The Storytelling Podcast - Ep 63 - The Whistle Beneath the Tepui

In the southern region of Venezuela, deep within the vast wilderness of Canaima National Park, there are landscapes with Tepuis. 

A Tepui, or tepuy, is a table-top mountain, or mesas, because of its flat surface. They can be found in northern South America, especially in Venezuela, western Guyana, and northern Brazil. 

The word tepui means "house of the gods" in the native tongue of the Pemon, the indigenous people who inhabit the Gran Sabana.

Come hike today with Juan Pablo and his experience in the jungle.

Visual Episode: https://youtu.be/uMPDorPITwk
Spotify episode: 

Available on all Podcast platforms.

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Music by: 

Sound Effect by freesound_community from Pixabay

Sound Effect by Mikhail from Pixabay

Images credits: AI Generated

Thank you to our Sponsor: Spotlight Creative Agency https://spotlightcreativeagency.com/

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Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

There are places in the world where the moment that you arrive, or if you simply see it, it has this mysterious aura, if we can say that. Now, in the southern region of Venezuela, deep within the vast wilderness of the Canaima National Park, there are some landscapes that feel untouched for millions of years, and they are. Because they are absolutely absence of cities and modern structures, is raw, it's nature, it's simple in its superb and enormous grandiosity that it is. Because they were not altered by humans at all. And when you look at it, you feel like they belong to a different time completely. Like the time just exists alongside of you in a different plane, if we can say that. And these giant tepuis, they rise alongside, you know, like after the jungle, and these immense stone walls are sitting there just beneath the clouds. So just to explain to you, a tepuy or tepui is this tabletop huge mountains or mesas because of its flat surface. So you have a huge mountain, but instead of finishing in a peak, they just have a flat surf surface, no peaks. And they can be found on northern South America, especially in Venezuela, on the western Guayana, and on the northern of Brazil. And the word Tepui means house of the gods in the native tongue of the Pemon, the indigenous people who inhabit the Gran Savannah. And these formations are amongst one of the oldest on earth, and they were shaped over hundreds of millions of years. And because of their isolation, they have each one of them has developed an ecosystem that doesn't exist elsewhere. And they created this environment that is both fascinating but also very mysterious. But beyond the scientific explanations or documented facts, still some stories have been passed down quietly and I have been gathering data. And I created this story for our campsite. Shall we start with it? But you know, this story will have a path that will shift. They will have some mysterious going on. But if you are into one of these stories, sit down by the campfire because I have a story to tell you. Because in his experience, every strange event could eventually be explained if he took the time to observe it carefully and think through it logically. And for most of his time, most of his life, it was giving him this kind of belief gave him a sense of control and allowed him to remain calm in environments that for others might be unsettling. But he has that confidence to explore places where many people would avoid simply because they are unfamiliar or unpredictable. When he decided to travel to the southern region of Venezuela, it was not this impulsive decision, but it was actually something that he had planned for months because he'd always been drawn to the landscapes that, you know, it's like this untouched and distant from modern life. And the Tepuis of Canaima National Park had always fascinated him in a way that very few places ever had. And it wasn't just because of the appearance, but it was also because of about the sense of mystery that seemed to surround him in, you know, with everything that he read, the descriptions and what he heard. And from the moment that he arrived, he felt that difference immediately, because the scale of the environment was overwhelming in a way that no photograph or video could trolley could truly capture. With these vast stretches of jungle extended endlessly in every direction, and only broken down by winding rivers that reflected the skies like mirrors, and these massive silhouettes of tepuis rising suddenly from the landscape, those vertical walls so steep and uniform that they almost look unnatural, but you know they have been placed there and they have been formed throughout the time. We're talking about millions of years. The air was thick with humidity, and they carried that scent of wet earth and dense vegetation, and every sound seemed amplified from the constant hum of insects that filled the background without pause to the distant call of birds that echo through the trees, in a way that it made it almost difficult to determine how far away they actually were, and created this environment that felt alive in every possible sense. Juan Pablo joined a small guided group for the first part of the journey, not because he lacked experience, but because he understood that navigating a place like that without local knowledge would be unnecessarily risky as he respected the land enough to follow the guidance of someone who knew it better than he ever could, especially in a region where the terrain could shift subtly and where even experienced hikers like himself could become disoriented if they were not careful. The guide was a quiet man, the kind of person who did not speak unless there was something worth saying. But when he did, people listened. Not because he demanded attention, but because there was this calm certainty in his voice that made it clear he understood the land in a way that went beyond simple familiarity. On the second evening, as the group sat near the campsite with the fading lights casting long shadows across the ground, the distant tepuis were barely visible against the darkening sky, and the sounds of the jungle surrounding them in this constant and almost overwhelming way, creating a sense of life, you know, that felt endless, as if the forest itself never truly rested, even during the night. The guide began speaking about the area, explaining how sound behaves differently in the environments like this, how the density of the vegetation and the structure of the land can distort direction and distance in ways that can confuse even experienced hikers, and making something that is far away seem close or something feel, you know, nearby, feel distant. This can happen, and which is something that has been observed in different natural settings where acoustics behave