Storming the Castle: Arrival in Guyana

I got a position as a Peace Corps Response volunteer at Karanambu eco-lodge in the North Rupununi of Guyana building a well for potable water and drip irrigation system for their garden.

I arrived in Georgetown on June 11th and spent the week getting to know the city. Guyana is considered culturally Caribbean even though it is geographically in South America. I saw a lot of sights in Georgetown that were familiar to me from Jamaica. From the markets to the minibuses, I felt at home. A lot of Jamaican reggae and dancehall was playing in the streets, and I saw Vybz Kartel’s face plastered on the shop windows. In fact, the heavy bass from the cars passing the hotel set off the alarm on a few parked cars!

From the schoolers in uniform to the minibuses, Georgetown reminds me a lot of Jamaica.

Stabroek Market

Georgetown, once known as the garden city, was built by the Dutch and is therefore characterized by the extensive canal system through the city. It is six feet below sea level, and the ocean is kept at bay by the sea wall and kokers which can be opened to drain the city of excess water, or opened at low tide to flood the city and clean the streets. In fact, last week a dozing koker attendant left one open and accidentally flooded the city.

A koker, with koker attendant station to the left. The kokers and seawall prevent the city, six feet below sea level, from flooding.

An extensive canal system, built by the Dutch, crisscrosses Georgetown, and is largely overgrown.

One of the most striking differences between Guyana and Jamaica was the water, which is brown because of all the rich silt deposited from the three major rivers that flow through Guyana.

A fishing pier surrounded by water made brown by silt deposits from the interior.

I arrived with another Peace Corps Response Volunteer, and we swore in after two days of orientation to the city and the Peace Corps office.

Just after swearing in as a Peace Corps Response Volunteer. From left to right Eric in charge of financial matters, Brennan country director, me, Flavio my program manager, and Jake fellow response volunteer.

I spent the next few days meeting Peace Corps volunteers and buying provisions because Peace Corps will not fly me back from the interior for another three months. After 4 days in Georgetown, Flavio and I left for Karanambu.

We flew on a small plane out of Ogle, the local airport.

Eco-friendly reusable boarding passes

All buckled in!

Tickets are paid for by weight so I hopped onto the scale with my bag on my back. Our first landing was in Annai on a paved but potholed airstrip. The landing at Karanambu was actually smooter although the airstrip was simply the iron-rich dirt which characterizes the interior of Guyana. We were heartily welcomed to the grasslands of the Rupununi by Diane, owner of Karanambu Lodge and Ranch, Jerry a returned resident to Guyana, and Royal, senior member of the Amerindian staff.

The welcome committee at Karanambu airstrip

The buildings at Karanambu are made of brick baked from laterite which composes most of the surrounding soil.

Karanmbu Lodge is quiet and isolated, but full of wildlife which we witnessed on a boat tour down the Rupununi River with Jerry and Mike (staff at Karanambu). We saw some fun wildlife. The river is surrounded by forest and is home to all sorts of creatures like monkeys and parrots.

Riding the Rupununi River!

Victoria Amazonica

The tour ended at a pond filled with Victoria Amazonica, a giant waterlily which looks like something out of a comicbook. The lily pads are strong - Mike's baby brother laid on one to pose for a postcard photograph - and the birds like to walk on them. They are bright green with spikes around the edges. The flowers only open at night and turn from white to pink on the third day. I was half expecting them to pick up our boat and eat us or at least carry us to the mothership, but as it was we sipped lime juice and listened to the passing parrots as the flowers calmly opened.

An iguana naps in the afternoon sun.

Some red howler monkeys

Karanambu generously built a house specially for volunteers and I'm neatly settled in. The plan is to dream and plan until the managers of the lodge return in August.