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The swan song of the Suriname and Guyana adventures

May 6, 2013 By Jeppe Leave a Comment

Jazzhands-Awarmie-Mountain-1000x400
The last day in the interior of Guyana was upon us and I made the most of it with an early visit to a lake followed by a sweaty hike up the Awarmie Mountain before flying back to Georgetown in Top Gun fashion. The last night together with the rest of the group was spent with a debriefing and media event at the British High Commissioners residence before going for drinks and trying out the Georgetown nightlife.

 

I’m gonna miss all of this

A long nights sleep worked as a charm after the fatigue and cramps from the bug that kept me broken for 24 hrs. I think that the sleep last night was the best sleep I’ve had on this trip. I’m really going to miss the sounds of the jungle. I find it very soothing and comforting. By now I don’t care much about the humidity, the smell of myself and clothes and nor do I care much about the mozzies, although the bites I’ve acquired during almost two weeks is reminding me at times…

I’m going to miss the jungle and all it has to offer and I already do, but I must also confess that the luxury of a hot shower and aircon does sound quite appealing…

 

Breakfast by the river

We had our breakfast served right at the bank of the river with freshly baked bread. Even though the internal digestive system was still not 100% and the thought of food wasn’t that intriguing, the breakfast was spot on and the surrounding really helped out. On the river, with all the birds…Few places can compete with that!

After breakfast, we took a boat up the Rewa River and then a 15-minute hike to Grass Pond. This pond or lake is about 3 kms long and is a beautiful setting with Victoria Amazonica and has a good population of Arapaima, the largest fresh water fish in the world. The arapaima was surfacing continuously, but never offered any good sight of the huge fish.

 

The Arapaima

The Arapaima can reach lengths of more than 2 m, in some exceptional cases even more than 2.5 m and over 100 kg in weight. The maximum-cited weight for the species is 200 kg. It is one of the most sought after food fish species in South America.

Aside from its immense size, perhaps the most peculiar trait of the arapaima is a fundamental dependence on surface air to breathe. In addition to gills, it has a modified and enlarged swim bladder, composed of lung-like tissue, which enables it to extract oxygen from the air. This means that it requires the arapaima to surface for air every 5 to 15 minutes.

 

Caimans and birds

We also spotted a great deal of birds in the pond together with a few Black caimans that hid amongst the logs and Victoria Amazonicas. We got some good sightings of the Green Kingfisher, Ringed Kingfisher and Orange-winged Amazons.

 

No pain no gain!

Next up what the hike up the Awarmie Mountain. I must admit that my body was still not fully recovered and my knee was swollen from the previous hikes. Overall not at all in any peak condition and I probably should’ve sat this one out, but after all, this was the last hike in the jungle and I just didn’t want to finish this all off with the whole food poisoning event being the last thing to remember from the trip to the interior. I therefore chose to do this together with three more of the group.

 

A proper sweat!

We packed up our stuff and left Rewa Eco-lodge. We headed out by boat along the Rupununi River, into an oxbow lake where we began a hike up the Awarmie Mountain. It might’ve been the fact that we were still a bit sick but we were all sweating heavily as we climbed the steep first few sections. I often sweat quite a lot, but this was something out of the ordinary.

 

Jazzhands on the top

We had a plane to catch and therefore we had to keep a steady pace to the top, which we eventually reached. By now we were soaked in sweat but it was all worth it. I didn’t feel great, but as we reached the top and sat down to take in the view overlooking the Rupununi 360 degrees, it was all worth it and we sat there with smiles on our faces, sweaty as hell and probably stinky enough to keep the wildlife away!?

The view was absolutely stunning with the majestic rainforest and the distant mountains. There was a small plateau on the top of the mountain and in one direction, there are uninterrupted views back to the Rupununi River, some patches of savannah and across to the distant Kanuku Mountains. In the other direction, there is a near vertical drop of at least 200m and the view is across great swathes of undisturbed forest to the distant Iwokrama Mountain and much closer, Makarapan Mountain.

It was a great finish of our adventures in the interior of Guyana and a sweaty (and smelly) group photo was a must and we even got one with jazzhands!

