Caribbean view
After working some last Sunday to get ready for this trip, I flew out Monday well before dawn to start the journey to Guyana – it’s not easy to get there since we are required by law to use U.S. carriers and the total trip time from door to hotel was about 20 hours. Guyana is in South America on the Caribbean coast. The country is very poor and has bad infrastructure, but a recent mother lode discovery of off-shore oil has everyone there excited.
This was my first solo trip and I was a bit nervous, but I was met with a very warm welcome by the consular chief, who I knew from Mexico, and all of his staff. I ended up having a great time and felt the work went well, and next time I plan to stay a few extra days so I can do a little sightseeing, namely birding. There are 300 species in the capital city Georgetown alone, including the Scarlet Ibis, a bird I’ve always wanted to see (I saw a large red bird fly overhead, but trees obscured it, so I couldn’t tell if it was the ibis or a macaw). Once you get well out of town, it turns into rainforest, including howler monkeys! Next time!
The highlight of this trip was feeding and touching a manatee! I saw at least seven in one of the city parks in a pond – they are so cute. I pulled long grass and swished it in the water, and they came to eat if out of my hand!
Manatee nose!
Waiting for the mini-buss
Cattle egrets roosting at the park
On this trip I just worked and stayed close to the hotel – high crime kept me from walking the beaches, but I enjoyed the ocean view. I ran into another State Department guy who I had met in Quito a few years ago, so we had dinner a couple of nights at the hotel. The consular chief also had me over for dinner at his house one evening, and I thoroughly enjoyed an authentic Mexican meal cooked by his wife who grew up in Hermosillo.
Getting home on Saturday was not so fun – after sitting on the tarmac in Miami for over an hour waiting for a gate, I missed my connection and had to overnight there. Luckily the airline sent me to a hotel, but then I was up again early for a 7AM flight in to D.C. – but I finally made it!
Flavia was glad to see because John had left for Fayetteville on Friday. Wishing a speedy recovery to Ginger after her surgery – all reports are that she is doing well.