unpredictably due to the terrain and vegetation. Juan Pablo listened the guide with interest because everything the guide was saying made sense without this logical framework. It made sense, and nothing about it seemed particularly unusual. But then the guide paused, and when he spoke again his tone shifted just enough to be noticed. And the guy said, If you hear a whistle, he said slowly, do not follow it. There was no explanation after this. There was no story supporting the warning. And you know, and for a brief moment the group fell into a silence that felt different from the natural pauses they were having in the conversation. And that silence carried some weight, some concern. Juan Pablo acknowledged the warning with a small nod, but in his mind he categorized it as something cultural, maybe, something rather practical, something root in local beliefs, and not something that he needed to take in seriously. The next morning arrived heavy with humidity as normal in these places, and the that kind of humidity that settles into your skin and makes every movement feel slightly slower, if you know, you know. And as the group prepared to continue along their planned journey, Juan Pablo felt a growing curiosity about the areas beyond the market path. Places that were not included in the guided experience, but you know, it just it existed there, waiting to be explored. And it was not this reckless decision because he was actually an experienced hiker, but it was a calculated one because he believed that he had enough experience to move independently for a short time at least, and return without difficulty. And after informing the guide, who watched him carefully for a moment longer than expected, he stepped away from the group. He advised the guide, he went on his way, he would be back in a few hours. And he went into the part of the jungle, but he felt immediately he felt it different. Do not go too far away, the guy said. And then after this intentional pause, he added And do not follow anything that calls you. Juan Pablo nodded again, more out of politeness than concerned, and continued forward. At first everything went exactly as he expected, you know, with the jungle surrounding him, with the dance and continuous presence, the sounds of the insects, this constant background, and distant birds call it intermittently, and the ground beneath his feet shifting between soft soil and scattered leaves. And you know, everything was natural. And he moved with awareness, of course, noting landmarks, observing the direction of light, and ensuring that he would be able to retrace his path without difficulty. And as time passed, the environment began to change in subtle ways, with the trees growing taller, the light dimming slightly, and the air becoming heavier. And then, without a warning, without any sign, everything stopped. The insects fell silent. The birds disappeared. Even the faint movement of the wind seemed to vanish, leaving behind a stillness that felt unnatural in a way that it was impossible to ignore. It was not just the quietness, but it was the complete absence of life. Juan Pablo stopped walking, his body reacting instinctively as he tried to understand what had just changed, and as he stood there listening, he became aware of something else. It was this sound a whistle. It was soft at first, almost blending into the silence, but as he focused on the sound, it became clearer, more structured, rising and falling in a way that felt controlled, intentional. It came from somewhere ahead of him. And despite everything, he simply followed. But despite everything that told him to stop, despite the memory of the guide's warning, somewhere lingering in the back of his mind, in he did not he chose not to fully acknowledge it. When Pablo stepped forward with this controlled pace, convincing himself that what he was hearing could be explained by natural acoustics of the environment. Because in a place like that, with dense vegetation, unever terrain, and the massive rock formations, you know, the sound can behave in ways that it can distort distance and direction, and creating this illusion that something is closer and further away. And that explanation, even if it did not feel entirely convincing, was enough for him to continue moving forward. The whistle remained present as he walked, never aggressive or overwhelming, but never fading into nothing either. It maintained this same careful balance that it was impossible to ignore and allowed him to believe that it was something natural. And as he continued, the environment around him began to shift again in a subtle but undeniable way. Because the dense jungle that was surrounding him earlier slowly gave way to a more open and uneven terrain where the ground beneath his feet was no longer layered with soft leaves, but instead scattered with exposed rocks that it was this cooler but heavier feeling with every step he took. Even the air changed, and that difference was strong enough that he became aware and created this tension that he started now to see. Because one of the Tepuis now stood directly in front of him, with its immense vertical walls rising abruptly. And you know, being just as you feel smaller as you say in as you step into a stepue wall because they are immense. And that whistle guiding him there without even revealing its source. It was just a snap of a finger, and he went from all those steps from the guide and the group to in front of a Tepui. He should have seen that before, seriously, because it's immense. But then, when he finally reached the rocky base of the formation, he noticed the opening almost immediately. There was an opening, a dark and narrow break in the stone that seemed insignificant. But when you look closer, it has depth. And as he moved closer and toward it, you can see the darkness inside because it wasn't a simple shadow, but it was a space. There was a space inside of it, and it didn't have any lights. And he approached that entrance, and the temperature dropped in a way that it was not gradual, and the air became heavier and carrying that dampness that felt different from the humidity of the jungle. And for a brief moment he stopped at the threshold, not because he was he was having some kind of fear, but because something deeper, almost instinctive, was telling him that stepping inside that space would shift everything in a way that he could not control once it began. But you know, hesitation did not last long. When and the longer he stood there without turning back, the easier it would become to justify taking another step forward. Because in his mind there was no clear reason to believe that he was in danger. And he wouldn't allow himself to think further. So yes, he crossed the threshold and stepped inside. The transition was immediate and unmistakable, because the moment he entered, the light from outside faded