2020-03-01_Wanderlust

GUYANA

58 wanderlust.co.uk March 2020

the short distance to the guesthouse where

alunch of fish, okra, beans, plantain and rice

awaited, all from the village, as was the

accompanying lime juice.

“Even the coffee is from here,” said Jeremy, head

of the tourism committee, explaining that the

community is pretty much self-su„cient.

However, what they don’t have is much in the

way of employment, and so they are hoping that

tourism will bring some much welcomed revenue

and jobs, and help keep young people here.

They are fortunate enough to have two harpy eagle

nests within walking distance of the village, and

another a boat ride away. The largest eagle in the

Americas, the harpy is an increasingly threatened

species, and to see one is a real coup. Unfortunately

we were not to be lucky on this occasion.

However, in Warapoka, it was the exposure to the

everyday life of the Warrau people that was to prove

interesting. There has been a settlement here for

over 1,000 years, and shell middens around the

village are an indication that shellfish were once

found here. Today, cassava is the staple, and taking

anearly morning walk around the village we spotted

awoman making cassava bread over an open fire.

Pauline shyly smiled at us when we asked if we could

watch, and she explained the laborious process

involved in taking cassava root to flour.

We bumped into one of the older women of the

village who introduced herself as Aunty Irene, and

explained that she is in her 70s and has nearly

100 grandchildren. “You are welcome in our

community. I like to meet people, to talk to them

• come and see me at my home.” When we asked
  where she lived, her answer was, “Under the
  mango tree.” Later that day, we found the right
  tree and Aunty Irene’s home. She showed us how
  to make a hammock in the traditional way with
  fibres from a local tree, rolling them on her thigh
  to make cord. Then she showed us a candle made
  of beeswax and explained this used to be the main
  source of lighting in the village.
  The conversation turned to myths and legends,
  and of the spirits, jumbies, that used to coexist in
  the village when Irene was young. “We used to
  hear them at night. But those times are over now.
  Maybe the jumbies are going further into the bush.”
  She gave a rueful smile.

Taking the fall

While Aunty Irene had seen many changes in her

community, Guyana had been a step back in time

for me. Around 80% of the country is rainforest

and that, combined with the long boat journeys,

rich wildlife and lack of commercialism, gave

a feeling of true exploration and adventure. Other

than the small party I was travelling with, in ten

days I’d only met two other visitors. But Guyana is

home to one of the world’s great natural wonders,

and I was heading there next, for my final stop.

Would this be where all the tourists were?

Set within the Guiana Shield, a huge ancient

plateau, Kaieteur Falls is one of the world’s most

powerful waterfalls. One legend has the name

Kaieteur coming from Old Kai, a chief who

sacrificed himself to the Great Spirit Maikonaima

by canoeing over the waterfall to save his people.

It is a 55-minute flight from Georgetown,

provided the weather is behaving, and so makes

a popular day trip. Cloud masked my view of the

falls flying in, and the pilot headed straight for the

airstrip. There, a few dozen visitors had either just

arrived too, or were hanging around waiting to fly

back out. We waited until most people had left and

then set off to explore.

‘Mists were swirling below the Kaieteur

Falls. Patches would gradually clear to

reveal deep green vegetation along

the sides of the river gorge’

⊳

Wildlife in the mist

(clockwise from this image)

Guyana looks like a Lost World

when cloaked in fog;

a Guianan cock-of-the-rock;

the boulders at Warapoka

Simon Chubb; Sarah Marshall; Naturepl