Exploring Guyana: from wildlife watching to waterfalls

by Guyanne Sinon (United Kingdom (Great Britain))

A leap into the unknown Guyana

Despite having never set foot in South America, being part-Guyanese had been a huge part of my life. Growing up, my grandad had told me many stories about Guyana. It even inspired my name: Guyanne. In 2005, when I was 10, my parents decided to take me to Guyana to meet my extended family and experience the unique country for myself. We stayed with family in Leguan, a small island in the Essequibo River. This rural island is home to around 4,200 Guyanese people who mostly work as farmers. Many of the houses are on stilts due to regular flooding and lack indoor plumbing; meaning every time I needed to use the toilet or shower I had to go outside. By day, the island is so peaceful and tranquil. Juxtaposed to the hustle and bustle of London, Leguan felt like an alternate universe. At night the island came alive with creatures. As soon as the sun set and we turned on the electric lights, beetles and moths flooded into the house and surrounded the lights. Ready for a nighttime snack, small lizards and frogs lined the walls and ceilings waiting to catch an insect. As I sat on my bed with just a mosquito net to shield me from the flying beetles and falling frogs, I felt like I was a guest in their house rather than the other way around. After one week, I began to acclimatize to the Leguan way of life. I rose when the sun did, went to the chicken coup to collect eggs for breakfast, read my books while lying on a hammock and spent my evenings chatting to relatives and friends of relatives. One day my parents and I decided to go for walk around the island. Wearing thick wellington boots, we trudged through the numerous paddy fields. As I navigated around one of the deep, water-filled trenches that marked a boarder of a paddy field, I spotted two eyes staring up at me. I watched in shock as a large alligator stretched out its jaw, bearing its sharp teeth. I cried out for my mum and pointed out the alligator, which was almost double my size in length. My parents and I hurried back home before the alligator had the chance to get any closer. It was only then that it dawned on me that we were living on the outskirts of the Amazon rainforest. One of Guyana’s biggest attractions is the Kaieteur Falls. The Kaieteur Falls takes the title of being the world’s largest single drop waterfall (given the volume of water) with a height of 251 metres. Visiting the falls was the scariest yet most exciting experience I have ever had. My family and I took a 12-seater plane and flew for an hour and a half over dense jungle. I instantly felt so small as I looked over the vast rainforest, stretching out as far as the eye could see. After a rocky landing, we embarked on a 30-minute trek to the falls. Half excited for what was to come and half fearful that I would spot another deadly animal, we were led by a guide to the top of the waterfall. I could hear the waterfall before I could see it; the echoing sound of water gushing. Once the waterfall came into view it was completely magnificent. The sheer volume of water rushing down the river, flying off the edge and free-falling down was such a distinctive sight and sound. There were no safety railings or designated viewing spots, just a small sign reading “DANGER! LARGE DROP”. My parents wanted to get a family photo on an overhanging rock next the waterfall. I was absolutely petrified standing on the overhang, but it gave me the opportunity to fully take in the landscape. Watching the water crash down to the foot of the waterfall and calmly continue flowing down the river, cutting through the jungle, was mesmerizing. My journey to Guyana will be forever etched in my mind. With landscapes and animal encounters that would rival David Attenborough documentaries, Guyana allowed me to feel completely immersed in nature and and appreciate the beauty of my ancestral home.