AIR GUYANA TOURS - KAIETEUR, ORINDUIK, LETHEM & OTHER DESTINATIONS
OGLE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT Ogle E.C.D Guyana, South America
Tel: (592) 222-6513, 222-5556-7 Fax: (592) 222-5361
The Official Tourist Guide of Guyana 2013 EXPLORE GUYANA is published annually for the Tourism and Hospitality Association of Guyana (THAG) in association with the Ministry of Tourism, Industry and Commerce and the Guyana Tourism Association (GTA) by: Advertising & Marketing Services (AMS) 213 B Camp Street P.O.Box 101582, Georgetown, Guyana Tel: (011592) 225-5384 Fax: (011592) 225-5383 E-mail: info@amsguyana.com
Publisher & Editor:
Lokesh Singh lokesh@amsstlucia.com
Advertising Sales: Lokesh Singh Adrian Pryce Christine Gooding Tessa Allen
Graphic Design: Mensah Fox
Editorial Contributors: Lokesh Singh Avenash Ramzan Al Creighton James Broscombe Lesley Raymond (JOLT) Jeff Skevington Vidur Dindayal Andrew M. Snyder Treina Butts Mayor Hamilton Green
Bryce Rogow Ruth-Anne Lynch Annette Arjoon-Martins Chevon Singh Niels Poul Dreyer Tau Rasmussen Major General (Ret’d) Joe Singh Jake E. Bicknell Cynthia Nelson
Contributing Photography:
Mensah Fox Annette Arjoon-Martins Michael Dzikowski Office of the President JOLT Team Jake E Bicknell Andrew M Snyder T. Horsley James Broscombe Niels Poul Dreyer Jeff Skevington Tau Rasmussen Major General (Ret’d) Joe Singh Ruth-Anne Lynch Pete Oxford Nicola Foo Cricinfo Cynthia Nelson Michael Lam Guyana Tourism Authority National Trust of Guyana Conservation International Chevon Singh Iwokrama Leon More Aaliyah Embrack Museum of African Heritage Shmuel Laywi-Yisrael
On The Cover: Hummingbird Feeding its Nestling.
Cover Photo:
James Broscombe © Copyright 2013. Reproduction of any material without the permission of AMS is strictly prohibited. AMS and THAG wish to express sincere thanks and appreciation to all parties who have assisted in making this publication a reality.
ADVERTISING & MARKETING S E R V I C E S LT D.
CONTENTS A HAVEN FOR NATURE
INTRODUCTION AND WELCOME 6 - President of Guyana Message 8 - THAG Welcome Message 11 - Minister of Tourism Message 13 - A Haven for Nature 20 - A Journey of a Lifetime
About the Tourism and Hospitality Association of Guyana (THAG)
MAPS
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he Tourism and Hospitality Association of Guyana (THAG) was established in January 1991 by a number of persons working in the industry and is a member of the Private Sector Commission. It was initially called the Tourism Association of Guyana but evolved into Tourism and Hospitality Association of Guyana in recognition of the magnitude of the industry. It is the umbrella body of all tourism related restauranteurs, tour operators, travel agents, craft owners, jewelers, and transportation services, among others. THAG has pursued partnership with the Government of Guyana in development and expansion of various aspects of the tourism industry; generic marketing, training and development; positioning individual members locally, regionally and internationally to operate with the highest standards in the industry. THAG is headed by an Executive Board comprising of a President, Vice President, Treasurer and two Committee members. The Secretariat is headed by an Executive Director who is responsible for the day to day management of the association, sits on the Board and various committees, organizes and participates in trade shows locally and overseas. THAG’s permanent staff also includes an Administrative Officer and Administrative and Marketing Assistant. THAG and the Government of Guyana, the Ministry of Tourism, Industry and Commerce and the Guyana Tourism Authority, have built a strong alliance to promote and develop Guyana’s many natural and cultural attributes as a tourism destination.
31 - Map of Guyana 32 - Map of Georgetown / Architectural Treasures EXPLORE GUYANA 35 - Georgetown 200 Years of History 38 - Capturing Lighting over Kaieteur 44 - Fascinating Rivers of Guyana 50 - Howler Monkey to Dung Beetles 55 - Surviving With Nature 60 - The Lucky Birders 67 - The Pakaraima Mountain Safari 73 - Travels in the Pameroon 77 - Mangrove & Community Development PEOPLE OF GUYANA 81 - Shivnarine Chanderpaul 84 - Godfrey Chin FUN & FOOD 86 - Emancipation in Guyana 89 - Guyanese Recipes ABOUT GUYANA 90 - Country Facts, Government, Travelling & Money & Business THAG TRAVELLER 94 - Accommodations Georgetown & Environs 96 - Eco-Resorts, Interior Lodges & Attractions 100 - THAG Member Services 103 - Calendar of Events
Tourism & Hospitality Association of Guyana, Private Sector Commission Building Waterloo Street, Georgetown, Guyana. Tel: 011 592 225 0807 / 592 225 0817 Email: thag.secretariat@gmail.com
www.exploreguyana.org EXPLORE GUYANA
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Welcome to
GUYANA
a Haven for Nature
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am pleased to extend a warm invitation to all of you to visit Guyana. An unbelievable and memorable experience awaits you.
If you are seeking nature- based excitement and adventure or just a quiet, serene and homely place in which to spend a relaxing vacation, then Guyana is your ideal destination. Located on the north-eastern shoulder of the great continent of South America, Guyana provides a gateway to its continental neighbours- Suriname, Brazil and Venezuela- and is within short speed of the islands of the Caribbean with whom we share historical, economic and cultural ties. Our pristine forests are home to some of the world’s diverse and extinct flora and fauna, spectacular waterfalls, raging rapids and majestic and towering mountain ranges and offer you a chance to experience nature in its untamed state. Our sprawling savannahs, refreshing and inviting creeks and waterways, and enchanting resorts offer other pleasures, more relaxing and fun-filled. If you just wish to engage in recreational fishing and swimming, put your feet up or be at one with nature, you will find many such opportunities in our diverse tourism product.
H.E Donald Ramotar President Republic of Guyana
This magazine provides a peek into what my country has to offer our visitors. In this regard, I wish to thank the Tourism and Hospitality Association of Guyana for their sterling efforts in promoting Guyana as a choice destination for visitors and for ensuring that our reputation as one of the more hospitable nations in the world remains undiminished. I thank you for reading this publication which I am confident will perk your interest and encourage you to make that unforgettable journey to beautiful Guyana. So whether it is with family, friends or just you alone, come to Guyana and have a great time! H.E Donald Ramotar President Republic of Guyana
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Visit, Enjoy, Experience
GUYANA a Haven for Nature
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Daniel Gajie President (ag)
Treina Butts Executive Director
uyana continues to experience significant growth in all areas of our unique tourism industry. Recent statistics revealed that visitor arrivals have increased by more than 18% and this positive development is being felt by all our hospitality service providers. Our domestic air travel services have all added more planes to their fleet, as demand for their services continue to increase. More investment is evident in accommodation and transportation where persons are becoming involved in tour operating and guide services. Undoubtedly, Guyana is quickly becoming a preferred destination for nature and adventure tourism. The Tourism and Hospitality Association of Guyana is cognisant of its role in this important development and together with vital support from The Government of Guyana, through its Ministry of Tourism and the Guyana Tourism Authority, we will ensure that our unique product is promoted to the far reaching corners of the globe. We continue to provide training and other critical support to stakeholders of our sector and during 2013, will take our training and marketing programmes to greater professional levels, to ensure that the thousands visiting Guyana will enjoy and be satisfied with their experiences whilst here. We look forward to serve you during our planned promotional events in the Diaspora, the Caribbean and Europe. Being the only English speaking country in South America, we offer the unique blend of the warmth of the Caribbean and unforgettable, distinct experiences of the South American diverse cultures. Guyana’s pristine rainforest is a haven for nature, overflowing with wildlife, exotic flora, vast rivers and spectacular waterfalls. It provides a glimpse of nature rarely found intact in most places of the world. Boasting over 1000 species of birds, Guyana is quickly becoming a birding paradise. Tour operators, both local and international, now offer many diverse packages to our coastal and rainforest areas as well as to the astonishing Essequibo River and Islands. THAG is pleased to say thank you to all those who made significant efforts and achievements in the tourism industry. Our gratitude is extended to Rock View Eco-Lodge, Jerries Restaurant and the Roraima Group of Companies, all of whom celebrated twenty years of service to the tourism industry and we welcome those new and expanding facilities and offer you full support in your ventures. THAG is proud to be part of the Destination Guyana programme and on behalf of the Executive and Members of THAG, I extend a warm and friendly Guyanese welcome to all, whether it’s your first time visiting, or returning to our beautiful country. We look forward to sharing with you the wonders of nature and the rich and diverse culture of the Guyanese people. Come visit with us and together let us explore Guyana – our Haven for Nature.
Sydney Allicock Chairman Amerindian Affairs
Mitra Ramkumar Treasurer
Daniel Gajie President (ag), Tourism & Hospitality Association of Guyana
Colin Edwards Committee Member EXPLORE GUYANA
Dee George Committee Member | 8
Kit Nascimento Committee Member
Welcome to
GUYANA
a Haven for Nature world over and this continued increase in arrivals can be directly attributed to the implementation of new initiatives to facilitate the development of the sector. The Re-Discover Home initiative was specifically designed to encourage our brothers and sisters living abroad to rediscover their homeland and to be able to reconnect with their homeland. Destination Guyana is a paradise for nature lovers, adventure seekers, and the Eco-tourist alike. We boast an irresistible combination of fascinating and breath-taking natural beauty; pristine Amazonian rainforests, immense waterfalls, amazing wildlife; blended with a vibrant indigenous culture, rich heritage, and the most hospitable and friendly people in the world.
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ourism has become a catalyst of growth for many nations as it brings in substantial revenue for governments whilst stimulating greater investments in infrastructure, which ultimately contributes to overall improved living conditions for the peoples of those countries. In recognition of the industry’s potential, the Government of Guyana continues to invest to sustain and enhance the growth of the sector through the formulation of several new initiatives, including ‘Re-Discover Home’, development of Tourism Packages, promotion of Community Based Tourism (CBT), establishment of the Essequibo Tourism Circuit, promotion of ‘Sail Guyana’ and marketing of Destination Guyana as a Sport Fishing and Birding Hot Spot, among others. These initiatives are aimed at utilising the tourism potential of ‘Guyana – the Amazon Adventure’ in a prudent manner that will ensure the sustainability of the sector. These successes also demand that we move towards improving our competitive edge in the international arena. That is why the Ministry has begun the process of regularising and standardising the operators in the tourism sector. This will no doubt improve the quality of our tourism product, give us that competitive edge, and result in better customer satisfaction, thus, leading to the sustainable development of the sector. Our tourism industry is experiencing a period of tremendous investment, growth and transformation. ‘Guyana – the Amazon Adventure’ is fast becoming the destination of choice for visitors the
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As such, Community Based Tourism (CBT) in Guyana also plays a critical role in advancing the national tourism product not only in hinterland areas but in communities across the country, and with the growing gravitation towards the nature/adventure/eco-type tourism, Guyana is well-positioned to take advantage of this. Leading example of the successes of CBT in Guyana include the indigenous community of Surama, in Region 9, which won the Caribbean Excellence in Sustainable Tourism Award. The Guyana Mangrove Restoration Project (GMRP) Mangrove Heritage Trail/ Reserve Tour also received the Caribbean Tourism Organization/ Travel Mole Bio Diversity Conservation Award. Guyana has also grown as a bird lover’s paradise over the years and is one of the most active Neotropical birding destinations, with over 800 species of birds from 79 families, 47 of which are endemic to the Guiana Shield. Recently, the ‘Birds of Essequibo – a Checklist’ was launched, which is to be an integral part of the development of the Essequibo Tourism Development Circuit. This will further provide bird enthusiasts with the latest updates and information on birding in Guyana. I wish to extend an enticing invitation to travel to Guyana, visit the variety of tourist attractions ranging from beautiful buildings, art, historic sites and monuments, and nature. Come experience our unique culture and participate in our myriad of events tailored to suit every need – from exhilarating events like Pakaraima Mountain Safari coupled with the Rupununi Wildlife Festival, Bartica Summer Regatta, Horse Racing, and Rock Stone Fish Festival, to the Amerindian Heritage Month Celebrations – Guyana is waiting for you to discover new possibilities. Come experience. Come explore. Come enjoy! Hon. Mohamed Irfaan Ali Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce (ag.)
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Howler Monkey with Baby
Guyana
A Haven for Nature
Story by Lokesh Singh
When the forces of nature came together centuries ago this beautiful land of Guyana emerged on the coastal shoulder of South America as a land with imposing rock formations and dominant mountain ranges where thunderous volumes of water cascaded from the highlands and meandered through the dense forest canopy and into the valleys and plains towards the coastline and, finally, the Atlantic Ocean leaving in its wake stunning waterfalls, great rivers, a network of tributaries and creeks that crisscross the entire country. EXPLORE GUYANA
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Green Tree Python
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his base of rivers, waterfalls and mountains, over time, have produced an array of natural landscapes of highlands, lowlands, valleys, gorges and vast savannahs. Boasting a tropical lush environment, these lands also provide a natural habitat for numerous world famous species of flora and fauna, indigenous to Guyana, including many of the world’s endangered species. With the discovery of the New World by the Spanish Conquistadores in the eighteenth century, the secret of this fabulous country in the Guianas was revealed. Here the
Deer in the Forest
mineral wealth was in such abundance that there was a city of gold called “El Dorado”. This tale caused a rush of European explorers, including the famed British explorer Sir Walter Raleigh, to make many voyages across the Atlantic Ocean in the hopes of laying claim to this land as part of their colonial empires. The battle for Guyana shows the dominance of the Dutch and the British who became the ultimate colonial power with sovereignty over Guyana. In the search for El Dorado they discovered the Amerindians – the first peoples to have settled in this beautiful
Visitor on the Canopy Walkway
land. Unable to find this city of gold, many of the Europeans who settled in Guyana then turned to cultivating sugar, where the richness of the vast flat lands and water from the large rivers as irrigation were perfect for agriculture. The success of sugar generated a new wave of settlers, primarily from England, who came to Guyana acquiring and developing huge plantations based on producing sugar for export. The unsuitability of the native Amerindians to work on the plantations resulted in the establishment of the African slave trade and importation of large populations of Iwokrama Research Center
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The legacies of the Dutch and British can be identified readily in the landscape across Guyana in many ways, including the names of plantations, villages and the architecture of buildings. The most famous legacy of the Dutch was the construction of the long standing Sea Wall, built along the entire coastline of the country, along with the system of canals and sluices that support the irrigation of the plantations, controlling the flow of water across the land. This function is essential as Guyana is below sea level. The British, on the other hand, left us the legacy of English as our official language, governance and national infrastructure. In addition, as part of the British Empire, we became intricately connected to the English-speaking Caribbean islands. Today, Guyana is “The only English speaking country in all of South America”. Most of the population live on the coastal plains and along the banks of the rivers and the majority of the dense interior is sparsely inhabited being primarily the domain of the many indigenous Amerindian tribes whose peoples have settled close to the banks of the many rivers and have mastered the art of surviving with Nature in its purest forms. The early adventurers uncovered many undiscovered natural treasures of Guyana, including Kaieteur Falls, Mount Roraima,
Africans. With the abolition of Slavery, new immigrants needed to be imported to replace the freed African slaves’ places as workers on the plantations. These new workers were indentured from Portugal, China and India. These groups brought with them a myriad of unique cultures and lifestyles which have allowed Guyana to
establish itself as a multi-ethnic community in today’s world, thus boasting of being “A Nation of Six Races”. The cultural diversity of music, food, festivals, theatre, dress and others are just some of the proud legacies of our forebears which Guyanese of today share with the wider world.
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A Pair of Parrots
Rupununi Savannahs, the Arapaima and a wide array of flora and fauna thriving in our tropical rainforests. In an effort to preserve these treasures of Nature for future generations The Iwokrama International Centre (IIC) was established in 1996 under a joint mandate from the Government of Guyana and the Commonwealth Secretariat to manage the Iwokrama Forest - a vast wilderness of nearly one million acres – being a protected area and homeland of the Makushi people who have used the forest for generations “in a manner that will lead to lasting ecological, economic and social benefits to the people of Guyana and to the world in general”. Through this creation of “A Haven for Nature” the abundant wildlife has thrived and multiplied and many species which were previously endangered are now growing in numbers.
Canje Pheasant
Manatee
Over the years significant development has taken place in this Iwokrama Forest Reserve where visitors can now travel to the Reserve and embrace Nature whilst enjoying modern facilities. For the adventurous you may take a trek on the Canopy Walkway high above the jungle canopy ( The walkway is a series of five platforms suspended from giant trees at heights of up to 33m, connected by 150m of aluminium walkways ) and be lucky to have sightings of a Jaguar or other wildlife in the jungle below or colourful birds in flight or you may choose to paddle up the rivers and engage schools of freshwater fish or sight the Giant Arapaima or Caiman. Tourism has since become a major area of emphasis on Guyana’s economy, where the country is positioned as a nature based tourism market. While on trips to the interior, visitors to Guyana are overawed by the sights and sounds of the many flowers and plant life, birds and animal life, large rivers and giant mountains, numerous waterfalls and the unique lifestyle of our Amerindian communities.
Caiman
We are proud to share our gifts of Nature and the undiscovered treasures of our great rivers and mountains with the world. Our fun-loving people are happy and excited to welcome you to our home and ensure you enjoy our world renowned “Guyanese Hospitality”.
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A Journey of a Lifetime All Women Trek Breaks New Ground in Guyana Story by Lesley Raymond Images by the JOLT Team
E
very two years a group of women from the UK seek out an unusual destination for a holiday. Not just any holiday, but one that will challenge them on a number of different levels. The reason is to raise funds for a small UK charity called JOLT (Journey of a Lifetime), which takes disadvantaged and disabled children on month-long journeys abroad. These women travel to somewhere unusual and undertake something never attempted before in order to raise sponsorship money
that goes directly to making the teenagers’ journeys possible.
her 60th birthday in Guyana, so we were not your usual trekkers.
