Mabaruma trip
on Kate in Guyana (Guyana), 08/Jun/2010 12:15, 34 days ago
Had a great trip to Mabaruma, or should I say adventure? Adventures are where you don't really know how it will turn out, and that is how it was. We went up to Charity on Thursday by minibus and boat, which was fine, and stayed over with a VSO volunteer there who is a great friend. He had fixed up the boat ride for us, but at the last minute the boatman phoned to say that he would not be going. The regular boats run part way, but after that it is a question of finding anyone who is going and negotiating. So we went on the regular boat and stopped over a night at Morruca on the way, then we had a promise of a boat leaving Saturday morning.The area around Morruca is beautiful, it is a wetland area where rivers join up in the rainy season. There are meant to be 99 bends - it is very narrow, full of flowering lilies and weed. If it is the dry season you have to get out and push at times, but we were OK - apart from the torrential rain at times, when you hide under a tarpaulin. We stayed at an Amerindian hostel which was cheaper than the guest house. It was fine, shared kitchen to use, and a friendly lady in charge. The next boatman phoned to say they'd be late, so we waited for ages until eventually the boatman's brother arrived and took us on. That was along tiny rivers then bigger and bigger until we turned near the sea to go upstream along another river.Mabruma was great, real countryside and very friendly Amerindian people. You have to greet everyone you meet. We stayed with a volunteer and had other vols to visit and go around with, so that gives the inside story to the place. We walked up the hill to the church early on Sunday, then visited more vols and raided their mango tree. We walked down to a swimming place in a little stream where I swam among all the local kids. In the afternoon we went on a long walk through jungle trails, this young vol had explored all these trails on his own while going running. We flew back on Monday morning, which was a great experience, tiny little concrete hut next to a tiny airstrip. But the flight was fine and exciting to see all the rivers below winding through the jungle, and wondering which ones we had been along. Good views of Georgetown when we got back as well.