A brief travel guide to Guyana
on Fiona Craven (Guyana), 10/Apr/2012 11:04, 34 days ago
Travelling aroundGuyanais not easy, but if you have your ear to the ground, and are prepared to rough it and go it alone, then a country full of interesting spots awaits you. Of course, there’sKaieturFalls, and the well established echo lodges in the Rupununi. But here’s a brief selection of some of the lesser known places that I’ve discovered during my time here.OreallaSituated approximately 50 miles up theCorentyneRiveron the boarder withSuriname, this Amerindian community is starting to build up an infrastructure for visitors. For me, it’s the boat journey that makes visiting this village so special. The boat goes and comes with the tide and takes approximately 5 hours from Skeldon in Berbice. A web of hammocks gets hung and you want to get there early to bag yourself a good spot. Not too high or it’ll be tricky if you need toget out and pee. Not too low, or you’ll end up with someone’s bum, or a pineapple jabbing you in the face. With no phone signal or internet, it’s by word of mouth that we make our booking at the guesthouse known in advance, but we always know that whatever time of the day or night we arrive, Steve and Gloria will give us a good welcome. A nice spot to search for anteaters at sunset, swim in the creek in the mornings, or join the school children climbing the trees in search of tropical fruits. Just be careful swimming in the river. One VSO friend lost half his toe to a piranha while goingfor a morning dip!WhitewaterThis island in the Essequibo river known as Whitewater is a beautiful haven from the hustle and bustle ofGeorgetown. Easily reachable in a morning, one takes a bus to Parika, a speedboat to Bartica, and another boat to the island. A tiny island with a simple wooden building, it’s surrounded by white sand that’s the closestGuyanagets to theCaribbeanas regards its beaches. There’s a boat that can be borrowed and one can paddle across to some beautiful waterfalls on the other side of the river. Fishing here one weekend, some volunteer friends caught two big piranha’s. No one’s lost a toe here so far, but we swim with caution!MorucaTo reach this Amerindian community in Region 1 (the Northwest), one experiences probably the most beautiful boat journey I’ve been on in this ‘land of many waters’. It’s a full morning of travelling:Georgetownto Parika by bus, then on to Supernan by boat, then car to Charity, then boat to Moruca. Travelling it in the sun can be a joy, so long as it’s not too hot and you’ve got a hat for shade. Travelling it in the rain in the open boats can be a wet and bumpy experience. Once there it’s up to you to plan your itinerary: walk around and spot monkeys and sloths, borrow a dug out canoe and paddle the river at sunset, or find some coconutsand try your hand at slicing them open.