In October 2011 the destination was Guyana, and our aim was to trek 150 miles through savannah, mountains and forest in 10 days. We knew that this was a first for a group of tourists. Our team of six comprised Dorothy Dalton (leader), Olivia Hussey (doctor), Pat Skacel, Lindsay Driscoll, Nina Stubbs and Lesley Raymond. Three of us were in our 60s while a fourth celebrated
Once in Guyana, we quickly learned that our training in the UK was not particularly helpful in preparing us for the challenge we had set ourselves. Fortunately we had the most wonderful support team which had been organised by Wilderness Explorers. These were the men (and one woman) from from the Amerindian village of Surama who were to be our guides and friends over the
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through North Rupununi, South Pakaraima, Patamona and North Pakaraima and finally on to the Kaieteur Falls, the end of our trek.
another benefit: the following morning we spotted at least 25 different species of bird in the early morning.
Our Expedition Begins
On day 3 we swapped the roads for walking off the beaten track. We were rewarded with one of the highlights of our trip - a sighting of two rare and magnificent sun parakeets – not in flight but sitting in trees close to the path. Guyana truly is a birder’s paradise.
The next morning after breakfast we met our back-up vehicle for the expedition – a beautiful old Bedford Truck which we nicknamed Bertha – as well as our crew. Odd to think that after 10 days of trekking these 13 men and 1 woman, who all seemed so strange and new, would come to feel like old family members that we had known all our lives.
coming two weeks, under the leadership of Glen Allicock. We were briefed in Georgetown by Teri and Delice before being transferred to Ogle Airport for the flight to Annai. We could not believe the unending rainforest beneath us, bisected only by the mighty Demerara and Essequibo Rivers. The beauty of this untouched land was something that we came to know and love over the coming days as we were led by our Macushi guides
The flat roads along the Rupununi savannah seemed like pleasant walking at 8 o’clock in the morning. We made fairly good progress to begin with but by 9 o’clock the heat was really building, and there were very few places to stop in shade on the dirt road. After several hours of walking in temperatures of around 35°C there was a real worry that heat exhaustion was taking its toll on us. We had covered 11 miles but were desperately in need of oral rehydration, rest and shade from the sun. That first morning was a wake-up call to the risks of trekking in such heat and we decided to take the truck for the remainder of that day’s journey, to Toka. Thereafter we agreed to set off from camp at first light, in order to make as much progress as possible before the sun was too high in the sky. These early starts also gave us
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One of the highlights of our trip was the opportunity to stay in AmerIndian villages overnight and get some appreciation of their way of life. The realisation that the village women would walk for four hours to and from the Brazilian border in order to buy and carry back clothing and other necessities made us appreciate our comfortable lives in the UK. We also had the pleasure of cheering on teams in two village sports days, in Karasabai and Tiperu. Guyanese schools have a national school sports competition with the first stage in each school, followed by a local “derby” of 2-3 competing schools, the winners from this then compete in a regional competition followed by the national competition in Georgetown for a lucky few. Winning on a national level can lead to scholarship places at Georgetown schools. In Tiperu we caught the last few races of the day. For some of the group this
was one of the highlights of the trip. The mothers’ race saw a late entry from one of the village dogs, which caught the skirt of the slowest of the mothers and then beat her to the line. The final races of the day were the boys’ and girls’ nursery races. We sat and watched as 5 or 6 tiny children, all less than 4 years of age, ran 100 metres as fast as they possibly could. We were so impressed with their speed and good grace, whether they won or lost. To mark the end of the proceedings, one of the village pigs nonchalantly wandered onto the sports field, but too late to win any prizes!
Climb Every Mountain
precisely how hard the day’s trek would be. There were some long and difficult climbs: each corner that had seemed to be a summit only uncovering even further hard climbs ahead.
bogged down and had to be winched several times that day. Finally the truck caught us up and we drove the last couple of miles, arriving in Monkey Mountain in the dark.
After we reached the plateau at the top of the longest climb, the Bedford truck caught up with us and we all clambered on, we thought, to complete the rest of the day’s journey. But the truck got heavily bogged down in the mud on the road and we all had to get off. We started trekking once more, leaving some of the crew behind to winch out the truck. As the terrain became more difficult, Bertha was getting increasingly
The next day was our first experience of the Guyanese rainforest. The going was cooler in the shade but the ground underfoot more difficult, with numerous tree roots and trip hazards. One of the things that fascinated us during this part of the journey was the way our guides used everything in the forest. Whenever we sat, exhausted, for a snack break, Glen would be busy weaving a basket from large leaves. He also showed
By next day the savannah was definitely behind us as we started climbing the hills and small mountains. Some were extremely steep and seemed endless. It was tough going in the unrelenting heat, but we finally cracked our 15 mile target. The reward for the gruelling hills was the magnificent vistas that greeted us at the top of each, with beautiful unspoilt land stretching out forever. We reached Yarong Paru in the twilight and set up our hammocks in the Priest’s house and showered in the medical centre with bucket showers. Buoyed up by the success of the previous day, the next morning we felt equal to anything the terrain could throw at us. However, not all of us were prepared for
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and that this would be the last stop for the intrepid Bertha. That evening after a takeaway dinner (the first not cooked by Kurt our camp cook), we made farewell speeches to those of the crew who would be staying behind with the truck – Rensford (Driver), Devon (Mechanic), Lazarius (Guide from YP) and Sidney.
Jungle – and a 60th birthday After breakfast we posed for photos and said fond farewells to Bertha the truck and to the people staying behind. We were now in uncharted territory for our Macushi crew and met the new guide – Armstrong – who would lead us all through the unsupported jungle part of our trek.
us how other leaves, branches and shells could be used for sweeping, collecting water and much else besides. At Tusening we stayed in our first traditional benab with three open doorways to catch the breeze. We all agreed that this was the best night’s stay and that the more modern buildings were not nearly so comfortable or cool as this traditional design. That night we had dinner under a full moon and Glen, Gary and Thomas put on an impromptu concert which rapidly drew in the crowd. The villagers slowly moved closer with every song and giggled with delight as traditional Makushi songs were sung. A particular favourite seemed to be one about a Grandmother with a peculiarly nasty idea of punishing children.
her a nasty skin reaction that required medical attention. Fortunately her mind was taken off the discomfort by the sight of a young boy walking past with a monkey clinging firmly to his head. His mother wanted us to buy the monkey but settled for some payment for a photograph instead. After lunch we encountered one of our hardest challenges as we made the hourlong climb to the top of the longest and steepest hill so far. We started the shallow descent down into Paramakatoi (PK) and were met by the CDO on his quad bike with ice cold water – bottled water never tasted so good. He confirmed that the road onwards from PK had not been completed
The next day we walked to the village of Bamboo Creek, a satellite village of Paramakatoi (PK). While half of us went up to visit the new school with the very proud Toshao, the others remained in the village square to watch the bartering of goods. The school must have been empty at lunchtime as we drew a crowd of children to the river to watch us eating. Fresh coconut water straight from the nut, fresh sugar cane and green mango were just some of the delicacies. Relaxing after lunch, Pat got a nasty shock as she lay on a hairy caterpillar which gave EXPLORE GUYANA
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We entered the rainforest and were greeted by a cacophony of sounds, including Bell birds and Screaming Pihas. The forest floor was littered with pretty yellow flowers but the going was slow with thick tree roots criss-crossing the undergrowth, made all the more treacherous by the thick covering of fallen leaves and the forest gloom. All of us fell at least once during the next few days as our feet were caught. Finally arriving at Camp John Smith around 4 o’clock, we decided to set up camp and a lucky few saw a harpy eagle flying close by. We celebrated Lesley’s 60th birthday with a wonderful camp meal but she had not been feeling well and vomited soon afterwards. That night, during a massive thunderstorm, Pat also felt unwell and was very sick. Camp John Smith was fairly rainproof but it was a miserable night for some. The next day was slower going than we had
hoped as we slipped and tripped our way along. We had started the day with high hopes of making it all the way to Chenepau but with Lesley and Pat obviously unwell, it soon became clear that we were not going to be able to achieve that goal. At about 4 o’clock we made camp close to the river. In the space of half an hour our crew created a camp from scratch. We watched, fascinated, as they levelled and swept the ground, chopped down small trees for uprights for the hammocks, smoked out a wasp nest and killed a snake. It turned out to be the most memorable sleeping spot of our trek. Our first task the following day was to walk across the longest and highest log bridge that we had so far attempted. Lindsay and Lesley managed to get across – with considerable support from Milner - despite their fear of such crossings (they had previously opted to wade across rivers). This was just as well, since it turned out to be the first of very many log bridges that we encountered that day. After many hours of trekking through the gloom, risking twisted ankles at each step, we finally emerged from the forest towards the first dwellings we had seen since leaving PK. We decided to press on by boat from Chenapau. Glen arranged boat hire at short notice and we made the threehour boat journey to Kaieteur, arriving at Menzies Landing just after 5 o’clock. We
carried our bags the 40 minute walk up to the Guesthouse and managed to get a quick glance of the Falls in the twilight and then waited for the rest of the team to arrive. We had a beautiful last meal together and a final formal farewell with songs and speeches. Several tears were shed, as we had come to rely so heavily on this great EXPLORE GUYANA
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team to get us through heat exhaustion, illness, tiredness and fear to achieve this, the final destination of our trek. But we had also come to look on all of them as our friends and we relished the stories, songs and jokes they had shared with us on the journey.
Post Trek Post Script On arrival back in Georgetown we were guests of honour at a press conference attended by The British High Commissioner Andrew Ayres and his lovely wife Bettina and Paul Stevenson from THAG. It turned out that we really had made history by being the first group of ordinary visitors to Guyana to attempt such a trek, and the journalists wanted to hear our story. We were delighted next day on the way to the airport to see copies of the Kaieteur News
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much about the Amerindian way of life. My confidence in my physical ability started to grow on the trek and I returned to England enchanted by an amazing country and its people.” (Dorothy Dalton)
which carried a report of our adventures and a photograph of the six of us with Glen and Gary. We hope that we will be the first of many trekkers from overseas who will travel into the beautiful interior of Guyana, and that our experience will help to open up the country to a new breed of adventurous tourists.
some quotes to use: “Six months after breaking off the head of my femur, the trek through the amazing Savannah and rain forests of Guyana was particularly challenging, but I wouldn’t have missed it for the world. Glen Allicock from
Surama and his team encouraged, coaxed and made me laugh. Their professionalism and kindness was immense. I had an unforgettable experience and learnt so
“This trip was a hard challenge for me personally and at times I felt I might give up, but there was always a helping hand from the other ladies and the cheerful outlook and resourcefulness of the Surama men and lady soon revived the spirits. All the hard work was certainly worth it to spend a few magical days at Kaieteur. I will never forget such a beautiful country and its wonderful people. Not many people can say they’ve done their washing at the top of the highest single drop waterfall in the world!!” (Olivia Hussey)
Aracari Resort Grand Coastal Hotel
Jubilee Resorts
Hurakabra
Wonotobo Resort
Fair View
Atta Lodge Iwokrama Canopy
Karasabai
Adventure Guianas Villa & Courtyard
Surama Walkway Aranaputa Wowetta
Conservation International Concession
Rewa
Yupukari
Savannah Inn
Nappi
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4 1 7
3
DENOTES CITY HOTEL LOCATIONS Please refer to page 94 for details of Hotel listings 8
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STAL HOTEL
TO GRAND COA
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7 2
MIDDLETON STREER
RAILWAY STREET
LAMAHA STREER
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6
ANIRA STREET
LALUNI STREET
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9
Celebrating its 200th Anniversary of its Name Change
Georgetown By Mayor Hamilton Green
17 miles up the Demerara River near to our International Airport; (Formerly Atkinson Air Field) as a suitable place from where to administer the affairs of the ‘settlement’ colony.
Parliament Buildings
He explained that the Island Capital was named Borsselen after the stallholder’s representative on the Dutch West Indian Company, Mr. R.J. Van Borsselen Van Der Hooge, now officially recorded as Borslem Island. Green further hypothesized and said that by 1759, Borsselen Island was becoming unsuitable as the Capital, since new plantations were continually growing up and being extended north towards the mouth of the river. During the European struggle for control of the area, a new site was not suggested.
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his year, the capital city of Guyana, Georgetown has been marking its bicentennial. The city’s 200th anniversary was in 1981 but this year 2012, actually represents two centuries since Georgetown acquired its name. The city began as a small town in the 18th century, when it was called the City of Stabroek. It was renamed Georgetown on April 29, 1812 in honour of England’s King George III. History revealed that it was the French who developed this town and made it their capital city when they captured the colony in 1782. On 5 May, 1812 an ordinance was passed to the effect that the town formerly called Stabroek, with districts extending from La Penitence to the bridges in Kingston and entering upon the road to the military camps, shall be called Georgetown.
in which the National Assembly of the Parliament of Guyana and its Committees meet is also found in Georgetown and so is the Court of Appeal.
However, in 1777, the Commander recommended that the new Capital site should be at Plantation Coverden, East Bank Demerara.
The State House (the official residence of the Head of State), as well as the offices and residence of the Head of Government, are both located in the city. Georgetown is the capital city as well as the main economic base of Guyana.
A plan was obtained for this exercise. The cost was then estimated at 200,000 Guilders, but this was considered exorbitant, and therefore never implemented.
City Mayor, Hamilton Green, in an interview with this publication advised that it is his information based on his research that the earliest European colonizers wisely identified an Island about 27 Kilometers or Stabroek Market
Georgetown is the seat of the central Government of Guyana. All executive departments are located in the city. The Public Buildings, commonly referred to as the Parliament Building, the building
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On January 31, 1782, the French who were at that time allies of the Dutch attacked and demolished the British Fort St. George. Green said that on February 22, 1782, a proclamation was made stating that it was necessary to establish a Capital.
Cheddi Jagan Research Centre (RED HOUSE)
The Victoria Law Courts
Nevertheless, the Mayor emphasized that the birth of Georgetown occurred shortly after the 1803 Treaty of Amiens, which awarded the colonies of Demerara, Berbice and Essequibo to Britain from the Dutch. Dutch and English were the primary language then, as English culture and laws slowly took over. The separate three former Dutch colonies of Demerara, Essequibo and Berbice were finally united into one entity called British Guiana in 1831 and were governed from Georgetown. According to Mayor Green, there was the contention that Georgetown was also called the cathedral city when St Georges Cathedral was erected, but the Mayor has a disagreement with the hypothesis that Georgetown was named after King George III since he was considered insane (he suffered from Propheria or Porphyria) and at one stage the Parliament accepted a report that the King had taken leave of his senses on a number of occasions. After Parliament determined that he should no longer function as King, his eldest son, the Prince of Wales was elected Prince Regent from February 1811, and carried out the duties of sovereign during the last decade of his father’s life. Georgetown is laid out in a north-south, east-west grid, interlaced with canals protected by kokers, or sluices, was built by the Dutch and later the British that provide drainage to a city that lies 3 feet (0.91 m) below high-tide level. A long seawall helps prevent flooding. The city has numerous boulevards and contains many wooden colonial buildings and markets. Georgetown was once called the Garden City because of the many trees that grace its avenues. The city’s avenues were created when some of its historical canals were filled in. These unique avenues and urban streets are lined with flowering tropical trees, which shed their colorful blossoms at various times of the year on the pedestrian pathways that run between them.
Georgetown and indeed all Guyanese! There are so many activities and events to mark this milestone! There will be special days, themed events and activities. There are several Bicentenary committees and groups that are actively planning events both in and outside of Guyana to celebrate! Some of these include a concerted effort by the Georgetown Municipality, the Implementation Committee headed by Mr. Keith Burrowes and other stakeholders including members of civil society, residents and commercial businesses in Georgetown to clean up and maintain the cleanliness and appearance of the main streets, yards and other areas contiguous to their locations. The naming and renaming of streets, the restoration of City Hall, the hosting of a street fair, Tea Parties, art and sporting events are slated to add a special flavor during the big anniversary year. Already celebratory events were held in various cities in North America where large populations of the Guyanese Diaspora, starting off with a reception and awards ceremony that was held in Brooklyn on June 8, at the Brooklyn Borough Hall, that was presented by the Guyana Tri-State Alliance, Inc., the Guyana Consulate in New York, and Guyana’s Mission to the United Nations in conjunction with Brooklyn St. Georges Cathedral
Despite some of the modern developments, Georgetown is still a city of wooden structures, including most of its houses and public buildings. Its most famous landmark is the St. Georges Anglican Cathedral, one of the tallest wooden structures in the world. The year 2012 is a special one for
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Borough President Marty Markowitz and City Councilman Dr. Mathieu Eugene. Another awards ceremony organized by of the Guyana Cultural Association of New York, Inc., was also held at the Borough Hall, Brooklyn where the City of Georgetown was proclaimed by New York City State Senator Mr. John L. Sampson, who commended the City of Georgetown for its long and sterling history and urged all New York City citizens to share in the celebration of its 200th anniversary and to take the opportunity to educate themselves about this important city and nation. The proclamation was received by Councillor Eon ‘Watusi’ Andrews, envoy of the Mayor and City Council. Other ceremonies to mark the Bicentenary included a grand reception that was held on Saturday, July 28th 2012 by the Guyana Association of Georgia and another that was hosted by the South Florida Association of Guyanese that was held on August 11th 2012 in Tropical Park Miami, whilst others are scheduled to be held before the end of the year in the cities of Washington D.C., St. Louis Missouri and Toronto, Canada. Happy 200th Anniversary Georgetown! Here’s hoping that the next 200 will bring peace, prosperity and a continued blossoming of the ‘Garden City’. Georgetown Seawalls
© James Broscombe
Capturing Lightning Over
Kaieteur Falls Story & Photos by James Broscombe
K
aieteur Falls is the place everyone in Guyana wants to visit. Mention it in a conversation with Guyanese, either those living in Guyana or the people of Guyana living throughout the world, and there is a pause, a certain wistfull look in the eye, and then either the comment ‘One day I will go to Kaieteur.’ or the comment ‘I’d love to go back to Kaieteur.’ Maybe there is a special affinity with Guyanese and
water. The coastal population enjoy their Atlantic beaches, walking on the seawall, or fishing in the huge rivers. The Amerindians swear by their creek water - for drinking, fishing, bathing in, or just lounging by. And whole river communities live in, on and by the water, the young children setting off to school each day in the family canoe. People of Guyana are well aware of the
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power of water. The high tides flooding Georgetown. The rainy season flooding the interior, washing away roads and making travel impossible. But nothing compares to the power on display at Kaieteur. The cold numbers, facts from guidebooks and wikipedia, do nothing to prepare the visitor for the pure display of ground-rumbling power that everyone witnesses at Kaieteur.
