Guyana 2023

On the 1st of September Dad and Josh went to see Bruce Springsteen while me, Mum and Gina got ready to go to Sam and Vince’s condo for the mehndi (henna) night. 

Uncle Homey, Aunt Patsy, Naana, Gina, Mum and me headed over early while food was being set up. Its traditionally all vegetarian food before the wedding day, tonight included: paneer masala, karhee (pholourie or veggie ball curry?), naan, samosa, channa (chickpea) curry and for dessert warm syrupy gulab jamun. I had never had paneer masala before, usually tikka masala in the UK is a bastardised version of curry but this was unreal and soooo flavoursome! Im extra glad we got to stay with the family because we got to eat leftovers from this event and the Maticoor at the temple too. 

We all got ready into our traditional wear for the Maticoor at the Shiv Uma Ganesh Mandir. It was a small temple surrounded by so many beautiful flowers including many different kinds of marigolds. We arrived and saw Aunty K, Aunty Pu (and her hubby Tim) as well as Aunty Pu’s son Anthony. We had big hugs and reintroductions before heading closer when Uncle Bharat arrived. He would give everyone nicknames, Mums for some reason was Icky Breeze and Aunt Shils was Chinch. We went inside (took our shoes off) and sat in the second row on the right. The alter was incredible, it had over 15 Gods and Goddesses all dressed in beautiful ornate saris and jewels.

At the beginning of the ceremony all the women left the Mandir, Aunty Pu held a tray with lots of objects (to be blessed) on top which she carried on her head followed by Aunty Patsy, 5 married women including Mum and we all danced and followed along to the grass where we Dig Dutty (dig dirt to perform a ceremony with flowers, rice, spices, incense and flame). Aunty Pu had the hoe and dug the dirt which was eventually tied into Aunty Patsy’s sari (by mum). The woman Pandit was doing prayers with Aunty to bless or cleanse the items to be later used as part of the ceremony. The colours of everyones saris and traditional wear was stunning, shades of yellow, orange, purple, pink and green. So beautiful and the sun was setting as we headed back inside. 

The Pandits children were playing the dhantaal, dholak and harmonium, which they would all rotate between them as you can see from the video below. The skill was out of this world, their voices were beautiful and the control they had with their hands especially for the dholak and danthaal was mind blowing. You could tell they were doing it from a young age because they made their talent look easy. Krishna also played a song on the harmonium which was beautiful to witness, so much so the Pandit stopped doing that part of the puja and clapped along with happiness.Me and Josh kept looking at eachother throughout like “this ones a banger” 

There was so much i tried to take in with the ceremony while also trying to be in the moment, there were pujas to Lakshmi and Saraswati as well as others. Mum would say Jai and sing along occasionally to the prayers and bhajans (religious songs) she remembered. After all the prayers and pujas were done, Sam got dressed from her beautiful white bridal sari into white tee and shorts for her to be rubbed in tumeric (haldee) for the cleansing ritual by Aunty Pu and then the youngest girl cousins.

We all had a dance initiated by Uncle Homey and Aunty Pu. There was turmeric all over Dirren’s shirt!! The daughter of the pandit did an amazing dance to a  medley of Indian and Chutney songs. I love that her and Sam had a dance to “tomorrow is your wedding so come and buss a wine” (wind your waist and dance). I love our beautiful culture and it made me so happy to see space for dance as part of the religious ceremony. We are genetically from India which is where so many of our traditions began but we also formed new ones when we ended up in Guyana and that is part of our story too. I will always look back on these videos with a big smile on my face. 

After we ate channa curry, bara, spinach and pumpkin with rice and dhal. As I mentioned, all the food is veggie before the wedding. I had never been to a maticoor before and it was truly a special, beautiful, otherworldly experience witnessing our cousin prepare for this next stage in her life. The musical talents and rhythm, meaning of prayers, beautiful colourful traditional clothing was so amazing to see and experience together. 

You can see how much Vince and Sam are made for eachother. They made their own beautiful vows which they read and Sam’s included singing Khabi Kahbie Mer Dil Mein, which made Gina and Dad cry. The lyrics translate to “Sometimes, in my heart a feeling emerges, That you've been created just for me, Until now you were living among the stars, You've been called down to the earth just for me“

We headed inside for cocktail hour which was soooo much choices: sushi, pizza bagels, scallops wrapped in bacon, egg rolls, fried calamari, cheese and crackers, literally so many more i cant even remember!! There was amazing steel pan playing which was a vibe as well.

As we entered into the main reception room I was feeling really overwhelmed by this point, the amount of people and loud music and so much going on, i just wasnt feeling very social or hungry.  Uncle Homey and Aunt Patsy’s entrance was so fun and lively, Vince’s parents were a bit more shy which was reflected in the speeches too. Before speeches Sam and Vince had their first dance with a massive smoke machine, it was magical to be honest. Uncs got emotional remembering those who couldnt be there today to share these memories, Aunt Patsys mum, Uncle Homey and Nans Mum, Uncle Rambads. There were photographs of them and one of Uncle Sunil too. Uncs speech was funny but emotional, welcoming Vince and his family onto the Lal Train with a “toot toot”. There was the father daughter dance and then Vince danced with his Mum which was beautiful too. Before the main course came, Josh sang a medley of Thinking Out Loud by Ed Sheeran and Free Falling by Tom Petty. His speech mentioned how 6 years ago when Sam visited us in London they had a sing along with the ukulele and she said he would one day sing at her wedding. It was so special and amazing to see my lil bro shine like that, and get so much praise and appreciation. I was so proud like “THATS MY BRO”. All Nans siblings came over, Uncle Homey had him in a headlock from hugging him so tight, Uncle BK said he was an 11 out of 10, Aunty Durgo, Aunty Pu and Aunty K were so so proud. I chose steak for main which was really tasty i just couldnt eat much of it as I was feeling a bit nauseous. 

We headed to the dancefloor where the tassa drums were playing loudly and making us all shake our hips and arms. After the DJ was playing the chutney soca, dancehall, reggae and Bollywood bangers. It was just the best feeling to dance and be free with family listening to music from our culture and all bonding together. I have never had that before and its something I deeply missed out on, especially being in England and surrounded by very little Indo-Caribbean culture. I danced for 30ish mins before Savika brought us all over to the bar for a tequila shot with the bride. I went to sit outside by myself for a bit after that as i didnt know how the shot was gonna go down and it was quite cold inside with the AC, outside was warm and humid. 

The main wedding finished at 11.30 and then we went to another room with billiards table, table football etc. Josh was talking to some of our younger second cousins about music and social media. It was so fun to bond with extended family that we have not met before,  I loved seeing the men of all generations in their suits with their gold jewellery shining around their necks and on their wrists. 

When we got back to the air bnb, me, Josh and Gina had a debrief before bed as it was an evening full of so much emotion and experiences me and Josh have never had before. Its complex experiencing favouritism and seeing how common it is as to proudly talk about “favourite grandchildren” to others. This wedding was so validating for us to feel loved and accepted by the wider family as we feel so far away in London. I feel so grateful to have been involved in these beautiful wedding celebrations on so many levels. 

It wasnt over yet! The day after was the Kangan, a day for family to come together in a more casual setting, enjoying food and drinks and activities together. Uncle Homey cooked an amazing duck curry, others brought chow mein and other treats. We got in the pool with the kids playing games and playing mini golf and basketball. It was so fun to bond with them and make memories together. It wasnt until this wedding that we realised we are the oldest cousins of the second cousin generation as our Nan is the oldest sibling, so one of our young cousins was six months old!

The day after the Kangan, we drove to our hotel in Queens, and decided the plan was to go to Little Guyana and have dinner. Little Guyana is an area of NYC where approximately 140,000 Guyanese people live. In England on forms and in our census we dont even record whether someone is from the Indian Diaspora, we all count as South Asian so there arent clear statistics like this for the UK. 

