Letters from our Adventurers
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The Centre for Fortean Zoology Guyana 2007 expedition
Hello, Damon,
Again may I take this opportunity to thank you for all your help,
support, kindness, hospitality, well just about everything you
did for myself and the rest of the CFZ expedition.
I truly feel that I have had a taste of the 'REAL' Guyana, this
combined with your genuine knowledge and understanding of the
interior has made for one hell of an experience that will be
remembered for many years to come.
I urge anybody that is considering trekking through the varied
landscapes of Guyana to seek you out as a personal guide, as they
could not be in better, safer or more knowledgeable hands.
Our Boss of the CFZ, Jon Downes was more than pleased with
information we returned with and there is talk of a return
journey next year, and there is also talk of acquiring some of
these unknown creatures you have found as a good friend of the
CFZ, owns a Zoo. We will just have to see how things develop with
that concept.
If you come across any more of those burials within termite mounds
please, please try and get as much information, pictures, film
etc of them as you can as nothing has ever been documented
regarding such a type of burial, and I find this unique and
moreover very, very interesting.
Well that's enough from me, don't wish to bore you to death, I do
hope you will stay in contact with myself and the CFZ, as i feel
its the start of a great friendship.
Again thank you and Foster Simon (your Arawak brother-in-law and
woodsculpting artist) for all that you did for us, you made it
one memorable expedition.
Lisa Dowley
P.S All being well in the new year I will purchase some of Fosters
artwork.
Lisa Dowley on Taushida Mountain |
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Adventurer from Finland visit to Guyana, July 2004
I am a very active traveller and Ive visited over 100
countries all over the world. My visit to Guyana was, in many
ways, very different from anything Ive experienced before. I
saw the everyday life of Amerindians, visited places I couldnt
have found by myself and saw a great variety of exotic animals
and birds.
The first place I visited was Pakuri Arawak Territory. After
that, I made a day trip by plane to Kaieteur Falls, and
finally, went by bus to Southern Guyana, Toka Village and St.
Ignatius Village. In between, I also spent some days in
Georgetown.
During my visit I stayed at homes of relatives and friends of
Damon Corrie. Damon was clearly a very respected man in the
villages we went to, and I was treated accordingly.
Damon takes good care of his visitors. I didnt spend any money
in the villages, Damon took care of everything. In this sense it
was an easy visit. On the other hand, this is not a tourist
destination where everything works on your terms. Getting around
was done with the vehicles used by the locals and sometimes that
meant having to wait a day or two for the next bus. And for the
people who like it, you really can find very physically
challenging hikes there.
Everyday life in Guyana includes experiences most Westerners
arent used to. I do enjoy comfortable hotel rooms with
well-equipped bath rooms, but I knew these wouldnt exist on
this visit. So I was prepared for another kind of experience.
Washing was mainly done in small creeks with black water and
small fish. In toilets, sometimes I found myself in a company of
spiders, frogs or small lizards. The mosquitoes were sometimes
too active for my taste... But when you knew these
inconveniences beforehand, was prepared, and just ignored them,
the next moment you were enjoying yourself - resting in your
hammock, drinking a cold drink, eating an exotic fruit youd
never seen before, enjoying the sun, and watching the villagers
in their activities.
I am also an amateur photographer, and Guyana had a lot to offer
in that respect too. I took photos of a Three-toed Sloth, Giant
Anteater, an Ocelot, three species of monkeys, including Golden
handed Marmoset etc. I didnt succeed to see Giant Otters. In
Southern Guyana, on a camping trip to Kanuku mountains, a Jaguar
outside my tent woke me up one night. I also met a poisonous
Labarya snake outside my tent twice. A funny little creature was
Golden Frog, in Kaieteur Falls.
Guyana is also home to may bird species. I managed to see two
Harpy Eagles, several species of parrots, toucans, Jabiru Storks
and many others. The best place to see birds was on the road
from Toka to Lethem. If youre interested in birding, you should
ask Damon try to arrange (at extra cost) transportation from
Toka with a private car, so you can make stops on the way.
