Shibam is an ancient city in Yemen. Yemen before the war: Mud skyscrapers, Shibam
Tepuis have a very interesting structure - the plateaus of many of them have many karst sinkholes with a diameter of up to 300 meters, formed as a result of the collapse of the arches of underground river tunnels, as well as caves washed out by water, the most famous of which - Abismo Guy Collet - reaches 672 -meter depth.
Descent into the karst sinkhole:
Small sinkhole on the Roraima plateau:
From the language of the Pemon Indians, “tepui” is translated as “house of the gods,” which is not strange, because high mountains, shrouded in fluffy clouds, may well serve as a habitat for such important people. Tepuis, for the most part standing far from each other, rise above the jungle with varied, inaccessible cliffs, which makes them a unique refuge for endemic flora and fauna.
The highest tepuis include Piso de Neblina (3,014 meters), Pico Phelps (2,992 meters), Roraima (2,810 meters) and Cerro Marahuaca (2,800 meters).
The most famous South American mesas are Auyantepui, Autana and Roraima.
Auyantepui:
On the surface of Auyantepui:
Auyantepui has the status of the largest of the tepuis, the surface area of its plateau reaches 715 km². In addition, the tallest waterfall in the world, Angel, begins its spectacular fall from the top of this mountain. The high fall height - 979 meters - leads to the fact that, before reaching the surface of the earth, the water scatters into tiny splashes and turns into a thick fog that envelops the surrounding area.
Angel Falls:
Evening view of Angel:
One of the most beautiful tepuis - Autana - rises 1300 meters above the forest and rocks. It is special in that it is permeated through and through by a cave that goes from one end to the other. The Autani plateau is decorated with dark gray rocks of the most bizarre shapes, and the surrounding sinkholes are filled with the purest water.
Tepui Autana:
– the highest tepui in Venezuela. Its height is 2810 meters, and the top - a plateau with an area of 34 km² - is completely covered with dense vegetation, fancy stones, steep depressions, caves, small lakes and swamps. Local Indians call Mount Roraima “the navel of the earth” and believe that the ancestor of the human race, the goddess Quinn, lives on its top.
Tepui Roraima:
These three, as well as many other lesser-known but equally beautiful tepuis, are located in national park Canaima, lying in the southeastern part of Venezuela, at the junction of Brazil and Guyana. The reserve, which stores priceless natural resources on its territory, is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Tepui Kukenan:
Night view of Kukenan:
The nature of Canaima National Park is extremely diverse and unique. In addition to the majestic table mountains, hung with beautiful waterfalls, in the park you can see rare species flora and fauna that are found exclusively in this area. For example, carnivorous plants lure insects into their beautiful fragrant traps and eat them. The foothills and slopes of the mountains are surrounded by cloud-covered forests, in which exquisite bromeliads and orchids stand out as bright spots. On the tops of the tepui, grasses and shrubs grow lushly. No less rich fauna Venezuelan park - here you can find monkeys of various sizes and types, jaguars, giant ants and many small animals. But the world of birds, which live in large numbers on this rich land, boasts the greatest diversity of species.
Local grasshopper, which is 15 cm long:
Venezuela's largest natural reserve, Canaima National Park, was founded in 1962 and is considered the oldest part Earth more than 2 million years old. This lost world, seemingly preserved by chance as it was many millions of years ago, is visited daily by thousands of tourists. You can get to these places from the capital of Venezuela by bus.
View of the tourist camp in Canaima Park:
In the Canaima National Park, vacationers are offered exciting canoe excursions along the lagoon, into which four waterfalls flow. Two of them - Golondrina and Ukaima - can be seen by canoeing, and under the other two - Acha and Sapo - there is a path along which you can walk inside the waterfall between the raging stream of water and the rock:
Lagoon in Canaima Park:
Acha Waterfall:
You can go to one of the most spectacular attractions of the park - Angel Falls, excursions to which are carried out either by boat or by plane. If you go on a boat excursion, you can see the picturesque Orchid Island along the way.
A very interesting excursion on a small plane to the Cavac Canyon, revealing all the beauties of Canaima from a bird's eye view.
Flying over Canaima:
After flying over the pristine land, the plane lands next to the Kavak Canyon, near which there is an Indian village of the same name.
Near Kavak Canyon:
Those who want to get to know the life of the aborigines of these lands better can go to the northern part of Canaima, where the settlement of the Pemon Indians is located. Here you have a unique opportunity to immerse yourself in an unknown culture, communicate with the aborigines, get acquainted with their rituals, traditions, legends and way of life, which has been preserved since ancient times.