Vince recommended a place called Hibiscus for a peng range of Caribbean cuisines including fried rice, chow mein, curry goat, curry red snapper and dhal puri. We got some delicious cream soda too and as we left the restaurant the sky was a stunning shade of pink. I have never seen anything like this before! In London, and in general Guyana is a little known country which is often ignorantly “mistaken” or “misheard” as Ghana, a completely different place altogether. I have never seen so many businesses with Guyana in the name or the flag in the shop windows, there were restaurants, clothes and accessory shops, fruit and veg shops, bakeries and other businesses lined all the way down to a street sign which says Little Guyana. It felt so special and right to visit Little Guyana before visiting Big Guyana. It was nice to be somewhere that our culture is shown and expressed fully. Jamaica is an incredible island with an undeniable influence and impact on the world, but the Caribbean is not just represented by Jamaica (as it often is) and so it was nice to experience a place with our own unique culture for the first time in my life. As I have said, we havent had the opportunity to experience a Hindu wedding, or experiencing our traditions and customs with our family, it felt like a big river flowing with all these experiences from the wedding and now Little Guyana, before we set off on the big part of our journey to Big Guyana…

This was our only full day in NYC and I needed to see some art. The first time I was in New York in 2017 I had the worst Endometriosis pain and didnt get to do any tourist stuff including going to any museums or galleries. As an artist that is a travesty!! First we got the subway to 34th Street Hudson Yards, I was excitedly looking out of the window at the graffiti, subway station/platform designs and views through buildings and over bridges. We heard about the High Line, a disused overground railway track which has been turned into a public nature park so that is where we headed. As someone who loves public transport, as well as public art and nature this was something I was really looking forward to. The walk wasnt too long, it weaved amongst buildings showing close up views of different brick, concrete and glass buildings. Massive trees, flowers and patches of wild flower meadows were covering parts of the old train tracks which were effortlessly combined with benches and lovely seated areas for respite and enjoying the views. There were also many public artworks, mostly sculptures but also murals at different points along the route. My favourite was the large mural pictured by Nina Chanel Abney called NYC Love, 2022 which featured iconic New York imagery such as a big apple, subway line numbers, a slice of pizza, and a Black Lady Liberty in the artists bold style. 

The High Line combined my love of nature and cities so perfectly that I almost forgot it was 34 degrees Celsius and the news was reporting heat warnings. 

We got the subway to 66 Street - Lincoln Centre and headed to the American Folk Art Museum. Of course there is the Met, or MOMA or Guggenheim but I knew this was where I wanted to go because there was a quilt exhibition on display called What That Quilt Knows About Me. I look back on this exhibition and Im filled with so much joy and appreciation that I got to experience it. i have looked at pictures of the exhibition for months on instagram and I was ecstatic to know it was still on while I was visiting. My parents and Gina seemed to enjoy it as well which made me happy, I know they love art and story telling and Mum loves textiles too so Im glad we got to enjoy it together. 

Here is what the beginning of the exhibition at AFAM says:

"My whole life is in that quilt... my hopes and fears, my joys and sorrows, my loves and hates. I tremble sometimes when I remember what that quilt Knows about me.” 

This poetic quotation from an anonymous elder needleworker conjures up the seemingly magical power of quilts. Protecting the body, comforting the mind, transforming the old into something new: quilts serve all these profound purposes and, somehow, still do more. Pouring effort into her work day after day, the maker of a quilt sees her project grow in concert with her own changing life; imbued with this energy and the events of passing time, the pieces are vested with meaning. The final result is larger than its parts. Often handed down in families, the quilt also takes on the role of history keeper, carrying stories from one generation to the next.

"My whole life is in that quilt." What That Quilt Knows About Me reflects on this sentiment, presenting quilts and related textiles as collections of intimate stories. The notion that these objects have the capacity for "knowing"-containing information or narratives about the human experience-expands the scope of the textile beyond its maker, exploring how material things can gather, retain, and pass down histories of the individual, family, and community.

As wholes made of numerous parts, these works reveal a range of poignant and sometimes unexpected biographies, from that of a pair of enslaved sisters to that of a convalescent British soldier during the Crimean War. The sheer breadth of designs on view speaks to the multiplicity of cultures, experiences, and creative inspirations that have contributed to the quilt as an art form. Looking at quilts up-close and from a distance, the show also explores how makers have continually pushed the boundaries of quilt-making to incorporate surprising materials and ideas, extending from the personal to the political and the personal as political.

Unlike many quilt shows, this exhibition is not organized by time period, style, culture, or technique. Instead, the galleries encourage the visitor to revel in a wide range of objects and their stories, spanning over two centuries and into the present. Drawing from the Museum's collections of American textiles, the show offers tales of the quiltmakers themselves as well as many others connected to their works. Alongside the objects' visual beauty and masterful craftsmanship, the viewer is invited to consider the quilt as an archive- looking within and beyond the simplicity of utilitarian function to focus on the intimacy of the human-textile relationship.

In exploring these themes, quilts become present not only as domestic necessities but as repositories that brim with information about us: our aspirations and fears, our relationships and experiences, our traditions and innovations, our communities, and our most private selves.” 

I cant really put the magic of quilts and textiles much better than the words above, I feel they truly capture what is so special about these art objects. They have soul, they have stories, they hold on to so much emotion and experiences alongside the humans who make them. Usually at museums I look at artworks and read about ones Im drawn to but I needed to read every single piece of information about these quilts. I was drawn to all of them, wanting to look close and understand how, why, who they were made by. 

If you want to know more about any of the quilts I posted above which I havent elaborated on, please feel free to email me and I will provide the gallery information as I took pictures of everything. Below are two artworks where I have included the exhibition label for further information and context behind the works. 

“Carl Klewicke (1835-1913) Original Design Quilt. Corning, New York c. 1907. Pieced silk, faille, taffeta, and satin.

This well-ordered, jewel-like quilt is the work of a meticulous tailor. The impetus for its construction is as unconventional as its design. Produced over a period of some twenty years, the first stitch may have been laid shortly after an infant, bundled with a few belongings, was left at the artist's doorstep. This foundling was adopted and raised as a cherished daughter by the quilter and his wife, and the quilt would become a gift on the occasion of her wedding.

The silk, faille, taffeta, and satin fabrics give the piece its luminosity, evocative of a stained-glass window. In addition to its vivid colors, multiple aerial figures--the dove with outstretched wings breaking free of the central medallion, the kites, arrows, flags, and constellations of stars--heighten the textile's jubilant quality. The quilt's symmetry can be read as a metaphor for marriage: the joining of two to make one.

A number of quilts survive from the early 20th century to testily to the vibrant work of tailors. Like Carl Klewicke, many of these men were German immigrants. Fine scraps--perhaps left over from fabric used for lining clothing -provided brilliant material for these makers.”

This quilt was calling to me, I was mesmerised by the thin strips of shiny fabrics, all packed together to so neatly creating geometric shapes and images of animals. When I read that it was made by a German Tailor immigrant I was reminded of my own German Tailor immigrant who’s crazy quilt I have seen pictures of. I love textiles because it connects people widely, and it connects people personally. Every country has their own textiles history, but combined as humanity its something we share. I stopped and stared at this piece for a long time, taking in its breathtaking beauty. Not only is this artwork beautiful, but its an example of being resourceful and not wasteful. Carl saved scraps from garments and suits he made, and he put them all together to create something magical. This is why I love the history of quilt-making and the minds and imaginations of quilt makers themselves.

“Ray Materson began creating intricate, miniature embroideries while serving seven years in prison. As he recalled: "This plastic bowl with a lid was sitting out on the footlocker in my cell. looked at it and it reminded me of my grandmother's sewing hoop." Inspired, he employed the lid to stretch out fabric on which he outlined his subjects in graphite. He then used unraveled colored threads from various socks to embroider images.

Materson began by making sports patches for inmates in exchange for coffee and cigarettes. He later turned to compositions based on his life experience, including scenes of violence, pain, and abuse, but also drawn from cultural sources such as Shakespeare's plays, baseball, and the life of Queen Victoria. "Sometimes," he has explained, "the picture is based on a couple of snapshots that I've kind of melded together." In prison, he earned himself the satirical nickname "Betsy Ross," but he persisted despite such taunts. By his own count, his powerful works consist of up to twelve hundred stitches per square inch, executed with great precision and striking gradations of tone. His use of sock thread speaks to his resourcefulness in his journey from prisoner to working artist. Making use of the materials accessible to him, he engages in a regenerative process, common to many quilting projects, of turning something old into something new.”

These artworks may not be technically quilts but they were included in a section which featured unconventional materials such as plastic bags, paper and crochet. As the last sentence in the quote above says, they have been featured as they are an incredible example of the resourcefulness associated with quilt making. I was gobsmacked at the detail and technique of these delicate yet powerful embroideries created using the threads/fibres from socks while Ray was in prison. Ingenious, beautiful and resourceful, a reminder that we can make art out of anything and everything as long as we are able to see the vision in our minds eye and have determination. I find that personally inspiring as someone who has found hardship connected to embroidering due to chronic pain. 

When we got back to the hotel I started to have a breakdown as I was in soooo much pain I could barely move. I had made plans for us to meet Mums cousin on her Dads side (the wedding was her Mums side of the family) in Queens, less than 5 minutes from our hotel, but I just couldnt manage it. They all went and I put the heated pad on my back for an hour. When Angela heard that I was in a lot of pain, she messaged me and said she’ll come pick me up whenever Im ready. I just needed a bit more time and was so grateful to have such a sweet gesture. She came to get me with her brother Robin. Im glad I got to see them because it felt like they were so close yet so far and I didnt want to miss the opportunity. This is my Naana’s younger brother Priti who was actually the first relative who moved to England where he had a corner shop in Crouch End. Naana wrote to him saying he wanted to leave Guyana and so he came to England in 1963. It was great to meet Uncle Priti and his wife Aunty Dolly even if it was brief, we had some tasty Chinese food and I saw his sewing machine as he was a tailor! He showed us photographs of when him and Naana went to India in 2007 to meet a distant relative who was somehow found through ancestry search!! I need to investigate more about that. 