My thanks to Damon and all the nice people I met during my
visit. I can easily recommend a visit to Guyana with Damon. It
is for anyone who has seen a lot and still wants to see more -
and something different.
Tarmo Lampinen, Finland
tarmo.lampinen@eurorscg.fi
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QUEEN'S ROYAL COLLEGE SCOUTS PAKURI ADVENTURE - July 2003
In July of 2003 ten members of the group embarked on a mission to
explore the vast wonders of the 247 square mile Pakuri Amerindian
Reservation, situated along the Mahaica River in Guyana.
The journey to Guyana was usual enough. We boarded the plane at
Piarco and, after some delay, arrived at the Cheddi Jagan Airport
in Guyana, where we met our host Hereditary Chief Damon Corrie.
That's where the vacation stopped and the adventure began. The
trip to the reservation was at the back of two 4x4 vehicles
driving for almost 3 hours, through the vast savannahs of the
reservation, before we got to the main village. Upon arriving at
the village we had our first boat ride along the river, which
would take us to our first campsite.
And what a site it was. Situated along the riverbank, the calming
sound of the outdoors surrounding us, as we pitched our tents and
set up camp. High Adventure it certainly was.
By the next day the adventure was in full swing. We engaged in a
most remarkable exploration of the tropical forest, journeying
three miles to the main village, through a mud swamp, hiking
through the thick-forested trails and the vast open savannahs. It
was an experience that would surely be remembered by all. The
highlight of the day, however, would no doubt be swimming across
the Kuna Bali river. (Of course Kienan would probably not remember
seeing that particular river).
By the third day we were moving to our second campsite, located in
the open savannah, some two/three miles away from the main
village. Our daily walk to and from the village were filled with
memorable experiences. The night time stories provided valuable
insights to Amerindian folklore, and great opportunities for
cultural exchanges between ourselves and our hosts.
Throughout our stay we were treated to an exhilarating and
challenging test of our endurance. We hiked miles and miles,
exploring everything there was to see at virtually every inch of
the reservation. Our days were filled with fishing, canoeing and
swimming in the river, to exploring the forest and savannahs of
the reservation. We enjoyed traditional and non-traditional
activities - learning traditional crafts, from archery to making
cassava bread to exploring the rich wildlife in the area.
The trip had other benefits as well. Through their interactions
with the members of the community our boys developed an
appreciation of the simpler things in life. We deeply appreciated
the extremely warm hospitality we received and this ensured that
the boys were able to mix easily with their counterparts. They
would no doubt always remember the games of cricket and football,
the spontaneous volley ball tournaments. And of course the
extremely adventurous "chenette seed spitting" competition.
All in all the trip was a tremendous experience for all of us.
Our journey to the Rainforests of Guyana, was an experience with
nature that we will never forget. We tremendously enjoyed the
opportunity to learn about the Arawak People, their customs and
their traditions.
The boys, no doubt had the best food ever on camp, supplied by
Arawak women. The traditional cassava bread along with stewed wild
peccary was an experience in itself for many of us.
As leader of the contigent, my most profound memory was the
experience of true community based living, where everyone shared
responsibility for the community's welfare and taking care of the
needs of all. We were warmly greeted by all and the selflessness,
hospitality and friendliness demonstrated by the entire tribe was
unparalelled.
Our thanks to Damon, his wife Shirling and the many members of the
Simon family of Pakuri Arawak Territory who ensured that our trip
was adventure-filled and that all our needs were well taken care of.
Roger Berkely
Queen's Royal College Scout Leader
rberk@wow.net
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MY PAKURI ADVENTURE - May 23rd-June 1st 2003
(24 year-old Kurt Thurber of Washington DC, USA)
I came to Guyana to see its exotic wildlife, to blaze a trail
through the rainforest and to have an adventure; however - that
was only part of my time spent on the 240 square mile Pakuri
Arawak Territory.
