! The sight of these heading straight at us and the dolphins jumping out of the water at full speed put some needed energy back into our tired bodies! Excited by the dolphins and the sight of home, we finished our paddling and made it back to La Peña.

The next day we packed up camp and headed to La Piscina, a teeny island inbetween two bigger ones, that was like a swimming pool with an abondoned house built on it. It is paradise itself here. A coral reef surrounds the island and a private beach is the house´s backyard. WOW is all we could say. We spent an hour here, then had one hour to go to make it back to Jakera Lodge. The weather was perfect, the seas calm, and on the last stretch we got within 10 metres of another pod of dolphins just cruising along. One jumped about 5 metres from our kayak! We couldn´t have asked for a better kayaking experience in Mochima - more memories to last a lifetime!

Kayaking in Parque Nacional Mochima

Colin´s best Monday ever!!

La Piscina

Playa Colorada