What a 24 hours! 

We arrived at Cheddi Jagan International Airport at around 11 where we were welcomed by Aunty and Uncles driver called Vishal. It was obviously night time and we were tired from a day of being at the airport/travel, but Vishal did his best to point out landmarks and information about places we passed on the way to the El Dorado Inn hotel in Georgetown. 

We had a lie in and got ready for Gina’s friend Suyash to pick us up to take us to his Indian restaurant Aagman. Gina wrote her dissertation about the Indian influence on food, music and literature in Guyana through indentureship. Suyash was born in India and has an authentic India restaurants serving traditional Indian dishes which vary from the food that Indo-Caribbean people make and brought with them from India generations ago. 

Aagman was so fancy, with beautiful tiles, plants up the stairs as well as beautifully embroidered umbrellas on the ceiling which he said are lit up at night, and many amazing wall paper murals. We went straight to the VIP corner which has comfy sofa seating and a stunning mural behind of an Indian village scene. We had Lamb Rogan Josh, Grey Snapper Goan curry, Prawn Tawa, Garlic Naan, Missi Roti, Jeera rice, Mango kulfi, Ras Manai, Fresh Gilabi, Chai and Coconut water. The food was incredible, as was the setting, company and i loved the chai so much it was so sweet and aromatic. 

Suyash drove us around Georgetown showing us some sights and explaining dynamics to us from his perspective living there for 8 years. We stopped off at the sea wall near the pier and got out to take pictures and see where the Demerara river joins the ocean. The water is brown because of the muddy rivers. It was such a warm welcome to Georgetown, he exchanged cash for us and was so hospitable and welcoming.

We had hoped to see Suyash multiple times throughout our trip but unfortunately it didnt pan out like that. Thankfully we were able to see him again on our last day. He took us back to Aagman where we had Pani Puri and some other street food i cant remember. I drank loads of chai and ordered another prawn tawa and garlic naan because it was so so good last time. I ended up drinking a whole pot of chai to myself and decided I would replace my tea and three sugars at home with chai instead. We went back to his place and had a good chat on the balcony while the sun was setting. We didnt really want the conversation to end but there was the cricket final to watch at 7pm and it was already 6.30. What a welcome he gave us and what a goodbye too! Gina seems to make friends (or even just random chats with strangers) often and it was really great to benefit from this one getting to make a new friend ourselves. Suyash gave me a recipe for chai which you can see HERE alongside a drawing of ingredients I have been using (there are more spices you can put in too). 

We pulled up to Uncle Ramesh and Aunty Anita’s house, which was a bloody beutiful mansion, with massive pillars, multiple cars, cool veranda, a luscious garden and a beautiful pool. Their son designed and built in at the end of the garden of the house Uncle Ramesh built and lived for 40 years which the kids grew up in. Now their sons live in the houses at the bottom of the garden. They were so friendly and smiley from the beginning. We had coconut water and pakooras for starter. Uncle Ramesh told us about the letters between Dwarka Lal and his ancestors back in India. Nans dad (Chandkishore Lal) and Romeshs (Bhagwan Lal) dad are siblings. Ramesh said its the white mans curse to expect someone to have an english name. We were talking shit about colonialism and how the british are teefs. 

For dinner we had some lamb curry, dhal puri, rice with cabbage and carrots, yellow plantain, yam and chicken. Then for dessert we had pineapple, water melon, papaya and best of all granadilla which has the sweetest mixed with sour seeds we scooped out. We told them some of the fruits we wanted to try and they were excited to give us the granadilla which was their fav of the season. They were so generous and welcoming. 

Uncle Ramesh showed his garden full of Bottleneck palm, Ginger lily, Hibiscus, Dragon fruit, Cock’s comb, Crotons, Crepe myrtle, Monkey Tail cacti, Bilimbi tree (aka One finger).

Uncs and Aunty fed us chow mein and sweet and sour fish which was sooooo delicious I had seconds. Theyre spoiling us! What a welcome for Dan! Dinner was followed by pineapple and papaya. We ended up sleeping the night at Rishi’s mansion as the AC wasnt working in the room we put our luggage.  Its a massive mansion with Guyanese hard wood floors, big winding staircase, bar and big palm trees! We met their three dogs, Gigi, Cocaine and Pinky was the oldest one. Gigi is a Rottweiler and Cocaine is a mutt. Pinky is a Labrador/golden retriever and a relaxed old girl who loved getting pet away from her energetic puppy siblings. Throughout our stay I was so grateful to have access to their pool, where if I felt anxious or overwhelmed, I went to have a dip and swim a few lengths. From age 2 - 12 I spent a lot of time in the pool, practicing and competing. It was the first thing I had confidence in as far as my techniques and abilities, so I know I feel a deep connection to water and feel healed and refreshed by it. Especially for a chronic pain body like mine, taking some weight and pressure off my joints is such a relief. I felt so lucky. 

We woke up to a message from Aunty Anita saying to dress appropriately because they have a surprise for us. First we went to Mon Repos market to get some fruit (sapodilla and jamun). We met Vishal’s brother in law who was selling snow cones, cherry and passionfruit flavour with condensed milk on top. It was so sweet and refreshing. 

All we knew was that we were heading to Mahaica. This was welcomed news to me as I know Naana (Mums Dad) lived someone in Mahaica at one point. I remember, Naana said that when his Aji (Dads Mum) who was living in Mahaica died, they had a house and a plot of land there that was given to Naana’s dad so they moved there for a bit.

It felt like the drive was really long in the way that it does when you dont know where your destination is. We were getting so excited wondering what this surprise was going to be. 

We went to the countryside where we passed many houses with Hindu flags waving outside and endless farmlands with so many coconut trees and banana trees in the distance. We passed loads of rice fields and farming/industrial plots with machinery and animals like cows, goats, dogs, chickens and ducks. It was picturesque passing by  all these canals lined with palm trees, blue sky reflecting on the water with pink water lilies and so many birds around. The legacies of plantations are all around, as canals are man made and were created either for irrigation or transportation of product on dutch and british plantations.

We eventually pulled in to a building by Mahaica Creek, a beautiful spot where some people were having a birthday party and jet skiing on the water. We sat down for a meal of par boiled rice (grown locally) daal, chicken curry, a lightly battered, all purpose seasoning, freshly fried Bangamary, IT WAS PENG! We had a look around at the newly built deck and wooden cabins for birders to stay at. You can stay there, wake up early in the morning go birding and then come back for a big breakfast. I cant wait to go back there and do it (we have become keen bird appreciators this visit). 

Then we went on a boat ride with a guy also called Ramesh who showed us some howler monkeys all the way up in the tree. We were speeding past and his quick wits spotted them, such impressive skills and connection to the land. He said he sees howler monkeys making a racket from across the creek at eachother. He showed us Moco Moco trees, Red howler monkey, a Ringed kingfisher, a Hawk, a Vulture and a Spurwing AKA The Wattled Jacana, we heard our national bird the Kanji pheasant. It was so exciting going down the water so fast. Until this trip, I have been quite scared of boats and large bodies of water, but I guess because we went up creeks and rivers its not so scary of a threat to be on a boat. Ramesh had a happy curious energy which was very welcoming and warm which made me feel safe in his hands. When we  got back he cut red sugar cane, showed us a curry plant and said he has about 50 iguanas who live there and eat bread and roti, some even eat from his hand!  

We drove back home, tired but so happy looking out the window at the people and houses, lands and animals. There was someone repainting a sign on the seawall when we got closer to Georgetown again. I love seeing the variety of hand painted signs across Guyana, for both business advertisements and parties/events.

The day after our Mahaica adventure, Uncs and Vishal picked us up at 11 and we headed to the YMCA grill where they sell food to fundraise for the community. People were playing cricket outside.  

We headed for the Demerara Harbour Bridge which is a floating bridge, built to last 25 years, but maintained for over 40. A new bridge is being built next to it and has begun construction already. When you get to land on the other side a massive billboard says “Mangroves protect us from the sea, let us protect them”. This is really important because of the effects of the climate crisis and Guyana being 0.5 - 1 metre below sea level and most of the population live on the coast. If you take a left at the end of the bridge you head to West Bank Demerara but we took a right as Uncs wanted us to see the Essequibo River. The Demerara River is 1 mile wide and the Essequibo River is over 21!! We drove to Parika, a dock town where you can get boats across the river and all the way down to the interior. You cant see the other side but you can see Leguan Island which stretches as far as the eye can see from the mouth of the river down to another island called Hogg Island. We got some Parika Fig bananas which were small and sweet. 

