Angel Falls, Venezuela

Angel Falls equals 20 Niagara's piled one on top of another. It's named after a maverick bush pilot who crashed his plane looking for gold in the Andes Mountains. After a short siesta onboard a prop plane I awake to this 8th wonder of the world surrounded by island shaped mountains kissing the clouds. These are tepuys or flat table-top plateau formations jutting upward; a rock-climbers paradise. My pilot dips to the far left to allow for a better shot of Angel Falls and it's 3200 foot vertical plunge. Having the vantage point of a bird is much safer than trekking through dense rain-forest rife with malaria-carrying mosquitoes. We land in the exclusive Canaima National Park and stay for the night at a eco-tourism camp called Waku Lodge. The 15 thatch-roofed charuatas or resort cabins offer a stunning view of El Hatcha and Sapo waterfalls. Howler monkeys and toucans, wild pink orchids, a tea-colored lagoon, colorful locals, waterfalls with hikes underneath, this is a videographers dream-come-true! Then suddenly reality shatters euphoria and my professional betacam is confiscated for the next 24 hours. I try to reason with them but no amount of logic or tears could stop the authorities from thinking I was a threat to their pristine environs. For many years they've forbidden commercial use of video for fear of exploitation. They think that because my camera is heavier and larger there's a difference between the students mini DV's and my Beta SP's. The language barrier is too thick to resolve the matter and I give up. I sign away rights to my baby as they put her in an undisclosed location for the next 24 hours. Never would this happen in the U.S. - confiscation of tapes sure, but an entire camera, no way. But hey, it's a challenge that doesn't deter me from seeking out a students camera and continuing my job. 19-year old Adam gladly volunteers up his parents JVS and I'm back in business!