Among other things, this area is shrouded in an aura of secrets and mysteries, which are told not only by ancient legends and myths, but also by reports of several expeditions organized by brave researchers. The last major official expedition to these remote places, namely Mount Roraima, was formed in 1965 by the son of the famous Juan Angel, the discoverer of the world's highest waterfall.
The expedition diary describes amazing world, in which the flat surface of the mountain top is covered with bizarre hills shaped like mushrooms, unusual depressions filled with water are scattered everywhere, and in addition to the animals already known to science, an unusual creature was discovered, which was called the Cadborosaurus. The previously unseen beast had the head of a horse and the body of a snake with humps on its back. Frogs hatching eggs and bloodsucking insects were also found here, which were not affected by any chemicals protection, giant ants more than 5 cm long, capable of biting small tree branches with their steel teeth.
The biggest discovery for scientists was the discovery of the remains of ancient animals that until recently lived in these places. There is an assumption that they died as a result of alien experiments. Scientists were prompted to this guess by a large round area discovered by the expedition, devoid of vegetation and completely strewn with silvery powder of unknown origin. Later laboratory studies showed that this is an alloy of rare metals, which is simply impossible to create under earthly conditions.
When examining the caves, researchers found a large number rock paintings, depicting fantastic animals and creatures vaguely similar to humans. The expedition members also discovered several crypts, inside of which there was thick fog and a sweet smell. Some members of the team, having inhaled this strange aroma, fell into a coma for several days, and when they woke up, they told their colleagues about incredible visions and trips to other worlds.
After this incident, it was decided to return back, but then a new surprise awaited the travelers: they could not find a way out of this enchanted world, as if some mysterious forces prevented this in every possible way.
Only a few months later, exhausted by the search for a way out, people managed to return home. They claim that they were helped by some unknown force, which picked them up and slowly lowered them to the central square of one of the Indian settlements.
When the scientists finally reached civilization, it was discovered that the families had long ago given up hope of their return: after all, the expedition, which was scheduled to return after several months of work, had been absent for four years.
For a long time, no expeditions were organized to this region, but today this lost world, which previously instilled fear in people, is visited daily by several dozen adventurers. For safety reasons, it is advisable to climb accompanied by an experienced guide.
In South America, Venezuela, Brazil and Guyana are home to stunning mesas called tepuis, whose unearthly landscapes look more like the set of a science-fiction film than reality. Today they are all part of the national park Canaima.
Scientists claim that these mountains, consisting of solid sandstone, with steep, almost vertical slopes and flat, truncated peaks, are the oldest in the world. They were formed as a result of the destruction of a huge plateau, which in prehistoric times extended from the shores Atlantic Ocean to the borders of the Orinoco, Amazon and Rio Negro river basins. Back in the days when Africa and South America were one whole, about 200 million years ago, this plateau arose on the site of a giant lake.
National Park Canaima in Venezuela
Tepuis have a very interesting structure - the plateaus of many of them have many karst sinkholes with a diameter of up to 300 meters, formed as a result of the collapse of the arches of underground river tunnels, as well as caves washed out by water, the most famous of which - Abismo Guy Collet - reaches 672 -meter depth.
From the language of the Pemon Indians, “tepui” is translated as “house of the gods,” which is not strange, because high mountains, shrouded in fluffy clouds, may well serve as the habitat of such important people. Tepuis, for the most part standing far from each other, rise above the jungle with varied, inaccessible cliffs, which makes them a unique refuge for endemic flora and fauna. 
Tepuis of Canaima Park
The highest tepuis include Piso de Neblina (3,014 meters), Pico Phelps (2,992 meters), Roraima (2,810 meters) and Cerro Marahuaca (2,800 meters).
The most famous South American mesas are Autana and Roraima.
Auyantepui has the status of the largest of the tepuis, the surface area of its plateau reaches 715 km². In addition, from the top of this mountain the tallest waterfall in the world begins its spectacular fall. The high fall height - 979 meters - leads to the fact that, before reaching the surface of the earth, the water scatters into tiny splashes and turns into a thick fog that envelops the surrounding area.
One of the most beautiful tepuis - Autana - rises 1300 meters above the forest and rocks. It is interesting because it is penetrated through and through by a cave that goes from one end to the other. The Autani plateau is decorated with dark gray rocks of the most bizarre shapes, and the surrounding sinkholes are filled with the purest water.