Then we stopped at Bushy Park, a small beach where a big vessel has grounded, a small Mandir is also there. We sat by the water while Vishal ran an errand and we ate fresh plantain chips with mango sour. They were so delicious, i never usually like plantain chips or have mango sour but it was so perfect and fresh. A massive sound systems was set up for a sunday party vibe on the beach. Gina said when we walked past the DJ shouted “this one is for the tourists” 

I wanted to include videos, photo graphs and illustrations in this newsletter to convey and highlight as much of the energy and experience as possible. For both my own journalling purposes to preserve the memories of the trip, but also to act as a guide and education, to represent my country in a positive light and showcase its beauty. I also have included a drawn sign which says “Goed Fortuin” and later you’ll see Good Hope. Colonisers were very sick and twisted, they chose names for plantations like Adventure, Fear Not, Friends Retreat, Garden of Eden Harmony, Paradise, to name a few in Guyana. Maybe so that they could have some kind of mental distance from the violence that was being inflicted on people so that they could profit from either Enslaved or Indentured labour. Many names of plantations remain place names to this day including what is on Mums birth certificate Good Hope. 

After enjoying the vibes and plantain chips at Bushy Park, we headed back toward the harbour bridge to head to Canal Number 1 and 2. As I mentioned before, the infrastructure of Guyana and you could say the town planning, was all based around plantations. Canals separated the different plantation plots, and there were houses along both sides. Each canal here is 7 miles long and our family lived right at the end. People would be given a strip of land after their indentureship contract ended and this where people built their houses, grew produce and had animals. At the end of the canals is a conservancy dam, a long stretch of water as far as the eye can see from left to right. It was hard to comprehend how vast it is even when I was stood right there. 

Canal Number 1 is where my Mum, Aunt Shil, Nan, Uncle Ramesh and all their siblings were born. We went to Canal Number 2 first to have our lunch from YMCA, I had mac and cheese, everyone else got chow mein or cook up rice with chicken. There was a DJ playing tunes and people sat on their cars drinking and others went fishing. This is where our Great Great Aji (Paternal Grandma) Dooknie Singh’s sister lived, and Uncle Ramesh would call her Canal Number 2 Nani. Uncs told us that Dwarka and Dooknie would walk them along the mud track between the end of Canal number 1 and 2 for various Hindu ceremonies at Dooknie’s sisters house where Chandkishore (Nans Dad) and Bhagwan (Uncle Ramesh’s Dad) would hang out with their cousins. Dooknie Singh, she had a sister, and a brother known as Sparrow who was a gold miner who lived in the bush and didnt like being confined to the house/city. They have Nepalese ancestry. 

After lunch we headed back up the 7 mile Canal Number 2, round the corner and 7 more miles down Canal Number 1 to see where Mum, Aunt Shil, Nan and her 8 siblings, and Uncle Ramesh and his 9 siblings were all born and grew together. Along the way, Uncs was pointing out so many different trees and fruits, many of which they grew as well, and we stopped outside someones house and bought a massive jackfruit. We headed straight down Canal Number 1 as the sun was slowly setting, we went passed McGillvray Primary School where Nan and Uncs went. It used to be called McGillvray Canadian Missionary School, which goes to show that christianisation was seen throughout society in colonies where you were rewarded to converting from Islam and Hinduism. 

We went down past the Prayaag Raj Mandir where Dwarka taught the Pandit’s Sanskrit and Uncle Ramesh’s Dad taught children Hindi. We finally found out the fifth language Dwarka Lal/Aja (Teacher) knew: Hindi, Urdu, English, Sanskrit and TELUGU!! A small piece of the family puzzle no longer missing. Prayagraj is a place in Utter Pradesh, India where many of our Indian Indentured ancestors came from, also known as Allahabad. Dwarka Lal would teach the Muslims at the Masjid, Urdu on Fridays. Bhagwan would teach the illiterate Hindi speaking Christians what the Hindi Bible said. He would translate Hindi poetry. There was not only religious tolerance but a big sense of shared community and knowledge.

We got to a house which now has a Kali temple inside (we werent allowed in because we eat meat and probably some other reasons too) but it was beautiful in there. The house was new and the sun was setting beautifully in the veranda outside space. This is the plot of land where the house with the stairs can be seen in the background of many old family photos, and where the 19 cousins including Nan and Uncle Ramesh all grew up together. The plot of land next to it was abandoned, where Dwarka Lal had his house and shop to sell produce. Apparently Chandkishore was the tallest (almost 6 foot) and strongest of the siblings and would chop double Uncs’ dads. Dwarka would put produce on a big 30 foot long boat to send across the Demerara river into Georgetown, it would stop along the way up the canal picking up other peoples produce too and theyd have a green flag outside their house to signal it. He would also sell produce at the market at Bagotville right at the start of Canal Number 1. Chandkishore and Bhagwan worked the sugar plantation Leonora  which was a 5 mile walk from where they lived and back. Cutting cane is gruelling manual labour in the hot sun, off season he would fish.

We have copies of this letter which was written in India and sent to Guyana to our ancestor Seetal Prasard Lall who came to Guyana when he was 16 years old without his parents/family knowing. He was working on railroads as a land surveyors assistant. He ended up in Kolkata and got recruited into Indentureship by the british. His parents didnt know he left the country until over a year later when the correspondence arrived. They would have been illiterate and had someone transcribe at the post office. The letters from his family were begging him to come home to the land of his forefathers, Mother Ganges, Gods and Goddesses. They said “bring your son Dwarka home and you will be happy and prosper.” There was a lot of judgement for Hindu’s who left India and travelled across the Kala Pani (dark waters) as it supposedly disconnected them from their religion and was offensive/frowned upon. I cant imagine how much they must have missed eachother, never to be reunited. We learnt that Seetal Prashad married Miss Dhonie who came from India as a married woman with her husband and their two sons. He died and she married Seetal who was alot younger than her and they had Dwarka. I was wondering if Dwarka had any siblings so its amazing to learn more. Seetal’s one and only child Dwarka was born in British Guyana. He inherited land from his Dad in Vergenoegen plantation (Dutch word meaning “land of contentment”) which I assume may be near the plantation Seetal worked. 

These stories of our ancestors journeys through colonialism and indentureship are things I hold very close to my heart. Our histories are oral ones, or ones not deemed important enough to record, or if they are recorded have not been digitised like many europeon peoples histories. I know this because I can see the blatant discrepancies within my own mixed race family and how I can trace my Dads family back to the 1300s on some lines. Me and Gina really appreciated all the stories and information Uncle Ramesh was able to share with us as this side of the family was covered in questions and gaps.

After we got back from the Interior we took Dan to Canal Number 1 real quick to say we went to make Nan happy. It was so hot when we got there and theres not really much to see other than an empty plot of land with tractors on it. Someone had farmed loads of pineapples. We walked to the end and looked out at the reservoir and told Dan what we had learned from Uncle Ramesh. We have all been where our mums naval string is buried (a Hindu birth tradition). Dan said technically we’ve been there before inside our Mums as eggs, so we were just returning. We went back over the Demerara harbour bridge to East Bank and headed to Albouystown where Nana worked at Pauls Shop on 57 James Street. They also lived at 32 i believe Mum did too before Nans parents moved to Georgetown and she lived with them. It was quite a run down area so we just passed through briefly and I reflected on how far my family has come from rural Guyana to Hackney, London, their upbringing and childhood feeling like a different world to the capital city of the british empire. 