© James Broscombe © James Broscombe
I planned my visit to Kaieteur right at the end of my stay in Guyana. My wife and I had been living in an Amerindian community in the Deep South Rupununi for two years and Kaieteur was our last adventure in Guyana. We planned to spend 3 whole days at the Falls before flying to Georgetown and returning home to the UK. As a photographer I had one aim for
my visit to Kaieteur. I wanted to take a completely unique photograph of the Falls. I’d done my plans and had an image in mind. The perfect photograph - one which I’d never seen in any of the travel brochures or Guyana posters - was a long-exposure nighttime photograph of the Falls with a star trail behind. The photograph would take about 5 hours to take, but would be absolutely spectacular. Or so I thought! EXPLORE GUYANA
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We arrived at Kaieteur mid-afternoon. On first sight of the Falls I was completely blown away. I realised that there was nothing I could do to capture the grandeur, scale, and power right in front of me. I sat watching the water for over an hour and didn’t even get my camera out. After a while I took a panorama of the Falls and the valley below. A storm was running up the valley, with a few flashes of lightning, but the lightning stopped when the storm was still about 30 miles away. That first night I set out to capture the star trail. I would need to set the camera on
Š James Broscombe
my tripod and then take a few hundred 30 second exposures to catch the stars moving across the sky. Later, on computer, all the photographs would be combined to make an image showing all the stars swirling round in the sky over the Falls.
I soon realised that there was a problem. As night falls, the water in the river, heated by the sun during the day, holds on to its heat for longer than the air around the Falls. As soon as the sun sets, the air starts cooling but the water doesn’t. As it tumbles
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over the Falls and crashes into the rocks below it gains a little more heat and then, as it is smashed against the rocks, the water evaporates and becomes a warm mist. The mist slowly builds and rises in the cooling air and the entire area becomes swamped
The next day I explored the different viewpoints around Kaieteur. I managed to get a different view of the Falls when I spotted a hawk flying in front of the curtain of water - I would have preferred a Harpy Eagle, and it would have been nice for it to be flying a little closer. I was fairly pleased with it, but it wasn’t really an iconic image of Kaieteur.
© James Broscombe
in a thick fog. My plan for a photograph of the stars behind the Falls was scuppered. Now I understood why no-one had taken this shot before.
The final evening I was watching the sun go down and the first patches of mist started to form when a storm started coming up the valley. The storm was a little later than the one on the first night and it was starting to get quite dark. During my time in the Deep South I’d had a lot of practice photographing lightning, managing one evening to get an image combining sheet lightning, a ball of red lightning, and the moon, Venus and Mars all together. Lightning photography really comes under the category of flash photography. It’s a giant flash operated by an uncontrollable force, but the results are the same if your timing is good (or lucky!). In any flash photography you can’t really control the speed of the flash. It is very, very fast. Your only control over the exposure given to the light coming from the flash is through aperture and ISO settings. I set up my Nikon D700 on a tripod and, using a 20mm lens, framed the Falls to the right of the picture. The lightning was all to the left of the picture, but it was moving to the right and I hoped that I would get a strike in the centre of the frame. The lightning would provide light to the water in the river above the Falls - either directly if the flash was behind the river, or from reflection off the clouds if the flash was where I expected it to be - more to the middle of the picture. I chose f/5.6 and ISO 640 for this occasion. There was a little bit of light coming through the clouds behind me from very weak moonlight. It wasn’t enough to cast a shadow and wouldn’t have been enough to stop me falling over the edge of the viewing point if I didn’t have my torch with me (there are no guardrails at Kaieteur - it is truly unspoilt)! A few test shots confirmed that a speed setting of 30 seconds was giving just enough exposure on the falling water. In hindsight a little longer would have been better - but 30
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© James Broscombe
seconds is easy to set, whereas 40 seconds is a real pain! With the camera on the tripod and all settings locked in on manual I just had to sit there and press the shutter every 30 seconds, waiting for the lightning to move into the right place. There was a strike every few minutes, and at one point I feared it was moving behind me - with my camera on a metal tripod on the highest point around I was a bit of a sitting target! Most of the strikes were to the left and out of the picture, but they were moving closer. Finally after about 45 minutes there was a strike that really surprised me. It started as a ball of lightning nearly in the centre of the picture and the forked lightning came down almost to the left of the waterfall. It was very nearly out of frame, and in a completely different place from the previous strikes. I checked I’d caught it, and then continued clicking away waiting for another strike, but that was the last one, and the storm rolled away towards the distant Pakaraima Mountains.
South of Guyana. Living in an Amerindian Village in a traditional thatched house enabled James to makes friends in the local community and compile a unique daily photo blog exploring lifestyles and customs of the Wapishana People of the North Amazon Region. His photograph of Lightning at Kaieteur Falls was awarded Environmental Photographer of the Year - Natural World Winner in 2011.
‘Guyana - Land of Many Waters’ Available at blurb.com James Broscombe www.jmbphotography.co.uk
James Broscombe spent 2 years living in Aishalton Village in the remote Deep EXPLORE GUYANA
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Essequibo River with the spectacular forested banks
Fascinating Rivers of Guyana
The Magnificent Essequibo River By: Major General (retd) Joseph Singh
were targeted by the Spanish and Indians, who succeeded in driving off the Dutch, who were so intent on developing trade that instead of taking to their ships struck further inland to an island up the Essequibo River and established a fort on the island of Kykover-al by 1596”. The Dutch West India Company was issued a charter by the Netherlands and its attempts at real settlement had mixed results. It was not until the arrival of Laurens Storm Van’s Gravesande in 1738 that the fortunes of Essequibo took a positive turn as Gravesande was able to convince the Directors of the Company of the merits of throwing open the colony to settlers of all nations, with freedom from taxation for ten years. According to Webber, one of the first grants was on the island of Wakenaam to
G
uyana, Land of Many Waters, owes its name to the abundance of rivers, tributaries, creeks, and wetlands. These along with the many man-made canals have made and will continue to make an enormous impact on the development of Guyana and its people. Rivers are natural arteries for movement and the establishment of early human settlements thousands of years ago on their banks and tributaries, provided the First Peoples of Guyana – the Amerindians, with the food security and means of communicating among themselves for trade and socialisation. As stated by AFR Webber in his ‘Centenary History and Handbook of British Guiana’ (1931) –pp 5-6:
“The real history of British Guiana seems to date from 1581 and rivers provided the European traders with convenient landmarks and boundaries. The merchants of Zeeland, one of the provinces of The Netherlands, dispatched a convoy of ships to visit the Amazon and cruised the coast of South America westwards to the Pomeroon where the first post was established, followed by one on the Abary and a third on the west coast of the Essequibo. These EXPLORE GUYANA
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an English clergyman and a fellow colonist from Antigua. Thereafter, the West Indian planters literally flocked to the Essequibo. Gravesande sent out expeditions in search of gold and other precious metals. He established a trading post at Arinda in the Rupununi in 1748 and during his 34 years as Chief Administrator, guided the destinies of the colony of Essequibo, in which the
river played a prominent role. Then came the fall of Napoleon and the coming into being of the unified colonies of Demerara, Essequibo and Berbice under British rule from 1814 and a renewed interest in exploring the hinterland. On 21 September 1835, Robert Hermann Schomburgk set out from Georgetown on the first of his memorable voyages to the interior of the colony, commencing the serious ascent of the Essequibo River on 1 October 1835. It was during this expedition on 3 November 1838 that it was realized that streams flowing off Mount Roraima the mother of all rivers, drain themselves into the river systems of the Amazon, the Essequibo and the Orinoco. In 1867, the first Geological mission arrived in the colony led by James S Sawkins and Charles Barrington Brown. Brown followed Schomburgk’s route up the Essequibo to Wai Wai country and to the headwaters of the Essequibo River at its source tributarythe Sipu. These expeditions created much excitement because of the treasure trove of botanical specimens, the lure of gold and precious minerals, the beauty and power of the rapids, cataracts and waterfalls that
became known to the outside world from the reports of the explorers, who were in fact guided by the Amerindians in their travels in the remote areas. Exploitation of gold in the Essequibo and contiguous areas, harvesting of balata and timber from the species rich forests and the operations of stone quarries, catalysed
the development of Bartica so that it was declared a township in April 1887. Then on 25 Feb 1897, the Demerara-Parika single track metre gauge Railway, 17 miles long, was commissioned. This was a Milestone in the progress of interior development, and provided an all steam route – by rail and river steamer between Georgetown and Bartica – the threshold of one of the richest gold areas in the colony. In 1906 the Guiana Gold Company commenced dredging operations in the Konawaruk River and this coincided with a boom period in rubber and balata. All of these enterprises and activities would not have been possible had it not been for the hardy boatmen and river captains who mastered the techniques of boat building and navigating treacherous currents and rocks, while displaying the toughness and sense of humour of true pioneers. Many of the national songs of Guyana have their origins in the ditties sung by such boat crews as they portaged their boats and
precious cargo around rapids or hauled their boats up the cataracts by sheer human power. The river was unforgiving in challenging these explorers, miners, balata bleeders and their support crews. Boats were wrecked, lives were lost but the rewards instilled a determination that motivated and inspired successive generations to develop the techniques and apply the technology and skills that have now resulted in significant economic activities in a multiplicity of disciplines along the artery of the Essequibo River.
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A journey by boat up the Essequibo River will be an unforgettable experience. Commencing at its estuary, which spans a distance of ten miles across, are the islands of the river, Leguan, Wakenaam, Hogg Island and many others. Remnants of mills bear testimony to the attempts by the Dutch to establish sugar and rubber plantations and the layout of drainage and irrigation channels has been improved by modern rice, coconut and cattle farmers. Throughout the day one can see the movement of people, goods and services by public and private vessels plying the routes between Parika and Adventure, Fort Island, Supenaam, Boeraserie- Bonasika, Saxacalli, Buck Hall, Groete Creek, Makouria, Baganara and Skull Point. One can marvel at the mushrooming nature resorts with their
lodges strategically positioned between the sandy river frontage and the backdrop of pristine vegetation. Here and there are visiting yachts riding at anchor and in the distance the township of Bartica, sandwiched between the dark brown waters at the confluence of the Essequibo, Cuyuni and Mazaruni rivers and the green clad rising hills to the south with the sky and clouds providing a picture perfect image to complement the wonderful experiences of Guyanese hospitality, ingenuity, resilience, adventurous, pioneering spirit and infectious good humour. Along the river from Bartica to Parika, the lower Essequibo River provides access
Map of Guyana highlighting the Essequibo River
Visualise a scene at the Rockstone landing in the 1930s, of six to ten round bottom, wooden river boats (better suited to ‘ride’ the cataracts), crewed by experienced captains and oarsmen with huge steering paddles lashed to the stern and bow to navigate treacherous stretches of the Essequibo River, en route to the Potaro, Konawaruk, Apoteri, Karanambu and Yupukari, with cargo of food, utensils, equipment, passengers and mail and these boats returning weeks later with balata, collectors’ specimens, craft and other bartered items destined for markets on the coast. Here too, tourists travelling overland to Kaieteur had the options of either going by boat up the Essequibo River to the Potaro River, its tributary and disembarking at Tumatumari and or proceeding to Kangaruma, the terminus of the ‘bush buses’ plying the BarticaPotaro trail. From Kangaruma Landing and via two portages at Amatuk and Waratuk Falls to Tukeit Landing, one hikes up the escarpment to the Kaieteur Plateau and is rewarded with the spectacular sight of the Kaieteur Falls.
routes for tugs and pontoons hauling stone from the quarries at Teperu, Baracara and St Mary’s and timber from Skull Point, Kaow Island and Makouria. Now, more frequently, outboard and inboard powered craft move hundreds of passengers ans mail cross the Essequibo River and from the Landing they proceed to Bartica, the Bartica-Potaro Trail, Issano and Teperu and, from Teperu Landing across the Mazaruni River to Itaballi, thence to Puruni. Upstream of Bartica and Baganara - the island resort, and Agatash- a former citrus plantation, is the crossing at Sherima with a motorized pontoon service taking truckers and passengers to Bartica, Teperu, the Bartica-Potaro Trail, Issano and across the Mazaruni River to Itaballi, thence to Puruni and other destinations, mainly mining camps and landings (commercial centres and R&R locations) in the mining districts of the Cuyuni, Mazaruni and Potaro. Prominent landmarks along this stretch of the Essequibo River would be the high ground at Wineperu on the left bank – a former thriving logging centre, and
Rockstone on the right bank, the former terminus of a railway from McKenzie (now Linden) servicing the bauxite industry and the hinterland. From here were launched many of the epic journeys - the Boundary Commission of 1934-1938, and the expeditions to the Rupununi, and it provided connectivity with the logistic lines of communications for the gold, timber and balata enterprises in the hinterland.
Further upstream from Rockstone - now being developed as a tourism destination for catch and release fishing and angling competitions, past the logging station at Anarika, are the alluvial gold dredges operating in the Essequibo River and they come in different capacities from the 6 inches diver-directed suction dredges, to the unmanned, hydraulic boom-fitted dredges, to the state of the art doubledecker ‘Dragger’ dredges with a 75 ft boom to siphon off alluvials from the river bed and beneath it, for processing and separation on board until the black sand is precipitated and gold recovered with the use of mercury. Mining enterprises require major investments and in their desire to ensure a quick return on investment, the miners with the collaboration of the regulatory
Boatmen hauling canoe up the rapids in the Essequibo River
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Eagle to over 800 species of birds; bats; numerous insects and ants; and the river species include the caimans, alligators, anacondas, giant otters, piranhas, sting rays, electric eels, arapaima and game fish such as the lukanani or peacock bass, as well as aquarium–type species.
Mining activities in Progress on Essequibo River
agencies, have to ensure that the river, its channel, its biodiversity and its ecosystems, are not degraded as a consequence of irresponsible practices. Above the motorized pontoon crossing on the Essequibo River at Mango Landing, the numerous cataracts and rock strewn channels are a disincentive to river movement and at this crossing, roads and trails lead to the gold mining areas at Tumatumari, Mahdia, Kaburi, Konawaruk and North Fork. Further up the Essequibo River, the motorized pontoon crossing at Kurupukari is contiguous with the Iwokrama Forest Reserve and the access road to Lethem. Here the river is relatively pristine, However, the attraction for gold mining in the Siparuni River and the demand for bush meat to supply the mining camps and the coastal bush meat markets, have resulted in a proliferation of such activities that challenge the regulatory agencies . Above Kurupukari Crossing, the Essequibo River is pristine and except for settlements at Apoteri - formerly a balata collection station at the confluence of the Essequibo River and its tributary the Rupununi River, the river banks have few settlements until the confluence of the Essequibo with its tributary the Kassikaityu-River of the Dead, just above which are located the Wai Wai farms and their settlements at Akotopono and Masakenari. The Wai Wai community has ownership of 1.5 million acres of pristine forests that encompass the headwaters of the Essequibo and its uppermost tributaries, the Onoro, Chodikar and Sipu.
The Acarai Mountains, the highest points of which mark the boundary between Guyana and Brazil, provide the conduit for the runoff from the tropical thunderstorms and convectional rainfall that recharge the watershed and the tributaries that merge into this mighty Essequibo River flowing 360 miles to its estuary. The ecosystems and biodiversity along its route are varied and unique - the swamp forests of the watershed, the rainforest, the high forests of the Iwokrama Mountains, the savannahs and the secondary and tertiary vegetation in the lower reaches of the Essequibo River, resulting from anthropogenic activities. The wonderful variety of flora and fauna thrive on the interconnectivity of the river, the vegetation, the climate and the responsible stewardship of the human settlements that are interspersed along the banks of the Essequibo River. Terrestrial species include the jaguars, ocelots, tapirs and giant ant eaters; the avifauna range from the Harpy King William Falls in the Essequibo River
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The enormous contribution of the Essequibo River to the development of Guyana can be seen in the diversity of economic activities undertaken by the hinterland communities, the establishment of enterprises based on the responsible management of natural resources, the development of nature, cultural, and sports tourism utilizing the attractiveness of the Essequibo’s spectacular riverscapes and biodiversity, and the uniqueness of its settled Amerindian communities with their traditions and knowledge. In the context of the importance of water management, climate change mitigation, renewable energy sources provided by hydro electricity generation, and the importance of carbon sinks, carbon sequestration and the conservation and sustainable utilisation of forests, savannahs and wetlands, there will continue to be tremendous challenges in balancing wealth and job creation with responsible management of natural capital and development of Guyana’s human capital. Achieving such a balance will promote unlimited opportunities for creative use of the natural resources of Guyana of which this magnificent Essequibo River is such a major component. Major General (retd) Joseph Singh is a former Chief of Staff of the Guyana Defence Force and has nearly five decades of experience working and travelling in the hinterland of Guyana.