We worked our way back down and caught a boat at full speed towards the village of Apoteri for our flight back to Georgetown. That breeze was a much-appreciated welcome in order to dry our sweaty clothes…

 

Top Gun!

The flight was waiting on us together with the rest of the group and we quickly got onboard for take off. It was a welcome whiff of Nature that we brought onto the flight to much appreciation of the rest of the passengers! The flight took off and as if picked right out of Top Gun, the pilot banked hard to the right just as we took off, taking us at low level just passing over the canopy and in over the Rupununi River, flying just above the river surface! It was like we were in a canyon and were in a dogfight…Thank you to the Rupununi and everyone that had treated us to these adventures. It’s been one hell of a ride!

 

Debriefing and media awaits

We flew back to Georgetown and transferred to Cara Lodge where we would spend the night. It’s now time to freshen up and get prepared for the invitation to the British High Commissioner for a debriefing with the Ministry of Tourism and a media event.

Filed Under: Fair Travel Partners, Tour reports Tagged With: Arapaima, Awarmie Mountain, Guyana, Rupununi, Wilderness Explorers

Last full day in the interior

May 5, 2013 By Jeppe Leave a Comment

Green-Kingfisher-1-1000x400
It was a broken group of people that woke up to the sounds of the Rupununi life this morning. Grunts and pitiful sounds could be heard from each room. It had been a long night without much sleep, which required some time to recover and regain the strength for the last part of the journey in the rainforest that would take us to Rewa Eco-lodge.

 

Change of plans

We were meant to take a hike at dawn in the foothills of the Pakaraima Mountains on the Panorama Trail, but due to the events during the night, everything was cancelled as no one could muster such an event. It was hard enough to get out of bed and to be able to force some fruit into the belly. It was such a pity that this happened, but not much to do about it apart from just resting.

 

Soldier on!

At one point we even considered staying on to recover fully, but the show must go on and we decided to soldier on for a nice finish of the trip. This was the last full day in the interior as we are to fly back to Georgetown tomorrow afternoon. This shouldn’t be the end of it and we all gathered enough energy to repack our bags and get on the truck that would take us to the landing for our two hour river cruise to Rewa Eco-lodge.

I can’t really say that anyone was thrilled about the fact of being stuck on a truck and small boats for the next three hours with some unreliable body functions, but the group handled it very well and it became all part of the adventure with jokes and laughter’s. We just felt really sorry for leaving Rock View Lodge without having seen and experienced what they had to offer.

 

Rewa Eco-lodge

We moved out and back on the road just after noon and the sun was really scorching hot and didn’t really comfort our already broken souls. But the trip went by quite uneventful and the breeze of the river with Herons darting the riverbed proved to help regain some energy and we did eventually arrive at Rewa.

We were now back in the deep forest again and Rewa Eco-lodge is beautifully located in a small clearing of the forest just by the river, with a few simple and rustic open-air cabins with attached bathrooms. I fell in love with this place straight away as I saw it! There’s something very special with the atmosphere here while the hospitality – as with all the places in the interior – is excellent.

 

Sustainable ecotourism business model

The Amerindian community of Rewa is located where the Rewa River runs into the Rupununi River in the North Rupununi. The surrounding area is rainforest, mountains and oxbow lakes and teeming with wildlife birds and fish.

The community of approximately 220 persons is predominately Macushi with a few families of the Wapashani and Patamona tribes. Villagers practice subsistence farming, fishing and hunting with little opportunity for cash employment. In 2005 the community constructed the Rewa Eco-Lodge so that they could establish a sustainable ecotourism business. The lodge remains virtually unknown with 82 visitors in 2007, only 57 in 2008, 80 in 2009 and 136 in 2010. That’s quite a growth but they would still benefit from a few more.

The lodge itself is situated on the riverbank overlooking the Rewa River with views down river to the Rupununi River. Along the river bank tables and benches offer a relaxing location to enjoy the river.

