Kaieteur Falls

We fly out from Rock View

to Kaieteur Falls. 

As excited as I am about seeing the falls, I know I'm going to have a little bit of trouble with the viewing area at the top of the falls.  Heights, no problem unless there is moving water and no hand rails.  Then we have vertigo big time.  Makes my stomach queasy just thinking about it.

http://www.world-of-waterfalls.com/latin-america-kaieteur-falls.html

Guess I'll survive it - or I'll tumble over....  Ha!    If so, see ya in the next life.  Assuming that doesn't happen, we fly back to Georgetown after the Falls, and overnight at Cara Lodge again.

Rock View

The trip is drawing to a close.  We leave Iwokrama after early morning birding around the lodge.  We drive back through the forest to the Rupununi Savanna again

this time to Rock View Lodge.  We're only here one night.   

This is an incredibly interesting site  http://www.rockviewlodge.com/index.html 

Iwokrama

Should be some very interesting birding today.  We transfer from Atta to Iwokrama River Lodge and the Iwokrama International Centre for Rainforest Conservation and Development (IIC)

http://www.iwokrama.org/wp/

This place is a bit of a big deal.  The birding will be great and the scenery quite spectacular, from the sounds of things.  There's also internet at the lodge so maybe I'll be able to post something from the rainforest/jungle!  THAT would be neat - well, for me at least.

We are at Iwokrama for two nights.  We'll all be very tired and quite dirty by this time.  And bet me, the first order of business will be to arrange for laundry to be done.

Canopy Walkway

Canopy Walkway!

We leave Surama and bird our way to Atta Rainforest Lodge.  After lunch we head on over to the Iwokrama Canopy Walkway.  I'm looking forward to this, too.  There's no way to see the various canopy bird species and butterflies from the forest floor.  These canopy walkways are great. 

http://www.iwokramacanopywalkway.com/

Surama

We have an early morning departure from Karanambu Ranch.  We travel (by road) east across the Northern Rupununi Savanna, birding along the way. 

Lunch will be at a place billed as Guyana's best-equipped Truck Stop.  I wonder if it will be at all like my North American idea of 'truck stop', like a big Husky service station. 

Then we carry on to the Macushi village of Surama.  The accommodations at the Surama Eco-lodge are 'comfortably rustic'.   

http://www.suramaecolodge.com/about/aboutus.htm

Things we are advised to take along with us on this trip include cigarette lighters and matches.  I think this is likely one of the places we need these - for lighting candles at night.  I image there are diesel generators supplying electricity at certain hours during the day or evening. 

We stay at the Eco-lodge for two nights

Karanambu

We leave Arrowpoint and fly southward to Karanambu Lodge. 


http://karanambu.com/


http://www.adventure-life.com/lodging/karanambu-lodge-791/


Of all the places we go, this is the one I'm most excited about.  Giant River Otters, Giant Anteaters, giant waterlilies...  Oh my...plus birds - could be heaven.

Arrowpoint Nature Reserve

We go to the Botanical Gardens this morning.  This afternoon we take a boat up the Demerara and Kamuni Rivers to the Arrowpoint Nature Reserve.  Overnight at the reserve. 

Arrowpoint is operated by Arawak Indians.  It is named after the arrow trees, abundant in the area, from which the indigenous people make their arrows.


This Twin Tours outfit isn't who I'm with, but here's a look at Arrowpoint, where I'll be tonight

http://www.twintoursguyana.com/tours/arrowpoint.html

Cara Lodge, Georgetown, Guyana

Not much going on today; a little sight-seeing on the way into Georgetown from Cheddi Jagan Int'l Airport which a bit inland from the city.

Some info about Georgetown here   http://wikitravel.org/en/Georgetown_(Guyana)

Two nights at the historic Cara Lodge, Georgetown

http://www.carahotels.com/guyana_lodge/index.php?contentid=4000

Guyana

This is where I'm going birding.  That is, this is a map of the place.    The country is about the size of Idaho.  Tropical forest covers more than 80% of the country according to InfoPlease

Update:  Most of my locations are in the between Mahdia - Kurupakari - Annai - Lethem - Potaro River & Landing.  The Iwokrama Forest Reserve is in that area.  Karanambu Ranch is north east of Lethem on the Rupunumi River.  The rest of our lodges, etc are fairly close together.

For your info:  Remember the Jonestown event from the 70s?  That was up in the NE corner of the country somewhere

This is their flag.  It's pretty jazzy.  Certainly no stiff old British Union Jack carry-over.

And even wilder than the flag, the national bird is the Hoatzin, which I may not get a chance to see

http://www.tripadvisor.com/LocationPhotos-g294077-Guyana.html#26823306

I'll pull out my uber-detailed map and try to figure out where exactly I'll be and update this post tomorrow - if I connect any dots.

Happy New Year

May 2011 bring the best birds your way - literally and/or metaphorically - whichever way you run your life.

A couple of photos of the Souris River at Taylorton Bridge, yesterday during our CBC

Regular blog postings will be interrupted for the next few days - probably.  I am getting ready for my Guyana adventure.  While I'm away, there will be mostly daily postings about where I will be in Guyana with links (high-lighted) to click on if you are interested in looking at sites about the lodges or areas I'll be visiting.  If I find a place with internet, I will try to blog directly or email a blog post.  My info sheet says that the majority of lodges we stay at don't have phones.  Hard to say, what communications systems will be available.