I went to the terminal; saw an indigenous snack bar just opposite and decided to have a quick breakfast. Just when I sat down a car drove by and threw a cigarette out of the window. The dry grass immediately caught fire. The fire moved forward bit by bit but then the bus terminal’s handyman came to kill the fire before it could grow bigger and affect seriously the terminal. I had a ham and cheese Arepa and a juice. The waitress had definitely told me the name of the fruit but I had never heard the name before or I did not understand properly or both. I went to the terminal to have a look for my backpackers.

Please click on “View Album” to see pictures in a Google+ Album.

The majority of the buses arrive in the morning at the terminal. The route that I had taken to get here from Ciudad Guayana to Santa Elena de Uairen is the only asphalted street to get here by car or bus. No matter if you had bought your ticket in Caracas, Valencia, Maracay, Barquisimeto, Maracaibo or Barcelona you had to go via Ciudad Guayana. Due to the distance and the traffic problems the majority of the bus operators offered night tours, this way the ten hour drive was more convenient for the passengers who could then sleep and wake up kind of at arrival. No, you had to wake up one hour before at the last military post, this was an obligatory stop and everybody had to get off the bus for his luggage to be inspected by the few staff that was on duty, an uncomfortable long procedure while you are still half asleep.

Please click on “View Album” to see pictures in a Google+ Album.

At the terminal no sign of backpackers. I drove to the city to the main square and to the main Gringo Street but no sign of backpackers. I went to the cyber and started to catch up with the uploading of the posts to the site. I was behind more than ten days and wanted to close the gap before I would hopefully go to the top of Mount Roraima and would be without internet for yet another week.

Downstairs from the cyber was the ice cream bar, the one shop in the city that was selling at a regular price and at a very good quality. I had one ice cream and had lunch during another visit to the terminal but no sign of backpackers. I kept on looking but today I would have no luck. I had one more ice cream, really delicious and ice cold. Just out of curiosity I went to visit the tour operators that I had seen during the last days in different parts of the city.

The German tour operator Eric from Backpacker had tours with foreigners almost every second day with groups of between three and thirteen. He had come to Santa Elena de Uairen more than twenty years ago and had worked at the time for a travel operator as the on site manager. At some stage he had decided to open his own business Café Goldrausch and today he was running the most successful tour agency plus a posada and a hotel.

I met Luis at the agreed time at the house of his mother but he did not have luck either today. He needed the tour and the money to continue the construction of his posada and I needed a group to not pay him just by myself. I think this will not be a question of a good and intensive search in this small town but pure luck. If some backpackers would arrive in town Luis or I would spot them sooner or later.

Please click on “View Album” to see pictures in a Google+ Album.