I traveled 60 miles by boat up the blackwater mirror-surface
'looks like something from Lord of the Rings' Mahaica River just
to reach the village, slept under a traditional Arawak palm
leaf-roof home most nights with the family of Guyana's master
basket weaver Joseph Simon, camped out in a tent once on my
sleeping bag with Head guide Damon Corrie - who happens to be the
hereditary heir to the Chieftaincy of the Eagle Clan Arawaks & we
saw a family of monkeys across the stream from the white sand
river beach where we pitched our tent; we ate Pineapples for
Dinner.
We hiked to every corner of the 3 mile long by 1 mile wide Arawak
village of 1,000 persons - I feel as though I've personally met
and befriended at least 100 of them! I walked across what most
closely resembled a bamboo bridge over the upper Mahaica river to
the westernmost satellite community of Gold Hill - where I had a
refreshing swim and was given a bag full of fruit by the friendly
matriarch there - before hiking back to the village through a
flooded forest.
I traveled 3 miles downriver in a traditional Arawak dug-out
canoe to the northernmost settlement where we ate a jungle fruit
called Pomerak - before hiking 3 miles back to the village across
a savanna, through a mud swamp, thick jungle and white sand
footpaths - swimming across the Kunabali river in the process and
crossing the Tayla Creek on a 4 inch wide fallen tree that I
somehow could not keep my balance on and fell off into the water
below (it wasn't that deep).
I drank Toro palm fruit tea - which beats regular tea hands-down,
it is naturally sweet and needs no added sugar, I ate cassava
bread, several species of freshwater river fish, had coconut milk
in rice with meat - and lots more unusual but tasty cuisine, saw
lots of parrots, giant blue Morpho butterflies, and traveled out
of the village overland in an open-backed Toyota pick-up owned by
the Chief (who was also the driver) across flooded northern
Amazonia savannas back to the highway that leads south to Brazil
(unfortunately we went the other way - north to Georgetown).
But my most lasting memory will always be the friendliness showed
to me by the Arawak people of Pakuri & I have made many good
friends that I will never forget - Damon Corrie included.
I recommend the Pakuri Adventure to anyone who wants the thrill of
combined Adventure, Culture and Nature without the headaches of
safety concerns, mosquito born afflictions and water born diseases,
for there are none of these worries on Pakuri Arawak Territory!
I will definitely be back to see the Rupununi region of Southern
Guyana in a year or two, you just can't see everything Guyana has
to offer in 9 days!
Kurt Thurber
kthur12@hotmai.com
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October 27th - November 10th 2002
Recently my mother and I enjoyed a Guyana adventure that was made
possible by the First Nations group. The trip was primarily
divided into three parts: a stay at the Pakuri Amerindian village
about 2 - 3 hours south of Georgetown, a trip down river and
through the jungle to a remote "lost" temple, and a trip to
Kaiteur Falls on the Potaro River.
The first part of the trip involved staying in the home of a local
Amerindian family. This would not have been possible with a
standard tour. I was able to experience the normal day to day
routine that included home cooked tribal food, bathing in the
local rivers, sleeping in hammocks (sometimes with mosquito
netting), spending time and speaking with locals, watching
artisans at creative work, exploring the local jungle and
waterways, and other activities.
Meals were wonderful. I am now able to say that I have eaten giant
anteater, wild peccary soup, many types of exotic fruits and
various local fishes. Most meals usually included some delicious
form of cassava bread with rice and beans. There was also the
evening "after dinner" drinks of casari paiari or bambazie (both
alcoholic beverages made from the cassava root).
The second part of the trip involved backpacking and boat travel
into the rainforest. Along with several members of the tribe, we
traveled to the Great Falls Indian village, a settlement of less
than 100 people. In Guyana, this is considered the last outpost
of civilization before the deep rainforest. From there we climbed
the around area the Great Falls and proceeded downriver for hours
until we landed and moved inland to locate the "lost temple".
When I made this trip, my mother and I were only the 5th and 6th
non-natives to visit this site. This was really the highlight of
the trip.
