Monthly Archives: December 2006

Hanging with the Peace Corps

November 26, 2006
Day 424

There weren't any buses out of town today, which seemed to be a common theme in Guyana. Craig and I decided to be patient and try to wait for a Bedford truck to take us away. While we were waiting, we met two Peace Corps workers named Rick and Brian. They biked down to The Oasis every now and then to get a drink, and were happy to tell us a lot about Guyana, so we now had a better idea of what to do here.

We walked around the excellent facilities for several hours today. There was a trail leading up to a lookout point, a swimming pool that provided some relief from the heat, and hundreds of cashew trees. I found out that the nuts are expensive because only one grows on each fruit, and there aren't many fruits hanging from any individual tree. But like I said, there were hundreds of trees, and it looked like the nuts were just falling to the ground and rotting, so Craig and I decided to make some use of them. We picked and cleaned about one hundred of them, and will attempt to roast them once they've dried out.

Brian invited us over to his house in a boarding school about an hour's walk away, and considering the lack of traffic on the road, it seemed like a no-brainer to go there. We also met Heather, a volunteer teacher from Chicago, and Monika, from Germany, who was looking after animals in Surama. She originally came to Guyana to take photographs and to film a rather dubious documentary movie using animals in captivity that were being held in a zoo/sanctuary. However, one and a half years later, the movie still hadn't been shot, and she found herself taking care of the animals rather than filming them. We learned about the puma and the giant anaconda that were there and decided to try and check it out tomorrow. It's only twenty miles up the road, so hopefully we'll be able to hitch there.

A Savannah Oasis

November 25, 2006
Day 423

With no transportation out of town due to last night's bus breakdown, we had not choice but to wait for something to happen. While waiting, we met a group of twelve women staying at our hotel who drove all day yesterday from the coast in 4-wheelers: Four women on each. That sounded like a crazy adventure, one I wouldn't be so willing to partake in. I couldn't figure out where they put their luggage.

The bus was finally fixed mid-afternoon. Shane, the driver, pulled up and wobbled his skinny frame around a bit while he motioned us in. Something seemed off about him.

Shane drove like a madman the entire way. The road wasn't paved, and it was full of plenty of potholes and sharp corners, so most would think it would have been wise to err on the side of caution, but not him. Halfway to Annai, he pulled over to a barbecue happening on the side of the road. He downed a few quick drinks and we were on our way once again. Surely someday he'll roll that bus.

We arrived in Annai remarkably quicker than what was predicted. Shane dropped us off at a lodge just outside of town. It had a small shop and some amazing looking rooms that went for around $100 per night, but most people's eyes were glued to the television, apparently the only one in town. We opted to camp for $5 and were led to an empty gazebo with generated electricity and plenty of space for a tent. Right next door were showers with excellent watter pressure and a restaurant/bar called The Oasis. Shane, who previously seemed to be in such a hurry to get there, was busy drinking with his friends for the next several hours. It was definitely worth stopping for a night.

Stuck in Lethem

November 24, 2006
Day 422

We spent most of the day figuring out how to leave town, trying to get money, and getting antibiotics and malaria drugs for Craig. The Cuban doctor in town wrote Craig a prescription for a lot of drugs, and he got them all right away, free of charge. We found the only bank in town, which just opened three months ago, and took out some money using traveler's checks because they actually got a better exchange rate than cash. It's a little weird at first paying three hundred dollars for lunch, until you realize that it's only US $1.50.

Getting out of town wasn't such an easy proposition. We wanted to go to Anai, a few hours up the road, but all of the buses go all the way to Georgetown, about fourteen hours away. Eventually, we discovered that a minibus would be leaving at 6:00, and could drop us off right where we wanted to go. At the end of another oppressively hot day, we got on the bus and were ready to go.

As soon as we pulled out of town, however, there was a problem. The bus backed up into a driveway and everyone got off and waited for the driver to look under the hood. He pulled the battery out and started charging it, then about half an hour later pulled out the alternator and started working on it. Things didn't go so well, though, and at 10:00, the alternator was pronounced dead. A taxi came and took everyone back into town, and a lot of people were mad that not only could they not get to their destination, but they also had to pay money for a taxi ride home. The bus driver wasn't too happy either because he lost all of his business for the night. The only person who made out well was the taxi driver.

