Wednesday, 9 March 2011

Back to Georgetown (with very little sleep)

[s]
We got the bus from Iwokrama, which is supposed to leave at 15:00. It arrived at 17:00 and then went to the ferry which was just departing for the opposite bank. After a long wait the ferry returned and the bus and a couple of 4x4's were loaded and the ferry set off. However another truck then arrived so the ferry returned t0 pick this up and we then crossed, a relatively slow and smelly (diesel fumes) process. It was pouring with rain and all passengers were meant to get out while the bus reversed onto the ferry, and during the passage. only Cathy and 2 others did in fact last the voyage outside the bus, returning to the it soaking wet. Originally we had been told that the bus would get to Georgetown at 23:00 (11:00pm). But it became clear that a more likely time was 2:00 am.
The road is heavily potholed and uneven in places so often the bus was going at walking place and lurched about like a boat in a rough sea. Eventually we reached Linden (on the way) at 2:15. After this the roads are tarmacked. However progress seemed slow, with some passengers getting off, (in the case of a young woman we waited till her family came to pick her up!) and we finally arrived at 4:15 and then had to get a taxi to the hotel. This made the total time 12 hours. I did not sleep on the bus though Cathy amazingly managed to.
Still we have made it back in time for the flight to Trinidad early tomorrow morning, and were able to see the ethnographic museum this morning - sketchy details of the various Amerind tribes, which were very interesting, having met so many from at least three tribes at the resorts we have visited, where they are hosts. rangers, drivers, boatmen, cooks and waitresses. This evening we went back to the Botanic Gardens to watch birds - it is one of the best birdwatching sites in the coastal area. We saw a tree with hundreds of Great egrets roosting in it.

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