Sea Wall at Easter

Kite flying on the sea wall at Easter is supposed to be one of the big things in Georgetown. Now, I know in Jamaica that we'd be flying kites at this time, but we don't have a sea wall with breeze ready and waiting. So, apparently this is the place to be!!!  AD and I had a loose plan to go, and I even thought, maybe we'll buy our own kite!!!!

The funny thing is, I keep forgetting I'm not in Jamaica where the enterprising young would've been lining every street leading to the sea wall and selling kites all along it. So, on our walk to the sea wall... there were NO kites to be seen. We realized quickly enough that if' we wanted a kite we would have to hike it down to the market or something to get a kite!!! So, forget THAT.

We were also quite surprised that the sea wall wasn't packed with people flying beautiful kites in the wind. I don't know if we were too late, or more than likely too early, but, it was a HOT, windy day and would've been perfect for kites... if you could stand the heat. As it was there... without a kite in hand, sitting in the heat waiting for more people to come was only an option for a very short while. It was simply TOO hot to wait!

Georgetown on a Sunday evening

Looking down the Sea Wall

Looking in the other direction...

Now, it's been said that Caribbean people know how to Lyme/party. I don't know if that's true or not, but I do know that apparently everyone in Georgetown (isn't it everyone??) goes out to the Seawall (see earlier posts if you don't know what this is) on a Sunday evening.
So, we went out two Sundays in a row. It was interesting to see the difference in numbers the weekend after Mash. Don't know what Mash is? Check the next post... Apparently people did "mash up" so not as many were out. However, it's amazing to see people of all ages including babes in arms and strollers out on the wall. There are vendors - the "local" kind. And this week we also saw the mobile units from a few fast food places as well. The vendors are selling everything from beer and cigrarettes and gum (typical)... to bar-b-q chicken and rice... to burgers and hot dogs (complete with cole slaw and shredded cheese! There are also guys pushing carts by with nuts of all ages and types, ice cream, plantain chips, sugar cane and "gun oyl". I am not about to try this as it looks like a very thick thick callalloo type soup with boiled corn in it. the suggestion was that it's for the "men". I'm going to leave that alone. If anyone knows what it really is... please let me know.

We were still having a grand ole time. However, on Sunday night, at about 11p.m., three of our group of six were carted off to the interior. Not to be heard from since. Of course not, since we don't read smoke signals and most of them will have no electricity, no phones, etc in the interior. :(

Maybe we'll see them in a few months, but in the meantime, we (in Georgetown) have another party to prepare for on Saturday...

Holidaying in Guyana

When will you come to visit? I don't know, but here are some things to take into consideration:

National Holidays
Republic Day/ Mashramani (non-religious)- February 23
Phagwah (Hindu) - Festival of Colours - March 8
Good Friday Christian- April 6
Easter Monday- (Christian)- April 9
Labour Day (Non-religious)- May 1
Arrival Day/Indian Heritage Day - May 5
Independence Day- May 26
Caricom Day- (non-religious)- July 2
Emancipation Day (non-religious)- August 6
Eid ul-Azha (Feast of the Sacrifice) - August 26
Deepavali (Diwali) (Hindu)- Nov 13
Christmas Day (Christian)- December 25
Boxing Day (non-religious)- December 26
April - Brazil anyone???
1st week of May - any takers??
Christmas in Trinidad!

Must sees...
For the more adventurous of you - Kaieteur Falls: Envision 45, 000 gallons of lush black water thundering down a rock escarpment every second. Though I must warn, I will do this tour only ONCE.

The Rupununi savannah (Region 9) is inhabited by the native Amerindian who settled their villages here.The landscape is mindblowing and the feel of the Rupununi savanna is one of a kind.

For those who just want to hang around Georgetown - Guyana's El dorado Rum tour. Voted among the best Rum in the World and a winner of several medals, the El Dorado Rum is a line of production by the Demerara Distillery.

Umana Yana, The Guyana seawall, The Demerara Harbor Bridge, St. George's Cathedral, etc, etc.

The Stabroek Market is a marketplace famous for commercial and social activities. The steel structure has a very unique and can be considered as the largest market place in the Caribbean.

A little something for everyone. Book your times with me or get left behind...

First day's exploration

The Umana Yana is a conical palm thatched hut (benab) erected for the Non-Aligned Foreign Ministers Conference in Guyana in August 1972 as a V.I.P. Lounge and recreation centre.

Can't remember what this is. Turtle...

Band stand - approaching the sea wall

Lyming spot out by the Sea Wall

Walking ON the Sea Wall

My Impressions...1

NOT BAD.  So, even though it was hot... NOT as hot as I expected. (Probably because it is the rainy season - although it hasn't really rained much). So, I'm surviving. The nights are actually quite cool. We don't even have our fan on tonight, but we've left our windows open since we got here. I may even require a light blanket more nights.

Haven't gotten to unpack yet as I'm still in the guest house for orientation. Learned where I was gonna live, that it's a 3-brm place (spare bedroom, yay!), with a balcony (yay), upstairs (Yay), and the reason we haven't been able to move in yet is because the landlord is putting in an awning and doing some other little fix-its (yay). I hear it's "party-friendly" and so I'm looking into hosting some dominoes and kalooki... YAY!!!

Also met a Ja'n who's here who sadly will be leaving in August.

First drink up - Hibiscus

We went across the road for a drink on our first night.  And some of the older senior volunteers invited us newbies for drinks last night, but I'm staying in after sneezing all day with a sinus fit.  :(

Walking on the sea wall

Mini-bus

The place is easy to walk through. We've done quite a bit. Went to the sea wall yesterday. Today we walked back to the guest house after orientation. The mini-buses are ever-zooming, and there is a constant hub-bub.

We've been fed and fed here. Only thing... no dessert. :(  Will soon solve that though...

Tomorrow we go "shopping". Some people need cell phones, etc. but for the most part it's a where to get what tour. On Sunday is a potluck.

Nuff forms to fill out. Visas, tax id number, office-volunteer id., etc. All in all not bad. Internet is the worst of the deal so far... Oh well!