Howler Monkeys to Dung Beetles Monitoring the Biodiversity of the Iwokrama and Surama Forests Story By Andrew M. Snyder & Jake E. Bicknell Images Š A. Snyder; J.Bicknell; T.Horsley
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ach year, scientists and groups of university students from throughout the world, join a conservation research expedition to the interior forests of Guyana. These expeditions are run by UK based Operation Wallacea (www.opwall. com), in conjunction with the Iwokrama International Centre, and Surama Village in the North Rupununi. Their mission is to provide important data on the biodiversity of the Iwokrama and Surama forests, in particular, birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians and invertebrates. To date, the surveys have discovered countless species previously not record in the area, as well as providing the very first biological inventories of the Surama forest. The alarms ring early, rousing the students
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ready to go as well. Life awakes early in the jungle, and the research teams need to be ready for it when it does. The science teams include international academics from the University of Mississippi, University of Kent, and the Royal Ontario Museum. The students who assist them get the unique opportunity to contribute to a myriad of biodiversity surveys, including catching birds and bats in ‘mistnets’ (specially designed cryptic nets that do not harm the animals), searching for reptiles, amphibians, and large mammals, a
and scientists alike from their hammocks. The teams of typically seven scientists, 20 students, and local rangers have a bursting schedule, working around the clock, seven days a week, to survey animals throughout the day and late into the night. Signaled by the morning chorus of howler monkey roars and the squawks of macaws, the day commences with a filling breakfast of bakes and peanut butter around the makeshift camp table. However, there’s no time for idling around and relaxing. The scientists and rangers are prepping to leave at first light for their respective biodiversity surveys, and expect the students to be
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variety of methods to study insects, as well as river surveys counting wildlife including giant river otters. Day and night the teams are extracting birds and bats out of the mist nets, catching butterflies, moths and dung beetles, spotlighting tree boas and caiman, and hiking along an extensive network of transects for other crucial data. The students make the large scale of these surveys feasible. Most of these students are aspiring young biology majors with plans of one day becoming conservationists themselves. Here they get to experience the rigors and thrills and the ups and downs of working in the hot, sticky forest, living under basic conditions. Working alongside the diverse team of experts, the students begin as enthusiastic lumps of clay, and leave molded into the budding scientists of the future, with a new collection of skills and knowledge.
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These surveys have been thoughtfully designed to understand the unique forest and savannah frontier in central Guyana, in an effort to provide the data required to ensure the long-term sustainability of Guyana’s interior forests. The monitoring data enable long-term changes to wildlife populations to be assessed relating to human impacts, global climate change, and cyclical climate fluctuations. Furthermore, the data are being used to advance biodiversity mapping as an important tool in the expansion of the protected area network in Guyana. In the land of the Jaguar, scientists are beginning to unravel this complex ecosystem, to better understand the processes and functions, and to bring awareness to Guyana’s incredible biodiversity and to intrigue the rest of the world. The hope is that a further understanding of these forests will be of importance to establishing an economic growth path for Guyana that combines conservation and development interests to ensure culturally, socially and ecologically sustainable development.
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Welcome to the Jungle!
Surviving With Nature Story By Bryce Rogow Photos by Michael Dzikowski
“Jungle Survival” - Those words send a shiver up my spine. I find them so evocative--and what they evoke most of all is the idea of me, surviving in the jungle, living off my wits, swinging my machete, hanging on to a canoe for dear life, trying not to get eaten by Piranhas.” 55 |
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A
coconut palm sways above the colourful roves of Georgetown, its lush fronds atop a slender trunk giving the impression of a graceful woman enjoying the Caribbean breeze. From my balcony at the Status International Hotel, I turn to Mike, a photojournalist from Poland (by way of Ireland), and my new best friend. “Palm trees amaze me.” I say and Mike nods vigorously. We’ve developed an emotional connection with palm trees over the last two weeks. Actually, more than that “An Obsession”, because only two days ago, palm trees had been a big part of our plans for staying alive. Have you ever seen a Vietnam war movie and wondered what it was like to creep silently through the jungle, every sense alert, sweat streaming down, battling not just the heat, rain, and insects, but your own darkest fears--your thoughts of failure and doom? Perhaps you’ve heard of the rainforest’s incredible flora and fauna, and of the original people who live in concert with nature in our world’s jungles, and you’ve wondered what it would be like to fish the rivers, thatch with palm fronds, and hunt with a bow and arrow, or perhaps you’re curious about the kind of wilderness the conquistadors might have encountered
when they sailed up rivers far into the unknown in their rapacious search for gold and glory. “Jungle Survival” - Those words send a shiver up my spine. I find them so evocative-and what they evoke most of all is the idea of me, surviving in the jungle, living off my wits, swinging my machete, hanging on to a canoe for dear life, trying not to get eaten by Piranhas. Me, knowing not to urinate in rivers lest the Candiru, a tiny Catfish with backward-facing spines, wriggles up the warm stream in search of fish gills, and lodges itself halfway up my urethra. “Jungle Survival” - Me, parched, dipping a
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canteen into Caiman-infested waters...and knowing that I can purify that litre of water with three drops of 10% iodine solution and a fifteen-minute wait. I’ve always dreamed of these abilities, and now, thanks to a twoweek jungle survival course with Amazon Bushmasters, I’ve had the rare opportunity to turn those dreams into reality. The story of this adventure starts with Ian Craddock, founder of Amazon Bushmasters and lead instructor for our course. a 12year UK special forces veteran, Ian had that ability I’ve always considered one of the greatest contributions of Britain’s fighting men: to civilize the most savage circumstances with dry wit and a “proppa
useful and ubiquitous plants of the tropics. We looked out for each other, shot bow and arrows together, and even had a day of paintball. And through sharing all these highs and lows we started to trust each other, share secrets and come together as a team.
cuppa.” having learned jungle survival from the UK’s finest (he went through selection with Bear Grylls) as well as from the Macushi Amerindians he hires as coinstructors. Ian taught us everything we needed to know about how to stay alive in the jungle. His justification for the many tips and techniques was, “if you don’t do this, you will die,” and it felt pretty good to have things spelled out like that. But his impact on me extended beyond the skills I learned from him. I was also impressed by how he was able to synthesize so many moving parts. From remote plane flights, to canoe rides and overnight stays at the beautiful Surama Lodge into a workable business model and a unique experience of guided discovery for his clients.
trek into the jungle. On foot we reached our first base camp, a forest-enclosed clearing by a rocky river landing. Ian taught us how to put up our bashas (shelters of tarp), hammocks and mosquito nets that would be home for the next week. He also stuck a leaf into a hole at the base of a tree, pulled out a bunch of bullet ants, and explained that local women say that the pain of its bite is worse than the pain of childbirth. A warning that if we failed to inspect the ground under our bashas, and got bitten by one, we wouldn’t be able to do anything useful all day. We learned the basics of rainforest ecology and survival from Ian and our Macushi guides--how to find the nuts with grubs in them, chop them open with machetes, and use the grubs as bait. How to treat snakebites. How to identify the six most
I went on this trip with seven other students, professionals, and travellers from all walks of life and all around the globe. We got to know each other at the Status International Hotel and the Oasis Cafe, and the next morning Ian boarded us on a Caravan propeller plane for a spectacular flight to Kaieteur Falls deep in the interior of Guyana. Then it was on to Surama Lodge, a serene retreat deep in the heart of the Essequibo region, where our Macushi hosts cooked us mouth-watering fish, chicken, and local vegetables including farine, a couscouslike dish made from cassava. We gazed at the jungle’s edge and savoured the lasts moments of clean sheets, pillows and rum as the sun set. The next morning we donned our belt kits, camelbacks and rucksacks, and began our EXPLORE GUYANA
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When a week had passed and my waterproof green notebook was overflowing with notes, we got into canoes and travelled hours downriver to our next base camp for the next phase of our course. It was here, in some of the most remote territory on earth, that we learned advanced survival skills. How to construct a shelter out of sticks and palm leaves. how to gut, clean and cook fish. How to perfect our fire-making abilities so that the jungle’s humidity wouldn’t smother our delicate flames. It was all preparation for the final two days of our course “Isolation”. This was the true test of all that we had learned. Ian took each one of us further into the jungle and dropped us off “ALONE”, without anything more than our belt kit, a safety radio, and the skills we had acquired. We had to make it for two days. some of us were nearly eaten alive by mosquitos and ticks. All of us slept the first night with our machetes firmly grasped, certain that a snapping twig was being stood upon by the huge paw of a black jaguar intent on munching its canines through our skulls and into the gray matter Ian so frequently exhorted us to engage. As one day stretched into the next and the humidity kept sweat pouring off in buckets, I grew weak with fatigue and hunger. The palm hearts I ate didn’t seem to replenish the energy I’d spent chopping down the trees.
I had to rest a lot to preserve my stamina, and in those hours of contemplation atop my bed of palm leaves, I realized that what’s most frightening in the jungle is what you face about yourself. You have to answer the questions - Can I make it? Can I thrive? It’s so easy, sitting now after the fact in a nice comfortable chair, to think that it was easy to survive in the jungle, but it wasn’t. It was a tough slog. Yet as harsh as the jungle can be to those who don’t understand it, it can be unimaginably generous to those who do. Generous not just with food from its rivers and water from its vines, but generous too with the lessons it imparts about oneself. On the morning “Isolation” ended, we were picked up by canoe and brought back to Surama Lodge, and we were all smiles. Never has a beer tasted so good as that first ice-cold Banks Beer I had coming out of the jungle. When we dropped our rucksacks and Ian said, “worry about your kit later! we’re cutting into beer time!” we all cheered him on because we knew we’d all been thinking the exact same thing. I miss that first day out of the jungle. All the comforts I’m already taking for granted again seemed so new, so wonderful. I felt a great deal of accomplishment, and I brought more confidence with me onto the streets of Georgetown as I strolled, talking politics and creativity, with my Mike and our Guyanese rastafarian friend Cedric, who we’d met before the course started and who guided us through his neighbourhood with long dreads, a warm smile, and wise, poetic words. Later that evening, gazing out at a coconut palm from the balcony while awaiting my flight, Mike and I saw not just the shape but the potential of each of its parts. The leaves we could use for weaving and bedding. The long fronds for shelter. The coconuts. But this coconut palm on the coast was different from the kukrit-grub palms and palm heart trees we’d been using in the interior. This coconut palm had secrets and answers all its own. I’d need a desert island survival course to learn about that. Fortunately, Ian and Bushmasters offer such a course. I can’t wait to take it. Bryce Rogow, a writer, lives in Venice, California, USA. Amazon Bushmasters can be found at www.bushmasters.co.uk Michal Dzikowski - Photojournalist Living in Galway, Ireland www.clearskiesahead.org EXPLORE GUYANA
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The Lucky Birders and
The Jaguar Encounter T
Story & Photos by Niels Poul Dreyer (Denmark), Jeff Skevington (Canada) and Tau Rasmussen (Denmark)
he team was Jeff Skevington, Niels Poul Dreyer and Tau Rasmussen.
We had a fabulous time on a three-week trip to remote Guyana in northern South America. The trip was organized through Colin Edwards from Rock View Lodge and everything went as we wished including a few changes to the itinerary during the course of our adventure. Our visits were centered in the mid-west of the county around the main Iwokrama Rainforest Reserve and the Rupununi Savannah. While in the area we visited Rock View, Surama Ecolodge, ATTA Canopy Lodge, Iwokrama, Karasabai, Lethem, and Karanambu. The country is divided up in the humid north with continuous rainforest and the south with the great savannah teeming with wildlife. Being here feels like going 50
years back in time before global commerce started to encroach on nature. A country of less than one million inhabitants with limited infrastructure is a haven for wildlife. Traditional hunting with bow and arrows has encouraged the primates to stay away from humans. Nevertheless, we saw six of seven possible monkey species including White-faced Saki (Surama) and Bearded Saki (Karanambu River), Weeping Capuchin, Spider, Squirrel and a troop of Howler Monkeys. The Birdlife here is amazing. We saw huge numbers of Parrots, Woodpeckers, Nightjars, Bats and other wildlife unheard of in other parts of the Amazon. Our lists of birds sighted confirmed more than 400 bird species included 41 diurnal species of Raptors ranging from the Tiny Hawk
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and Orange-breasted Falcon to the Giant Harpy Eagle. Even shy Curassows and Trumpeters were seen in dozens each day in the rainforests. Travelling on the rivers we were lucky to have had sightings of Rays, Electric Eels, fish-eating Bats, Skimmers, Catfish and Ospreys with big Bass and Snappers in their claws. Huge Arapaima and Caiman were present in oxbow lakes. Our trip started at Rock View a nice lodge near the Annai Airstrip. On the next day we passed by Wowetta en route to Surama on an eight hours return walk to a lek of the Cock-of-the-Rock – Guyana’s National Bird. Here I was lucky to see a Rufuswinged Ground Cuckoo flying into a tree sapling. Tau managed to see one on the ground in Surama, while Jeff only heard of this elusive specie. The display of Cock-ofthe-Rock birds was a special treat and it is a must see bird on such a trip. While on our way to the site, our guide found a beautiful yellow-banded poison dart frog. At Surama Ecolodge we were able to see a good variety of birds. Tau and Jeff had brief views of a female Racket-tailed Coquette, a rare canopy species which came down to feed on melastome flowers near a marsh full of calling Ash-throated Crakes. In the forest we could enjoy close up views of Dusky Parrots and Black-headed Parrots feeding on fruit together with Capuchin birds. It was here Tau managed to log the Ground Cuckoo on his book. On a climb up Table Mountain we could watch a bathing Black-eared Fairy and Hermits in a stream. Another group found an Awl Bill not far from the lodge. The place certainly has a lot of potential if you stay away from the rocks! EXPLORE GUYANA
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Cock of the Rock
At Atta lodge, the Cotingas put on a big show as we were able to watch Pompadour Cotinga, the almost endemic Dusky Purpletuft, several Guianan Red-Cotingas, Crimson Fruitcrows, and a pair of Spangled Cotingas. Near the Canopy Tower, a Palethroated Three-toed Sloth demonstrated how to hide in vine thickets which could have been one meter in diameter. One morning, Tau left his bag on the road. On his return it was gone and we could only see tracks from braking tires. It was obvious that a truck driver had picked it up. Fortunately, Tau had left his papers and money in our room, so he lost only his camera and a raincoat. The bag was later found down the road.
The hormones must have been high, as it is not normal for a generally shy predator to ignore us for so long. While this scene unfolded in front of our vehicle, I started to wonder why another car or truck did not come along. It is only in Guyana that this is possible on a main highway traversing the country from north to the south. On a typical day only twenty trucks or minibuses drive this gravel road! January is a good time to see Jaguars in Guyana as it is the mating period and apparently they are less shy at that time. However, it is far from guaranteed to see this beautiful cat. Most people who visited the lodges at the same time missed out on this great opportunity.
One of the unexpected highlights of this trip was two sightings of Jaguars on the road between Iwokrama and the Atta Lodge. A young male appeared at the roadside 40 meters from us on his way through the area. Our Guide, Smith was able to keep it at bay on the road for five minutes by making growling noises. Two days later, our driver saw a pair of Jaguars walking towards us until they reached a point 120 meters from the vehicle. We watched them for 20 minutes as the female tested the fear of the male in refusing to follow him into the forest. Instead, she laid down on the road. The male tried to lead her off the road on several occasions as they approached.
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On a night spotlighting session in the Tiger Woods area near Iwokrama, we managed to find two Kinkajous (related to raccoons), one Tamandua (tree anteater) and a Longtailed Potoo as well as a Jaguar latrine with over 15 different scratch marks in the piles of wood chips left by loggers (think of this as a huge kitty litter). On the trail at Iwokrama, a Variegated Tinamou appeared on the trail while a Black Spider Monkey angrily trembled on the branches overhead. On our return to Rock View Lodge, we located four White-plumed Antbirds and other goodies at an ant swarm. It was dramatic drive to Karasabai on a nonexistent road and upon our arrival we
Harpy Eagle
had a difficult encounter with the drunken chief of the community, who proved to be hopeless in helping to organize the outing. With a bit of luck we managed to find someone else to bring us to the right spot the next morning. In a valley 45 minutes drive from Karasabai we saw six endangered Sun Parakeets feeding on fruit and orange flowers in a dry forest near a farm. The area was full of Raptors hunting grilled reptiles from fires lit by humans. Zone-tailed, Savannah, White-tailed Hawks, Crested Caracaras and Pearl Kites filled the sky along with the vultures waiting to feast on the remains. Fires have a serious impact on the vegetation and there is a need to control and extinguish such fires if the dry forests are to be maintained and protected in the long term. Sun Parakeet habitats disappear with every such burning wildfire that spreads into the mountains and this seems to be a regular occurrence. In Lethem, we hired Jeremy Melville to take us to a growling Rio Branco Antbird and the handsome Hoary-throated Spinetail in a gallery forest along Ireng River. These sites were accessed by a 4WD, as the water level in the river was too low to allow us to conduct the venture by boat. The fee for the morning outing was US $350 dollars including the 4WD hire. Consequently, we decided to abandon an eight hour drive in search of Red Siskin with a price tag of US$1000 Dollars and instead continued on to Karanambu the following day. En route we arranged to have Manuel Manne to show us a pair of Crested Doradito. During a morning boat trip on the Karanambu River we saw Lesser Crested Curassows several times! In the following evening, was enjoyed a sundowner among Giant Water Lilies, Flying Bats and Nighthawks on an oxbow lake. On the same night we encountered 123 individuals Poison Dart Frog
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of seven species of Nightjar: Common Pauraque, Rufous, White-tailed Nightjar, Band-tailed, Nacunda, Least and Lesser Nighthawks and Boat-billed Herons in big numbers along the river! One afternoon was spent some time in the savannah with our guide Kenneth Manduke to seek Bearded Tachuri, White-necked Xenopsaris, and Rufous Nightjar. Near the airstrip, we watched five Pinnate Bitterns standing and flying around in the rain. On the following morning, we returned to the Savannah from Karanambu Lodge to seek a view of the Giant Anteater a few hours before going to Georgetown by plane. Just as we were giving up in the rain, an Anteater appeared over a ridge and continued to head towards us, traversing our route at great speed. We had great views of the soaked Anteater eagerly trying to get away into the cover of the forest. Rather disappointingly, nobody had their cameras ready! Back in Georgetown, we arranged with Vicki, a taxi driver to do a morning trip to the Abary River mouth. It is a muddy place full of red mites (chiggers). The aim was to see Blood-colored Woodpecker and Rufous Crab Hawk. We had some great sightings of these birds and returned successfully to Georgetown five hours later, some of us with bitten legs, which had the same color as the woodpecker! Guyana is a place that can be cheap and
expensive at the same time. We paid US $3600 Dollars each in total for 3 weeks from Georgetown, but it is important to negotiate everything. Fortunately Colin Edwards at Rock View Lodge was able to obtain the right prices at the Lodges and also for transport. Besides a few surprises we were able to keep costs in control. The staff at the Lodges were flexible and accommodating in providing breakfast, lunch packs and transport on the times we wished. This Guyana trip is among my top five trips I ever had conducted. It is the place to see big things in a slowpaced atmosphere. It is not for someone who wants to rack up a big list of passerines in large mixed species flocks. It is hard to see the little bird in a huge dark forest. Patience is the key to success here! We allowed for 4 nights at most Lodges and this considerably increased our success rate at finding key species of birds. Finally, there is something rotten about
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the weather this year. It was supposed to be the dry season but it rained heavily most days and Guyana proved to be as windy as Denmark. Be prepared for biting insects as they also thrive, even in the dry season. Malaria is widespread so it is wise to take the necessary precautions before visiting.
