We stayed at the Le Meridien Pegasus Hotel in Georgetown, Guyana for ten days. We had a great time. The hotel is spotless. There is security round the clock at the elevators; therefore, it is nearly impossible for just anyone to get into the hotel floors. The main restaurant by the pool is very good and affordable. They offer a nightly buffett, which has a different theme every night. i/e Chinese, Mexican, Seafood, Italian, very very good food, and exceptional service. The swimming pool is really nice and kept quite clean. It was wonderful lying out under the scorching South American sun in December/January. Each room has a balcony over looking part of the city and/or hotel ground. Our room was overlooking the pool area. The front desk staff could be a little more helpful, but most, I said most, of them were pleasant. A business center is at the far end of the hotel, and open six nights per week until midnight. On Sundays, it is also open, but with limited hours. One thing that I did notice about Georgetown altogether is that a good part of the city does not function on Sundays. They do observe the day. Restaurants/bars do open later in the afternoon. The hotel has a couple of gift shops, where last minute necessities can be purchased. Georgetown is a city that I personally fell in love with. I don't understand why they get a bad rap. We were strolling around the city at 2:00 am sometimes, and never had a problem in the least. I mean, all over the city, up and down the streets everywhere. If you want a good headache to into Georgetown's only enclosed mall. It has an escalator that Guyanese kids love to play on, it can get a bit annoying. The inside is filled with stores, but also very echoey in there. Both of us had a pounding headache by the time we left there, and we were only in there for about 15 minutes. Georgetown is filled with some of the best Chinese restaurants that I have ever had. Good, cheap Chinese restaurants. Great food. In the morning, instead of paying $8 USD for a bagel at the Pegasus, there are plenty of bakeries, nice and clean ones open early. Great, fresh pastries baked daily. I miss Georgetown and can't wait to go back. JAMES DALPHONSE, TRAVEL AGENT

Land in Georgetown on Caribbean Star 723, leaving 6:20 pm, arriving 8:20 pm.

To get to Guyana from Manaus you have to take a 12 hour bus to Boa Vista and then another bus to Bonfim, the Brazilian town on the border. The bus drops you off at the Policia Federal where you can get an exit stamp. Brazil paid for the construction of a new bridge that spans the river separating Guyana and Brazil. The bridge, however, is closed to vehicular traffic and only facilitates the crossing of pedestrians, motorcycles, and bicycles. The Brazilian road is paved all the way to the Guyanan side where the road simply ends and a red dirt track picks up the rest of the way to somewhere short of Georgetown where I assume that the pavement resumes. Moneychangers operate on the edge of the bridge and taxis await to take you into Lethem, a few kilometers away. The immigration affairs are done at the police station by perhaps the rudest immigration officer I have encountered in all of South America. He was barking orders at people and for Guyana they issue you a visa for the exact amount of time that you specify that you will be in Guyana. I requested two weeks since I didn´t want to get stuck and somehow end up overstaying my visa. He asked me to show proof of financial solvency for my stay in Guyana and forced me to physically show him the money, always fun you have to show everyone how much money you have on you. He didn´t think I had enough and was unswayed by my two credit cards so I was forced to dig out some of the US dollars that I had hidden in backpack. This seemed to satisy him and he stamped my passport giving me two weeks in Guyana.

Guyana itself was like another world, certainly not like anywhere else I had been in South America. Not only was the language entirely different but the customs and culture were as well. It reminded more of the Bahamas than anywhere else. For starters, almost everyone, probably 99% of the people were black and though some of them spoke very good English, while others spoke this Caribbean style dialect that was mostly unintelligible and could hardly be called English in any proper sense. The driving was of course all done on the left hand side of the road, typical of a former British colony. Guyana was just as expensive as Brazil, but strangely enough, their largest monetary bill was 1000 Guyana dollars, essentially a $5 US bill, so you have everyone carrying around huge wads of money because credit cards are basically worthless at this end of the country. The sheer isolation of Lethem despite its proximity to a very disparate and alien Brazil really gave it the feel of a place at the end of the line, this coupled with its unique linguistic system also made it feel like a place that time had simply forgotten.