– the highest tepui in Venezuela. Its height is 2810 meters, and the top - a plateau with an area of 34 km² - is completely covered with dense vegetation, bizarre rocks, steep depressions, caves, small lakes and swamps. Local Indians call Mount Roraima “the navel of the earth” and believe that the ancestor of the human race, the goddess Quinn, lives on its top.
These three, as well as many other lesser-known but equally beautiful tepuis, are located in the national park Canaima, lying in the southeastern part of Venezuela, at the junction of Brazil and Guyana. The reserve, which stores priceless natural resources on its territory, is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Canaima: nature of the national park
The nature of Canaima National Park is extremely diverse and unique. In addition to the majestic table mountains, hung with beautiful waterfalls, in the park you can see rare species of flora and fauna that are found exclusively in this area. For example, carnivorous plants lure insects into their beautiful fragrant traps and eat them. The foothills and slopes of the mountains are surrounded by cloud-covered forests, in which exquisite bromeliads and orchids stand out as bright spots. On the tops of the tepui, grasses and shrubs grow lushly. The fauna of the Venezuelan park is no less rich - there are monkeys of various sizes and species, jaguars, giant ants and many small animals. But the world of birds, which live in large numbers on this rich land, boasts the greatest diversity of species. 
Excursions in Canaima
The largest natural reserve in Venezuela, Canaima National Park, was founded in 1962 and is considered the oldest part of the Earth, more than 2 million years old. This lost world, seemingly preserved by chance as it was many millions of years ago, is visited daily by thousands of tourists. You can get to these places from the capital of Venezuela by bus.
In Canaima Park, vacationers are offered exciting canoe excursions along the lagoon, into which four waterfalls flow. Two of them - Golondrina and Ukaima - can be seen by canoeing, and under the other two - Acha and Sapo - there is a path along which you can walk inside the waterfall between the raging stream of water and the rock:
You can go to one of the most spectacular attractions of the park - Angel Falls, excursions to which are carried out either by boat or by plane. If you go on a boat excursion, you can see the picturesque Orchid Island along the way.
A very interesting excursion on a small plane to the Cavac Canyon, revealing all the beauties of Canaima from a bird's eye view.
After flying over the pristine land, the plane lands next to the Kavak Canyon, near which there is an Indian village of the same name.
Those who want to get to know the life of the aborigines of these lands better can go to the northern part of Canaima, where the settlement of the Pemon Indians is located. Here you have a unique opportunity to immerse yourself in an unknown culture, communicate with the aborigines, get acquainted with their rituals, traditions, legends and way of life, which has been preserved since ancient times.
Mysteries of the Tepui of South America
Among other things, this area is shrouded in an aura of secrets and mysteries, which are told not only by ancient legends and myths, but also by reports of several expeditions organized by brave researchers. The last major official expedition to these remote places, namely Mount Roraima, was formed in 1965 by the son of the famous Juan Angel, the discoverer of the world's highest waterfall.
The expedition diary describes an amazing world in which the flat surface of the mountain top is covered with bizarre hills shaped like mushrooms, unusual depressions filled with water are scattered everywhere, and in addition to the animals already known to science, an unusual creature was discovered, which was called the Cadborosaurus. The previously unseen beast had the head of a horse and the body of a snake with humps on its back. Frogs hatching eggs, bloodsucking insects that were not affected by any chemical means of protection, and giant ants more than 5 cm long, capable of biting small tree branches with their steel teeth, were also found here.
The biggest discovery for scientists was the discovery of the remains of ancient animals that until recently lived in these places. There is an assumption that they died as a result of alien experiments. Scientists were prompted to this guess by a large round area discovered by the expedition, devoid of vegetation and completely strewn with silvery powder of unknown origin. Later laboratory studies showed that this is an alloy of rare metals, which is simply impossible to create under earthly conditions.
When examining the caves, researchers found a large number of rock paintings depicting fantastic animals and creatures vaguely similar to humans. The expedition members also discovered several crypts, inside of which there was thick fog and a sweet smell. Some members of the team, having inhaled this strange aroma, fell into a coma for several days, and when they woke up, they told their colleagues about incredible visions and trips to other worlds. 
After this incident, the decision was made to return, but then a new surprise awaited the travelers: they could not find a way out of this enchanted world, as if some mysterious forces were preventing this in every possible way.
Only a few months later, exhausted by the search for a way out, people managed to return home. They claim that they were helped by some unknown force, which picked them up and slowly lowered them to the central square of one of the Indian settlements.
