It was a very cold night; surprising as we are at sea level 7 degrees off the equator on a lake with very warm water. The temperature and lack of wind was blamed for the below par lightening show last night.

This camp marked the furthest point for the other tour but being with Alan we were going further into the lake and the epicenter for the lightening. Alan decided that the morning was the least likely time to bump into any pirates though he said he had never met them in twenty years on the lake.

The lake was rough, the sky black and the boat small and uncomfortable however we felt like we were going into the unknown. The half way point was marked suddenly by light brown water - it was the flow from the Catatumbo river.

Our destination the village of Olga situated on a lagoon with clear almost black water. The village is on stilts but most of the stilts were not high enough to stop the houses flooding, unsurprisingly it was called the Venice of Venezuela by Columbus. The people here are very poor, they share the limited stilted space with their livestock. It is strange seeing a cow on the pile of grass on the balcony of a stilted house. The houses are simple one roomed places made out of tin or whatever they have. It was one of the most fasinating villages I have seen.

We went to Alan's second house at one end of the village. He had higher stilts so was free from flooding. It was basic: wash in the lake, sleep on hammocks and a generator to charge cameras. It was in a good condition and unlike the rest of the village dry. Alan said that the BBC only lasted two nights here before retreating to their hotel back in Caracas. Water Hyacinth lay around his house it was a wonderful setting.

We were soon joined by a number of children from the village (a fantastic photo opportunity).

After lunch we went out into the waterways to find butterflies. Bate was used and large blue Morthus butterflies came in a plenty. Saw a lesser river otter (longicaudus), a Hermit hummingbird and a yellow headed vulture.

On the way back we headed to another village with the ubligitory Simon Bolivar square and church all on stilts. He was the person that liberated Venezuela from the Spanish and is pretty much untouchable as the all time hero. Again this was amazing people watching, kids get around on large sections of polystrylene and adults on boats and paddles.

The place even had it's version of a pub, we pulled up and were soon offered a tot of whiskey each. People here pull together and offer what they have. A sweet old lady was saying that they don't get a lot out of the few tourists that come here, though Alan was good at giving the village water and food and offering a place to stay when times were hard. The old lady shifted the conversation onto the safer subjects related to the fish here acting like Viagra and how to make love in a hammock.

One of the difficult things to get used to is the way they treat the animals. Monkeys, birds and dogs would be used as pets but more to look at and simply have around. They are skinny and tethered on short leases or in small cages.

It was raining so we went back to Alans house to have dinner and wait for the lightening. The lightening didn't appear we went to bed with the promise of being woken if it kicked off during the night. Despite this it was an excellent day just being here seeing the wildlife and the people.