The next matter was figuring out how to make arrangements for visiting the Iwokrama forest. Because I had been forced to take the midnight bus from Boa Vista because the earlier ones were full, it was now about 4pm. There was nowhere to make a phone call because the public phones require you to use phone cards which were sold out of the stores in Lethem. I had to borrow someones cell phone to make the call. Lethem is so isolated from the rest of Guyana, and the world, that the cell phone calls from Lethem are actually routed to the US Virgin Islands before bouncing back to Georgetown. I got through but only to find out that the office was closed for the day. There are minivans that make the 16 hour trip from Lethem to Georgetown every day but the bus only runs Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, as I later found out. I decided to take a minivan to Anai, near the southern edge of the Iwokrama Forest and in the midst of the savanna. I was crammed into the minivan with several other Guyanese and one guy from Suriname who was in Guyana illegally because when he crossed from Suriname into Brazil he never got an entrance stamp and therefore couldn´t get an exit stamp. Without a Brazilian exit stamp he couldn´t get an entrance stamp to Guyana. He had tried to bribe the immigration officer by slipping a $100 US into his passport when handing it over but that didn´t work and he was told to go back to Brazil. Instead he decided to go to Georgetown and then take a bus over to the border and slip across, returning home as if he had never left. Amidst an otherwise uncomfortable and unmemorable ride I managed to see the most amazing thing as we plowed through the rutted out dirt road through the savanna. As I looked out into the pitch blackness encompassing the minivan on all sides I could see thousands of fireflies lighting up the darkness as if someone had placed a giant disco ball up in the sky, truly one of the more unique and most unexpected sights that I have seen on my trip. Since we ended up leaving late, at around 10pm, and we didn´t reach Anai until about 1am where I gladly got out of the minivan and strung up my hammock in the little pavilion at the place called the Oasis for the night.

The next morning I set about trying to figure out how to get to the Iwokrama Field Station and how to visit the canopy walkway, which were apparently at opposite ends of the forest. The canopy walkway was closer to Annai, about 40km away. At the fancy part of the lodge where I was essentially camping for $5 a night, there was an office and the woman there made some inquiries over the internet via instant messaging about accomadations at the Iwokrama Field Station and she told me that a man was coming down in a few hours with some guests and I could talk to him. About an hour and half later the Operations Manager of the Field Station showed up and he told me all about the rates and how I could arrange transportation. I managed to get a ride with him to the Canopy Walkway where he dropped me off on his way back to the Field Station.

The Canopy Walkway is series of metal trusses about 150 meters in total length suspended near the top of the forest canopy. It gives you a unique view of the forest that you don´t have from the ground. Unfortunately it was out of season so the trees weren´t bearing any fruit and the amount of birds and other animals was very low. I was still able to hear lots of birds and it was a nice enough experience to just be able to walk around amidst the treetops. My guide was a really knowledgeable and from one of the indigenous tribes, he knew everything about the trees and all their medicinal and other uses, as well as hunting and living off the forest. He told me about some of the crazy animals that live in the forest such as a giant spider that builds massive webs to catch birds, and the the arapaima, the largest freshwater fish in the world, reaching up to ten feet and over 600 pounds. To get back to Annai I had to try to hitch a ride with passing traffic, which is few and far between on this road. At the Canopy Walkway they have radio contact with an office near the ferry crossing where they monitor all traffic into and out of the forest. It is a good system where they keep track of everything and everyone that moves through the forest and if you take too long on the trip you are asked to account for the delays to make sure that you aren´t poaching or logging. In addition the road through the forest is closed everynight for 12 hours at 6:30pm on one end and at 4:30pm on the other, further complicating things. So they radioed to find out if there was any passing traffic and it turns out that there was one vehicle on its way that should arrive in about 30 minutes. On our way back through the jungle to the main road, we saw lots of toucans and other birds all flying up near the tops of the trees, and we heard many more. Finally the vehicle showed up and it was an ancient truck carrying a load of gasoline to Lethem. I hopped in and we plowed over the rough road back towards Annai. After about 30 minutes the truck started to overheat, no surprise really since the truck was probably older than Guyana. We got some water from a nearby river and cooled off the truck and finally made it all the way to Annai.

