Northern South America Travel Diary

2012

Northern South America Travel Diary 2012

 

Learning place geography was probably a bit simpler back when I was a boy.  On the northern coastline of South America, there were three tiny countries, known then (as now) as the ‘Three Guianas”.  From east to west, they were French Guiana, Dutch Guiana and British Guiana, each being named after their colonizing power.

Today, French Guiana is still French Guiana.  Dutch Guiana is now Suriname, and British Guiana is now Guyana.  The state of economic development follows a similar east-west transition, with French Guiana being the most economically developed, followed by Suriname, with Guyana coming in at a poor third.

The lower level of economic development in Guyana compared with Suriname was apparent (though not overwhelmingly so) when I began my exploration of the capital city, Georgetown, this morning.  I had arranged for the same driver (Sean) who collected me from the airport to show me around Georgetown in his car at 10:00 am – at a rate of just $10 per hour, it was an offer too good to refuse.

Sean finally arrived at 11:25 am, which I understand is “not bad” punctuality by Guyanese standards, although the long wait (or so it seemed to me) was a bit annoying when I was itching to get out and explore the city.  However, to put it into perspective, it was only a little more than the same amount of time as I had spent yesterday standing in the immigration queue at Port of Spain Airport – things move at a different pace in this part of the world, it seems.

As I mentioned, Guyana’s lower level of economic development was not as immediately apparent as I expected, at least at an observational level.  The quality of the streets was no worse than those in Paramaribo, the dress of the people was not dissimilar, and while the city lacked the architectural cohesiveness and character of Paramaribo, the quality of the buildings and the infrastructure seemed no worse.  Moreover, some of the buildings were both elegant and quite well maintained.

I spent about two hours with Sean with the intention of getting an overview of the city so I could decide where to return and explore in greater detail later.  As things turned out, the first half hour of that time was spent arranging my trip to Kaieteur Falls tomorrow.  Despite the assurances of the lovely staff at my guesthouse that they had made a booking on my behalf, the agency handing the trip had no record of any enquiry in my name, let alone booking.  Although the conversation verged on the uncomfortable for a while, it was eventually agreed that a place would be made available for me on tomorrow’s flight to the Falls.

Then there were a few more organizational stops; one to change money, another to buy and send a postcard, but eventually the true exploration of Georgetown began – although as Sean commented apologetically, “there’s really only one or two things to see here”.

So, given that somewhat pessimistic parameter, I set out with Sean to explore those “one or two things”.  After driving along Georgetown’s main commercial thoroughfare, Regent Street (which seemed vaguely like a cross between the main street of Appila (South Australia) and a suburban side-street in Port Moresby (Papua New Guinea), we arrived at Georgetown’s most impressive building, St George’s Cathedral.  This Anglican, Gothic-style cathedral is constructed of timber, and it is said to be the tallest wooden building in the world.  Despite needing a bit of maintenance here and there, it certainly was an imposing building, set in its own circle of land, somewhat like a huge traffic roundabout. 

I was keen to explore the interior, but as there was a service underway (yes, I know, just after midday on a Friday – which probably explains the size of the congregation, which I counted to be precisely six), I was not able to venture further than the doorway.  Nonetheless, I hope the photos here give you some of idea of the beautiful interior; I am hoping to return tomorrow for a more thorough inspection.

A short drive south from the Cathedral brought us to Stabroek Market.  This corrugated iron building with a cast iron structure dates back to the Dutch era of the late 1700s (hence the name), although the impressive clock tower that dominates the market and the nearby minibus pickup area was built in 1880.  Impressive though the clock tower was, the times displayed on each of the faces bore no relationship whatsoever either to the real time or to each other.  I was interested in having a look around inside the market, but Sean insisted there was nothing of interest unless I wanted a new plastic bucket or something similar.  Several other nearby buildings did catch my eye, however, especially the Victoria Law Courts just down the road from the market, where a statue of Queen Victoria (minus a hand and her nose) still dominated the front of the building.

Georgetown is situated slightly below sea level, and it is protected from the ravages of the Atlantic Ocean by a long seawall and a system of drainage canals built by the Dutch during their period of occupation.  A short drive north brought us to the seawall, which I found less notable for its aesthetic beauty than the huge amount of rubbish blowing across it and the passionate endeavors of the young people ‘making out’ on the concrete benches.  Although the waters of the Atlantic did not seem especially rough today, the waves nonetheless had a dirty brown muddy appearance that was, according to Sean, entirely typical.  I don’t think that the beach resorts of the Caribbean have much to fear from the competition of Georgetown’s sea front.

We returned to the guesthouse via Georgetown’s Botanical Gardens and Zoo which, while pretty enough, did not warrant a photo stop. 

My intention was to follow up Sean’s drive by going for a long walk downtown, but by the time we returned to the guesthouse, ominous dark clouds were gathering for an afternoon downpour.  I decided instead to visit the nearby supermarket (quaintly named the Survival Supermarket) to get some supplies for my early breakfast in the morning – I have to be at the Roraima Airlines office by 6:15 am to connect with the bus to the airport for the trip to Kaieteur Falls.  As breakfast at the guesthouse only commences at 6:30 am, I will have to make my own arrangements.  Fortunately, it is only a 10 minute walk to the airline office from my guesthouse, so the early start should not deplete my sleep excessively.

I keep mentioning the guesthouse where I am staying – there are no hotels in Georgetown that any guidebook or website rate as “good” (or better), and most fall well below “mediocre”.  It was therefore something of a ‘find’ to locate the guesthouse where I am staying, Herdmanston Lodge (http://www.herdmanstonlodge.com).  Located in a suburban area called Queenstown that is not-too-distant from downtown, it is a gem of a place, somewhat reminiscent of an old, elegant 1930s-era guesthouse.  The room I have is huge, and although the plumbing may not have had much attention since the 1930s, it is very comfortable and even included a very necessary mosquito net over the bed.  Despite that, my sleep was somewhat disturbed last night when several heavy rain showers hit the city, or more precisely, hammered away noisily at the iron roof immediately above my head.

My breakfast this morning of toast with quality marmalade, some fruit and a cup of coffee could have been straight out of a 1930s film set were it not for the incessant noise of a whipper-snipper right outside the window.  Even more than the surroundings, however, it is the gracious nature of all the staff that impresses me; everyone takes the time to introduce themselves by name and to strike up polite conversation.  Even more impressively, everyone without exception remembers and greets me by my name, including even the grounds staff (with the sole exception of the wipper-snipper operator).  It really is like re-living the elegance of a by-gone era.

The last four photos in the bottom row of the “bonus” images below all show Herdmanston Lodge to give you some idea of the lovely place where I am staying.


Day 6 - Georgetown, Guyana

Friday

29 June 2012

Today’s extra bonus images