When the scientists finally reached civilization, it was discovered that the families had long ago given up hope of their return: after all, the expedition, which was scheduled to return after several months of work, had been absent for four years.
In South America, Venezuela, Brazil and Guyana are home to stunning mesas called tepuis, whose unearthly landscapes look more like the set of a science-fiction film than reality. Scientists claim that these mountains, consisting of solid sandstone, with steep, almost vertical slopes and flat, truncated peaks, are the oldest in the world. They were formed as a result of the destruction of a huge plateau, which in prehistoric times stretched from the shores of the Atlantic Ocean to the boundaries of the Orinoco, Amazon and Rio Negro river basins. Back in the days when Africa and South America were one, about 200 million years ago, this plateau arose on the site of a giant lake.
From the language of the Pemon Indians, “tepui” is translated as “house of the gods,” which is not strange, because high mountains, shrouded in fluffy clouds, may well serve as the habitat of such important people. Tepuis, for the most part standing far from each other, rise above the jungle with varied, inaccessible cliffs, which makes them a unique refuge for endemic flora and fauna.
Tepuis have a very interesting structure - the plateaus of many of them have many karst sinkholes with a diameter of up to 300 meters, formed as a result of the collapse of the arches of underground river tunnels, as well as caves washed out by water, the most famous of which - Abismo Guy Collet - reaches 672 -meter depth.
Descent into a karst sinkhole 
The highest tepuis include Piso de Neblina (3,014 meters), Pico Phelps (2,992 meters), Roraima (2,810 meters) and Cerro Marahuaca (2,800 meters).
These three, as well as many other lesser-known but equally beautiful tepuis, are located in the Canaima National Park, which lies in the southeastern part of Venezuela, at the junction of Brazil and Guyana. The reserve, which stores priceless natural resources on its territory, is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Tepui Kukenan.
Night view of Kukenan.
Roraima is the highest tepui in Venezuela. Its height is 2810 meters, and the top - a plateau with an area of 34 km² - is completely covered with dense vegetation, bizarre rocks, steep depressions, caves, small lakes and swamps. Local Indians call Mount Roraima “the navel of the earth” and believe that the ancestor of the human race, the goddess Quinn, lives on its top.
A small sinkhole on the Roraima plateau.
Auyantepui has the status of the largest of the tepuis, the surface area of its plateau reaches 715 km². In addition, the tallest waterfall in the world, Angel, begins its spectacular fall from the top of this mountain. The high fall height - 979 meters - leads to the fact that, before reaching the surface of the earth, the water scatters into tiny splashes and turns into a thick fog that envelops the surrounding area. 
Evening view of Angel.
One of the most beautiful tepuis - Autana - rises 1300 meters above the forest and rocks. It is special in that it is permeated through and through by a cave that goes from one end to the other. The Autani plateau is decorated with dark gray rocks of the most bizarre shapes, and the surrounding sinkholes are filled with the purest water.
Mount Auyantepui
On the surface of Auyantepui.
Angel Falls. Inside view
Near Kavak Canyon.
View of the tourist camp in Canaima Park.
Orchid Island
Lagoon in Canaima Park.
Acha waterfall.
Venezuela's largest natural reserve, Canaima National Park, was founded in 1962 and is considered the oldest part of the Earth, more than 2 million years old.
Flying over Canaima
Among other things, this area is shrouded in an aura of secrets and mysteries, which are told not only by ancient legends and myths, but also by reports of several expeditions organized by brave researchers. The last major official expedition to these remote places, namely Mount Roraima, was formed in 1965 by the son of the famous Juan Angel, the discoverer of the world's highest waterfall.
The expedition diary describes an amazing world in which the flat surface of the mountain top is covered with bizarre hills shaped like mushrooms, unusual depressions filled with water are scattered everywhere, and in addition to the animals already known to science, an unusual creature was discovered, which was called the Cadborosaurus. The previously unseen beast had the head of a horse and the body of a snake with humps on its back. Frogs hatching eggs, bloodsucking insects that were not affected by any chemical means of protection, and giant ants more than 5 cm long, capable of biting small tree branches with their steel teeth, were also found here.
The biggest discovery for scientists was the discovery of the remains of ancient animals that until recently lived in these places. There is an assumption that they died as a result of alien experiments. Scientists were prompted to this guess by a large round area discovered by the expedition, devoid of vegetation and completely strewn with silvery powder of unknown origin. Later laboratory studies showed that this is an alloy of rare metals, which is simply impossible to create under earthly conditions.
