Guyana - Is there something to see?

Arrived in Guyana in the late afternoon after a flight from Trinidad that gladly was not delayed. I didn't have any expectations about my visit and also didn't have many plans. 

In the best case, I will see something outside the city, maybe a trip into the jungle.  But at this point, I didn't know yet the challenges when it comes to getting ready for a jungle trip. 

In other countries, it is so easy to get on such a visit, but in Guyana, visiting a place or attraction outside of the capital can easily become several days long.

There is a huge lack of information about Guyana and its possibilities for visitors. Understandable why so few people ever visit this country, even though it's just above Brazil and so near to other famous countries highly frequented by tourists.

Arriving in Guyana

The flight from Trinidad was pleasant but unfortunately, most international planes land far outside the city at the big international airport and so the drive from the airport to Georgetown took 45 minutes and costs 30 USD for a taxi.

I was pleasantly surprised by the cleanliness of the streets and the general nice appearance of the city. I thought it was all run down and dirty but that wasn't the case at all.

Also, I expected heavy rainforests and all to be green like in a jungle, however, the density of the rainforest only began just outside of the cities, and it only intensified when traveled further inland.

With a population of only 700'000, the country doesn't have that many people, but 95% of them live on the north coast.

My apartment was near the middle of the city center, which was convenient for finding "clean" food. They even have KFC, Burger king and other international fast-food chains, or copies their food selection. Great.

Didn't want to take any chances with my food choices, especially as my leg is still suffering from the dog bite. Getting sick would help me fasten the healing. 

Guyana is safe

I've heard Georgetown faces challenges like crime and poverty, but during my visit I didn't feel anything uncomfortable. Maybe it was the architecture and the well-maintained architecture that also give an impression of safety. 

The buildings in Georgetown are of colonial architecture, with some dating back to the 18th century. Very interesting to look at, especially when knowing people live in them all over the country.

Day 2 - A trip to Parika

I didn't have a set plan, so I took the bus to Stabroek Market, the central market in Guyana. It was Sunday, so it was relatively quiet. 

The ferry terminal was right next to the Stabroek clock tower, and it only cost 1 USD to cross the river to Georgetown, which took 15 minutes.

It was an interesting ride, as the river was one of the dirtiest I had ever seen, with an enormous amount of brown water coming from the sea.

On the other side of the river, I took a minibus to Parika, the last major town before taking ferries to the next river islands or further into the interior. 

I liked all the old wooden houses where people still live in.

It would have been exciting to take any of the ferries and see where I ended up, but the problem was time and logistics.

It's easy to end up in a difficult or remote location in Guyana, and a return trip can take days if the weather conditions are unfavorable.

The city of Praika is a larger city in Guyana, but it basically solely consists of a few main roads. Always interesting to see the comparisons between what is considered a large city in an international context.

After returning to Georgetown from Parika, I went to Seawall, which is the "beach" in Guyana. I had never seen such dirty seawater and beach. 

However, the people who were fishing, swimming, and washing themselves in it were not second-class citizens, but normal people spending their Sundays at the beach.

They arrived by car and spent the day as if they were at the Aquamarine beach in the Bahamas.

The whole stretch of the seawall is several kilometers long. At one point it looks a bit more friendly and cleaner, but I still wouldn't wanna swim in there.

Day 3 - Interesting colonial architecture

Walked to the National Museum of Guyana to learn more about the country's history and culture. The museum has a collection of artifacts. Not too fascinating but the meaning of their possibilities to run a museum, is still impressive. 

Especially the giant sloth, which was the main attraction in the museum.

Aside from the museum, there are places outside visible just by randomly walking the streets.

Walking around the city. Not the nicest city but for sure among the least visited on earth. There are some old buildings, for example, the St. George's Cathedral.

Day 4 - Departure to Suriname

Final day in Guyana.

At this time I was worried again if my flight really will depart as the schedule wasn't visible online and the particular airline is somehow dodgy.

The flight was supposed to fly from the airport within the city and I didn't have to travel 60 minutes to the large international airport. 

At the airport, I found out that everything was as planned and boarded a small Cessna 208 for my flight to Suriname.

The flight was a unique experience, and I was able to see the dense jungle from above. While flying over the country, I realized how much more there is to explore in Guyana. Well, I knew it before I came here, I would have arranged better, but I simply didn't have enough time to plan and visit more of the jungle.

Also not sure if the dog bite would have kept me from venturing further into the jungle side.

The forests are extremely dense and there are all kinds of animals in there. It is a beautiful country with great landscapes and fascinating culture. Maybe this will be the country for a future visit and get further into the jungle.

Between Guyana and Suriname is the river as a natural border and perfectly visible from the plane.

After 1.5 hours the plane landed in Paramaribo, Suriname.