© Michae l Lam
© Michael Lam
The Pakaraima Mountain Safari… Captivating, Thrilling and Invigorating Story by Chevon Singh
N
Photos by Michael Lam & Guyana Tourism Authority
ow a decade old, the annual Pakaraima Mountain Safari still possesses the ability to thrill, captivate, mesmerize and enthrall those fortunate enough to indulge in this experience of a lifetime.
with Rainforest Tours. The intrepid adventurers are taken across country over rocky terrain and mountain passes and through undulating savannah lands. It has never failed to deliver on the promise of adventure and excitement.
For those who cannot start from the first day, inland flight arrangements can be coordinated with Air Services Ltd, Roraima Airways or Trans Guyana Airways which will enable them to join the safari at another point along the journey.
The success of this event has been heralded far and wide and the call of the quest continues to lure adventure seekers to Guyana to explore the ingrained beauty of the hinterland landscape.
The route starts from Georgetown and the convoy of 4 X 4 all terrain vehicles and pickup trucks winds its way through the hinterland communities of Karasabai, Tiperu, Rukumoto, Morabaiko, Young Peru, Monkey Mountain, Paramakatoi, Kato, Kurukabaru , and Itabac , ending at the foot of the Pakaraima Mountain Range, where the Orinduik Falls is located.
After eight days of travelling through muddy gorges and over slippery slopes, and sometimes through impassable terrain, the convoy wearily winds its way to the intended destination.
© Michael Lam
This 529-mile overland journey is usually held between March and April before Easter celebrations and is coordinated by the Guyana Tourism Authority in association
On this journey only one thing is certain, nature reigns supreme, but this in no way deters persons, both local and foreign, from joining the annual convoy that traverses
Orinduik Falls
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The distance covered during this expedition is the longest distance covered in Guyana in any kind of safari and the grueling conditions challenge even the most daring of explorers, with every bend in the trail revealing challenges that test the strength and endurance of each participant. Along the way, 14 Amerindian communities are visited and participants get the specific opportunity to bask in the distinct facets of the indigenous people and their culture while at times sleeping under the stars in their self made camps. You are sure to enjoy the beautiful scenic views of the interior, magnificent sunrises and breathtaking sunsets. Glimpses of the black caiman are exhilarating and opportunities for bird watching abound.
its genesis through the efforts of Mr Harripersaud Nokta, the former Minister of Local Government and ‘the founder of this event.’ Roads linking the villages of Region 8 from Maikwauk to Monkey Mountain never existed. Similarly access roads from Karasabai to Young Peru in Region 9 were non existent. The villages of the Pakaraimas were land locked and the easiest way to commute was by air and flights were only accessible to those who were in close proximity to an airstrip. © Michael Lam
through the trails that eventually lead to Orinduik Falls, 25m tall and more than 150m wide , situated amidst the rolling, grasscovered hills of the Pakaraima Mountains.
‘Safarians’ would also be able to see the giant anteater and other species of wildlife, experience the river crossings, soak in the hills, mountains, and the beautiful geological features of the Pakaraima mountain range.
© Michael Lam
While the Safari fits broadly into plans for the Tourism sector, the event has
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Traveling in to the Pakaraimas from the coastal belt by chartered aircraft is difficult as it is traveling out, hence you were either locked-in or locked out. Recognizing the need for an access road linking the villages of Region 8 in the North Pakaraimas, Karasabai in the South Pakaraima in Region 9 and to, the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development started an exploration for a road link with the help of the residents of all the villages in locating a friendly terrain.
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reservations@grandcoastal.com
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In December 2002, monies were available to complete the last portion of jungle access road from Morabaiko Creek in Region 9 to Young Peru, the last village. On Saturday 22nd of March, 2003, a Safari with four Land Rovers, two tractors and trailers with passengers started a historic two and a half day journey from Karasabai to Orinduik. The Safari was led by Mr.Harripersaud Nokta M.P, Hon. Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, accompanied by Dr. Bheri Ramsarran M.P, Regional Chairman of Region 8, Regional Executive Officer and District Development Officers of Regions 8 and 9 along with the commander of the Lethem and Karasabai Police Stations and twenty-one other persons.
Communities across Regions 8 and 9 and have some of the most beautiful geological features to be experienced in the Guianas. This frontier is blessed with a wide range of flora and fauna and the rich history of our Indigenous people are evident throughout the region. This is an opportunity you will not want to miss and for those adventure seekers at heart wishing to participate in this trip of a lifetime, you are invited to contact Rainforest Tours or the Guyana Tourism Authority.
The Journey was historic as travel in the region by road was not possible before, Mr. Nokta and his team were the first to traverse the completed road. The Pakaraima Mountain Safari offers an ideal opportunity to establish links with
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Š Michael Lam
Š Michael Lam
Construction of an access road commenced and this venture utilized local labour and simple agricultural tools to clear the alignment. First it was a rough pathway traversed only by two tractors and trailers provided to Region 8 through central government.
Travels in the
Pomeroon By Ruth-Anne Lynch
A
s a regular visitor to Guyana, lately in the capacity of a travel writer, I organise visits to different parts of the country in order to increase my knowledge of its tourism offerings. Many would consider me a ‘Combackee’ (loosely translated as a Guyanese living overseas who returns home for a visit) and I certainly don’t dispute this. Nevertheless, while I am no expert on all things Guyana, I have lately discovered that I sometimes know a bit more about things to do and places to visit than many people who have been residing there from birth. What is more, I am often asked by fellow ‘Combackee’ friends (and some of the natives!) to help them plan itineraries for their next trip and explain some of the logistics involved. From a travel writing perspective, there is a lot of ground to cover. Guyana may appear a dot on the world map, but, as it is not exactly small at 83,000 sq. miles, realistically, visitors can only ever expect to cover a small proportion of the country. Nonetheless, with a little bit of help from those involved in the local tourism industry, I am keen to explore the country as much as possible. It will also be an opportunity, to spend time communing with Guyana’s first settlers, the Amerindians, and hopefully observing noted wildlife, including the elusive jaguar in their natural habitat.
In 2010, I visited Iwokrama River Lodge and Research Centre, the Canopy Walkway, Surama Village Eco-Lodge and Rock View Lodge in the Rupununi Savannahs. Unfortunately, I did not get as far as Lethem, a very happening place, particularly at Easter, so it is still on my ‘To Do’ list. Last year, I visited Hurakabra Lodge in the Essequibo, drove the entire length of the East Coast and Corentyne Roads and travelled by boat about 50 miles up the Corentyne River to Orealla Village. This year, following a trip to Palumeu, an Amerindian village in the Surinamese jungle, on behalf of Surinam Airways, I am venturing north east to the Pomeroon to visit Adel’s Rainforest Resort, and I will be accompanied by my mother and friend, Nicola.
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We leave Georgetown around 8am and make the short drive along the East Bank Road to the Demerara Harbour Bridge, which spans the Demerara River, Guyana’s third largest river. This floating toll bridge is just over a mile and connects Peter’s Hall Village on the East Bank with Schoonord on the West Bank. The bridge regularly opens to allow the passage of boats and it is always a good idea to check the bridge opening times (helpfully published in the local newspapers) before you embark on your journey, as you can waste a considerable amount of time queuing when the bridge is open, or worse, when scheduled repairs to its 34-year old structure are taking place. After crossing the bridge, we drive for about 45 minutes along the West Coast Public Road past many small villages with interesting names (some Dutch), such as
View of Charity Coast Line
Vreed en Hoop (where you can also cross the Demerara River from the Stabroek Market Stelling in small motorised boats – speedboats), Windsor Forest, Anna Catherina and Zeeburg. Our destination on this leg of the journey is Parika, a busy port town with a thriving and very colourful market at it centre. Parika is a major transport hub for travellers travelling up and down the Essequibo River (Guyana’s largest river) to the small mining town of Bartica, interior areas, and Essequibo Islands such as Leguan, Wakenaam, and Supernaam. There were two kinds of speedboats plying the river - open boats and shed boats with covers to protect passengers from the elements. I am used to travelling in speedboats as a large number of my relatives still live in Bartica, where I spent a lot of school holidays during my childhood. However, half-an-hour boat ride from Parika to Supernaam, will take us 20 miles across the mouth of the Essequibo River, which is forever battling for supremacy with the Atlantic Ocean, so we can expect a rather bumpy boat ride. Apparently, a new roll-on, roll-off ferry, kitted out with a modern VIP lounge, seating for 800 passengers and space for 20 lorries or 44 cars, has recently begun to ply the route between Parika and Supernaam. This means that instead of relying on taxis at either end, you will now be able to use your own private transport. Further, people, nervous about travelling in a speedboat over rough water, will find the journey more comfortable and feel a great deal safer.
speedboats. Speedboats congregate in one place at the Parika Stelling touting for passengers so we must check their destinations before boarding to avoid ending up in the wrong place. The boats only leave when full so you can end up having to wait for a bit before moving off. As it is beginning to rain, we bypass the nearly full open boat in favour of a covered vessel leaving later, at a cost of GUY$1,300 each, one-way. After donning compulsory lifejackets, we board the shed boat. The rain is still falling so they pull down the coverings but as the boat bounces up and down on the choppy waves, I begin to feel a bit queasy. With the covers down, I miss seeing the islands of Leguan and Wakenaam. This is a pity as my Dad is always reminiscing about helping his grandparents cultivate rice land in Leguan, and it is also where my late Uncle Joe Lynch (a former pork knocker) was born. We eventually arrive (shaken and very much stirred) at the Supernaam Stelling, hail a local taxi at a total cost of GUY$4,000 and set off for the village of Charity, where we will take a boat up the Pomeroon River to our final destination, Adel’s Rainforest Resort. Our taxi driver, Ganesh (aka Throwback!) acts as our unofficial tour guide on the
As luck would have it, this much-needed service was not yet in operation during our trip, so we head for the Supernaam-bound
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hour-long trip along the impressively clean and well-maintained Essequibo main road to Charity. Throwback is a definitely a ‘gyaff man’ (chatty) and regales us with local anecdotes about the villages we pass, which include Golden Fleece, The Jib, Better Success and Better Hope, although Nikki and I agree that the name ‘Fear Not’ wins hands down! One such tale involved a ‘seven-meat’ whale that washed ashore and was devoured by the villagers clearly adhering to the ‘waste not, want not’ philosophy. Exactly how a whale could have seven meats is anyone’s guess but Throwback is sticking to his story! We pass Anna Regina, the capital of the Pomeroon-Supernaam Region and learn that a short drive inland will take us to Lake Mainstay, a large resort located on the shores of Lake Mainstay. Visitors stay in comfortable cottages with AC and can enjoy BBQs, sport and nature pursuits as well as visits to the nearby Amerindian village of Whyaka. The resort also hosts the annual Lake Mainstay Resort Regatta, held in August. For further details, check the resort’s Facebook page and website: www.lakemainstayresort.biz. Our road journey ends when the tarmacked road terminates in the last village, Charity, a small, but fairly important community. People travel from miles around to purchase and sell agricultural produce,
household goods and other necessities at its famous Monday Market. If you wish to avoid the Parika route, then you can take a 14-minute flight out of Ogle International Airport to Hampton Court, followed by a 15-minute taxi ride to Charity. However, make sure that the flight dates and times fit in with your holiday schedule. Throwback deposits us on the edge of the Pomeroon River opposite Dixie Lee Chicken shop, where we are supposed to meet Adel’s private speedboat and a few other guests. The resort’s 12-seater boat can be booked at a return fare of about $GUY18,000 (roughly US$90), which is a good deal if split between several people. Alternatively, travellers can take a local boat from Farmer’s Wharf heading to Moruka or Wakapoa, for about GUY$1,500. These boats tend to leave when it suits the drivers, but I am told that a good time to look for one is around lunchtime or you can catch one of the school boats between 3.30 and 5pm. The Pomeroon River is clearly the highway to everywhere and from here on, river transport rules! During our 20-minute speedboat ride along the river we pass many riverside homes, a church, a few schools and several families going about their daily business along the river. Adel’s Rainforest Resort is located at the mouth of the Akawini Creek and the Pomeroon River, within the Amerindian Reservation district. It is an oasis spread over 60 acres of land surrounded by pristine jungle almost within touching distance. As the boat turns into Akawini Creek and we draw nearer to the property, I am struck by the pretty, deck-red, chalet-styled wooden buildings, joined together by covered walkways. It is surrounded by colourful flowers and plants sunning themselves amongst the lush, well-kept foliage. We are greeted upon arrival with welcoming smiles, hot towels and timely glasses of cool coconut water or seasonal fruit juices and are soon relaxing in the breezy openplan building, which houses the kitchen, seating and dining areas. During our stay, I am lucky enough to receive a thorough ‘nointing’ (body massage) from Shirley, a staff member, which irons out muscular kinks I didn’t even know I had.
and avocados as well as vegetables such as cassava (manioc), plantains, sweet potatoes, bora (a kind of string bean) pumpkins and squash. As such, guests can look forward to tasty meals local produce as well as wild meat such as labba (a large edible rodent) and tapir (wild cow), sourced from the surrounding forests. Visitors can go on jungle walks, fishing, hunting and bird watching expeditions. You can also visit the Akawini Vocational Institute, which is being built to provide Amerindians in and around the Pomeroon River with sustainable skills such as eco-tourism, entrepreneurship, fish farming, mechanics, solar mechanics and husbandry. For further information check out the blog: http://akawinicreekblogspot. co.uk or visit: www.adelresort.com. If you are already in this neck of the woods, consider visiting the Amerindian villages of Maruka and Wakapoa; Mabaruma (about 15km from the Venezuelan border and the location of Hosororo Falls); Shell Beach (to observe giant marine turtles nesting) and even Venezuela itself. Be aware, however, that such trips can be very expensive unless you are part of a group. All good things must come to an end and it is soon time to reverse our steps back to Georgetown. Throwback heeds our call to
Adel’s is blessed with a year-round supply of fruits, which include passion fruit, mangoes, cherries, papayas, coconuts, oranges
collect us when we arrive in Charity, and after a brief stop to stock up on vegetables and fruits in the town’s busy market, we enjoy another joke-filled taxi-ride back to Supernaam. The weather is glorious so we elect to travel in an open boat from Supernaam to Parika. While waiting, we purchase fish cakes rolled up in a dhal puri (similar to roti but stuffed with lentils), from a little cookshop by the stelling. The meal is quite tasty and people are queuing up to buy the reasonably priced lunchtime specials from this small, but clearly very popular eatery. We hook up with another friendly taxi driver at Parika (Naraine) and all is well until we arrive at the Demerara Harbour Bridge to be greeted by a long line of traffic – the bridge is being repaired so everyone will just have to wait! Naturally, Nikki and I see the positive side of this situation and jump out of the car to photograph ourselves against the backdrop of our picturesque surroundings. It just had to be done! Harbour Bridge delays notwithstanding, this has been an excellent trip and I am grateful that my mother and Nicola came along. With the sun shining, good food in my stomach, surrounded by loved ones, I feel truly at home. Life is great and travelling around Guyana is very exciting!
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Mangroves and Community Development Story and Photos by Annette Arjoon-Martins
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s Guyana continues on its recent upward development path, a key component to sustainable management of our natural resources is to combine conservation of natural systems with revenue-generating opportunities for the local communities that depend on these resources. One such success story is Guyana’s first community-owned and managed mangrove reserve which stretches across five communities on the country’s northern coast from Golden Grove to Belfield. Traditionally, coastal mangrove forests are a critical part of sea defence as they prevent erosion and degradation of the country’s vulnerable coast which is seven feet below sea level and is constantly threatened by recent sealevel rise and increased wave energy.
potential for creating alternative livelihoods at the same time. One of the first GMRP initiatives was to create a mangrove reserve brand that communities were permitted to use on their home-grown and manufactured products once they were protecting mangrove forests in tangible ways. The producers, who are mainly women, now have a range of products including golden mangrove honey, handmade beeswax candles, cassava bread, coconut biscuits, dried herbs and pepper and condiments such as lime, tamarind and mango achar, and peppersauce. Members of the five communities were also trained as tour guides. This subsequently
The Guyana Mangrove Restoration Project (GMRP), which is funded by the Government of Guyana and the European Union, has several components which include public awareness, research, replanting and community development. After a diverse public awareness campaign, citizens residing within and near mangrove forests had become aware that protecting and managing mangrove forests was a way of securing their future and also held EXPLORE GUYANA
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gave birth to the mangrove reserve tour allowing tourists to learn of mangrove conservation while enjoying a halfday tour of several East Coast villages and encounter our Guyanese heritage, a thriving mangrove forest, a wetland teeming with fish and birdlife, drumming and folk singing and learn of traditional use of medicinal plants in the company of charming village people. To step back from this picture is to see the increased potential for these coastal villagers to earn a living as tour guides, horse-cart drivers, cane juice vendors, musicians, beekeepers and agriproducts producers. The Golden Grove/Belfield Mangrove Reserve – 20 minutes from Georgetown, has become a centre piece of activity, and
Guides point out the array of medicinal plants, used by Guyanese for generations. Growing wild along the path are “black sage” – a brew from the leaves helps to combat hypertension and diabetes, and the rigid stems of the plant make a toothbrush substitute. Also there is “sweet sage” used to treat colds, “ belly ache bush” that combats gum disease, and a brew from the “tulsi” plant that works to relieve flatulence. The leaves of the “noni” plant are used to alleviate pain, and its fruit is reputed to build up the immune system. There is also a plant, “carrion crow bush”, the brew of which, according to folklore, is used to terminate pregnancy. Not forgetting “Briar pimpla” which is used to make garlands which are hung on doorways to keep away “Old Higues” which suck the blood of old and young! In the middle of the wetland is a small island of lush black mangrove where bee keepers operate. The nectar from the black mangrove blossom produces delectable golden-coloured honey; you can purchase some at the end of the tour from Victoria bee-keepers Carlotta and Colin deJesus.
is the starting point for the tours operating seven days a week from 7am to 7pm. Guyana is known for its rambling wooden structures, with the graceful and distinctive Demerara shutters, and that’s the picture as you arrive at the sprawling 3-storey plantation house which is 160 years old and dominates 5 acres of land covered with towering mango trees in the midst of a herbal garden. The house reflects an early grandeur in its hewn greenheart beams, pine floors and antique cast iron pillars. Beautiful banners telling the mangrove story in detail, and an intricate hand-painted mural of the coastline depicting the coastal forests and rich birdlife, are part of the permanent display. From the breezy Visitor Centre, the tour moves by horse-cart, provided by cartmen from the Nabacilis community, to Victoria Village; this is first village bought by former slaves following Emancipation in 1888, and one can pause at the original hut where freed slaves, who had opted to continue
estate work, collected their weekly pay packages. It’s now a busy village shop, and vendors outside offer fresh coconut water and the juiciest pineapples. Turing toward the sea, you catch sight of one of the many kokers (a Dutch word meaning “sluice”) that dot the Guyana landscape. Shortly after, you encounter the beautiful temples of the local ashram. You are now in the heart of the Mangrove Reserve where all the mangrove species are found within the first 100ft stretch. On the other side of the trail is a wide wetland area teeming with scarlet ibis, snowy egrets and pelicans which has become a popular bird-watching stop. A unique part of the wetland is a shallow fish pond, containing tilapia, hassar, patwa, and sunfish, and ideal for recreational fishing. If you’re in luck, you will see local fishermen beating the water to chase the fish into their nets or throwing their cast nets to haul up a good catch.