I had worked out that I could take the bus to the Field Station on Thursday night/Friday morning when it would roll through Annai at around 2am, stopping until 3:30am to arrive just when the road opens up at 4:30am and finally arriving at the ferry crossing at 6am or so. I could then spend the whole day and night at the Field Station before catching a bus or minivan back to Lethem on Saturday morning. It would have been nice to stay longer but it was quite expensive and in the rainy season the number of things that you can do are rather limited as most of the hiking trails are underwater. So I hopped on the bus at 2:30am when it arrived and we made it to the ferry crossing at around 6am where I was picked up in a motor boat and taken downriver to the Field Station. The complex looked really nice with thatched roof cabins and a big round central building serving as the eating and office area. I had a good breakfast with the only other guest who was staying there, a swedish guy, and then got to watch a short film on the Iwokrama Forest before talking with one of the workers there who helped me plan out some activities and told me about the Field Station. I decided to go on a hike to Turtle Mountain which involved a short boat trip followed by hiking through the jungle to the top of the mountain where you have views over the forest canopy below. The high water level meant that the boat needed to navigate through the submerged trees to reach an alternate landing site where we found a local indigenous man who had just finished hunting and had caught an armadillo and two other jungle rodents and was preparing to smoke them, apparently smoking is the ideal way to prepare armadillo meat. The trail through the thick jungle was hot and humid and hadn´t been used in quite some time as we came upon one section that had been blocked by a downed tree.  We saw several really interesting birds, including one that apparently is really rare and hard to find.  But in terms of other animals we saw none, only the tracks of a jaguar along the trail. After a while we eventually reached the top of the mountain and were afforded amazing and sweeping views of the jungle canopy and mountain escarpments off in the distance. From our perch on top of the mountain we could look down on flocks of parrots, macaws, and other birds and listen to the distant sounds of the howler monkeys establishing their territory.

In the evening myself and the Swedish guy set out for a night time boat trip to look for black caimans which can grow to 20 feet in length, and other animals such as boa constrictors. Unforunately after about 10 minutes into our boat trip it started to rain and there was lightning and thunder so we were forced to turn back. I spent the rest of the night relaxing as I had to get up early the next morning for another big day of traveling as I would attempt to get all the way to Venezuela and had to catch the minivans at 6:15am.

At 6am they took me in the motor boat to the ferry crossing where I got a spot in a minivan bound for Lethem so that I would hopefully be able to get there in time to catch the 12pm bus from Bonfim to Boa Vista so that I could then catch the 4pm bus to the Brazil-Venezuela border, otherwise I would be stuck in Boa Vista for the night. Right off the bat our ferry was delayed because a small boat had sunk and blocking the ferry path so they had to get a crane to come out onto the ferry and hoist the boat out of the water, luckily the ferry was able to hold the weight of the crane and it pulled the boat out of the water. After crossing the river and registering at one side of the forest we flew across the badly potholed road that more closely resembled the surface of a military proving ground than a road. Our driver was apparently intent on showcasing his driving skills as if this were a  time trial for the Dakkar Rally. This was fine by me but despite all this we actually arrived in Lethem a little bit after 12pm, but I still had time to catch the bus at 2pm. I shared a taxi with this Brazilian woman who also wanted to head to Boa Vista and there was talk about taking a shared taxi to get there sooner. She wanted to stop somewhere first so our taxi driver had to kick two people out of the cab and we headed off to where she wanted to stop. She had us stop at some place right by the river where she was planning to cross the border by boat, illegally. She tried to get me to come with her but I refused, the taxi driver was mad at her about this and the people that she had him kick out of the cab and they had a little argument in Portugese. After she left, he informed me that he was in fact an undercover reporter doing a story about the Guyana-Brazil border. He was a proud Guyanan and he continued to rant about how the Brazilians come over and cause all this trouble and then disappear back into Brazil and about the number of people that live in Brazil and cross the border illegally to come and work in Guyana where they money is better. He then went to the police station to report this illegal crossing matter and before we could finally continue on our way to the legitimate border crossing it was 12:45pm. I finally made my way back across the bridge and got my passport stamped and proceeded to the bus terminal in Bonfim where I just barely managed to catch the bus that was leaving at 1:30pm, not 2pm, and I was on my way to Boa Vista. I arrived in Boa Vista at about 3pm, plenty of time to catch the 4pm bus to Pacaraima on the Brazil-Venezuela border. Due to thunderstorms and rain and other delays we didn´t reach Pacaraima until 8pm. The border was technically open until 10pm but the DIEX office where you get your Venezuela entry stamp closed at 6pm so despite all the distance I had come, I was forced to spend the night in the Brazil, about a kilometer away from Venezuela, and such ends the Guyana adventure.