On the way to get Dan from the airport, Vishal pulled over and we got out at a woman’s fruit stall because he wanted us to try coconut jelly. The woman was hiding from the harsh sun, and gave Vishal a cutlass so he could open to coconuts for us. First he chopped around the top into the centre, making a hole so we can use a straw to drink the delicious nutritious coconut water. Once we were done, he cut off a thin spoon from the outer side of the coconut which he handed to us before cutting the it in two halves.  We used the spoon to scrape the jelly from the middle it was creamy, refreshing and sweet. We stood as the sun was setting, enjoying our coconuts together. I tried coconut water in America and it was really foul to me (im picky so many things are foul to me) I was scared to try coconut water but from the second we had it at Aagman with Suyash I was obsessed. Its so refreshing, sweet and naturally good for you with electrolytes such as potassium, sodium and magnesium. It was so good Josh was imagining importing coconuts into the England so that we dont have to miss out when we’re home 😂

After Suyash showed us around Georgetown, Vishal took us to see his Rasta friend Andy on our way to meet Aunty and Uncle, at Guyana Amazon Tropical Birds Society, a bird sanctuary where Andy nurses injured birds as well as does archiving, taxidermy and education. He used to be a jeweller, but when he went to the interior to find gold and precious metals in the ground, he instead found jewels in the form of birds in the trees. His Dad was actually involved in the exotic animal trade, so for Andy to find his life calling in bird rescue and education feels like a full circle moment. He showed us a rescue Toco Toucan, a Blue and Gold Macaw, some green macaws called Mealy Amazon Parrot and Orange-Winged Amazon Parrot (one had its eye popped out by a toucan, but Andy fixed it) and the National bird of Mexico called a Crested Caracara which had been attacked by a dog on the beak but was making a good recovery. He showed us his offices full of posters, books, articles and artefacts including a 17th century dutch sword, Guyanese stamps, a WW1 sword, bricks and bottles. He had a map with pins in all the places he has gone to look for birds all the way down to the literal bottom of Guyana. You could see how passionate Andy was, his stories just kept on going, as he flicked through books showing us different species native to the country. As we left he got five finger/star fruit off the tree for us. I asked “is it sweet” the Macaw said yes! As we left he said bye!!  
When Dan joined us a few days later we went back so that he could met Andy and the animals because its not often you get to see these birds up close or meet a gem like Andy. We heard more stories of his adventures and he showed us videos of when he saw a Jaguar in the Iwokrama Rainforest (where we were headed soon ourselves). Andy was telling us about how he wants to equip more Guyanese people with this knowledge of birds so that they may reach 1,000 discovered birds in Guyana. The current number according to the Smithsonian is 814 and with so much untouched nature there are surely more to be found and protected. It was so great to be welcomed by Andy into his organisation and home. 

The day after Dan flew in to join us, we visited Andy at the Bird Society, drove around Georgetown and stopped of at the Guyana National Museum. We arrived 30 minutes before it was due to close, so we rushed around and I took as many photos as possible. Its not a big museum but I would still like to go back and take my time like I usually do at exhibitions. The Guyana National Museum was founded in 1868 by a colonial group called the Royal Agricultural and Commercial Society (RACS) who aimed to create a museum to showcase local biodiversity including minerals, timbers, fruit, seeds, flora and fauna. A british explorer and German botantists as well as others donated to the original collection. 

What stood out the most to me was all the beautifully painted murals and infographics across the walls and inside some of the taxidermy displays. I can appreciate taxidermy for educational purposes and preserving the beauty of nature, some of the taxidermy here was very cursed looking unfortunately. I loved the beautiful wooden Victorian display cases in the Natural History section though. 

Speaking of Guyana and Taxidermy, I have to highlight John Edmonstone who was a taxidermist, teacher and Freed Enslaved African person from Demerara. From Wikipedia: “In 1817 Edmonstone came to Scotland with his master, possibly to become a servant to the Edmonstone family at Cardross Park. Having come there, he was freed, and he took employment in Glasgow, then moved to Edinburgh where in 1823 he set up shop as a "bird-stuffer" at 37 Lothian Street. From this shop, he taught taxidermy to students attending the nearby University of Edinburgh, including Charles Darwin in 1826, when Darwin was 15. Having worked in hot climates, Edmonstone had learned to preserve birds rapidly before decomposition set in, a skill that may have benefited Darwin in preserving his Galapagos finches. Edmonstone also undertook work for the Royal Museum of the University. He moved his taxidermy shop to Edinburgh's main shopping thoroughfare, opening at 29 and then later 66 Princes Street. In the 1840s he moved shop again to 10 South St David's Street. Edmonstone gave Darwin inspiring accounts of tropical rain forests in South America and may have encouraged him to explore there. The taxidermy Darwin learnt from Edmonstone helped him greatly during the voyage of HMS Beagle. However, Darwin does not mention him by name, so the identification of Edmonstone as Darwin's teacher is not completely certain and is based on the research of R. B. Freeman.”

There were displays with native birds to Guyana such as Citrine Yellow Finch, Ruddy Ground Dove, Lesser Kiskadee, Great Kiskadee, Golden-Winged Parakeet, Greater Ani (AKA Old Witch or Jumbie Bird), Turkey Vulture and Wattled Jacana (AKA Spur-wing).

Fruit and Vegetables grown here such as Guava, Cocoa Pods, Fig Banana, Sour Sop, Loofah, Papaw, Grapefruit, Avocado, Sapodilla, Breadfruit, Okra, Mango, Banana, Plantain, Granadilla, Tamarind, Sweet Potato, Cassava and Cashews. 
There were examples of gems and minerals such as Bauxite (most valuable ore of aluminium), Kaolinite, Green Quartz, Banded Agate, Brown Jasper, Black Pearls, Spotted Jasper, Fire Agate, Amethyst, Rose Quartz, Grey Jasper and Manganese Oxide. 

There was also a room completely painted from floor to ceiling which showed the history of how european colonisers came to this country trying to christianise the Amerindian people. It was really interesting to see drawing and measuring tools which the colonial administration would have used to not only navigate this new terrain but also survey it in order to draw up boundaries, borders and create a plantation society. It was interesting and infuriating to see maps of Guyana throughout colonial rule, how the Dutch and British cut up land and basically treated the world as their playground, no matter the harm caused to people and the environment. 

As an ex-stamp collector I loved seeing different examples of Guyanese stamps, from colonial British Guiana time to post independence. This included the British Guiana 1c magenta, the most expensive and rare stamp ever bought to this day. I also got to see the stamp which is on my Mums documentation she used as ID when she came to England. Its like these small, tiny fragments I have had of Guyana in my life were jumping out at me in their place of origin and solidifying my connection here.

There is a big statue called the Coffy/1763 Monument which commemorates an uprising by Enslaved African people who were kidnapped from West Africa by the Dutch colony of Berbice. Coffy was Akan, and led an uprising of over 3,800 against the slave owners and colonisers. The 15 foot monument was designed by sculptor Philip Moore. According to Wikipedia “The figure of Cuffy standing on top has many symbols. His pouting mouth symbolises his defiance, the face on his chest forms a symbolic breastplate that gives protection during battle, and the honed faces on his thighs represent revolutionaries from Guyanese history. He holds in his hands a dog and a pig, both being throttled with the dog representing covetousness and greed while the pig represents ignorance.”

After the Guyana National Museum we headed to the seawall, which as you can tell by the name is a wall which stretches 280 miles along the Guyana coast of the Atlantic Ocean. First we stopped past the Forest Protection Commission where we saw the Demerara River join the ocean, as seen in the first photograph. It was a beautiful spot where we saw the sun go behind a big cloud. Vishal knows all the best places. We were planning to catch the sunset but because it went behind a cloud we carried along further down the seawall rather than at the pier where we went with Suyash on our first day.

We got out at the I ❤️ Guyana sign for pictures with the four of us. It felt so perfect and made my heart happy to have this shared experience which Ive only seen on instagram through a phone. Its so important for us not only to make memories with eachother as a four but also connect to our roots.

Opposite the I ❤️ Guyana sign is the Umana Yana which was originally built in 1972, renovated in 2010 but suffered a fire in 2014. It has now been stored since 2016. It is one of Guyana’s National monuments and is a structure created by Wai-Wai people used for conferences and exhibitions. According to Wikipedia ”The structure is 55 feet (17 m) high and is made from thatched allibanna and Manicol palm leaves, and wallaba posts lashed together with mukru, turu and nibbi vines. No nails were used. It was erected by a team of about sixty Wai-Wai Amerindians, one of the nine indigenous tribes of Guyana. Fashioned like the Wai-Wai benabs or shelters which are found deep in Guyana's interior, it occupies an area of 460 square metres, making it the largest structure of its kind in Guyana.”

We stopped along the seawall twice, once to look at the sea birds and marvel at the reflection of the beautiful sky in the wet sand. And then further along for an impromptu drink even though we were all hungry for the duck curry we knew Aunty had waiting for us! The sun dispersed behind the clouds and fragmented into beams across the blue sky, it was truly a spectacle. I want to experience so many more sunrises and sunsets there.

We all ate outside together while Rishi sat and chatted about Lal family history. Uncs and Rishi said for the last few days we can stay here because the last hotel we booked was shit. It means so much that we got welcomed by our extended family who until earlier this year we didnt know existed. We didnt know we stil lhad family who lived in Guyana, most are in USA, Canada and a few in the UK. What a blessing to get to eat by the pool, share family stories and enjoyed such delicious duck curry and dhal puri together.