 

An early night to regain fitness

Since the group was still in recovery from the events of the night, we took it very easy this afternoon and went to bed early to regain the energy for a proper finish of the time in the Guyana interior. Tomorrow there is an early boat ride to a grass pond to check out the Victoria Amazonica and population of Arapaima, and a few of us have decided to follow up with a hike up Awarmie Mountain. Must get some sleep now to be fully fit for tomorrows adventures!

Filed Under: Fair Travel Partners, Tour reports Tagged With: ecotourism, Guyana, Rewa Eco-lodge, Rupununi, Wilderness Explorers

One by one we went down…

May 4, 2013 By Jeppe Leave a Comment

Capuchin-Monkey-1-1000x400
The rain stopped to fall and we headed for Rock View Lodge where the day took a turn for the worse, as all more or less fell down with a tummy bug during the evening, putting most us out for the entire night and much of the following day. It happens sooner or later, and when it does, it usually takes down the whole group.

 

Capuchin Monkey and Kingfishers

After a good night sleep we divided into two groups where one group did a climb up Surama Mountain and my group took a boat ride on the river. Before getting into the boat we had to walk to the landing. It was a good and easygoing activity, where we managed to spot quite a few birds and some monkey activity. We had a perfect spotting of a lone Capuchin Monkey having a late breakfast.

Got some great bird spotting action with Green-and-rufous Kingfisher, Ringed Kingfisher and the colorful Orange-backed Troupial. Birds are really underestimated and for some reason we seem to take them for granted. I love spotting birds and I will probably have to confess to becoming a real bird fanatic in the future.

We had breakfast at Surama upon or return, before a much-needed break in the open-air lounge in the hammocks. Pure bliss!

 

Leaving Surama

We packed up and got back into the cars to head for Rock View Lodge where we would have lunch and spend the night.

We eventually reached Annai, in the North Rupununi, its northernmost community. The Rupununi Savannah is to Guyana what the Gran Sabana is to Venezuela, an extensive area of grassland with termite mounds and scattered or riparian woodland. It differs in that much of it is devoted to cattle raising, though the large ranches are not very productive.

 

Rock View Lodge

Near the village of Annai, between Annai and Rupertee where the Pakaraima foothills meet the tropical rainforest, is Rock View Lodge. The resort with its tropical gardens and flowering trees, resembles an oasis in the savannah, and attracts many species of birds, particularly nectar feeders and frugivores. Amazonian Troupial, Amethyst Woodstar, White-chinned Sapphire, Long-billed Starthroat and several Hermits patrol around the grounds. Nearby forest patches are home to Amazonian Scrub Flycatcher, Rufous-browed Peppershrike and a variety of antbirds.

Rock View Lodge offers comfortable lodging, outdoor and cultural activities with an authentic Amerindian hospitality. The lodge has been around for over 20 years, welcoming visitors to the savannahs and rainforests of Guyana’s Rupununi since 1992. The lodge is an integral partner with the local Amerindian community to build economic opportunities, provide professional development, preserve traditions, and improve a sustainable tourism infrastructure in Guyana’s pristine interior.

 

A home away from home

We settled into our beautiful rooms before we had a lovely lunch in the restaurant. It felt like we were on a big farm or hacienda and we were guests of the owners, and I guess this is exactly what the owners have in mind. The place is family-run, where the owner of the place, Colin Edwards is quite an eccentric man with a very friendly personality. We really felt welcome and at home at the lodge!

 

Riding out the storm…

We enjoyed an afternoon orientation tour of the resort, farm and orchards. We were introduced to the traditional cashew nut roasting and the making of traditional handicrafts before we had some time to chill out by the pool where we also gathered for drinks in the eve before dinner. This was also unfortunately the time when the group was starting to fall down with tummy issues. One by one we folded and from then on and throughout the night the bug made its presence to almost each and everyone of the group. Myself, I folded just before dinner and it turned out to be quite an active night and the start of the infamous 24 hrs bug. It was just a matter of riding out the storm…

Filed Under: Fair Travel Partners, Tour reports Tagged With: Capuchin Monkey, Guyana, Rock View Lodge, Rupununi, Wilderness Explorers

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