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As the tour winds back to the visitors’ benab near the side of the lake you are greeted by drummers from Victoria Village who entice you to join in their energetic rendition of the most popular folk songs of the area. Returning to the Visitor Centre, you can stop at Ingrid’s roadside stand for some local snacks and Guyana’s legendary Demerara Gold freshly squeezed cane juice. If you’re looking for a short intensive look at our natural world and our Guyanese culture, this 3-hour tour is the ticket.
PEOPLE OF GUYANA
Shiv Chanderpaul Guyana’s World Famous Batsman Story by Avenash Ramzan
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hivnarine Chanderpaul has become the 10th batsman and the second West Indian to pass 10,000 runs in Test matches, reaching the mark on the fourth day of the third Test against Australia at Windsor Park in Dominica from April 23-27, 2012. In keeping with much of his career, Chanderpaul passed the landmark in the midst of a desperate Caribbean fight in the fourth innings to stave off defeat at the hands of the Australians on a deteriorating pitch, moving forward from his inimitable stance to push a delivery from Michael Clarke wide of mid-on and go to 14 for his innings. “I have been batting well and spending a lot of time at the crease, and to reach 10,000 Test runs is something special for me. It was one of the goals I set myself and
I believe I have reaped this reward for the hard work I put in over the years,” he said afterwards. “When I go to bat, I know I have a job to do for the team and the people of the West Indies. Test cricket is the ultimate form of the game and this is where you want to perform and give your best. I will keep striving for more.” Chanderpaul reached the milestone in his 140th Test, emulating Brian Lara’s feat of also passing 10,000 for the West Indies. The possessor of the crabbiest technique in world cricket, Chanderpaul proves there is life beyond the coaching handbook. He never seems to play in the V, or off the front foot, but uses soft hands, canny deflections, and a whiplash pull-shot to maintain a Test average of around 50. EXPLORE GUYANA
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While the cricket world was obsessed with Lara’s unquestionable talent, Chanderpaul has shown that there are alternate ways to be consistent and prolific in Test cricket over a long period of time. When Chanderpaul started out, he had a couple of problems: first, a low conversion rate of around one hundred to every ten fifties, and secondly, his physical frailty. He was widely thought to be a hypochondriac. That myth was exploded when a large piece of floating bone was removed from his foot late in 2000, and, suitably liberated, he set about rectifying his hundreds problem, scoring three in four Tests against India in 2001-02, and two more in the home series against Australia the following year, including 104 as West Indies successfully chased a world-record 418 for victory in the final Test in Antigua.
Since then, he has hardly had any prolonged lean periods, and has managed to keep his own standards at a remarkably high level despite the perennial problems that the West Indies has faced. On the few occasions that the West Indies has tasted success, Chanderpaul’s contributions have been equally vital - in the Champions Trophy triumph in 2004, he contributed greatly with a consistent performances. A stint as West Indies captain followed in 2005-06, and though he celebrated with a double-century in front of his home fans in Guyana, it was clear that captaincy was affecting his batting, and in 2006 he gave it up to concentrate on his main job. Perhaps his greatest contribution, though, has been in holding together West Indies’ fragile batting line-up after Lara’s retirement. With a couple of other senior batsmen, Ramnaresh Sarwan and Chris Gayle, not being available due to various reasons, Chanderpaul’s contributions have been immense, as he has defied bowling attacks in all countries and all conditions, often with minimal support from the other end. One of the best examples of that was
the recent series against Australia, in which he got to the elusive 10,000 runs mark: he ran up scores of 103*, 12, 94, 68 and 69, for an aggregate of 346 in five innings. The
second-highest aggregate for West Indies in the series was 186, which amply sums up Chanderpaul’s Test career.
PEOPLE OF GUYANA
Godfrey Chin A Tribute to a Legend, Patriot & Friend
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odfrey Chin was a great achiever. With special mental endowments, extraordinarily imaginative, creative and inventive, Godfrey was a writer, social commentator, costume designer, set decorator, graphic artist, ballroom dancer, DJ, and much more. Blessed with the best of Guyanese attributes, he makes us proud to be Guyanese. His book Nostalgias should be a must read text in schools. He is often referred to as the “local Cecil B. DeMille.” His catchphrase was ‘Ya think it easy.’ Winfield Godfrey Chin was born on May 7, 1937, in Georgetown, Guyana. Educated at Smith Church Congregational and Central High School, he worked in the civil service, then as assistant publications manager at Guyana Graphic and as operations sales supervisor at ESSO for fifteen years before he emigrated to the United States in September 1982. In Orlando, Florida, he qualified as an accomplished calligrapher/graphic artist and was owner/operator of Godfrey’s Graphics. He operated Godfrey’s Music with Feeling, as well as Theme Party Décor and Balloon Pageantry. His expertise in ballroom and salsa dancing was legendary. Keen on community service, his credo was “Volunteer and get involved.”
Godfrey Chin - The Mas Man
goallie his team won for the Republic the Caribbean hockey title. From 1961 to 1976, he represented Guyana on 26 occasions. He was manager of the squad to the first Caribbean Squash Championship in Nassau, Bahamas, in 1977. Artist Godfrey was matchless in the expressive arts. He designed successful costumed bands and floats from the early 1950s through the 1980s. He won the band-of-the-year title for several years in Mashramani costume and float parade competitions. His Egyptian Broach costume was worn by Evadne Gravesande, the first Independence Carnival Queen in 1968. Godfrey’s book Nostalgias is a national treasure. The nostalgia essays now total over 570. He has been gracious in his acknowledgments to many friends for their support and encouragement in writing and publishing Nostalgias. Dr. Ian McDonald, celebrated literary critic, in a glowing tribute to Nostalgias stated that
All work and no play? Not so. At Central High he played cricket. He represented Guyana in hockey for over sixteen years, enabling Guyana to retain the Caribbean championship title from 1961 to 1972. As
Godfrey Chin’s Book Launch
the book was a classic, it was entertaining, an extraordinary feat of memory and creative recall, bringing to vivid life ways of enjoying ourselves in joyous storytelling prose, unique priceless material for historians. Ian could not think of an achievement in living history to match this in Guyana or, indeed, in the Caribbean.” Dr. Vibert Cambridge, distinguished professor, and media scholar of Ohio University, in his Foreword to Nostalgias wrote that Godfrey was a true Guyanese son of the soil, a man of all seasons, who refers to himself as a ‘regular cook shop fly.’ In 2005, Godfrey’s contribution to the preservation and perpetuation of our culture and heritage was recognized with the prestigious Wordsworth McAndrew Award. In the same year his presentation of “Social Dancing in Guyana after WWII” at the borough of Manhattan Community College was received with raves by the students and staff. Trev Sue-A-Quan, fossil fuels research
Godfrey Chin and Family
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engineer and authority on early Chinese immigration to Guyana complimented Godfrey on his encyclopaedic memory. Nostalgias, he said was like a breath of fresh air from the Atlantic coming across the Sea Wall.
peacefully in his home at David Street, Kitty. A life full of promise had come to an end. He is survived by three siblings, his ex-wife and three sons, themselves great achievers, GaryBrian and Richard live in New York. Brian, Gary is a serving US Marine.
Godfrey teamed up with sponsors, GT&T and Banks DIH Ltd to launch his Nostalgia Pictorial History of 20th Century Guyana exhibition. His exhibition “Glimpses of Guyana in the Twentieth Century”- of over three thousand pictures, another national treasure, have been on display in cities in the United States, Canada, and Guyana.
Celebrating his exceptional body of work, the Godfrey Chin’s prize for Heritage Journalism was launched on Sunday, Feb. 26 , 2012. At the launch Ambassador Bayney Karran applauded the passionate way in which Godfrey nurtured his cultural roots. He was adept at rekindling in us an irresistible longing for times when things seemed purer, simpler and more enjoyable. Fullsome Widespread praise of Godfrey’s life and achievements, by his close friends and admirers, appear in various websites.
Godfrey retired to his homeland in July 2009 and continued to offer his fifty-five year’s experience in event coordination to add, he said, ‘pizazz to local events.’ Since his return to Guyana, Godfrey hads been sought after as a reservoir of information on historic Guyana, with regular articles being published in the local media. He also became a regular contributor to “Explore Guyana” the official tourist magazine of Guyana published annually.
Godfrey’s writings portrayed a Guyanese with no sense of inferiority or superiority, or of being not pompous, nor full of himself, nor of taking himself seriously; he had a razor sharp wit, an ever present teasing, innocently mischievous sense of humour. He sees the funny side and found humour to the most serious aspects of life.
Sadly at age 74, on Monday 16 January 2012, after a brief illness, he passed away
If the quality of his works, could ensure a place at the top table upstairs, then Godfrey
is sitting there right now with his mates, Bill Shakespeare, Milton, Ernie Hemingway, Rabbi Tagore, Dickens and others. This email sent to a fellow Guyanese, having problems in the Canadian snow, speaks volumes of our friend Godfrey: ‘‘Good try My heart bleeds for you…We pass this way but once - and our only consolation, is our contribution to the life of those around us no matter how small. Our legacy may not even be appreciated - but the Good Lord at the Heaven’s Gate will beckon. ‘Good try my son...’ Ya think it easy!
Godfrey Chin at Launch of Explore Guyana 2012
Emancipation Celebrations In Guyana
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ike all the other English speaking countries in the Caribbean Guyana celebrates the Anniversary of freedom from slavery on Emancipation Day, the first of August, each year. This commemoration of Emancipation is extremely important, not just as a calendar event, but as a factor in the history that meant the beginning of the Guyanese nation. It contributed to several elements of social, political and cultural developments and was responsible for the arrival of the other racial groups who were brought in as indentured immigrants from India, China, Portugal (Madeira), other parts of Europe and Africa to replace the formerly enslaved Africans as the labour force on sugar plantations.
Story by Al Creigton
socialisation, and cultural erosion. On the other hand Emancipation Day has meaning as the outcome of struggle, resistance and sacrifice; standing for freedom, liberation and the resilience of a people. It means the triumph of the African spirit and created the opportunity for the development of the Village Movement which was responsible for the communities and village structure within which the majority of Guyanese live in the modern society. All these factors come into reckoning during
Marking the anniversary also holds significance because of the meaning it has for the people of the region as the end of the institution of slavery and what it stood for in the colonies. It closed an era of dehumanization, retrogressive
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the events surrounding Emancipation Day celebrations in Guyana each year. But Emancipation also meant the triumph of the African spirit and the significance of its anniversary takes on a distinctly African identity. It is an occasion for recalling the significance of all the factors mentioned above, but the people take the opportunity to highlight whatever they can of African cultural vestiges. Several of the African cultural survivals have weakened considerably, disappeared, or are no longer practiced in their original forms, but others
are still alive in communities or in normal Guyanese life, and these are colourfully revived or exhibited on the first of August.
customs in a concentrated public space, which is the large expanse of the National Park in Georgetown.
There are many public and highly visible exhibitions which mark the celebrations from the end of July. There is a custom in some of the commercial banks, most noticeably, the Republic Bank, and other public offices, for the staff to outfit themselves in African wear on the Eve of Emancipation Day or the last working day before August 1. African fashion, or forms of clothing have not survived in normal life in Guyana and are worn by a very few people, but these garments may be seen being exhibited by large sections of the population during the anniversary period. These include a variety of elaborate female head wraps and African prints.
The activities in this festival include demonstrations of folk and village games, the exhibitions and sale of craftwork using African motifs and styles, craftwork and artifacts made out of indigenous material, artwork, drawings and paintings, food with an emphasis on “African” cuisine, indigenous,
This is the chosen manner of dress for the majority of persons attending the largest single national event on the day itself, which is the Emancipation Festival at the National Park. This is an all-day affair, starting early in the morning and continuing through the day until nightfall when it transforms itself into an open air party driven by popular music. But the festival is meant to revive, exhibit and highlight African life, culture and
“local” and “creole” food items and drinks, booths displaying posters, photographs, books and other printed material providing information on history and African affairs. On the main stage in the Park there is an endless series of performances with emphasis on African forms and influences. There is drumming by groups of drummers and solo performers, dances by different groups including the National School of Dance and the National Dance Company
performing African and indigenous dance forms, dramatic poetry and dramatisations. While these are done by various Guyanese performers it has become a practice to have indigenous drummers and dancers from neighbouring Surinam appearing as well. Other events which attempt to recapture past customs include the “Vigils” and “Libation ceremonies” on the night before Emancipation Day. This is usually a very busy night for activities. There is a main central Vigil staged on the forecourt of the National Parliament Buildings during which there are dance performances, drumming, speeches and other presentations which proceed very late into the night. Similar events are held at several other locations around the country, particularly in villages which were bought by freed Africans after emancipation and communities which were part of the post-emancipation Village Movement.
the holding of “soirees”. This derives from the French soir / soiree and describes an evening or an evening entertainment or fete. Although Guyana is not historically a Francophone country a few French terms exist in common use and “soiree” is one of them, but there has been no known investigation into how it came to be used. Two Guyanese villages in West Berbice are known for the soiree tradition : Hope Town and Litchfield. Here there is a grand street party with drumming, recorded music, sometimes some other performances and recorded music. Festivities proceed
These may be found anywhere, but especially in places with a reputation for the retention of cultural practices surviving since Emancipation such as Queenstown and Dartmouth on the Essequibo Coast, Sandvoort outside of New Amsterdam, Hope Town and Litchfield in West Berbice, Victoria on the East Coast Demerara, Bagotville and Stanleytown on the West Bank Demerara. In these locations the Vigils are often all-night affairs or go on till very late in the night with a continuing series of performances. They are also followed up on Emancipation Day with fun events including traditional games. An important highlight of the Vigil is the Libation Ceremony which is performed at midnight as a ritual of passage into the first of August. It is also a surviving or revived African ritual of ceremonial offerings, tributes and prayers to the spirits of the ancestors. The details of the ceremony vary from place to place, but it is essentially the pouring of libation, often alcoholic spirits (white rum, but different symbolic liquids may be used by different people) as an offering to the deities for their blessing, protection and guidance, or as thanksgiving for safe passage in the affairs of men. The kind of spirits used is significant because the ritual seeks to invoke the spirits or otherwise communicate with them. It is an old African ritual belonging to the principles of ancestor worship. On the night of July 31, as well, or some other night close to it, there is a tradition of
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through the night, terminating at no specific time in the wee hours of the morning. There is much dancing and drinking. These are the main public activities through which Guyana commemorates the anniversary of Emancipation each year. Although Emancipation is of defined universal significance and is of interest to the entire nation of Guyana, it is an occasion for the celebration of the country’s African heritage and includes a fair amount of tradition, spectacle, exhibits and performance.
GUYANESE RECIPES
Salt Fish Cakes © Cynthia Nelson
INGREDIENTS • 1 lb. boneless salted cod • Boiling water • 1 tablespoon chopped garlic • Minced hot pepper to taste • 2 lbs. potatoes, boiled and mashed • cup thinly sliced green onions (white and green parts) • 1 tablespoon minced parsley (optional) • 2 eggs • Oil for deep-frying
Fried Fish © Cynthia Nelson
INGREDIENTS • 1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic • 2 tablespoons diced onions • Hot pepper to taste, finely chopped • 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, finely chopped • 2 pounds Bangamary, trout, grey snapper or any white fish of your choice, cut, cleaned and patted dry • Salt to taste • Flour to dust fish • Oil for frying DIRECTIONS 1. Add garlic, onions, thyme and hot pepper to mortar and pestle and grind to a paste (if you don’t have a mortar and pestle use whatever tool you generally use to grind stuff) 2. Rub-massage the fish all over with the paste and add salt to taste 3. Heat oil in frying pan on medium heat 4. Dust fish lightly with flour shaking off the excess, let fish rest on wire rack for 10 minutes 5. Fry until browned on both sides. Do not over crowd pan, fry in batches. The time will vary depending on how thick the fish is cut NOTE • You can experiment with different coatings for the fish such as regular breadcrumbs, panko (Japanese bread crumbs), biscuit crumbs, cornmeal or you try wet & dry coatings. • In order for the fish not to curl up in the pan, score the skin-side of the fish before seasoning and adding to the pan.
