My Italian and I hired a local Venezuelan to show us the best trails and sights in Henri Pittier National Park. One interesting sight we were shown was what he told us was Venezuela’s first hydroelectric facility. According to our guide, it had been constructed in the 1960s.

A channel designed to direct water to the turbine used for generating electricity:

Rusting machinery once used to control water flows rests on top of the dam:

The dam as it appears today:

Whether it was the first or not, it is an interesting commentary on the transiency of humans and their endeavors.