This illustration shows the 1 hour flight we took from Ogle Airport to Lethem, followed by a 2.5 hour drive to Wichabai on one side of the Kanuku Mountain in the South Rupununi. We spent two nights there, then 2.5 hours back to Lethem where Pumpkin picked us up to drive north along the 459 mile Lethem - Georgetown highway. We stopped after about three hours at Annai in the North Rupununi to have lunch at the Rock View Lodge just where the savannah turns into rainforest. Our final destination before going back to Georgetown was Iwokrama River Lodge which was another two hours into the rainforest. We stayed there for three nights before Mr King drove us on a barge across the Essequibo river and 6 hours back to Georgetown via Linden where we had lunch. We could have flown back but we wanted to see as much of the country as we could. It was amazing to see all the rainforest, the creeks, the villages along the way, the bridges being constructed out of concrete and parts of the red dirt road being flattened and covered in asphalt (slowly but surely). 

The next leg of our adventure began at the Ogle Airport AKA Eugene F. Correia Airport which mostly has internal flights but also to neighbouring Suriname. We boarded a Beechcraft 1900D plane to Lethem. This was the tiniest plane ive personally been in, one seat on either side of the aisle. We were all nervous and excited, looking out the window over Georgetown and the coast below.  Most of the people on our flight were Brazilian as Lethem is a border town. High above the clouds i was wondering what was in store for us over the next 5 days in the interior. As we began to descend I could see reddish yellow sand and grassy savannahs and surrounded by mountains with small rivers dotted around. We landed in a big field and got our luggage off the back of a small truck.

We were then picked up by guys called Pumpkin and Bly who took us to a Brazilian buffet place which had really good meat and black beans! We drove through grasslands over creeks on dirt roads, saw so many birds along the way. Bly told us about the mountains and Amerindian villages we passed. We stopped by Shulinab village to use the toilet and meet Leeroy who is the president of the South Rupununi Conservation Society, so basically Bly’s Boss. There were cowboys and horses and tiny piggies there too. We saw Glass Mountain, and Saddle Mountain and one that looked like breasts and a body! Bly told us that during wet season, May - July and November - January you cant drive through a lot of the savannahs due to floods and have to travel by boats on the rivers. 

Altogether it was a two and a half hour drive from Lethem to Wichabai Ranch even with a short stop in the middle. It was so bumpy and intense but the views of endless Kanuku Mountains all around, birds, marshes, creeks, bodies of water was beautiful. We got to Wichabai at about 4.30 and met Erin, the host who put the Hills in one cabin and the Agnews in the other. The cabins were really beautiful and looked as good as they did in the video we watched before booking. Theyre wooden cabins on stilts with stairs in the middle up to a small veranda with a hammock. Inside are two beds with lovely fancy mosquito nets over, and the bathroom is open air with a shower overlooking the Durukban mountain, which is where the sun rises from behind.

We briefly met Erin’s husband Justin who is Guyanese. If I remember correctly she first came over here to teach but actually herself studied Geology. It was funny because Daniel and Gina’s Dad is from Northern Island and we came all this way to the rural South Rupununi to find another Guy-Rish (Guyanese and Irish) family. We also met their son, and the daughter of Fabbie who also works/lives/studies there. 

The sun was coming down and looked stunning on these raised wooden lodges with two big net covered beds, and a massive shower overlooking a mountain. The lighting was just a dream. We had a short walk with Shan who showed us the lake and we met their capybara called Hydra. She was so freaking cute and sucked on everyones fingers!! She followed us back to the ranch. We went back to our cabins and used the walkie talkies to check they worked, we said we were just gonna chill and Erin said “come for rum when the sun goes down the rum comes out” so we did that! And Hydra followed us all the way up the stairs of the main cabin. We had some rum and fresh limeade which was so damn tasty! Dinner was meet and potatoes and cucumber, all tasty. I just felt myself feeling so overwhelmed and disengaged from the convo with Erin. Maybe I was just low energy after all the travelling. 

As soon as it got dark i felt myself really struggling and by the end of dinner i just wanted to cry. The four of us walked back to our cabins and took a moment to look up at the vast, endless sky above us with so many stars shining it was hard to fathom. We shared that beautiful moment together in the middle of the savannah. As soon as we got back Josh asked if im ok and started crying. Sunset was incredibly beautiful I just felt so far away from anything i know and it made me feel anxious. Being so remote i feel the peace and calm but also anxiety and isolation. So far from contacting Mum, i hate to say that but it is scary to me. I was feeling like i wanted to be back in Georgetown (because Im used to cities) which didnt necessarily feel safe or familiar either. There were bats flying all around and i just had to pretend that I wasnt scared by their sudden movement. Logically I know the bats are my friends because they are eating bugs and mosquitos. We had all the doors and windows of the cabin open as Erin suggested, but its such a new different feeling for my anxious self.

I did feel safe though. I looked out the open window and could see more stars, so I tried not to let the unknown noises bother me (with the help of loop earplugs). They were not scary they were just different. We could hear rustling outside and i got nervous but it was just horses chilling underneath. Erin was kind enough to welcome us with a note and two keyrings with Amerindian representations of a frog and a jaguar i got the frog, the jaguar is on this months cork board). They are made locally too!

We woke up at 5.30 to get an early start hoping to see some giant anteaters because they dont like it when the day gets too hot (6am onwards usually). The sky was reddish pink behind the mountains which surround us. Erin picked us up in the 4x4 and we set off down the dirt road looking out for rock like beings which might be giant anteaters amongst the termite mounds and actual rocks. We stopped off on a mound and had tea and coffee as the sun rose and started to shine. Erin taught us that the Quartz we saw covering the ground is 2.5 billion year old geology  compared to the UK, whose geology is half a billion. The globe 3 billion years ago was an oceanic world and as plates crashed against eachother they became thick,  creating land, volcanoes and mountains! Some of the oldest geology is found in the Guyana Shield because it was some of the first land masses to be created from those plates. We also learnt that Ghana and the Guyanas were connected billions of years ago which makes so much sense! We didnt see any anteaters this time, but saw some different hawks and a Lineated-woodpecker on the way home which made Erin go skrrrr in the car! Im smiling just thinking about the excitement from Erin seeing this rare birdd. We went straight to breakfast on the veranda of the main house and then got ourselves ready to go to the Amerindian farmer’s place to learn the process of making cassava bread.

September is Amerindian Heritage Month so last month I wanted to include some activities, art and crafts we got to experience while in Guyana. I detail the whole process from farming the cassava and other produce in Nickolas’ bush farm, to preparing it and draining the cyanide from it to making the bread and carving our initials and pictures into it before eating a lovely fresh lunch together. Nickolas’ niece Vanessa also showed us how to spin cotton which I drew each step of the process. You can read about these activities HERE.

Nickolas was such an amazing guy for welcoming us into his home and teaching us this method which has been passed down to him by his elders. I bonded with him over the magic that is turning cotton from a plant to an actual fibre you can use to make objects like hammocks, clothes and accessories. It felt like we really got along. He gave us siblings each a woven basket to fill with the smoked peanuts which he grew. So grateful to share these moments with him. 

When we got back to the ranch we freshened up and then went on a short horse ride. From the time i booked this and envisioned the trip i saw myself on horseback on the savannah, even though it was short (more than long enough for me both for my anxiety and bad hips) im glad i got to experience it as the sunset. We even met up with Hydra at the end of our walk. Me and Gina were on Buckshot, Josh and Dan were on Brasil and Earl on Commander. There were two white ponies/mares who were trying to bully Hydra, my horse started to gallop to get away from them which scared me but Josh told me to go with the flow which calmed me down. I had almost talked myself out of having a horse ride but Im so glad I did, it was a great end to a great day. 

We got up at 6.30am to go see some Caiman eggs with Earl before heading off on the next part of our adventure. They make a massive mound of leaves and twigs to cover them, there were about 14 and quite small and translucent. 

We went straight to the main house for breakfast which was pancakes, honey, avocado, Brazilian sausage which was soooo good, cheese, fried eggs and probably some other bits i cant remember. Ellie gave us a drawing of an anteater on the savannah, with loads of ants. It was the most precious thing from such a sweet girl. Then Arthur gave us a drawing of a boy and a girl. Ellie got really upset and quiet because he called her a hairy princess and me and Gina told her we are hairy princesses and theres nothing wrong with that! Then Hydra came over and i said “that is the hairiest princess of them all” Erin showed us some amazing books as well as the camera footage of loads of animals: Ocelot, Puma, Tayra, Jaguar, Jaguarundi, Margay, Lowland Paca (Labba), Southern Tamandua, Giant Anteater and Red-Rumped Agouti. We sat and compared the videos with the nature books to figure our which cats or which type of rodents we could see based on their sizes and markings. We may not have seen any nature other than birds (and Hydra the Capybara) but it was great to see some of the local animals even if it was via a laptop.

