Wild Horses, Jaguars and Giant River Otters

Early this week, I joined two friends from Iwokrama to tutor a Jaguar conservation workshop for the students of Bina Hill, an environmental training institute in the Rupununi Savannas.  We packed our bags on Sunday afternoon and sped out of the dense Iwokrama forest into the open Savannas. It was refreshing to return to the stunning space.

On Sunday night at sunset, we visited a friends house in the nearby village of Aranaputa. There were herds of wild horses grazing around the house, who flocked close to the house on their own. I have fallen in love with the Rupununi, it is so effortlessly breathtaking!

wild horses at sunset = what could be better?

At the workshop, it was so so much fun getting the kids involved in critically thinking about the role Jaguars play in their community. We organized a role-play session where we divided them into groups and got them to think about how the Ranchers, the Community Leaders, the Rangers, the Government Officials, and the Conservation Biologists have different relationships with the species. Here are some photos of the kids at work:

One student working on a poster

 Here is a shot of the lower level of the Bina Hill Benab. It was all open, probably one of the nicest classrooms I've been to!

The students and I

the group of us

I was the one setting the self-timer...next time I wont sit down front center! And, I obviously need to work on my tan...

This cabin was my home for the two day workshop :)

 After the workshop, we sped further south through the Rupununi on our way to Karanambu Ranch. We stopped along the way to this local farmer for some greens.

A shot of his fantastic garden

 My friend in the drivers seat who was taking us along a one lane dirt road all of a sudden veered to the left to another 'road' which looked to me more like a path. This was where we were about to drive the remainer of the two hour journey to reach Karanambu Ranch. I enjoyed another sunset trip while viewing many species of birds and one fox!

Guyana represent!

trying to capture the sunset

This photo above gives you a sense of how open the savannas are, great for wildlife spotting

photos don't do it justice

When we finally arrived at Karanambu it was well past dark. Our hosts were still extremely welcoming and ushered us inside before offering us rum punch. Karanambu Ranch is AMAZING. From one tourism organization to another, it was great to see their tourism product. The hospitality, food and accommodation were fantastic.

Karanambu has a resident scientist who has been looking after orphaned Giant River Otters until they are able to fend for themselves in the wild. In her time at Karanambu, she has raised approximately 60 orphaned otters. On Wednesday morning, we accompanied a Karanambu guide down to the rivers edge for the otter's breakfast.

Philip in the rear and I think Bella in the front

Running because he has a hungry tummy

Philip munching on a fish

 ~Here is a link to Karanambu's Blog and their website if you are interested in learning more~

After Karanambu, we shot across the Savannas to Yupukari, a nearby village, to visit Caiman House. This is another touism destination in the Rupununi. Unfortunately, a few of the staff we were wanting to visit were not there, but it was a great visit nontheless. Except, we had a medical emergency around dinner where a volunteer fell over his bike and gashed open his shin (you could see his tibia). It was very frightening since medical supplies were limited and we had to wait for 1.5 hrs to get a vehicle to transport him to the hospital. Luckily, we managed to patch him up safe and sound before transporting him to Lethem.

My friend Geraldine and I at the rivers edge

 On the way back, we visited river's edge to enjoy a quick swim before cramming back into the vehicle for the 3 hour trip back.

Me at the river's edge before I jumped in for a dip

 On the drive back, we passed many crazy trees, this being one of them. Check out the bark!

Halfway back to the main road, we stopped to pick some mangoes off a tree next to the road. There were soo many, we managed to fill 3 large bags! It was a delicious snack for the remainder of the car ride back.

Now I am back at the field station dreaming of the open savannas. I can't say I have a tough life though, last night I went for a canoe ride and swim in the Essequibo River before dinner :)

Until next time, my lovelies!

Night Creatures

Last night I was invited to join a caiman spotting trip on the Essequibo River in front of Iwokrama. We motored the boat slowly hugging the shore and shone the light up and down the canopy to try and detect the shining eyes of the night animals.  I can't believe how good our guide was at being able to spot the creatures! Here are some of the awesome creatures we encountered:

A tree boa curled around a tree branch

Cute tree frog on a branch right below the tree boa!