We went back to our hotel, but it was full. I think the owner felt bad about the bus breaking down, though, because he let us camp in the gazebo for free. It's just a lost day for Craig and I, and Lethem's not that bad of a place to be stuck in.

Three Countries in One Day the Hard Way

November 23, 2006
Day 421

Me in an old Austin Healy.

Craig had information that the border leading into Brazil would open at 6:00, so we caught a taxi there right at 6:00 this morning. The lady at the border told us that she could let us walk across, but if we wanted to get our passports stamped, we would have to wait until 7:00 when the guy running the x-ray machine showed up. Since we wouldn't be returning to Venezuela, we would need to get the stamps, so we waited on the curb until 7:00. The x-ray guy showed up and scanned our bags, but he informed us that the immigration office wouldn't open until 8:00. Wow, we really got bad information! At a little after 8:00, we had our stamps and walked across the border.

We got a bus to Boa Vista, which we previously passed through on our way up to Venezuela. From there, we caught another bus to Bon Fim, at the border of Brazil and Guyana. The Brazilian customs guy must have been bored because he thoroughly searched both our backpacks. With the sun setting behind us, we took a boat across the Takatu River to the Guyanan side. We walked to the police department and got our entry stamps.

Guyana is geographically part of South America, but culturally, it is Caribbean. The people are mainly of African and Indian descent, and they speak a Caribbean dialect of English that is hard for me to understand. Still, it's nice to be able to talk to the locals in my native language, and Guyana is the only country in South America where I can do that. Also, being a former British colony, it's the only country in South America where the people drive on the left, at least legally.

The photo album for this entry is here.

Escape from the Heat

November 22, 2006
Day 420

I spent today catching up on my blog and staying out of the sun. Craig went for a walk to a swimming hole near town, but I had no interest in spending another day in that heat. I now feel mentally prepared to meet the challenge of going all the way to Guyana in a day.

Back in Civilization

November 21, 2006
Day 419
Roraima Trek Day 6

Sunrise from our last campsite.

I woke up this morning to a spectacular sunrise. It got hot quickly, however, so I motored my way through the open grasslands back to Parapetui, the sun beating down on me the entire way. Normally the walk takes four hours, but I wanted to get out of the relentless sun so badly, I made it in two and a half.

The Frenchman showed up in his Land Rover early and we started driving back toward town. During the trek, one of the Guyanese guides had told us that he came to Venezuela back in the 80's when war over disputed land broke out between the two countries. We asked the Frenchman what he knew about the war because he was living in Ciudad Bolivar back then, but he redirected the conversation toward his own interests. He told us that we could stop for lunch in nearby San Fransisco because they had "cheap" restaurants where you could get a meal for "only" 12,000 bolivars ($6). That's more than you'd normally pay for an entire day's worth of food here, so of course all of us said that we weren't interested. Still, before we knew it, we were parked in front of a bunch of delicious-smelling chicken grilling outside on coals while the Frenchman did some more tinkering with his engine. When we firmly told him once again that we weren't interested in eating lunch, he took us back to our hotel, but it was obvious that he was just out to make a quick buck in the form of another kickback.

We got back to the hotel exhausted and smelly. I took a much-needed shower and opted to take my dirty clothes to be machine washed for $3. We're going to take a day off to get everything organized before heading off to Guyana for some more wilderness adventures.

Down to the Bottom

November 20, 2006
Day 418
Roraima Trek Day 5

One of the many flowering plants on Roraima.

Just as our porridge was done cooking this morning, we ran out of fuel. I don't know if I should call it good planning on our part, or just good luck. We packed up camp and headed down the edge of the teupui toward the valley below. On the way down, we passed a large group of young Danish girls on their way up. Suddenly I wished I had waited two extra days in Santa Elena to start the trek after all.

Back at base camp, Craig and I talked with one of the guides, who was from Guyana. He gave us lots of good information, including how to get to Kaitur falls, which is where we'll head to for our next adventure. It was a weird experience speaking to a local in English and having him understand me completely because it was his native language.