"At the point where the Caribbean meets South America on its North Atlantic seaboard lies an almost unknown, but incredibly wonderful land of unspoilt beauty, where the virgin rainforest leads to the Amazon Basin. Where the jungle is still unexplored, rivers uncharted and mountains yet to be climbed."

Like it is stated above, Guyana truly is a place of unspoilt splendor and adventures waiting to be had.  I started going down to this small South American republic in 2002 for a service project through Fordham University (my Alma Mater) and I fell so in love with the place that I began going back every time I had a week or so to travel during the school year or summer.  In all I have visited 8 times and I always find something new I love about Guyana.  Unfortunately, I have not been there in over a year now due to my work schedule and my trips to Guyana came before I really got into photography so my photo file on the country is pretty limited.  But like all places that are truly special to us, I think photos never do justice anyway, not much can really capture that amazing connection of soul to locale.  Anyway, I came here to share this undiscovered destination with other travel-lovers, so let’s talk about all the great things to do and see in the Land of Many Waters… Oh, actually, before I get to the best stuff to see, do, eat, and drink… allow me one quick exclaimer… You will hear in some published guides that this country is unsafe, but as I’ve found in many places that get a reputation for danger, Guyana is easy to travel in if you’re a responsible traveler…  Carry little cash and don’t be a flashy tourist and keep away from certain areas and you’ll find a welcome so warm, genuine, and engaging that you’ll never wanna leave! 

Georgetown is a tiny little city perched on the Atlantic Ocean at the mouth of the Demerara River. It’s called the “Garden City of the Caribbean” for a reason as the capital has an incredible amount of green (not necessarily well maintained but very healthy looking). All my trips have started in Georgetown and seeing as all flights in come to Chedi Jagan Airport a few miles outside the city, I’ll bet yours does too. This city has a few really interesting places to visit and most are open to the public and free-admission. Start any trip to Georgetown at the most refreshing place in the city, the much heralded Sea Wall. You see most of Guyana’s coast line (and all of Georgetown) is below sea level, so the British created a giant wall along the shore to keep the ocean out of their little colonial capital. This giant concrete serpent winds all along the coast of the city and it makes for a great place to sit, people watch, and enjoy the breeze… not to mention that the gazebo (or the bandstand as its called here) along the wall is center of activity in the city. On Sunday evenings especially you will find lots of food vendors and children flying their kites (a huge pastime in Guyana) along the wall. People use the Sea Wall as a jogging track in the mornings and it makes for a great place to decompress at anytime during your visit… not to mention the sea breezes will be a welcome relief from Guyana’s sweltering weather!

After the Sea Wall, my top spot to visit is the lovely St. George’s Anglican Cathedral. Dating from 1889, the Guyanese tell me this is the tallest wooden structure in the world, and I have no real reason doubt them, so take it as you want! Either way it’s a great old building and they say the chandelier in the middle of the church was a gift from Queen Victoria. There are some really wild plaques, statuary, and monuments inside that speak volumes about Guyana’s colonial past. This is also one of the best maintained examples of Guyana’s 19th century architectural treasures so for those building fans out there, make sure to take this one in!