Shot of the tree frog when he was hopping away

 Here is a spectacle caiman, one of four caiman lurking in the murky waters around a river island. On the boat trip, our guide was telling us some stories of protective female caiman with young that have attacked people. He was saying how the caiman can swim very very fast under water and will strike if provoked...He also said the caiman grab prey and pull down into the water to drown...Although Sankar and I have been on good terms to this point, I am more wary now and will not go swimming for the next little while!

Spectacle Caiman.

 The other night, I going for a walk on one of the trails around Iwokrama with a friend.  We had an ultraviolet light with us that detects heat. About two inches from where I was walking (in flip flops), we found this scorpion under a leaf! Next night time excursion I will wear boots..

Scorpion under leaf beside my foot!

Turtle Love

As most of you know, I am working on an Anatomy course right now while pursuing my internship here in Guyana. This has been a bit of a challenge, since I work at the field station and am expected to work all hours. Though at times, my job serves as a great procrastination tool from the course :)

The other day I was dutifully studying the lymphatic system in the office when my boss asked me if I could step in and help one of the cooks for a two night trip to Turtle Mountain. I had ten minutes to get ready before we left. Before I knew it, we were zooming down the Esequibbo River to the hike entrance for Turtle Mountain's Base Camp.

Hammock Benabs for Turtle Mountain overnight guests

Me excited to head off to Turtle Mountain

My coworker and I were in charge of cooking for 11 film crew and 4 cast members of a reality TV show who would be filming an episode at the site. It was absolutely amazing to return to the tranquil Turtle Mountain camp and cook Guyanese cuisine in such a beautiful setting for LA celebs (a slight oxy moron)! You truly meet people from all walks of life here at Iwokrama, one of the best parts of this job. They kept on talking about how Iwokrama and Turtle Mountain reminded them of the show Lost...I definitely have to watch more of that show now! We ate dinner with the sun set while the jungle creatures communicated a dissonant chorus of sounds to one another-the Howler Monkey growls being my favourite. We then played Gin Rummy by lantern light before retiring to our hammocks. I have now mastered the skill of sleeping in a hammock and find it more comfortable than my bed in the staff dorms. I am seriously considering stringing up my hammock in my room :)

 

 On the way out, we had to transport all of our gear into a dugout canoe where two of us paddled through a breathtakingly stunning canal to reach the main river which reminded me of Jurassic Park. We had so much equipment that the canoe was piled very high and was very tippy! I was very  worried the boat was going to tip when the bottom grazed tree roots causing the boat to sway precariously from side to side. When we reached the main river, a motorized boat met us where we transported all the goods along with the dugout canoe and headed back to base camp. I can't wait to return, maybe with the fam-jam next time ;)

into the narrow Jurassic-esque canal!

My friend and I trying to stay afloat (I'm in the front)

Gorgeous Essequibo. Untouched rainforest for miles

An escape from the sea of green

Macushi child at Nappi Village

A few days ago, I was given the opportunity to join a tourist group on their journey to the Rupununi Savannas, about one and a half hours south of the Iwokrama Field Station. We all piled in to the back of a land cruiser and headed off on the bumpy mud road. During the trip, I scoured the sides of the road for any jaguars, but was unsuccessful, better luck next time!

 Stop one: Canopy Walkway

Our first stop was Atta's Canopy Walkway. The site is very magical, situated in a small clearing in the middle of the dense rainforest. Atta has a lodge equipped with a small cafe, cabins and bathrooms with outdoor showers (since the rain is so powerful here, you could just stand without the shower on during a rainstorm and it would be the same)! The hike to the walkway is an easy climb and takes about twenty minutes. On our walk, there was a light mist which made bird spotting difficult, but it was very refreshing. Here are some shots of the walkway on our grey, misty morning. I got really excited when we saw two Crested Guan at eye level in a tree across the way. The Crested Guan is a very noisy bird that resembles a turkey.

junction of walkway

walking the walk!

