More pictures! Guyana, Land of Many Waters

The Mrs. showing her uncanny sense of balance. "Ponds" like these are all over Guyana either filled with rainwater run off or like this one with half rain and half tidal water from the sea.

To build a home in Guyana, one must be prepared to deal with the water. Moats like the one in this photo are everywhere.







This is Neeta's sister in law cooking in her kitchen which is the bottom floor of their home. It can be moved upstairs if as happened two years ago, flood waters encroach on the bottom floor. This is the reason you see many homes built on "stilts".

Neeta's younger brother who along with his wife and two girls lives with his dad in the house they all grew up in. Ranjee has a good job as a cutter in a shirt factory. We all are worried about what will happen when they emigrate to the United States in the next year or two leaving dad alone in the house. (Dad does not want to live in America)

Playing checkers with the girls using chess pieces. Simple times like this was what made our trip so memorable. Most Guyanese people who come to the United States are keenly aware of the differences in their simple but satisfying lives in Guyana and the hustle and bustle of the American lifestyle.

There seems to be an endless supply of people like this guy who for a few dollars climbed one of the palm trees in the yard and knocked down a few coconuts for us to drink and eat from.

You cut them open,drink the very healthy water that fills them, then scoop out the coconut meat which at this stage is a kind of gel.

My country girl hacking her way through the shell with her trusty cutlass.

On the sea wall. Most of the "civilized" parts of Guyana are within a few miles of the sea or on islands off the coast. Inland is rain forest which is inhabited by Amerindian peoples. Most of the people in the civilized part have never been to the interior.

One of the traditions in this former British colony is to go down to the sea wall on Easter Monday to fly kites ( to commemorate the Resurrection?) Regardless of their religious affiliation, everyone does it and there's a kind of carnival atmosphere about the day. They also celebrate Christmas with lights and Santa too.

There's no shortage of water in Guyana. This picture was taken on a floating pontoon bridge that crosses the giant Demerrara River.With so much water, you are constantly in danger of floods. Even the capitol  is below the level of the Demerrara and has to be protected by a system of dikes which were built originally by the Dutch.

Maybe someday Neeta and I will become snowbirds who spend the colder parts of the year in Guyana and return to the US for the spring, summer and fall. If we ever decide to, I know that we will find there an easy way of living and enjoying life and the love of family.