quickly behind him, and he was swallowed by the depth of the cave in a way that it felt larger than what appeared from outside, and even the air shifted, it became cooler and heavier, while every sound he made seemed to stretch and echo in ways that made it difficult to understand the size or shape of the space around him. His footsteps became louder, each one carrying further than expected, as it reflected off the stone walls, and the deeper he moved, the more the cave revealed itself as a wide and open chamber rather than the narrow passage that he thought he saw. And with darkness absorbing the light instead of reflecting it, it created these shadows that felt deeper. And this was like an experience outside of the body. And then when the whistle returned, it was no longer distant and no longer guiding, but it was present, and that presence felt immediately, and it was just behind him. Juan Pablo turned slowly, his body tense but controlled, expecting to see someone standing near the entrance, or at least somewhere within the cave. But there was nothing there. There was no movement, no shape, no one, no animal, no sign that anything else had entered the space with him. And yet the feeling that he was not alone became stronger in a way that he did not rely on his sights. And as he stood there listening, he became aware of another sound, one that seemed so emerged gradually from the silence that it was starting to appear suddenly. It was this faint and irregular noise that came from deeper within the cave. Something that was shifting slowly against the ground with a dry and deliberate texture, we can say it, like something hard moving across the stone in a way that suggested it was intentionally coming to him. And at that moment something within him changed. It was not the sudden panic, but it was this quiet and undeniable realization that the situation had moved beyond anything he could comfortably explain. This has no logical explanation. But because and each individual element could be rationalized on its own, the air, the sound, the feeling, all that combination, it was creating something that doesn't fit in Juan Pablo's logic, in something that he always trusted. So he decided to leave. And not just because he was not understanding what was happening, because he he wasn't, but because staying there no longer felt like a decision he should do. So he turned toward the entrance, focusing on the faint light that remained visible in the distance, and as he began to walk, he noticed something that caused his chest to tighten in a way that he could not ignore. Because the exit appeared further away than it should have been. And this was not the drama or a panic attack. It was it was impossible, but it also felt wrong because the space itself has shifted in a deliberate way. He increased his pace moving forward now, with each step sounding behind him, became more pronounced, and the faint dragging noise, it was growing clearer and more consistent. And the whistle returned as well, no longer distant and no longer controlled, but it started to be distorted in a way that felt uneven and unstable, as it had lost the careful rhythm it once held. And then as he started to sprint towards, he heard the voice. It wasn't loud and it wasn't aggressive. It was a very calm and controlled voice that made this more unsettling than threatening. And the voice said his name clearly, in a tone that felt familiar enough to create the confusion that when you hear the sound that calls your name, and for a brief moment his body reacted instinctively, and it slowed, just enough to acknowledge what he had forced himself to believe and to hurt, but he continued to move forward. And then the voice came again, closer this time, carrying a question, and it was impossible to ignore, asking him why he had followed. And it was not an angry or urgent, but he already knew the answer. And it was beyond what he needed to understand. And this was the point that he would not give him answers, he would not reply, and he went straight to and started running with now with a sense of urgency to that light that was fading and fading, and he ran. The cave around him no longer felt fixed, and the distance between him and the sh the exit shifted just enough to delay him. It was trapping him completely. He ran so much, and behind him the sounds follow. If he run, it was running with him, and he was layered and it was distorted, and the whistle breaking into uneven fragments, while the dragon noise grew closer, even if one was running. And it was more deliberate. It was like hunting. And then when he finally crossed the threshold and stepped back into the open air, the jungle returned all at once, filling the space with sounds, and he felt this overwhelming relief after all that silence he had left behind. And he stopped briefly as his body adjusted to the sudden change. And he was breathing heavily, and he tried to process all that had just happened, and the cave behind him remained still and silent, unchanged. And he tried to, you know, to know what had happened to him, what the experience had left no trace of the world outside of him. And Hong Ble decided not to stay there long because every instinct told him to put distance between himself and that place as quickly as possible. And he began walking back. And the faster he went, retracing his path with a focus that left no room for distractions. He just wanted to reach the camp, go to the group, and get out of there. And he did. The guide was actually waiting for him. He was not searching or calling out, but he was simply standing there to expect him to return at the exact moment. And then the guide asked to hunt Pablo if he had heard it. And this was not a question, it was actually a statement. And what Pablo nodded, and he didn't need to explain further because there was nothing he could say that would make the experience clearer or logical than it already was. And there was a pause between them, long enough. And then the guide spoke again, and his voice was calm but heavier than before. Explaining that Juan Pablo was fortunate, not because nothing had happened, but because whatever had called him had done so only once. And then he should not take that slightly. He just left without hesitation, chosen not to explore further. He did not want to return to that place again. And even now, long after he had left that part of the world, there are moments when the night becomes quiet enough that he can hear something that doesn't belong where he lives, and is a sound that exists just at the edge of perception. And it's distant enough to be dismissed, but he can clearly recognize it. It's a whistle that rises and falls in a way that feels familiar, reminding him that distance does not always mean safety, and that some things, once they found you, do not need to remain where you first encountered them.