crested guan sighting up in canopy

Two Currasaws in the underbrush shadows

 Stop 2: Bina Hill Institute

After the Canopy Walkway, we continued south along the 'highway' towards the Rupununi Savanna. The change from the jungle to the savanna was dramatic. At one moment we were driving through a sea of green and the next moment we were spat out onto a vast savanna that resembled east Africa without the big game. We soon arrived to the Bina Hill Institute, the headquarters for the North Rupununi District Development Board, a partnership with sixteen of the Amerindian Villages in the Rupununi Savannas. One of the fantastic initiatives of the NRDDB are the Wildlife Clubs, where children in the villages can learn about the Guyana Shield's environment from the age of eight. Many of the guides and rangers who work at Iwokrama started their education through the Wildlife Clubs.

Brown blob is a wild bore!

poster in Bina Hill Institute of Wildlife Festival in 2010

 Stop 3: Rockview Lodge and Annai Village

We then drove to Rockview Lodge where we dropped off the guests for their plane departure back to Georgetown. It was great to finally see the beautiful Rockview Lodge, where I have been coordinating bookings with Iwokrama visitors since I started working at Iwokrama. Rockview has a gorgeous garden and a swimming pool. Hopefully I will get the chance in the future to stay at Rockview as a guest during one of my weeks off!

Stop #4: Aranaputa Women's Coop Peanut Butter Factory

I was so so excited to stop by the Aranaputa Peanut Butter Factory, just fifteen minutes south of Rockview Lodge. They have been serving this peanut butter at the lodge and it is soo delicious (and a life saver since breakfast is often just plain white bread) :). This factory is an amazing initiative started in 2005 to increase employment opportunities in the Aranaputa Valley. I made sure to stock up on peanut butter during my visit before heading back to the field station. 

Big City Life

Hello my lovelies, I hope you had a good week. This past week I enjoyed my week off 'turn around' in Georgetown! It was fabulous to be in a room with air conditioning, sleep in past six am and drink fruit smoothies. It was also refreshing to have no set travel plans and plan each day on a whim.

Georgetown Highlights

I visited Georgetown's main market, Stabroek Market where I enjoyed a snack of mini bananas called bananitos (super delicious, try them if you get a chance!)

Bustle of Stabroek Market on Saturday, main shopping day

 We also visited the Georgetown Cathedral where my friend's grandparents got married in 1937 :) This Cathedral dating back to 1889 is said to be one of the tallest wooden structures in the world. This is a great maintained example of Georgetown's colonial past.

view of front of cathedral

all wood!

Angel statue inside Cathedral

 I also took a day drive along Guyana's eastern coast to see the small coastal villages which make up the region of Berbice. We stopped by an old sugar cane plantation which is still running today. Here is an ancient cart among many other items still used. 

 This week I enjoyed a lot of socializing with my new Iwokrama friends (many of which who are leaving by the end of the month, tear!). We had a delicious potluk one evening at one friend's house that had an incredible assortment of Guyanese cuisine. We wined and dined at restaurants like the Dutch Bottle Cafe and Cara Lodge where I attempted to eat as many fruits and vegetables as possible :). During an especially hot afternoon, we relaxed at Georgetown's popular and only coffee bar, Oasis Cafe. We also took a lazy stroll through the Botanical Gardens and Zoo where I saw an anaconda, manatees, a jaguar, harpy eagles and tyras to name a few.  I felt like I was cheating, because I want to see all of these animals in the wild! 

cute little Manatee!

All in all it was a fantastic week off filled with refreshingly lazy activities. After an extremely bumpy trip back to the interior in a poorly suspended 4x4, I am looking forward to my three week work term in the field station filled with more adventures at Iwokrama!

xo S

PS: Sadly my camera died after the first day, but I will post some more Georgetown pictures from my friend's camera in a few days!

Finally Found a Screaming Piha

Whenever I venture out on the trails around the field station, I am greeted by the loud call of the Screaming Piha. A few days ago, I managed to capture a clip through a high definition scope of a Screaming Piha performing its common call high above in the canopy. This bird is very territorial and uses its call to communicate this to surrounding birds. It camouflages very well and is very hard to spot despite being very easy to hear. Without help from one of the Iwokrama guides, I would never have been able to find the bird!