When examining the caves, researchers found a large number of rock paintings depicting fantastic animals and creatures vaguely similar to humans. The expedition members also discovered several crypts, inside of which there was thick fog and a sweet smell. Some members of the team, having inhaled this strange aroma, fell into a coma for several days, and when they woke up, they told their colleagues about incredible visions and trips to other worlds.
After this incident, the decision was made to return, but then a new surprise awaited the travelers: they could not find a way out of this enchanted world, as if some mysterious forces were preventing this in every possible way.
Only a few months later, exhausted by the search for a way out, people managed to return home. They claim that they were helped by some unknown force, which picked them up and slowly lowered them to the central square of one of the Indian settlements.
When the scientists finally reached civilization, it was discovered that the families had long ago given up hope of their return: after all, the expedition, which was scheduled to return after several months of work, had been absent for four years.
For a long time, no expeditions were organized to this region, but today this lost world, which previously instilled fear in people, is visited daily by several dozen adventurers. For safety reasons, it is advisable to climb accompanied by an experienced guide.
Canaima is a national park in Venezuela located in the state of Bolivar. Canaima is truly an outstanding park. Its area is more than 30,000 km2, due to which it is in 6th place in size among the world's reserves. Also, Venezuela is among 20 countries with the richest flora, fauna, unique terrain, unique plants and animals. Most of the park's jungle can be navigated with a well-sharpened machete, but the views from the mountains are worth the effort.
Throughout the park, among the jungle, it’s as if giant humanoid ships rise up into large tabletop heights, descending like steep stone walls towards the jungle. Canaima's unique mesas end in large plateaus. Mountains were formed due to the erosion of earth and rocks. Locals These plateaus are called tepuis. There are more than 50 tepuis in the park, but among the rest the tepuis are especially famous: Auyan tepui, Roraima, Sierra Neblina. Such a number of flat mountains cannot be found anywhere else on Earth. The most famous mountain is Auyan Tepuy with the great Salto Angel waterfall located at an altitude of 979 meters. The falls were first discovered by pilot Jimmy Angel in 1936, who, while searching for gold, landed a light plane on the top of the mountain from which the falls fell. The waterfall was named in his honor. It is also worth noting the Sapo waterfall, which is 20 meters high, but at the same time stretches 120 meters in length. Under the jets of the waterfall, at a height of one and a half meters, there is a walking path along which you can walk without fear for your health. Tourists can also fly over the tepuis and waterfalls, or land by helicopter on the Roraima plateau. Climbing this mountain on foot can take about 2 days, but the views from the mountain will not be forgotten soon. In 1912, Arthur Conan Doyle took part in an expedition to these places. Under the influence of fantastic landscapes, he wrote one of his most famous books, “The Lost World.”
In addition to the impressive ancient landscapes, Canaima has an extremely rich flora and fauna. Canaima National Park is one of the best ecotourism destinations. More than 900 species of plants grow in the forests and valleys of the park, and 500 species of birds live, such as the eagle, falcon, parrot, the smallest bird, the hummingbird, and the toucan. 70 species of reptilians and approximately 50 amphibians. Many mammals: jaguar, puma, tapir, ocelot, anteater, agouti, otter. During the rainy season, the park's rivers and waterfalls are at their most beautiful. Canaima has many amazing and rare animals and plants: orchids that eat small insects, carnivorous ants, the largest spiders and dragonflies, many varieties of ferns grow on tepuis.
Canaima National Park is one of the best places for ecotourism, as it contains some of the oldest landscapes on Earth. In the tropical forests and savannas of the park there are about 900 species of plants, including more than 500 species of orchids, over 500 species of birds (eagles, falcons, parrots, toucans, hummingbirds), 72 species of reptiles and about 50 species of amphibians, 150 species of mammals (jaguars , pumas, tapirs, ocelots, peccaries, anteaters, agoutis, monkeys, giant otters). The best time to visit the park is from April to November, when the rainy season passes and the rivers and waterfalls are at full strength.
The park has had a remarkable infrastructure for decades. In the city of Canaima, located on the shores of the lake of the same name, you can get better acquainted with the park in the tourist center. The tourist center presents all types of attractions and ways to get to them: hiking to the tops of tepuis, jeep safaris, kayaking, swimming in waterfalls, or perhaps even fly a light aircraft over Angel Falls.