The third part of the trip consisted of a twin-engine flight to a
remote landing strip from the 2nd world war. From there, we hiked
to Kaiteur Falls. This is the highest straight drop falls in the
world, a drop of 741 feet. An absolutely spectacular site made
more so by the almost total lack of other people.
If you are someone who craves adventure and wants to travel "off
the beaten path", I strongly suggest you take advantage of the
opportunities presented by First Nation. The price was quite
reasonable and everyone treated us as guests, not as clients or
dollar signs. Our guide, Damon Corrie, the hereditary chief of
the Arawak tribe, made this trip possible. He took care of all
bureaucratic red tape and all we had to do was to show up and
enjoy the adventure.
Ron Hooker
rhooker@daysmolding.com
Ron Hooker
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Letter sent to Lonely planet on May 11th, 2002
A few weeks ago I returned from a memorable trip to Guyana.
Although I typically prefer to travel without a guide most of the
time, I wasn't sure it would work very well on this trip - so we
made advance arrangements with Damon Corrie (head guide of First
Nations Vacations - http://www.guidedculturaltours.com) to take us
to some of the more remote areas of Guyana.
The trip was focused on three areas: Pakuri - in Arawak tribal
territory, Great Falls - in Akawaio tribal territory and St.
Ignatius - in Makushi tribal territory (a short walk from Lethem
town in southern Guyana) - all Amerindian villages.
It turned out to be really important to have Damon as our guide,
because even if we had known of these places (which we did not) -
Damon's presence saved us the time of obtaining the necessary
permission to visit these areas from the bureaucracy; and with him
we were welcomed guests upon arrival.
Seeing as there was no accomodation at any of these villages - we
would have to have left after a cursory look around by day,
instead we stayed with families in each village, got to know local
people and were made to feel welcomed; we never would have gotten
to the first two villages on our own anyway because there is no
public transportation to such remote areas.
Anyone who wants to see these types of off-the-beaten-track areas
should realize it is an adventure not a vacation - with virtually
no infrastructure, plenty of heat, bugs and other hardships, all
of which should simply be ignored.
My advice to the adventurous: Take the Georgetown - Lethem road,
it is unbelievably rough and unbelievably uncomfortable! I have
been in remote areas all over the world but i've never seen a
'road' like that; better go soon though - Brazil wants to pave it
to give themselves greater access to a Caribbean port - and I
believe it will be done within a year or two.
Anyway, anyone who is interested should contact Damon:
By post - #13 Highgate Gardens, Wildey, St. Michael,
BARBADOS, BB14005.
By telephone at (246) 429-4152 or Fax at (246) 437-2018
Damon is easy to understand and is respected among the Amerindian
peoples of the Pan-Tribal Confederacy - of which he is the
hereditary Chief, he has a great deal of knowledge of the wildlife
in the areas we visited; as well as being well versed in
Amerindian History.
Our trip would not have been nearly as good if we had not
contacted him and I hope Lonely Planet readers will take advantage
of his services.
Steven Greenwald
43 Walnut St.
Upton, MA 01568
USA
Steve Greenwald at the front of the Canaima Yeng 'Temple of Doom' site.
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May 6, 2002
I have been to a few places around the world in my life, but my
most recent trip still seems too good to be true; and it was to a
South American country that is virtually non-existant as far as
visibility on travel forums on the internet go.
There is more pristine rainforest, more wildlife and more
indigenous people per capita than any country in South America
that I have ever heard of - or actually been to; and the language
spoken is English. I am referring to Guyana - which in my opinion
has the best rainforest in Amazonia.
I spent the entire time with a Barbados born descendant of
Guyana's last hereditary Arawak Chief - a young man called Damon
Corrie who is the Hereditary Chief of the four-tribe Confederacy
who own and operate this unique combination of adventure, culture
& nature based tours. Through Damon's Amerindian friends and
relatives in three different villages in north, central, and south
Guyana - I was treated as a guest in three different families'
homes; each family (and village) was of a different tribe. In one
area I was privileged to be only the third non-Amerindian person
to visit a giant stone temple last used by the Caribs just over
one-hundred years ago hidden in the rainforest, and I saw a truly
huge Anaconda that was atleast feet long.