We set off driving at about 8.40 and Bly drove like crazy to get us back to Lethem on one side of the Kanuku mountains. In St Ignatious Village we stopped at Joans Craft Store and i got a colourful beaded necklace and everyone got a few bits for souvenirs. 

Pumpkin picked us up from Lethem and drove us up the red highway which runs all the way to Georgetown. So now we were on the other side of Kanuku Mountains which separate the north and south rupununi. Eventually we saw the Pakaraima mountains which run through Brazil and halfway up Guyana. We drove on the ten mile stretch which headed straight towards the mountains which we followed alongside, passing tall termite mounds until we drove over two hours to Annai Village where Rock View Lodge is. Funnily enough this was my second choice after Iwokrama but i decided somewhere slightly more north would be better for us driving back to Georgetown. We had lunch with Colin’s wife and son who welcomed us with delicious beans, chickens stew, garlic rice and Farofa which is finely grated toasted cassava, as well as the most delicious fresh local plum juice. I also had some of their pineapple juice from their wild pineapples growing. After lunch another son gave us a tour of the grounds including up to an inspiration/meditation place with a stunning view across the savannah. They had an arapaima in a pond as well as turtles, black vulture hanging around and loads of cute dogs. There was a library and loads of amazing art including some stunning Amerindian embroideries which were of scenes of daily life and history, you can more of those in my September 2023 newsletter HERE.

They also had a pet Capuchin Monkey called Picallo and we were shown the Anutu plant which Amerindian people use for dye and rubbing on skin as face paint. Annai Village is one of the biggest in the North Rupununi. Once we were ready to make our way to the Iwokrama Canopy Walk, we drove for a short while where we reached the end of the savannah and the beginning of the rainforest! Driving really was one of the most amazing decisions we made to be able to see all the details of the landscape. More of that journey can be seen HERE.

 I have no idea how my crip self got up to there after 5+ hours in the car but i made it!!! Dan wanted to go last so i didnt feel left behind but i told him to go ahead. I tried to focus on my breathing and i had the gang up ahead telling me “not long now”. We were all sweaty messes. The sun was setting so it was a beautiful atmosphere with leaves shining and the sun creeping through. The sun was still probably quite high but so was the rainforest! Dan was super encouraging afterwards too which meant the world to me. I have never been so sweaty in my life!! 

We hung out in the main Fred Alicock building as it was cooler up there and wound down together, appreciating all we have seen and complaining about the heat and stuffiness we were trying to overcome. We waited for dinner and saw flashes of lightning in the distance. While we began our meal the Birders, a group of 6 old british men who came here for an adventure with their pals. They were pretty friendly, speaking mostly to Josh.They came up to the veranda and ran over to look into the darkness shining their torch. We all ran over too and we could see a crab eating fox!!! One of the local guides said thats so rare. It was proper exciting and honestly id love to find a group of friends to share a hobby with, travelling and enjoying together. Where are my public transport, bird, textile loving friends out there? Maybe bird watching will become a new hobby as i genuinely have enjoyed it from the garden during the pandemic. We got an early nights sleep due to an early start the next day, so back to our cabins where rain began to fall and the lightening continued followed by thunder. 

The thunder and lightning seemed to slow down by the time we fell asleep but I was awoken at 4.30am to massive rain which was pretty terrifying being in the middle of the rainforest in a tin roofed cabin by the side of Guyana’s biggest river. In hindsight when we woke up it was like nothing happened (except a bit more misty) but it was quite the scare in the middle of the night. Once we saw the group of Birders getting on their boat at 5am we realised all plans were going ahead!

We got on the boat as the sun was rising and went around Indian House Island. Fair View Village is the last village in region 9, right by Iwokrama where Wapishana, Arawak, Patamona and Macushi tribes live together. At some time in history there was a house on the island hence the name. We saw a Bat Falcon, Orange-winged Amazon parrot, a type of puff bird, Spot-Throated Wood Creeper and Red throated Caracara. I love that boat and Moses and Rudolph for being our guides. 

We came back for breakfast and hung out at the Fred Allicock building as we had time to relax until our evening activity. We mentioned to Moses that we’d like to do a local trail to pass some time so he took us on the Bush Master Trail which brought us along the river. We saw Amazon mot mot and Army ants. Moses told us his grandparents would use the Haiawa tree to make incense and to light torches before electric ones, and that his people are more hunters (mostly hickory pigs) with bow and arrows rather than fishing people. We learnt about the Nibbi plant’s thin but strong vines are used to weaving crafts as well as bind furniture.

Around 4.45 we headed off in a 4x4 along the highway and then off the beaten track. We got out the car and walked a while on a massive muddy track to see if we could spot any wild life. Moses told us to stay close by and step where he step because the mud was wet in parts. There were hickory hoof prints as well as a straight line track where loads of hickories would have run though, they move in herds of 30-100! Moses said “am i light or are you guys heavy because everywhere im stepping, youre falling” 😂 We also saw a perfect puma paw print in the mud! It was beautiful. It got dark but we felt safe in Moses’ care and on the way back to the car we saw red fire flies! 

The group of five brit Birders have two Amerindian guides/bird experts with them and on our last nigh we saw them enjoying a Banks beer while going over an inventory of birds they’ve seen today. I genuinely might cry i love them so much, it was so endearing to see them ticking off their lists and discussing the birds they had seen and heard, and just how many of each species! We had such a nice time feeding off their energy and excitement for nature. Dan and Josh chatted to them a bit more and they’d ask us how our day was. 

I was feeling really sentimental about leaving. Even though it hasnt been easy (disturbed sleep, some anxiety, heat, clamminess, bugs etc) i have appreciated so much being here in nature, in new places with my family sharing experiences. I looked forward to the ease of Georgetown with Aunty and Uncle but being immersed in the savannahs and rainforest has been incredible and made me feel stronger than usual. I was pretty scared to come back to England. I feel like this whole trip many of my pain and symptoms were 70% alleviated by the heat and fresh, local, unprocessed food i was eating.  Scared of this cold grey island.  

Speaking of home, a guy was watching the football (Arsenal vs Everton away) and so were Josh and Dan but their feed was lagging. Earlier at lunch he saw them in their arsenal kits and was winding up Dan so when he told them Arsenal scored they didnt believe him. Dan ran over, saw the replay and celebrations and grabbed the guys shoulders all happy and excited. Later on he said he’ll see us tomorrow and we said we’re leaving tomorrow, he goes “i know im your driver” so that was us meeting Mr King.

Journey back to Georgetown: We set off early after breakfast and got on the 8am barge to cross the Essequibo River. Mr King was a high energy jokes guy. As soon as we told him our Mums are Guyanese he kept calling us fellow Guyanese and said Guyanese people are mad and just go for it (for example us going to the savannah and rainforest alone). He used to be in the exotic animal trade as a young guy, for the adventure and to be able to travel the country.  He has driven this route many times over his life and you could tell with how he anticipated all the bumps and ditches along the way. We later crossed over the Demerara River before stopping in Linden (Guyana’s second biggest city, centre of Bauxite mining industry) for lunch. 

Because of oil money, Guyana were able to put a bid in to host the finals for the CPL (Caribbean Premier League) cricket tournament which is why its here. The Guyana Amazon Warriors have been in the final many times but has never won. The Trinbago Knight Riders have won four and Jamaica Tallawahs have three wins. 

We were hoping to be able to enjoy some of the festivities surround the cricket as Guyana made it into a cricket carnival with live music events and a lot of hype around the matches. Rishi has a friend who runs a bar/lounge and he set up a VIP area at the Providence Stadium which had an open bar filled with El Dorado Rum. Dan was kind enough to pay for most of our tickets so that we could soak in the experience from the sold out match. There was a lovely pink sky on our way there which reflected against the canals throughout the city. We arrived about 10 minutes late as the traffic was nuts, but we werent the only ones as a steady flow of people entered the venue and the energy is buzzing. The music was on point, loads of Dancehall, West Indian, Chutney, Soca tunes playing all night, as well as groups of people playing tassa drums. I had so much fun dancing and waving my Amazon Warriors flag. It was so fun seeing people happy and dancing and celebrating. Trinidad Knight Riders won and went straight to the final but we play Jamaica on Friday. Jamaica Tallawahs won the CPL (Caribbean Premier League T20) last year though so its looking tough. The energy of not being around white people is something i have appreciated since Sam and Vince’s wedding. In england we’re surrounded by white people who judge and gaslight us, no not everyone but the media, government and a lot of the british public. I felt so free and happy dancing at Sams wedding because everyone was having fun, wining their waist, waving their arms in the air. Looking around the stadium everyone was having fun, feeling the rhythm and coming together to support our team. Dan said we have been left out/divided from this part of our culture for too long and that we should get our dual nationality and build a fuck off house here. As we were leaving a group who were playing tassa drums were in the car park giving us all a soundtrack as we walked back to our cars, and a woman had a lil dance which made my heart happy. What an experience, this is the most fun Ive had at a sporting event since going to the Strongman Showcase in July. Even though we lost Im so glad we were able to see a live match with Dan because he loves sports, and especially having a VIP experience for his last night.

