The Trip to the Interior of Guyana

This Blog is to show others, if you're interested, and ourselves for future viewing.
We made an 8 day trip into the Hinterland of Guyana to Visit 9 villages of indigenous people ( Amerindians) who live here and have done so for many many years. They are such great people and we took a big truck load of goods, tools, bicycles, and sewing machines. We only wish it were possible to have taken much much more to them and to the many other villages.
We left Georgetown in a Toyota Bus/van and traveled 350 miles ( on a dirt road ) leaving at 9:00 pm and arriving in Lethem at 10:30 the next morning. After arriving in Lethem, we had a large truck loaded with the goods and items, and we followed in an old Toyota Forerunner.
We traveled with two other persons from here, that we knew and had planned this trip with.
They both are natives of Guyana and are into the helping and humanitarian work for their countrymen.. Great people. We then left the town of Lethem which is on the Brazil border and then traveled many miles to each village with our big truck and the Toyota we were in. The following pictures will show, hopefully, the neat people and how they live and the country they live in.. The Savanna where they live is much different than here in Georgetown, as the pictures will show. We learned more about Anthropology, Geology, Nature in general, and Culture, than we thought possible. We saw great results from the visits and learned compassion for a great race of people. They live in very meager circumstances, and have such a humble attitude, that we can all learn from them. This blog is a bit long, but tells a good story, and it is for our memories,,, so we don't forget these experiences that have changed our lives. Hope whoever chooses to read this blog, will have compassion for others who are less fortunate....

The following contest is for the First THREE winners only!!!

A Guyana prize for the winner/winners!!!

Months ago we had a contest for anyone who reads our blog. This was about a natural wonder in Grenada, and ONLY two people responded to our "eggplant picture" so they will get a prize.. We are wondering if people even see our blog, so we are having another 'natural phenomenon' contest.
Who can identify this item in these two pictures, they are the same, will receive a prize from Guyana. You have until Dec. 5th to email the correct answer... What is the name or function of this Guyana 'natural wonder'?

Good luck,,, this is hard!!!

Came to a river and I could'nt get across!!

Pix # 1 Our Truck made it across the river and sent the unloading guys back over with a strap to help us with the 55 gallon drum barge, for our Forerunner. Before it rained we came across just fine the other direction.

Pix # 2 Our truck half way across, good old English trucks...

Pix # 3 We had to get theToyota on the Barrel barge.

Pix # 4 Our Toyota half way across,, notice the guys holding it and towing it by an old strap,
so it would not float down stream and be gone.. These guys are incredible and do this all of the time..

Some interesting photos. in the interior.

Pix # 1 Our truck, notice the Brazil and Guyana flag on the front,, These are old surplus army 4 ton monster trucks, for this area they are great.

Pix # 2 A bull cart, notice the axle is from an old car...

Pix # 3 Typical road, when dry,, when wet this is like driving in a river.. Hundreds of miles on this road.

Pix # 4 Designing a bull cart, in the dirt, as we donated an axle we had to show them how.

Getting started from Lethem to 9 Amerindan Villages

Pix # 1 Our truck loading/unloading bales of clothes, hygiene/school kits from the Humanitarian Center in Salt Lake.

Pix # 2 Our truck loaded and ready to ROLL,,, and did it!!

Pix # 3 WE ( the five of us in our party) had to get our transportation. I tried to hire this jeep, but could not find enough wheels.

Pix # 4 Since we could not use the jeep or the two bicycles laying by the jeep, we got a deal on the old Forerunner, and it is a runner!!! Toyota rules here....

Incidental photos of interest.

Pix # 1 A tough pig chasing her for the cashew fruit/nut, she had just picked off of a tree.

Pix # 2 A typical view as we approached one of the villages.

Pix # 3 Members of a village showing a bridge they made with a chainsaw, provided by Humanitarian last year. This is there so the children can cross the stream to get to school. However this bridge is under water during the rainy season.

Pix # 4 This is a tire shop where we bought two old wheels for a cart, you will see later.

Classic photos of some indigenous people in the interior.

Pix # 1 Womens group who make peanut butter, note that we have some.. It is delicious.

Pix # 2 School kids in one of the villages. They have to wear uniforms, but note, no shoes.

Pix # 3 Cute kids sitting in a wagon, eating the candy we gave them,, and they picked an orange off of a tree and gave it to us.

Pix # 4 Two mothers giving their children their morning bath, and washing their clothes

Pictures of neat people and where they live.

Pix # 1 A Grandma, one of her daughters, and some of her grandchildren.

Pix # 2 A village home ( note: the casava bread, drying on the roof of their home).

Pix # 3 A village captain leading the people in prayer to begin the handing over.

Pix # 4 Another village waiting for us to arrive for a handing over ( note; The bags you see are filled with peanuts, and they make great natural peanut butter)

Village Members Receiving Goods

Pix # 1 Handing over Medical Supplies and newborn kits to a Medical Clinic in Lethem, the only town in this region besides the villages.

Pix # 2 Amerindian Captain receiving Goods.

Pix # 3 Farm Tools and a sewing machine, which they all were excited about.

Pix # 4 A Womens Goupe receiving Hygiene kits, a bicycle, and an old car axle ( to make a horse cart). This axle caused such excitment.

Handing Over pictures at different Villages

Pix # 1 A Village Womens group receiving a sewing machine,, They make Mosquito nets, and have done this before and cut the Malaria cases in half by doing so.

Pix # 2 A Typical Donation for one of the 9 villages we visited.

Pix # 3 A Village Captain, receiving goods for his village.

Pix # 4 Our traveling companion ( a Member of Parliment) and a Village Captain.

Hiding out in Brazil

Pix # 1 She looks scared as she is in Brazil.. in the daytime,and does not know Portuguese and is looking at the Customs/Immigration Office a ways off. She is on the alert, as she just snuck into Brazil....This was her goal to get here, and now she is ready to get out of here.....She did not walk with her passport..

Pix # 2 This shows how folks ( Legally) get into Brazil here but not her.

Pix # 3 She is hiding in the Brush in Brazil, trying to keep out of sight!!!

Pix # 4 The right side of this river is Brazil, and the Left side is Guyana..