From the capital, I now seek
east. 11. Well, that was the plan, but the problems with organising a car might give me an additional day in Georgetown. I might get the car, if my international driving license is sufficient. Else, I have to wait until tomorrow, and get the local permit when the office opens. Not much to do, but wait at the hotel, to see if my car turns out. The internet is down, and I go through the first diaries from this expedition.
Just
before nine, the rain kick-in again, and the temperature never exceeds 25C.
It is a waste of a day I don't have. The Kenneth calls, I can use my
international driving I have made several reservations at this hotel, and now, I start all over again. I pay for an extra night, just to compensate the poor woman for her problems with me.
Well,
I just have to get the best out of what I can see. I head straight towards
Corriverton and Moleson Creek at the I pass through Rose Hall, which had a really big and
interesting market - almost all over town last I passed. Now, only the empty
stalls are left, and no reason to get wet. I sit and wait for a dry period, and while I do, several flocks of pelicans passes right at the surf. Small groups of plovers sit at the sand or fly bye too. Some people are actually swimming here, while others half-hearted play cricket. The rain pick-up again, and I head on.
I
get to a farmed area. Numerous caterpillar harvesters and rusty tractors are
aligning the It is a great new place in an else rather run down
area, and I get a huge room for 8.000. Her are even free sandwiches and tea
(along with microwave oven, iron-board frits and quite some After a short break, I give it a go - mainly because I'm so restless. Here are some nice nature in-between the settlements, but everything is so wet - except me, and I like to keep it that way. I end up at the ferry, and the side-road I had intended, is so muddy and slimy, I doubt it will be worth it.
12.
While
I study this strange plant, I notes a few Common squirrel monkey; Saimiri
sciureus in the bushes next to the canal. I start walking along the
road, to my pleasure and not as least; the Most of the area is swamp, but the canals have been
able to provide land for small farms along the road. Here are a few cows and
donkeys, but it is not a rich area in any way - unless thick, sticky mud
counts! And swallows; the singe line between the lamp-poles are pearlstrings
of these nimble little birds. I reach the ferry, and return to Corriverton. I am in luck, as this is their weekly Corriverton markets day. Not only the big hall, but the area in front of it is filled with stalls. I start walking around, and make some carefully photos. Then it turns out the women in the stalls are so eager to talk. I have a hard time understanding them, but that does not stop them. An older woman reveals for me: Most are unmarried, as here are so many more women than men. I keep taking photos, bur now I am really careful!
In
the other
A
group of Indian people are gathered, and some of the women approaches me,
and besides from a lot other information, they tell me, they do some form
I look at my GPS map, and here are only two roads,
heading inland, it seems. The first is 300 metres ahead, and I take that as
a sign. It zigzags with the large canals through
farmland.
It is mainly rice that are farmed here, bit the narrow stretch between the
road and canal, on both sides, are small fields. Here are so many different
crops like chilli, pumpkins, beans, eggplants and some I only seen in
markets and once in my food: In some of the low bushes on the other side of the canal, a huge flock of white herons are gathered. I see no nests though. Around 25 kilometres inland, it is still canals and farmland, but the road turns west. It seems like it head out to the coastal road again, and that is fine by me.
I
pass a huge rice-factory, but beside from that, most homes are humble and
only a few larger farms are found here. In a rather wild part of the road, I
I follow it for some time, then the other interior road starts. It lead through mainly cane plantations, then it turn wild, but remain sealed. It follow the huge river, and the forest is dense on both sides. I hear some macaws, and stop. It is a whole group of Blue-and-Yellow Macaw; Ara ararauna. I count eight, but they are scatted over an area, and here could easily be more. They are in pairs, and real curious, but not enough to come real close.
The
New Amsterdam is big, and a strange mix of new and
old. Fancy buildings and horse wagons. The remains of wooden huts and a bright
white mosque. Fancy cars and beggars. I had considered to walk a bit around,
but after driving the main-streets and considered the time, I head on.
I
reach my Georgetown base just at dusk, and head out to get something to eat.
I was aiming for some sandwich or pizza, but end up with the salad bar
downstairs, after having done quite some aimless walking around. Then it is
time for the usual work. Whiles the mosquito having a party, a small mouse
pops bye: I'm not alone here!
13. Then I head out to the airport, paying my flight to Kaieteur National Park. On the way, I pass the dam, protecting the city from the sea. Here is a bit of a beach, but the most impressing is the wall, which heads straight out to the sea. I walk halfway, but have to zoom to get an idea of; the city is in there.
It seems like there is one small trail in the first part,
and a sealed road right through. People are actually driving deep into the
garden, and parking with the engine on, to maintain air-con. What they do in
their cars, I can't tell.
Here are a lot of birds, some Varanus, many
lizards and some illusive frogs. I follow the sealed road, and make loops
wherever I can cross he canals. But most of the entire area is swamp, and I
have to be careful.
Next
to the botanical park is the Guyana ZOO, and despite I know I probably will
regret it,
Despite it is only three, I have had sun enough for one
day, and return home to work. At supper time, I hunt around most of the
centre of the city, trying to find something else to eat. Either the
restaurants are closed, or they have
Back home to work again, and after two hours of writing, the computer crashes. No backup, no savings underway, as it haven't happened before. That is why the diary of the day is this short! I simply don't have the energy to do it twice. Under the hotel is a restaurant and a bus company. They pack rough looking mini-busses with hundreds of litter gasoline and cubic metres of luggage on the roof. I imagined they would head deep into the interior, but now I see the sign: Lethem. It is where I planned to go tomorrow. When I tell my hostess, I will be away for a day or two, and tell her; I'm going to Lethem, she loo scared. It probably will be an interesting tour! I actually might settle for Linden Day 7: The Botanical Garden and the ZOO
14.
I manages to find a path a few times, but here are not really that much interesting after all. It is a wide river, and the sides is mangrove in many places. I pass the road to Linden for this time, heading for the airport. Here are some meadows I would have loved to explore, but they belong to the airport, and they don't share!
The sun appears shortly from time to time, while the rain are more consistent. The road crosses rivers many times, and every time, someone have a "resort". Only some palm shades and a kiosk, but no access, and it spoils my nature motives.
I finally make it to Linden, which is located on both sides of the huge river. I start on the nearest part, and recon; it is the minor part of town. Over the toll bridge, from which I see a real big bulkier ship. No idea to what it is loading? Then it turns out I was wrong: The first part WAS the major!
I use the bridge, and start looking for a hotel. I find
the market on this side first, and give I a go. It is significantly more
interimistic and badly maintained than the other. On the other hand, all the
I would never had guessed it was a hotel. It is a
restaurant and bakery, and apparently, they have room upstairs. A bit
steep, considering there is no internet and hot water, but if it is the only
hotel around... The room is not ready yet, but I can come back later. Great,
that give me time to explore the Latham
Then it turns into a red clay/sand road with numerous lakes in. Considering I was told NOT to drive here, I do drive carefully. Some real high timber trucks tip-toe bye, and the sides and the road it self is filled with destroyed truck tires.
I do many walks in the area, but here is not really
My room is ready, and it is quite fine. I wash my hands,
and the water is hot! Then I head out into the town, and see the river,
market, general streets and a pizza with a Wi-Fi sign. That call for pizza
tonight. Of cause, their internet have not worked for years, and the pizza
is heavily overprized. I comforts myself with
Here
are a few Hindi temples, a mosque and numerous churches. Each one have their
branch: Ethiopian, Baptist, Adventist and so on. I have never thought there
were so many religions... When I walk home at seven, in pitch dark, the town
is even more active. It is now time to shift to Diary 3 |