A wonderful weekend began with a normal day of work (not that that really exists around here). I typed and I printed, getting ready for next school year, which begins in September and I had another little communication failure with my boss. A true tragicomedy. Oh, and a girl moved into my house. It's now a much tidier cottage.
Four fellow VSOs met me here in Mahdia, where we had a cruiser waiting to take us to Pamela Landing, where we hopped onto a boat that took us to Amatuk Island. From the Patamona "Ama Tuok", meaning "Love Falls" and the story that originated this name shall be told in another post.

Amatok Island

The miners limed at the shop you can see in the above picture till around 10pm. Then there was a guy who jumped onto the excavator and went home... great family car, no?

When we got to the island night was already falling (nite a shut), so we slung our hammocks annd headed out to the Amatok Falls, in which me and Selina bathed our feet and tried to communicate with the rest of the group using our flash lights. Unsuccessfully. I don't care what people say, about pirai and electric eels, getting my feet in the water is the least I can do.

Early morning faces, heading out of Amatok

The following morning, we hopped into a boat at the top of Amatok and headed up the powerful Potaro during about an hour. 


When we got to Waratok Falls, we helped move the boat to the top of the rapids. About half an hour later we stopped at Tukeit, with a view to the Old Man Beard Falls.

Waratok, helping to carry the boat.

Tukeit was precisely the place where all our easy and chilled boat rides up the Potaro ended and were replaced with a four hour walk, passing at “Oh My God I” and "Oh My God II”. (Truth be ttold, it's an easy hike. I can't say the same of the 8 day trip to Kaieteur, as it involves way more walking... but hey, why suffer if I can have more boat riding fun up the beautiful Potaro?)

Magnificent Potaro

Wonderful Potaro

The peeps I walked with down from Kaieteur

The hike is relatively easy and has several strategic stops. My favourite is undoubtedly Grandmother Falls. It was given this name because, just like a grandmother will take care of her grandchildren, these falls will provide drinking water no matter what. Even in the dry season.

Grand Mother Falls

About four hours and a lot of sweat later, we caught a glimpse of the magnificent falls. It's always surrounded by mist. When we saw the falls for the first time we were a bit disappointed, because the mist was hiding it almost completely, but it gradually disppersed and when we got closer the view was breathtaking.

The great Kaieteur Falls, hiding behind the fast moving mist.

Valley that Kaieteur falls into

Where else in the world are you allowed to walk straight up to the last centimetre of rock right above the waterfalls? I actually sat with my feet dangling over the edge and no one said a thing. There is no protection, no barrier, no artificial separation between the visitor and the falls. It's a fabulous feeling, of oneness with mother nature (or miss universe?), fuh true!

Kaieteur Grand Ole Times

When we got to the guesthouse, our guide told us that the shower was broken, and that was exactly the excuse I needed to go to the top of the falls and bathe. And a bath that is a bath... involves no clothes. True bliss, to be there right above such a powerful force.

(No pictures, at least that I know of lol)

Come and discover this Guyana now, the Guyana that lacks a paved road connecting its capital to the south, the Guyana that lacks limits and stress, the Guyana made of idyllic landscapes, because a new Guyana will be born as soon as the tarmac is spread out.


Oh Guyana, meh love yuh bad bad!