I then travelled overland from Georgetown to Lethem town in the
Rupununi - a distance of four-hundred miles in fifteen hours on
the most difficult road on earth (of course this is debatable but
this road has some serious credentials). I had a dream of a Harpy
Eagle which led me to climb a peak in the Kanuku mountain range
that had never been climbed before, heard stories about "Papillon"
- the famous escapee from Devil's Island, from one of my
Amerindian guides who lived with him at the end of his life. Made
a day trip into Brazil, saw lots of wildlife - including a Jaguar,
and I was given a tooth of a Jaguar that was killed by one of my
other guides a month before; and I survived the wildest place of
all - Georgetown at night!
I feel incredibly fortunate to have had these experiences, and to
have safely returned to savor them for the rest of my days.
David Huesman
Vermont
USA
avdh@sover.net
David Huesman at Wheelbarrow falls, upper Demerara River
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Subject: An open letter to all the young Adventurers from a 21
year old Californian.
Let me say first that this was my first trip outside the United
States. Guyana is definitely different from the United States.
Dr. Harley is right when he describes First Nations as different
to the average tourist trip. That's a big reason why I chose to
do it. I had (and have) a great desire to travel, but I don't
like to feel like a tourist, if you know what I mean.
I'm not so much into the idea of staying in resorts and taking
group tours of historical sites and museums (actually, that
sounds like a lot of fun, but I was looking for something
different). I wanted to try to immerse myself in the culture, and
see what it's really like rather than romanticizing it from such
a distance as most tours do. Damon's "adventure, not a vacation"
definitely lived up to my hopes. Plus, you can be confident that
you are supporting a good cause with First Nations. I didn't stay
in a big resort, but at Damon's house in Barbados. In Guyana, we
stayed at the homes of his friends and in-laws, or camped out in
a tent or our hammocks. Damon runs everything himself and the he
employs Amerindian locals (where ever you happen to travel) to
cook, clean, and guide.
This is politically important. Damon's Pan-Tribal Confederacy is
active in Amerindian rights in 4 (is that right?) South American
countries (plus Dominica) and hopefully growing. One of the
Confederacy's points of activism is in giving Amerindians,
instead of big foreign companies, control over tourism into
Amerindian inhabited areas. That's what First Nations is all
about. It is critical that in a place like Guyana, which is poor,
but has abundant natural resources, that the local people are the
ones to benefit from that.
******************************************************************
If I had to make just one recommendation, it would be to bring
some sandals or thongs. I was stuck out in the bush with only
boots, and we had to wade through water several times while
traveling. Other than that, I thought I brought too much. For
example, even though it was the rainy season, I did not want to
wear a raincoat. It was too hot for that. The rain actually felt
very refreshing.
We didn't make it that far into the interior, due to the flooding
of the rainy season, so I want to return in the dry season (ask
Damon when that is, I'm not sure), to see the areas farther from
the coast. I also want to return to the places I visited to see
the friends that I made when I was there. Of the places I went,
Great Falls was the most beautiful. It's a beautiful rainforest
area that's pretty sparsely inhabited. The Demerara river serves
as the highway. While being transported via canoe on the mighty
Demerara we saw howler monkeys, parrots, and toucans. We stayed
in a school house, under the care of Chief Leonard Fredericks,
whose entertaining stories and conversations are as enjoyable as
his pumpkin curry.
Dr. Harley was also right when he said you are not treated like a
tourist, but as a visitor. At times I felt as if I was visiting
relatives, because they took such good care of me (especially
food-wise) and people were friendly and interested in who I was.
The Amerindian people were what made this trip so special for me.
I very rarely meet so many people who are as honestly nice and
friendly as the Arawak people of the Pakuri.
After getting back, all I know is that I have to return to
Guyana.
Earl Berg
Santa Cruz, CA
earldberg@onebox.com
Earl Berg with Damon Corrie at Mahaica river, Pakuri Arawak Territory.
