Tourists!

We've been indulging in some tourism activities of late.  All work and no play makes ..... us alcoholics.
First off was another trip to the Botanical Gardens and zoo, on bikes this time, calling in at the statue of Cuffy the leader of Guyana's first slave rebellion, so a bit of a hero round here:

This could be a very nice fountain if there was any water in it - Guyana, land of many rivers, no fountains!

On to the Botanical Gardens, which are a bit of a disappointment florally.  However they do have some fine examples of the Victoria Lily, supposedly the largest in the world:

though without a scale....  These are about 4 feet across.

We visited the zoo again (70p to get in). Still dilapidated, still a bit depressing, but the animals seem reasonably healthy and it's not so long ago that we locked up animals in similar fashion.

This guy was very interested in Halina's camera (the tapir not the old man in orange).

The toucan with no wires in front (see later).

Ditto, the ocelot.

Because of the importing of indentured labourers from the East Indies, a large proportion of the population celebrate Diwali and there is a big parade of illuminated floats to mark the occasion.  Crowds line the route and candy floss and glowsticks are peddled up and down the road.  Fireworks are let off randomly and it is quite scary to see young children wandering around the crowd carrying two foot long roman candles firing their flaming blobs.

We found a "cafe" table on route and were able to drink beer and eat chips while waiting for the parade to come by:

whilst being serenaded by very loud "chutney" music (don't ask). This is Steve with Janice, another VSO from the UK.

Eventually the floats arrived, people in Somerset would appreciate them.

There was a day's holiday for Diwali, so we took advantage of the quiet roads to make a tour of the city - with camera.

Here's Halina at the monument to celebrate Walter Rodney, the Guyanese socialist who wrote several books analysing the effects of colonialism on Africa and the Caribbean.  He was assassinated in 1980 whilst running for office in the elections - see later.

This is the catholic church of the Immaculate Conception nearby.

Here is the clock tower at Stabroek Market.  All the minibuses leave from around here in a great melee with young men encouraging (dragging) people on to their buses (they get about 5p per passenger they collect) and others touting furiously for taxi fares, hence the rather distant shot.

Queen Victoria (without nose) in front of the High Court on the Avenue of the Republic.  She is joined further along by an ancient steam roller - not sure what that says about the Guyanese attitude to the British monarchy.

The old City Hall on the next block shows the French influence on the city. 

This is St Georges Anglican Cathedral, reputed to be the tallest wooden building in the world.  No doubt further views of this will appear in future blogs.

 Moving on down Main Street we find the remains of the railway sheds.  Guyana once had a coastal railway with a bridge across the Demerara River.  The tracks were pulled up after independence and the bridge torn down.  Now little remains except some traces of track, the bridges on the embankment road, some road names (eg Station Road) and these rotting sheds.  Everyone says it was a big mistake, and don't we all love Dr Beeching.

This house on Main Street has been renovated whilst we have been here and it is looking splendid - shows what can be done.

At the end of Main Street is the huge Umana Yana benab (Amerindian meeting house) which is used for events, conferences and interminable speeches.  Just beyond this is the Pegasus hotel pool where all good journeys terminate.

The Republic of Guyana is holding a general election - voting takes place on 28th November - and there are polling stations opening everywhere. This one is in a very remote collection of shops and cafes that is a kind of service station used by gold miners en route to even remoter locations in the rainforest around Kaieteur National Park. There has been some civil unrest at elections in the past, and VSO Guyana have issued detailed instructions for our safety, which includes not attending political meetings or even having discussions about politics. Should the situation escalate, we will move to safe houses or even leave the country! We'll keep you posted - from somewhere.