DIRECTIONS 1. Add the salted cod to a large bowl and cover with boiling water. Cover bowl and let soak overnight. In the morning drain off the water, rinse fish and add to a pot; cover with water and bring to a boil. Let boil for 10 minutes and drain completely; pat dry excess water. 2. Break cod into small pieces and add to a food processor along with garlic and hot pepper. Pulse until the fish is shredded. 3. Transfer the shredded salt fish to a large bowl along with the mashed potatoes, green onions and parsley. Add eggs and mix well; a spoon should be able to stand upright in the middle of the mixture. 4. Take 2 tablespoons of the mixture and form into cylindrical croquettes. Or shape into quenelles using 2 tablespoons. Repeat until all the mixture has been shaped. 5. Heat oil in a deep frying pan to 350 degrees F 6. Fry the fish cakes in batches until lightly browned. Drain on paper towels or transfer to a wire rack inserted into a baking sheet. 7. Serve hot, warm or at room temperature with West Indian pepper sauce or savoury chutney. NOTES • After boiling, the salt fish should retain enough salt to taste and this is the salt that will season the entire dish. To test it, taste a piece of the salt fish after the 10-minute boiling. • Depending on the brand and manufacturer, some salt fish are saltier than others. To test if the fish-cake mixture has enough salt, make a little fish cake first, fry and taste it. Adjust seasoning if necessary. • Substitute the potatoes with yams, Tania, eddoes or even sweet potatoes, however each of these ground-provision starches will give you a different texture when cooked – varying degrees of creaminess and moisture.
Recipes provided by Cynthia Nelson. For more Guyana Recipes by Cynthia Nelson Visit: www.tasteslikehome.org EXPLORE GUYANA
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About Guyana Country Facts
EMERGENCY NUMBERS Police: 911, 564 Police: Emergency Response Unit: 225-6411 Fire: 912 Ambulance: 913
HEALTH There is a risk of malaria in certain parts of the interior. Consult your doctor for the required precautions if you intend to travel there. Georgetown and coastal areas are Malaria-Free. Municipal Hospitals and Health Care Centres exist within rural and outer lying communities with medivac services available in cases of emergency.
TIME ZONE GMT - 04:00 LOCATION Guyana is located on the North East Coast of South America and is its only English speaking country. Between 1o & 9o North Latitude and 57o & 61o West Longitude, bordering Venezuela to the West, Brazil to the South, Suriname to the East. GEOGRAPHY Guyana is the third-smallest country in South America after Suriname and Uruguay; it has four distinct geographical areas: the Low Coastal Plain; the Hilly Sand and Clay Belt; the High Land Region and the Interior Savannahs. The area is 214,970 sq.km. Approximately 75% of the land area is still intact forest, and 2.5% is cultivated. The coastline is 1 metre to 1.5 metres below sea level at high tide necessitating an elaborate systems of drainage canals. The most valuable mineral deposits are bauxite, gold, and diamonds. The main rivers are the Demerara, Berbice, Corentyne and Essequibo. CLIMATE Guyana is a tropical destination that is pleasant and warm for most of the year, humid, moderated by northeast trade winds; two rainy seasons (May to mid August, November to January). Mean temperature of 27 ° C and the average temperature range from 24 ° C to 31 ° C. Rainfall is approximately 2,300mm a year in Georgetown. CLOTHING Lightweight, causal clothing can be worn throughout the year. However longs are recommended for the evening along with mosquito repellent to safeguard against mosquito bites.
Further information can be obtained from the Ministry of Health on Telephone Numbers: (592) 226 7338 or (592) 226 1366. INTERNET For most customers, internet service is available nationally through independent providers. Service is also available in most hotels and at many internet cafés which have been established across the country. Some hotels and restaurants provide WI-FI at no charge to patrons using their laptops. The informative home pages of these service providers have useful links to other sites. The sustainable development programme site, www.sdnp.org.gy. has links to several NGOs, conservation groups, and international organizations as well. There are four daily papers. There are over 20 TV stations and one government operated radio station LANGUAGE The official language is English, often spoken with a Caribbean Creole flavour. Guyana is also the only English speaking country in South America. PLACES TO WORSHIP The predominant religious groups are Christians, Hindus and Muslims. Each is well represented with its own churches, temples, mosques. They are found across the country where the major landmarks featuring traditional architecture may be seen. POPULATION Guyana’s population is approximately 751,223 (Census 2002) of whom 90% live along the coastal strip and banks of major rivers.
GOVERNMENT Guyana became independent from Britain in 1966 and a “Cooperative Republic in 1970, when a non executive President replaced the Governor-General. A new constitution in 1980 gave the President wide executive powers. The Cabinet is headed by the President, and there is a 65-member National Assembly elected by proportional representation.
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TRAVELLING ENTRY REQUIREMENTS What you need to know before you travel • All visitors to Guyana are required to have a valid passport to enter and depart Guyana. • All visitors to Guyana should ensure that their passports have at least six months of remaining validity. Those arriving by air require an onward plane ticket. Visa Exempt Nationals • Visas are necessary for all visitors except nationals of the following countries : Commonwealth Countries, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and United States of America. • The maximum duration of stay any visitor will be granted by Guyana Immigration, will not exceed thirty days. Non Exempt Nationals • All visitors to Guyana who require a visa for travel should visit the Ministry of Home Affairs website: http://www.moha.gov.gy/ prior to making their travel arrangements. All details regarding the Visa Application Process might be found on the Homepage of the Website under the subheading Immigration Services. • Applicants are encouraged to apply three (3) weeks to (1) one month in advance of travel. • The process period is one (1) week however this varies depending upon the nature of the case • A letter notifying the applicant of the visa being granted will be sent to their address provided in the application. Visitors must have in their possession the original/ or copy of the document stating the visa has been granted to show to Immigration upon arrival at Cheddi Jagan International Airport -Timehri. • Payment for the visa might be made to the Ministry of Home Affairs, Guyana or upon arrival at Cheddi Jagan International Airport – Timehri. • Visitors who wish to extend their stay must contact the Ministry of Home Affairs in advance of the date he/she is expected to depart Guyana. The Ministry of Home Affairs is located at 60 Brickdam Street, Georgetown. Guyana. The Central Office of Immigration, where the extension
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is granted, located on Camp Street, Georgetown, must also note the extension in the visitor’s passport. Travelers for purposes other than tourism should check with the Ministry of Home Affairs for information about requirements for work permits and extended stays.
For further information, visitors are encouraged to contact the Head of Immigration Support Service, Ministry of Home Affairs, Guyana on Tel : (592 ) 223 7867 or contact the Guyana Foreign Office nearest to you .
Check and confirm the fares before entering the vehicle. Transportation around the city is provided by privately owned mini buses which operate in allocated zones for which there is a wellregulated fare structure. This arrangement extends to all mini bus routes throughout the country. Taxis afford freer movement around the city. Travel around Georgetown by Bus: Short stops within the limits of the city are approximately G$60.00 and longer stops G$80.00.
TRANSPORTATION DRIVING IN GUYANA Traffic drives on the left. Seat belts are necessary by Law. If travelling to Guyana and wish to rent a vehicle during your stay, please enquire with the Customs Officer at the Airport, upon arrival into Guyana. The permit will be immediately issued to you provided you have your international driver’s licence with you. So be sure to remember to walk with it. The permit is issued free of charge. TRAVEL VIA TAXIS FROM THE CHEDDI JAGAN INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT-TIMEHRI Tourists should ONLY use the official taxi services registered to operate at CJIA. They can be identified by their uniforms (Crème ShirtJackets, Black Pants and ID Badges. Fares are listed at the Airport and are fixed). If a decision is made to use one of the other taxis, please agree upon the fare for the trip into Georgetown before entering the vehicle. Fares charged from Airport to Georgetown rate between US$20.00 and US$25.00. TAXIS AND BUSES Georgetown is well served with taxis, operating throughout the city and to and from other urban centres. Before embarking, do enquire of the rates for travel to destination of interest. Use only recognized yellow taxis bearing the logos of respective taxi services. Alternatively, do seek the guidance of the front desk staff in your selection of those that are already contracted to the facility. There are also ultra –cheap minibus running around town and along the coast, or to the Cheddi Jagan International Airport and Linden. EXPLORE GUYANA
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Travelling by taxi for short distances: approximately G$300- $GY400.00; longer drops G$500.00- ?? as these prices will vary from location to location. Rented cars are also available. RIVER BOATS & FERRIES With the opening of the Berbice bridge between East and West Berbice, travelling time is lessened for commuters from Georgetown to Berbice and onward travel to Suriname via the crossing at Moleson Creek. A toll is charged for the Berbice bridge based on vehicle capacity. Passengers are also charged a fee for crossing with the Canawaima ferry at Moleson Creek when travelling to Nickerie, Suriname. Commuters to West Demerara have a choice of road transport via the Demerara Harbour Bridge or by the Demerara River Ferry from the Stabroek Stelling to Vreed-en-Hoop which is obliquely opposite each other. The highway which begins on the West Coast of Demerara is heavily trafficked since it provides a link to Parika on the East Bank of Essequibo River which has become an important centre of economic activity in the Essequibo region. For example, speed boats or other types of transportation can be hired to take passengers as far as Bartica or other hinterland resorts and back in a single day. TRAVEL TO GUYANA’S INTERIOR Travel arrangements may be made with local busing service, jeeps, chartered planes and speedboats. A guide is advisable for longer distance travel to the interior. DOMESTIC AIR SERVICE Air transportation is readily available for
traveling to several parts of the hinterland, whether for business or for pleasure. Several local airlines depart from Ogle Aerodome on the East Coast of Demerara and from Cheddi Jagan International Airport, Timehri. Information on their availability and movement is easily obtainable from their office and from tour operators. Private charter companies operate flight into the interior from soon to be completed Ogle International Airport. (For further information please see THAG Membership Listings) INTERNATIONAL & REGIONAL CARRIERS Guyana’s international airport, named after the late president, Cheddi Jagan is located at Timehri, 25 miles south of Georgetown. Flights from Europe are routed through Antigua, Barbados, or Trinidad. There are direct flights from Miami, New York, Toronto, Brazil, and Suriname.
CAMBIOS These are licensed currency exchange houses. Most cambios are open from 8am to 5pm, and on Saturdays from 8am to 12pm, sometimes to 2pm. keep your cambio receipts, you will need to produce them in order to change Guyanese dollars on departure. MONEY & BUSINESS GUIDE ATM Machines are accessible to persons with ATM Debit Cards. Persons in possession of international CIRRUS credit cards that is Master Card and Visa Card might utilise the ATMs at Scotia Bank for cash advances when in Guyana. Further assistance might be offered at the counter if unable to do so.
BANKING HOURS 08:00 and 14: 00 hrs on Monday to Thursday and 08:00 and 14: 30 on Friday BUSINESS ATTIRE Men wear long or short sleeved shirts, a Jacket is optional. Shirt and tie attire is common in most offices. Females are expected to dress conservatively. CURRENCY The Guyana dollar is the only legal tender accepted in this country. It is a floating currency and the value fluctuates in accordance with the changes in the value of the US$. Visitors may exchange their currencies at banks, cambios and most hotels. The rate of the dollar fluctuates and the exchange is approximately US$1 – GY$202.00. Major credits cards and traveller’s cheques are generally accepted at many resorts, hotels, gift shops, restaurants and tour operators.
TAXES DEPARTURE TAX There is an exit tax of G$2,500.00 plus a security charge of G$1,500 (being a total of G$4,000). This is paid at the airport at the GRA booth. (The US dollar equivalent for this exit tax may vary with exchange fluctuations.) Please note that this is payable in GY$ or foreign currency. VALUED ADDED TAX Valued Added Tax (VAT) is charged to a value of 16% on most items save those that are 0-Rated or VAT exempt. ECONOMY The agricultural sector accounts for half the national GDP, producing sugar and rice for export, with extensive timber operations and
a range of other products, from coffee to fish and fruits, and fresh vegetables well –respected brands of rum. Gold, bauxite and diamonds are mined. INFORMATIVE SITES ON GUYANA Travel and Tourism: • Guyana Tourism Authority- www.guyanatourism.com • Tourism & Hospitality Association of Guyana- www.exploreguyana.org • Iwokrama International Centre – www.iwokrama.org • Kaieteur Park and Fallswww.kaieteurpark.gov.gy Investing in Guyana: • Guyana Office for Investment www.goinvest.gov.gy • Guyana Lands & Surveys www.lands.gov.gy • Private Sector Commissionwww.psc.org.gy • Georgetown Chambers of Commercewww.georgetownchamberofcommerce. org • Guyana Manufacturer’s & Services Association - www.gma.org.gy Non Governmental Organizations (Conservation): • Conservation International Guyana www. conservation.org • World Wildlife Fund ( Guyana) www.wwfguianas.org/ • Iwokrama International Centre www.iwokrama.org • Kaieteur Park and Falls www.kaieteurpark.gov.gy
About Guyana MONEY & BUSINESS
CREDIT CARDS
Major credits cards and traveller’s cheques are accepted by most hotels, restaurants, car rental agencies and tour operators. International VISA, Mastercard, Maestro and Cirrus credit and debit cards can be used to obtain cash from Scotiabank in Branch during banking hours or at ABMs. A similar service is also available at the Guyana Bank for Trade and Industry (GBTI) at their branches and at select ATM locations.
BUSINESS CONTACTS & ORGANISATIONS Berbice Chamber of Commerce and Development
12 Chapel Street, New Amsterdam, Berbice • Tel: 333 3324
Consultative Association of Guyanese Industry
157 Waterloo St, Georgetown • Tel: 225 7170, 226, 4603, Fax: (592) 227 0725, P.O.Box # 10730 Email: goolsarrancagi@gol.net.gy, ramchancagi@gol.net.gy
Guyana Rice Millers’ and Exporters’ Development Association
216 Lamaha St, Georgetown • Tel: 225 5353
Guyana Rice Producers’ Association
104 Regent St, Georgetown • Tel: 223 7248
Guyana Tourism Authority
National Exhibition Centre, Sophia, Georgetown Tel: 219-0094-6 • Fax: 219 0093 Email: info@guyana-tourism.com Website: www.guyana-tourism.com
Institute of Private Enterprise Development
253 South Road, Bourda, Georgetown • Tel: 225 8949 Email:iped@solutions2000.net
Linden Chamber of Industry and Commerce
84 Riverside Drive, Watooka, Linden • Tel: 444 2901
Forest Products Association of Guyana
Ministry of Tourism Industry & Commerce
Georgetown Chamber of Commerce & Industry
CARICOM - The Caribbean Community Secretariat
GO-INVEST(Guyana Office for Investment)
Private Sector Commission
157 Waterloo St. Georgetown, Tel: (592) 226 9848, 226 2821 Fax: (592) 226 2832 Email: fpasect@guyana.net.gy 156 Waterloo St, Georgetown • Tel: 225 5846 Email:gtchambe@netwrksgy.com www.georgetownchamberofcommerce.org 190 Camp & Church Sts, Georgetown Tel: 225 0658/227 0653 • Fax: 225 0655 Website: www.goinvest.gov.gy E-mail: goinvest@goinvest.gov.gy
Guyana Association of Travel Agents
Wm Fogarty Building, 34-37 Water St., Georgetown Tel: 227 7225 • Fax: 225 2513 Email:jimbacchus@inetguyana.net
Guyana Manufacturers & Services Association 157 Waterloo Street, Georgetown • Tel: 223-7405/6 Email:gma_guyana@yahoo.com • www.gmsagy.org
229 South St., Lacytown, Georgetown Tel: 226 2505 • Fax: 225 9310
Turkeyen East Coast Demerara Tel: (592) 222 0001-75 Fax: (592) 222 0172 Email: piu@caricom.org, caricompublicinfo@gmail.com Umbrella organization for more private sector business and employer’s organizations. More major companies are also members. 157 Waterloo St, Georgetown Tel: 225 0977 • Fax: 225 0978 E-mail: pscentre2@yahoo.com, office@psc.org.gy Website: psc.org.gy
Tourism and Hospitality Association of Guyana (THAG)
157 Waterloo St, Georgetown Tel: 225 0807 • Fax: 225 0817 E-mail: info@exploreguyana.org / thag.secretariat@gmail.com / www.exploreguyana.org EXPLORE GUYANA
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ACCOMMODATIONS Georgetown and Environs
All of these properties are members of the Tourism and Hospitality Association of Guyana, and offer the quality service we know will meet your satisfaction.
