Guyana is derived from an Amerindian word meaning, "Land of Many Waters". The population is around 767,245 with most people living in the capital city, Georgetown. The main language is English, but Creole, Hindi, Urdu and Amerindian languages are also used.
I am based in Georgetown, which is situated on the Atlantic coast. It's a small city in North American standards. It would take about 30-45 minutes from one end to the other. There's a Seawall that runs from Georgetown all the way to Suriname. For those of you in Vancouver, it's nothing like the one there! The water is very very brown because of the mud. There is a bit of sand, but it's quite rocky and mixed with trash. The Seawall is also a common spot for couples to hang out in their cars in the evenings.
The weather is hot and humid! Luckily there hasn't been much rain. Many people carry around umbrellas or wear hats to avoid sunburn. I am definitely going to invest in an umbrella. The mosquitos have been better than I thought, no big swarms like I expected. I have a couple of bites. I wear the repellant and use my mosquito net at night. Hopefully it will remain this way.
There is quite a few CUSO/VSO volunteers in Georgetown and in the interior. Some have been here for six months to a couple of years. The batch I came with consists of six volunteers, myself included. Three girls from Canada, one from Uganda and one from Holland. Everyone is pretty cool and easy to get along with. The six of us are staying together in a guesthouse while we are being oriented. The rooms here are pretty simple with common bathroom and shower (only cold showers). We will be moving in our houses after orientation.
The food is amazing!!!! I definitely will not be going hungry here. The food is a mix of Caribbean and Indian cuisine. There is also Asian and Brazilian influence. Lots of plantain and cassava as well. The fruit is also delicious, so sweet. You can find everything here. The coconut water in unreal and you can actually scoop out the jelly to eat (wayyyy better than the one in Miami!) I'm sure I could survive just on fruit. The markets are plentiful with fresh fruits and vegetables.
We had our first exposure to the markets yesterday on our shopping tour. The merchants are very helpful and not at all aggressive. You don't really bargain and there doesn't seem a need to, as the prices are reasonable. There is also a couple of supermarkets and malls. You can find anything you need here!
You can walk everywhere, but the heat limits you, as well as time of day. As soon as it's dark, it's not advised to be out alone. Depending on how you feel personally and the distance, you can take a taxi, which has a standard fare of $300-$400 Guyanese Dollars= $1.50-$2.00 US. During the day you can also use minibuses. They cost around $60 Guyanese Dollars, which is very cheap. The drivers do pack the buses and drive fast so they can pick up as many passengers as possible. We used a minibus for the first time yesterday and it was cramped and hot, but fine.
Guyana's main production in sugar cane. Many of you may know of Demerara sugar. However that is not the only thing the Guyanese use their sugar for...yes it's also used for rum! ElDorado Rum is a huge industry here!! It's not bad rum, not that I can really compare it to others, as i'm not a huge rum drinker. I have heard that the older versions are very smooth. We are planning to check out the Distillery. The local Beer is Banks, which they produce just outside of Georgetown along with Guinness.
Now for the nightlife.. According to one of the locals, there is always a party! When does it end..not until people leave. There is a couple of clubs and plenty of places where you can hang out and drink. The music is amazing and a mix of everything. A lot of the local DJs have gone to Europe and other parts of the world to discover the music scene there, which they then bring back to Guyana. If you love soca, dancehall, reggae, this is the place for you!! I have yet to see the whining, enough said there.
Masramani (MASH) in on the 23rd of February, also Republic Day. MASH sounds like Guyana's version of Carnival! Super excited for that. The other holidays observed here are traditional Western holidays (Christmas, Easter, etc.), as well as Hindu and Muslim festivals, such as Divali and Eid. If there is a holiday, everyone comes out to celebrate!
From an Occupational Therapist standpoint, I don't have much to say as I haven't started work yet. I haven't seen too many hospitals around, but there is a mix of public and private facilities. In speaking to the other volunteers, there is a real challenge to get people with disabilities to register with the ministry. There are about 50000 people with disabilities and only 4000 of these people have registered. Consequently this impacts funding. There is one special needs school that I know of, the "David Rose School for the Handicapped". I'm not sure if I will have any involvement there.
A lot of you have asked me to describe what Georgetown is like so far, so hope I have given enough details. I'm sure you'll let me know if I haven't.
Pictures to come! Love you guys and miss you!
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