What a time to be in Guyana. This final match was one of revenge as it was Trinbago who beat us at the live match where all the Guyanese left early because they knew they lost. There was a lot to prove and also the final being hosted in Guyana for the first time, had hometung advantage and energy on their side. Trinbago batted first and didnt even reach 100 runs, as well as losing 6 or 7 wickets. The half time show had performers of African, Indian and Amerindian descent. It was so fun and me and G were dancing in our seats and waving our flags for 10 mins, as evidenced by Auntys video. It made me feel so proud to be Guyanese and excited to be here. It was a slow and steady go for Guyana batters but we only conceded 1 wicket and Ayub and Hope batted most of the time. Ayub ended on two 6s - maximums! We all went wild!!! The captain Imran Tahir was so emotional, saying how people joked about him/the team but they proved everyone wrong. I cant believe we got to witness this epic win for Guyana for the first time. I had been wanting to get into cricket for a while to connect to my country, but in England its so boring. Stiff upper lip, no music, no colour. I know that is test cricket which can last for days, but this was T20 which is 20 overs, compared to 1 Day cricket which is 50 overs. Since being back in the UK I have been keeping up with the ICC Men’s World Cup cricket which is currently being hosted by India. My family have been highly amused by my sudden interest in the game but I find it fun and exciting so far!

The day Dan left, it was raining all morning/early afternoon. It hadnt rained in months. Uncle Ramesh brought Chinese-Guyanese food with him back from work from a place called Hiltons. From 1853, around 14,000 Chinese people arrived in British Guiana as Indentured labourers to work on sugar plantations, just like my Indian ancestors. I had heard the most amazing praise about Chinese-Guyanese food and we were all excited to try it for months and months before. Im so glad we were able to get some with Dan before he flew out. It was penggggg. We had Sweet and sour chicken, beef and broccoli, fried rice, chow mein, fish balls and veggies. It was banging and fresh and just so tasty. 7 massive trays. We had leftover for dinner after i planned what we can do for our last few days. Dan went to say goodbye to the dogs so we joined him over at Rishi’s. He really loved the dogs and they loved him back. We didnt want to see him leave, but had the best 10 days spending time with him and making memories of a lifetime.

After the exhibition, Vishal picked us up and we went to run a few errands with him. He got us some plantain chips and mango sour (he got chicken foot, not actually chicken feet just another crunchy snack) and some coconut water and headed to the Botanical gardens. It was hot but lovely scenery and we sat underneath a nice tree by palm trees (pictured above). We didnt get to see the manatees or giant waterlilies while we were there but hopefully next time! Afterwards he took us to the zoo which was pretty sad to be honest. Not just because we have generally gone off the idea of zoos or animals in captivity but especially as it was such a dated zoo, crumbling paint, some empty cages, sad looking birds. The Harpy Eagles were especially depressing looking, in cages they cant fly in, theyre so massive and have eery eyes. The really are quite creepy and scary, not to be judgemental.

There was a lot of beautiful art and infographic murals painted on the walls though. Similar to the Guyana National Museums spectacular artwork. Some of the arhcitecture was 1950/60s so the aesthetic was nice but it just had a sad feeling in general.

Since we were in the wilderness and i got to see otters and caiman in nature, and birds flying around so freely over the savannahs and rainforest, it was sad to see animals in cages, but we appreciated Vishal showing us around.

On the way to the Roy Geddes Steel Pan Museum, Vishal got us all a fresh juice in a bag, a mix of mango, papaya and maybe guava. We really wanted to check out this place before we left because by the sounds of trip advisor its a must for music lovers.  

Roy welcomed us into his home where he has created a museum and archive to steel pan and his dedication to the betterment of people. In his over 70 years of playing he has taught youths and shown them the power of discipline. He also preaches unity between races. The outside of his house is covered in Rasta/Guyana flag colours with beautiful flowers and plants decorated in flags and 2D painted panels of people involved in Guyanese steel pan history, such as Marsden Adams, Dan Sandiford, Cedric Williams, Winston ‘Spree’ Simon, Sonny Austin Oswald, Philips ‘Dick’ Aston, Calvin Whyte, Herman ‘Rock’ Johnson and Rupert Parker. 

He said Steel Pan was invented in Trinidad and Tobago but doesnt belong to them alone, music is for everyone. Just to give a brief history though, Steel Pan was invented in Trinidad and Tobago. Here is a quote from steelband.co.uk “The Canboulay Riots of 1881 were a turning point in the history of the steel drum. The riots were a response to the British colonial authorities’ attempts to suppress the African cultural traditions of the island. During the riots, the African slaves used drums and other percussion instruments to communicate with each other and to organize their resistance. The authorities responded by banning the use of drums in public, which led to the development of new percussion instruments, including the steel drum. The origins of the steel drum are therefore deeply rooted in the history of the Caribbean and its people. The instrument is a testament to the resilience and creativity of the African slaves and their descendants, who used music as a form of resistance and self-expression.”

Its been tough for all of us to not be in Guyana anymore. Obviously the bubble had to burst at some point but reality is cold and harsh. Nonetheless we are filled with gratitude and deep appreciation for all we were able to experience and witness. We had a long list of all the birds we saw on our travels in North Rupununi, South Rupununi and in the Amazon Rainforest as you can see throughout the newsletter and I wanted to include the lovely water colour/pencil artworks Gina made since being back. Its therapeutic to make art and reminisce  

Nearer the end of the trip I had a nice long chat with Gina and Josh after dinner about life and family and creativity and the trip and health. They said theyre so proud of me for powering through, as well as planning so much of the trip and organising. I have lost so much over the past few years, confidence and abilities. I forget what Im capable of, so it made me emotional to be appreciated and recognised. Josh said at times hes felt like i have adapted and gone with it more than him which blows my mind tbh. I also received a cute message from a follower saying they love seeing my holiday and even more so with the genealogy as well. I said im connecting to my history and she said “i hope your ancestors are connecting with you too” it made me emotional to think about. I always consider me reaching out to my ancestors but never them reaching out to me. This trip was so magical in so many ways, I cant even really put it into word right now (I know I have just written a whole newsletter about it but that just doesnt do it justice.

Some thoughts as we drove to the airport home: “Witnessing the country just as there is oil discovered has been truly eye opening and fascinating. The UK and USA have actively hated and condemned Guyana for decades but now theres oil suddenly there is investment in infrastructure and interest? There are apartments being built so that foreign oil people can stay in them but nothing built for locals. Theres a lot of hypocrisy and contradictions, where on one hand the wealth and value of oil is celebrated while the biodiversity and environmental impact of the country are at odds. Guyana has so much beauty and wealth in nature and creativity and energy but it has been shat on and underestimated not only by the west but also the rest of the Caribbean. People say that post independence why arent colonies taking accountability and instead blaming colonisers. The very landscape of the country is determined by plantation names and canals for extracting resources to the nth degree for hundreds of years. Independence was only in the 1960s. Our countries are left with so little and then corruption and division is fed into it by UK and USA (killing our freedom fighters, accusing people of “communism” and smearing socialist political leaders). Why are colonisers let off the hook but the ex-colonised must be perfect and have all the answers. Before it was the british for 200 years, it was the dutch for 200 years. Take take take.”

I was so scared and anxious with how i was gonna cope while away that I wasnt able to imagine of any of the positives of the trip. I was as mum said “despondent” feeling complete dread and anxiety. One random positive is that my addiction to sugary tea ended and Id realise how much it was inflaming my arthritis and chronic pain. I knew sugar was bad for me but it was my habit and i couldnt see myself stopping.  No im not healed or better but its a stark difference (probably the heat and fresh food in general too) but wow. I have since learned how to make chai and use honey to accompany the flavours of the spices, and I have broken my habit of having to smoke before I eat. Its amazing to come back with new habits, new thought process, new appreciations. Its like as soon as I got back to England my body started to hurt again, I was so tired again, so achey. I cant wait to return and I’ll be counting down the days until I can be reunited with Beautiful Guyana. The land of many waters, the land of giants, the land of six peoples.

Reflecting on this trip as a whole and reiterating what I have already mentioned throughout: To be able to experience this with my cousins and brother was something I will treasure forever. Getting to bond with family in America at the wedding and then also meeting Aunty and Uncle in Guyana who welcomed us so warmly. As well as Vishal who was with us along all our adventures, laughing together and showing us great spots to make sure we had a full Guyana experience. All I can say is that I am a changed person and that I’ll be counting down the days until Im able to go back.