Travels to Lethem

This blog will be on a slightly (or drastically) lighter note.  It is about the ever elusive Region 9 and those volunteers who inhabit it.  We begin the journey with a flight in a tiny puddle jumper of a plane heading south towards Brazil.  It only takes an hour to get there but you can see the extreme difference in landscape.  Instead of lush green grass and trees, there is red dirt and almost no vegetation.  The sun beats down on you just the same, but worse due to the lack of coverage or wind.

The plane!

 Georgetown  

                                                                       Region 9

As the plane landed and we were able to exit, I looked up to see two beautiful souls ahead of me waiting; Gabrielle and Steven.  They were easy to pick out with their pale skin set against a red and brown landscape and their waving hands as I came closer.  After baggage, we quickly set forth to St. Ignatius where Gabrielle lives and works, dropped off my bags, and met Lance (PCV GUY 29) for lunch with Steven while Gabrielle went back to school. 

I made it!

Region 9 boys

Compared to New Amsterdam or Georgetown, Lethem is pretty scarce, but there are huge stores with everything you could imagine and empty lots in between.  There were not a lot of cars around, but when one did passed you, you have to cover your face to keep the Rupunnuni Dust from hitting you in the face and entering your nose and mouth.  The view around town is of mountain ranges and blue skies and even Brazil if you look in the right direction.


Gabrielle's house is situated at the back of a scheme next to the primary school to which she is attached.  It is a pretty big house and only about 10 minutes outside of Lethem which makes it a meeting place for the other Region 9 volunteers.  I was lucky enough to be given the spare bedroom which was draped in the most heavy duty mosquito net I've ever seen.  It is used primarily during capibarra season.  These are tiny little insects that can fit through the holes in the normal bug net and bite you like a mosquito does.  Apparently they are everywhere during certain times of the year and I'm glad I missed that part of Region 9.

WHAT??!!  A wild hog in front of the house.

It was the weekend after Thanksgiving when I visited and we were planning a friendsgiving; however plans change. Instead, we attended the expo where Gabrielle worked a booth for her school for a few hours and I bought Amerindian jewelery and baskets.  There was also a lot of fly wine (a homemade Amerindian drink that will make you "fly"), food and entertainment.  The evening capped off with a DJ and dancing.

The people in Region 9 (at least the part I visited) were very kind and gracious. There was no sipping or harassment and it was comfortable walking around the village.  The Amerindians are known as shy and quiet people, but just like all other Guyanese, they welcome you and make you feel at home.

View of the mountains

Beautiful sunset the last night with Gabrielle.

       Connor being Connor   

Chris messing up the picture like always

Lance relaxing in the hammock

 HUGE termite mound...seriously...HUGE!

 A cute puppy I met on a walk.  Who doesn't like a cute puppy??