AMENITIES ICONS KEY WIFI ZONE
HAIR DRYER
EMAIL ACCESS
CREDIT CARDS
JAZZ CLUB
MONEY EXCHANGE
DINING
GYM
AIR CONDITIONING
LAUNDROMAT
COFFEE MAKER
ROOM SERVICE
24 HR. SECURITY
SWIMMING POOL
BAR
IRON
CAFE
CASINO
3. Cara Lodge 249 Quamina Street. P.O.Box 10833, Georgetown. Tel: (592)225-5301-5 Fax: (592)225-5310 Email: caralodge@carahotels.com Website: www.carahotels.com
SECURE STORAGE
1. Ariantze Hotel
4. Cara Suites
176 Middle Street, Cummingsburg, Georgetown, Tel: (592) 226-5363/ 225-0634/ 225-4644 Fax: (592) -227-0210 Email: ariantze@networksgy.com / Website: www.ariantzesidewalk.com
176 Middle Street , Georgetown Tel: (592) 226-1612, 226-1684 Fax: (592) 226-1541 E-mail: carasuites@carahotels.com Website: www.carahotels.com
2. Brandsville Apartments
5. Grand Coastal Hotel
89-90 Pike Street, Campbellville, Georgetown Tel: (592)226-1133/ 227-0989 Fax: (592) 231-7001 Email: brandsville@gol.net.gy Website: www.brandsville.net
1 & 2 Area M Le Ressouvenir, East Coast Demerara Tel: (592) 220-1091/ 220-1288/ 220-2046 Fax: (592) 220-1498 Email: reservationa@grandcoastal.com, ceo@grandcoastal.com Website: www.grandcoastal.com
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6. Herdmanston Lodge
9. Princess Hotel and Casino
65 Peter Rose & Anira Street, Queenstown, Georgetown. Tel: (592) 225-0808/ 0811 Fax: (592) 231-7904 Email: stay@herdmanstonlodge.com Website: www.herdmantsonlodge.com
Providence, East Bank Demerara Tel: (592) 265-7001-30 Fax: (592) 265-7002 petal@princesshotelguyana.com Website: www.worldofprincess.com
7. New Tropicana Hotel
10. Roraima Residence Inn
177 Waterloo Street, South Cummingsburg Georgetown Tel: (592) 227 5701 Mobile: (592) 686-3437 Email: barbqbacchus@hotmail.com Website: http://www.newtropicanahotel.com/
8 Eping Avenue, Bel Air Park Georgetown. Tel: (592) 225-9647-8/225-9650, Fax: (592) 225-9646 Email: rriops@hotmail.com Website: www.roraimaairways.com
8. Palace De Leon Suites & Apartments
11. Roraima Duke Lodge 94-95 Duke Street, Kingston, Georgetown Tel: (592) 231 7220, 227 2213 Fax: (592) 227 3816 Email: roraimadukelodge@hotmail.com Website: www.roraimaairways.com
71 Croal St. Stabroek, Georgetown Tel: (592) 227-7019/ 226-6374 Email: leonlesruth@yahoo.com
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11. Windjammer International Cuisine & Comfort Inn
10. The Villa 55 Broad Street, Charlestown Tel: 592 225-1234/5, 227-5401 Email: thevillagy@gmail.com Website: www.thevilla.gy
27 Queen St. Kitty. Tel: (592) 227-7478, 226-3407, 227-7527, 231-7403/44 Email: contactsus@windjammer-gy.com Website: www.windjammer-gy.com
Eco-Resorts, Interior Lodges & Attractions
Aranaputa Eco Basin Tours
Adel’s Rainforest Resort Akawini Creek, Pomeroon River Tel: (592) 771 5391 / 301-384-2396 Email: adelresort@gmail.com Website: www.adelresort.com
C/o Wilderness Explorers, Cara Suites 176 Middle Street, North Cummingsburg, Georgetown Tel: (592) 226 2085, 227-7698 Fax: (592) 226 2085 Email: info@wilderness-explorers.com Skype: tonywildex Website: www.iwokramacanopywalkway.com
Aracari Resort
Arrowpoint Nature Resort
160 Versailles West Bank Demerara, Guyana Tel: (592) 264 2947-49, 264 3311 Fax: (592) 264 2949 Email: info@aracariresort.com Website: www.aracariresort.com Tel: (592) 264-2947
R8 Eping Avenue, Bel Air Park, Georgetown. Tel: (592) 261-9286/ 225-9647-8 Fax: (592) 225-9646 Email: ral@roraimaairways.com Website: www.roraimaairways.com
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Atta Rainforest Lodge (CATS)
Hurakabra River Resort
C/o Wilderness Explorers, Cara Suites Address: 176 Middle Street, North Cummingsburg, Georgetown Tel: (592) 226 2085, 227-7698 Fax: (592) 226 2085 Email: info@wilderness-explorers.com Skype: tonywildex Website: www.iwokramacanopywalkway.com
Essequibo River 168 Century Palm Gdns, Durban Backlands, Lodge Tel: (592) 225-3557/ 624-8694/640-4497 Fax: (592) 226-0240 Email: gems@hurakabra.com/gems@gol.net.gy
Iwokrama Eco Lodge
Baganara Island Resort
Office: 77 High Street, Kingston, G/Town, South America. Facility Location: Upper Essequibo River, Potaro -Siparuni Tel: (592) 225-3557/225-7144 Fax: (592) 225-9199 Email: iwokrama-general@iwokrama.org Website: www.iwokrama.org
Essequibo River, Guyana Ogle Aerodrome, Ogle, E.C.D, Pegasus Hotel, Seawall Road Kingston. Tel: (592) 222-8050/ 222-8050/ 222-8055 Peg off: 225-4483-4 US off: (310) 929-7460 Email: bookbaganara@baganara.com Website: www.baganara.com
Caiman House Field Station and Lodge Yupukari Village Region 9 Guyana email: info@rupununilearners.org Skype: caiman_house Website: www.rupununilearners.org
Jubilee Resort Dakara Creek, Timheri C/O 106-107 Lamaha & Carmichael Street Georgetown Tel: (592) 225-48915/ 626-4263/ 691-7313 Fax: (592) 226-5340 Email: reservations@jubileeresort.com Website: www.jubileeresort.com
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Karanambu Lodge Karanambu North Rupununi Guyana or A102 Issano Place, East Bel Air Park Georgetown, Guyana Tel: (592) 226-5180. Fax: 226-2085 Email: karanambu.lodge@gmail.com/ mcturk@networksgy.com Website: www.karanambu.com
Maipaima Eco Lodge, Nappi Village C/o Wilderness Explorers, Cara Suites 176 Middle Street, North Cummingsburg, Georgetown Tel: (592) 226 2085, 227-7698 Fax: (592) 226 2085 Email: info@wilderness-explorers.com Skype: wildernessguyana/tonywildex Website: www.wildernessexplorers.com
North Rupununi District Development Board (NRDDB) C/o Wilderness Explorers, Cara Suites 176 Middle Street, North Cummingsburg, Georgetown Tel: (592) 226 2085, 227-7698 Fax: (592) 226 2085 Email: info@wilderness-explorers.com Skype: tonywildex Website: www.iwokramacanopywalkway.com
Ori Hotel Lot 118 Lethem Rupununi, Guyana Tel: (592) 772 2124, Mobile: (592) 641 3734 Email: orihotel@yahoo.com
Moco Moco Village
Rewa Village
Alton Primus, Tel: (592) 675-1921 Shirley Melville of Rupununi Adventures, Tel: (592) 669-4513 Email: shirleyjmelville@yahoo.com
C/o Wilderness Explorers, Cara Suites 176 Middle Street, North Cummingsburg, Georgetown Tel: (592) 226 2085, 227-7698 Fax: (592) 226 2085 Email: info@wilderness-explorers.com Skype: wildernessguyana/tonywildex Website: www.wildernessexplorers.com
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Splashmin’s Resort Eco Adventure Tours
Rock View Lodge Annai, North Rupununi, Region 9 Guyana Email: info@rockviewlodge.com/ colin@rockviewlodge.com Website: www.rockviewlodge.com
Rupununi Eco Hotel and Resort Tel: (592) 227 4265, Mobile: 623 3060, 692-6951 Email: dgajie@yahoo.com
Facility: Madewini Creek, Linden Soesdyke Highway Office: 48 High & Hadfield Sts., Werk-en Rust Georgetown Tel: (592) 223-7301 - 4 Email: info@splashmins.com Website: www.splashmins.com
Surama Eco-Lodge, Surama Rupununi Region 9 C/o Wilderness Explorers, Cara Suites 176 Middle Street, North Cummingsburg, Georgetown Tel: (592) 226 2085, 227-7698 Fax: (592) 226 2085 Email: info@wilderness-explorers.com Skype: wildernessguyana/tonywildex Website: www.wildernessexplorers.com
Timberhead Rainforest Resort
Savannah Inn Lethem, Region 9 Guyana Tel: (592) 772-2035 Email: ramsaran4al@yahoo.com, lindakhan4@yahoo.com
8-10 Providence, East Bank Demerara Tel: (592) 233-5023 Fax: (592) 225-0459 Email: timberhead@soultions2000.net/ geb@solutions2000.net Website: www.timberheadguyana.com
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Wowetta
Wonotobo Resort
Rupununi Region 9 C/o Wilderness Explorers, Cara Suites 176 Middle Street, North Cummingsburg, Georgetown Tel: (592) 226 2085, 227-7698 Fax: (592) 226 2085 Email: info@wilderness-explorers.com Skype: wildernessguyana/tonywildex Website: www.wildernessexplorers.com
Tel: (592) 339-2430/ 339-2741 Fax: (592) 339-2742 Email: ganbros@yahoo.com/ cortoursinc@yahoo.com
TOURISM SERVICE PROVIDERS AIRLINE COMPANIES
Sidewalk Café & Jazz Club 176 Middle Street, Cummingsburg, Georgetown Tel: (592)226-5363/ 225-0634/ 225-4644 Fax: (592)227-0210 E: ariantze@networksgy.com W: www.ariantzesidewalk.com
Air Services Domestic Charter & Cargo Air Services Ltd Ogle Aerodrome, E.C. Demerara Tel: (592) 222-4368, 222-4357 Fax: (592) 222-6739 E: res@aslgy.com W: www.aslgy.com
The Rock Bar – Roraima Residence Inn R 8 Eping Avenue, Bel Air Park Georgetown. Tel: (592)225-9647-8/225-9650, Fax: (592)225-9646 E: rriops@hotmail.com W: www.roraimaairways.com
Roraima Airways Charters Ogle Aerodrome. Ogle E.C Demerara Tel: (592) 222-2337 Fax: (592) 222-4033 E: ral@roraimaairways.com W: www.roraimaairways.com
RESTAURANTS Bistro 176 - Cara Suites 176 Middle Street , Georgetown. Tel: (592) 226-1612, 226-1684 Fax: (592) 226-1541 E: carasuites@carahotels.com W: www.carahotels.com
Trans Guyana Airways Ogle Aerodrome, East Bank Demerara Tel: (592) 222-2525/2861. Fax: (592) 222-5462 E: commercial@transguyana.net W: www.transguyana.net Wings Aviation Ltd. Ogle Aerodrome, Ogle, East Coast Demerara Tel: (592) 222-6513, 226-9098. Fax: (592) 226-9098/222-5361 E: info@airguyana.net / wingjet2@networksgy.com W: www.airguyana.biz
Bottle Bar & Restaurant - Cara Lodge 249 Quamina Street. P.O.Box 10833, Georgetown. Tel: (592) 225-5301-5 Fax: (592) 225-5310 E: caralodge@carahotels.com W: www.carahotels.com Café Tepuy – Roraima Residence Inn R 8 Eping Avenue, Bel Air Park Georgetown. Tel: (592) 225-9647-8/225-9650, Fax: (592) 225-9646 E: rriops@hotmail.com W: www.roraimaairways.com
BARS AND NIGHTCLUBS Jerries 177 Waterloo Street, South Cummingsburg Tel: (592) 227 5701 Mobile: (592) 686-3437 E: barbqbacchus@hotmail.com, W: www.newtropicanahotel.com
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Sidewalk CafĂŠ & Jazz Club 176 Middle Street, Cummingsburg, Georgetown Tel: (592)226-5363/ 225-0634/ 225-4644 Fax: (592)227-0210 E: ariantze@networksgy.com W: www.ariantzesidewalk.com Savannah Inn Restaurant & Bar Lethem, Region 9 Tel: (592) 772-2035 E: ramsaran4al@yahoo.com, lindakhan4@yahoo.com W: www.savannahguyana.com
ALLIIED MEMBERS
ADVERTISING & PUBLISHING COMPANIES Advertising & Marketing Services 213 B Camp Street P.O.Box 101582, Georgetown Tel: (592) 225-5384. Fax: (592) 225-5383 E: info@amsguyana.com W: www.amsstlucia.com
COMPANIES & ORGANISATIONS Demerara Distillers Limited Diamond Estate , East Bank Demerara Georgetown Tel: (592) 265-5019 W: www.theeldoradorum.com Guyana Telephone & Telegraph Company Ltd 79 Brickdam, Stabroek, Georgetown Tel: (592) 225-1515 Fax: (592) 231-7637 W: www.gtt.co.gy Iwokrama International Centre for Rainforest Conservation CIDA Building, 77 High St., Kingston, Georgetown Tel: (592)225-1504/7144. Fax: (592)225-9199 E: iwokrama-general@iwokrama.org W: www.iwokrama.org
TOURISM CONSULTANTS Public Communication Consultants Ltd. 168 Century Palm Gdns Durban Backlands, G/town Tel: (592) 225-3557, 226-0240, 640-4497 Fax: (592) 226-0240 E: kitnasc@gmail.com W: www.hurakabragy.com
TOUR OPERATORS
Adventure Guianas Mickel Plaza, 53 Pere Street, Kitty, G/Town. Tel: (592) 227-4713 Fax: (592) 225-9646 E: info@adventureguianas.com W: www.adventureguianas.com Air Guyana Tours Ogle Aerodrome, Ogle, East Coast Demerara Tel: (592) 222-6513, 226-9098. Fax: (592) 226-9098/222-5361 E: info@airguyana.net / wingjet2@networksgy.com W: www.airguyana.biz Bushmasters Inc 40 Beverly Hills Drive, Lethem. E: amazon@bushmasters.co.uk W: www.bushmasters.co.uk Contours Inc. Tel: (592) 339-2430/ 339-2741 Fax: (592) 339-2742 E: ganbros@yahoo.com / cortoursinc@yahoo.com Dagron Tours Guyana 91 Middle Street, Georgetown Tel: (592) 223-7921, 227-1166 Fax: (592) 227-1166 E: dagrontours@yahoo.com W: www.dagron-tours.com
Mekdeci Machinery & Construction Inc 95 Happy Acres ECD Tel: (592) 220-5416, 220-2049
Evergreen Adventures Pegasus Hotel Lobby, Seawall Road Kingston Head Office :Ogle Aerodrome, Ogle, East Coast Demerara Tel: 222-8050/222-8050/222-8055 Peg off: 225-4483-4 US off: (310) 929-7460 E: reservations@evergreenadventuresgy.com W: evergreenadventuresgy.com
National Parks Commission Thomas Road, Thomas Lands, Georgetown Tel: (592)225-8016/(592)226-7974. Fax: (592)223-5379 E: natpark@networksgy.com W: www.kaieteur.gov.gy
Hurakabra Tours 168 Century Palm Gdns. Durban Backlands, Lodge, G/Town Tel:(592) 225-3557, 649-4497 Fax: (592) 226-0240 E: gemmadhoo@gmail.com W: www.hurakabragy.com
Texila American University Tel: (592) 231-8118, 231-8111
Old Fort Tours 91 Middle Street, South Cummingsburg Georgetown Tel: (592) 225-1035, 592 225-1037 E: oldforttours_resort@hotmail.com W: www.angcam.com EXPLORE GUYANA
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Outdoor Expeditions 307 L Stone Avenue, Blygezight Cambpelville Tel: (592) 223-5177, 592 660-6981, E: outdoor_expeditionsguyana@yahoo.com Roraima Tours R 8 Eping Avenue, Bel Air Park Georgetown. Tel: (592) 225-9648 Fax: (592) 225-9646 E: ral@roraimaairways.com W: www.roraimaairways.com Savannah Inn Tours Lethem, Region 9 Tel: (592) 772-2035 E: ramsaran4al@yahoo.com, lindakhan4@yahoo.com, W: www.savannahguyana.com Timberhead Tropical Adventures Ltd. 8-10 Providence, East Bank Demerara Tel: (592) 223-5179/223-5023 E: timberhead@solutions2000.net / geb@solutions2000.net W: www.timberheadguyana.com Wilderness Explorers Cara Suites, 176 Middle St., Georgetown Tel: (592) 227-7698. Fax: (592) 226-2085 E: info@wilderness-explorers.com
W: www.wilderness-explorers.com Skype: wildernessguyana or tonywildex Wonderland Tours 85 Quamina & Carmichael Sts Tel: (592) 225-3122/225-9795 Fax: (592) 223-5338 W: www.wonderlandtoursgy.com
TRAVEL AGENCIES Angellina’s Travel Agency 1995 Parika Highway, East Bank Essequibo Tel: (592) 260-4536/7 Fax: (592) 260-4536 E: angellinastravel@hotmail.com W: www.angcam.com Roraima International Travel Agency R8 Eping Avenue, Bel Air Park, Georgetown Tel: (592) 225-9648/225-6950 Fax: (592) 225-9646 Connections Travel 6 Avenue of the Republic Georgetown Tel: (592) 227-2999. 227-2810, 227-2832 Fax: (592) 227-2999 E: connections@gol.net.gy W: www.connectionsgy.com
Events2013 calendar of
Special Events & Public Holidays
December 31
Kashif & Shanghai Football Finals in Linden and Georgetown
January 1
New Year’s Day Kashif & Shanghai Football Finals at the Providence Stadium
February 23
Flag Raising Ceremony at the Public Buildings in Georgetown MASHRAMANI Celebrations
March
International Motor Racing
March 27
Phagwah
March/April
Pakaraima Safari Cross-Country
March
Wedding Expo – Bridal Festival by the Roraima Duke Lodge
March 28- April 1 Easter Weekend Celebrations Kite flying in the Parks Bartica River Regatta and the Rupununi Rodeo. April Linden Town Day May 1 May 5 May 26 May May 31- June 5
Labour Day (National Holiday) Indian Arrival Day (National Holiday) Independence Day (National Holiday) Moruca Expo / Miss Moruca Pageant. Environmental Awareness Week
June 5 June 16
World Environmental Day Enmore Martyrs’ Day (Day of Commemoration) (National Holiday)
July - Caricom Day (First Monday) - Berbice Expo - Madhia Expo EXPLORE GUYANA
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July 1-31
El Dorado Heritage Month
August 1 August August 8 August (3rd Week) August 28 September 1-30 September
Emancipation Day (Day of Commemoration/National Holiday) - JamZone Week of Events - Bartica Summer Regatta - Lake Mainstay Regatta Eid Ul Fitr Mining Week Porkknocker’s Day
October 1- 31
Agriculture Awareness Month
Amerindian Awareness Month including the Amerindian Pageant and Community Activities across the country GUYEXPO is a Trade and Investment Exposition Visit: www.guyexpo.net for more information.
October 15 Eid Ul Azha October - Car & Bike Show - National Trust Heritage Week - Rockstone Fish Festival - Canje Nite, Berbice - Essequibo Nite, Anna Regina , Essequibo Coast November 1-30 Tourism Awareness Month November - South Rupununi Safari (SRS) - Ministry of Tourism Christmas Tree Light up - Kwanza - International Motor Racing - New Amsterdam Town Day - Main Street Lighting Up (Courts) - Guyana Open Golf Tournament - Rupununi Day November 3 Diwali (Festival of Lights) 3rd week November Rupununi Expo December 24 Christmas Eve December 25 Christmas Day December 26 Boxing Day December 26 Main Big Lime December 31 Old Year’s Day
Share the excitement when in Guyana
Annually Guyanese celebrate a number of special occasions based on its rich cultural heritage and diverse ethnic population. Many of these activities are celebrated across Guyana or staged in specific parts of the country. Be sure to plan your vacation to visit Guyana whether it be to celebrate Mashramani our local carnival, Phagwah the Hindu Spring festival, motor racing or all the thrills of International Cricket, the nation’s number one sport. *Dates subject to change. Please visit our website www.exploreguyana.org for confirmed dates.
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EXPLORE GUYANA