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Subject: OPEN LETTER TO ALL ADVENTURERS TRAVELLING TO GUYANA
Dear Adventurer,
When we undertook our trip with Damon we were not sure what to
expect but felt confident that it would be different to the
average tourist trip. We have both worked and travelled in third
world countries in Latin America and Africa for the last 20
years or more and decided we could handle anything Guyana dished
up.
Let me first say that Damon is a very quiet man, he is willing
to do anything to please his clients, and he is thoroughly
trustworthy. Having said this, his operation is not that of a
tourist organisation such as you know in the US. He is extremely
proud of his Amerindian ancestry and devotes his time to
endeavouring to improve life and conditions for Amerindians
living in their tribal territories in Guyana. His tour operation
is aimed at acquainting people with Amerindians and raising a
little money to assist in projects. Many facilities which you
may take for granted are unavailable in the Amerindian
territories in the interior of Guyana. For example motor
transport is virtually nonexistant (what there is, is ancient
and would be regarded as quite unroadworthy in the US or
Australia! - but then this is part of the adventure that Damon
offers) - this is a big problem and means that Damon has to
improvise as he goes along and schedules etc may vary
accordingly. Be prepared to travel on a tractor, in an ancient
Land Rover or in the back of an old pickup truck - none of these
go very fast and are really very safe. Communications are also
almost entirely lacking - don't expect to phone home. Be
prepared to live and travel as an Amerindian, to eat the food of
Amerindians, to bathe in rivers or out of a bucket, sleep in a
hammock, etc. Actually this was the highlight of our trip -
living the life of Amerindians. Many are well educated, hygiene
levels are good, their houses are clean, they are healthy, and
we found them friendly and informative. They are not used to
tourists (in fact I think the reservations are generally off the
beaten track for tourists) and we were treated as visitors and
friends of Damon.
I'm not sure whether Damon carries any insurance. I suggest you
insure yourself for every eventuality.
I will answer your specific questions by number, given that I do
not know where exactly you are travelling in Guyana.
1. The villages of Toka, Toushida and St Ignatius were our
favourites. Pakuri is close to Georgetown and shows "city"
influence. Also the country at Pakuri was not as interesting.
Our camp in the Kanuku mountains was great. I do not know the
length of your trip - we were in Guyana 17 days so we visited
a number of different places. We would have liked to get out
on the rivers in the Rupununi more.
2. We were very happy with what we took. Be sure to take
effective anti-malarials especially if you are going during
the wet season. We took 100mg of Doxycycline from 2 days
prior to arrival until 2 weeks after departure (effective
against malaria resistant to conventional prophylatics). We
also carried Larium to take if we contracted malaria. But
check with your medico.
3. Water in Barbados is excellent. Barbados is not a third world
country, actually second world like eastern Europe. In Guyana
you can get bottled water in the towns. Otherwise boil water
or, more easily, add water purification tablets to your water
bottle. We did this routinely. We had no upsets whatever from
food or water in the villages.
4. Wear boots or robust joggers. Sandals are useful around
villages.
5. We did not see very much wildlife. This was largely a
function of the season and I had knee problems which
restricted my activities. In Toka we met up with a very good
guide, Tapok, who knew his plants, their medicinal uses and
the animals. He is very good value.
6. We had quite a long trip and it was starting to rain so it
was time to leave. We only scratched the surface and would
dearly like to return. However, it is a long and expensive
trip from Australia and my (Ken) advancing years (72)
restrict my activities. (Wendy is somewhat younger and would
love to hike again with the Amerindians). Be prepared for a
trip totally different from anything you could experience in
the US. But that is the joy of it. You will have a competent
guide and be amongst wonderful people. The Amerindians
impressed us in ther extreme.
I'm sure you will enjoy the trip - it will be what you make it.
Sincerely
Dr. Kenneth L S Harley, and Dr. Iris W Forno
Email: kenharley@bigpond.com
At left are Dr. Iris W Forno and her husband Dr. Kenneth L S Harley (from Australia). Next to them at right is Ena - our Makushi hostess at Toka village.
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