With gravity on our side, we continued back to base camp, making it down the mountain a few hours quicker than we had gone up it. It was so hot, taking a dip in the cold river actually felt good. There was plenty of fuel and food in the cache, so we cooked up a big feast with our remaining pasta and vegetables. Roraima once again looked far away from the river where we were camped.

Three Countries at Once

November 19, 2006
Day 417
Roraima Trek Day 4

The Brazilian part of the tripartite border.

Today we took a long walk all the way to the other side of Roraima. It was another tough trip despite carrying only daypacks due to the uneven terrain. We eventually reached our goal, the tripartite border between Guyana, Brazil, and Venezuela. It was marked by a pyramid with the corresponding country on each side. The plaque for Guyana had been stolen, which hopefully won't be indicative of the entire country when I go there in a few days. It has to be one of the strangest points where three countries could meet. I walked around the pyramid a few times just to say I did ten border crossings in one day and made stupid jokes about how much more shade there was in Guyana than Venezuela. I now have been to all but two countries/territories in South America.

One of the thousands of crystals on Roraima.

We took a different route back to camp and passed a few more crystal valleys. As usual, there were lots of rocks that resembled stuff, in this case elephants and beans. We also stopped at a sinkhole about ten meters deep. After another eight hours walking in the sunlight, I needed another siesta. Tonight was cold again, and I started to yearn for the warm nights of lower altitudes to return.

Looking Over the World

November 18, 2006
Day 416
Roraima Trek Day 3

I admire the cliffs.

Craig's stove began acting up this morning. I wished that I had brought mine as a backup. He eventually figured out that a pin was bent and fixed the problem, but not before wasting a lot of fuel. I think we'll have enough left to cook the rest of our meals before returning to our cache in a few days, but there won't be any to spare. We agreed not to make any more hot drinks, so I could get grouchy without any coffee in the morning.

We had two full days planned on top of Roraima, so today we did a shorter walk near the campsite. We walked past a large assortment of crystals, though puddles, and over massive boulders, some of which were shaped like rabbits and UFOs, to traverse the mountain. It proved to be not as flat on top as it appeared yesterday from below. We ended up at a place called "The Window," which was a narrow opening between the rocks looking all the way to the bottom. We sat around for awhile and enjoyed the view of the other tepuis in the area as the clouds rolled in and out. When the clouds did clear, the view became vertigo-inducing.

Sitting on top of the clouds.

Next, we stopped at the "jacuzzi's," which Braulio told us were thermal hot springs. When I dipped my toe in the water, however, a chill was sent through my bones. I decided to give it a miss and checked out some more of the massive crystal rocks instead. They'd probably be worth a fortune at home, but are just part of the natural landscape here.

Our final stop of the day was at the highest point of Roraima, which overlooked the massive cliffs and the land below. I felt like Jack at the top of the beanstalk the view was so awe-inspiring. Afterward, we finally made our way back to camp for a siesta and a pasta curry cooked on a stove that was finally working better.

To the Top of Roraima

November 17, 2006
Day 415
Roraima Trek Day 2

Roraima is getting closer now.

We got up early to begin a long day of walking. The first four hours to base camp were at a slight incline resulting in an altitude gain of 820 meters. We had an early lunch and continued uphill through the forest toward the intimidating cliffs. We passed a few other trekkers and their porters, who carried massive amounts of weight in handmade wicker backpacks. It felt more like Roraima was my own personal adventure carrying 18 KG on my back.

When we got to the sheer cliffs, a ridge became visible that made it possible to hike to the top. It looked impossibly steep from afar, but proved to be manageable. At one point, we had to walk under the waterfalls coming off the edge. I was glad I put my rain cover on my backpack earlier. After four tough hours of climbing, we reached the top, which at 2700 meters was 1650 meters (over one mile) higher than where we started the day. Colby and Rebeka proved to be quite fit trekkers, keeping up with Craig and I with no problems at all.

Lots of greenery on the way up Roraima.

We set up camp in a "hotel," which is an overhanging rock that does a good job of protecting campers from the elements. It was noticeably cool on top, something I hadn't felt in awhile. I began to wish I had brought my long underwear on the trek, but at least I had my winter sleeping bag, which kept me warm and cozy all night.