Actually, although they’re a bit run-down, a lot of Georgetown’s buildings are great works of art on their own. There’s the pink Parliament building, the handsome Town Hall Building, and the Victoria Law Courts all along the central part of town on High Street. If you get to the Victoria, check out their namesake’s nose-less statue in the front yard. The story goes that after Guyana achieved independence in 1966 wound up revelers decided to trash the former sovereign’s monument and after ripping it from its pedestal, dumped Vicky in the back yard to deal with at a later date. That later date came a few years later when Princess Margaret paid a state visit to Guyana. The town fathers rushed to replace the statue to avoid the obvious awkwardness and when they replaced her she was missing her nose and arm. This is how she remains today… a little piece of historical trivia.

Another great site to spend some time in is Stabroek Market. Named after the Dutch colony that preceded British Guiana, this is the nation’s largest and most lively market. You can buy anything from fish scraps to gold and silver and the sheer size is nowhere near as overwhelming as the pounding energy of the buyers and sellers haggling over the goods. Be careful to travel through this maze in groups or stick to the outskirts… this place can swallow you alive if you are someone who isn’t great with directions and you might be advised to venture inside accompanied by a local friend (you’ll make PLENTY very quickly in G-town). If you do go, note that local Guyanese gold is of really high quality and if you know how to look you will find some great little pieces pretty cheap... they make awesome gifts back home and they shout Guyana!

You should also make sure to visit Umana Yana, a giant Amerindian meeting hall erected by the Wai Wai people in the early 70’s and sometimes offering traditional indigenous dances or craft shows.

At the end of Brickdam (road) is Independence Square. Really nothing more than a giant blacktop parking lot, the “square” does have a beautiful statue at its center commemorating Coffy, the leader of the 1763 slave rebellion and a very interesting piece of Guyanese public art. The entrance to the square, traveling up Brickdam, is also home to Independence Arch, which is made of aluminum produced from local bauxite (a major resource here). It looks like 3 gigantic wire coat hangers but it’s kinda cool. Unfortunately, this is another place to keep your wits about you, as its frequented by some interesting characters.

You might also enjoy the Botanical Gardens and adjoining Zoo which is dedicated to local wildlife and some animals not usually seen in Guyana (the display of pigeons made this Brooklynite feel right at home). The gardens are beautiful and LUSH but you shouldn’t really wander of the beaten paths too much… ‘tho do make sure to walk over the tiny wooden kissing bridge if traveling with your special someone… it really is a romantic little spot, however proceed with caution and maybe cough loudly as you approach on the winding path… I’ve seen some people engaged in a lot more than kissing up there! And finally, while your there, make sure to ask some one to point you to the manatees! These giants are chilling out in a little pond in the gardens and they’re so tame that if you tear up some grass and hold it over the edge of the pool they’ll come eat it out of your hands!

We arrived on time but it took a long time for Sinay to get through customs.  There were two drivers there to pick us up and we tried to get one of them to leave to the hotel but they wanted to travel together.  We finally got to the hotel about 1 am.

The windjammer was supposedly one of the better places to stay in Georgetown (which isn't a reputably safe place to begin with). We had the peace of mind of having an armed guard standing outside the hotel gates at all times. There is a pretty good restaurant at the hotel for guests, which is open until about 11pm. They have one computer that you can use for internet for a charge (I think it was about $5/hr), but they shut it off at night. The hotel consists of two semi-connected buildings. One is obviously much older. The rooms are very small bathrooms and no A/C, but being a coastal city there was a nice breeze coming in through the open windows. Beds are equipped with mosquito nets. The "newer" (or more recently updated) building, which has the restaurant below, has VERY nice large bathrooms. I stayed at this hotel once at the beginning of my stay in the older building and oncec at the end of my stay in the newer building - what a difference! But even at the older building I was not disappointed. Very hospitable people and clean rooms. I'm not too sure about the price because I paid for it as a package through my school who funded half of my trip.

Georgetown Airport