John and I returned from Arkansas in the wee hours of Tuesday morning. We sure had fun at home but were equally excited to get back to Guyana. Friday afternoon, we picked up Jane and Rob, the British High Commissioner and her husband, and drove to the Mahaica River to spend the night at Ramesh’s place. We had duck curry for dinner and enjoyed a bottle of wine while watching the river go by. We were happy to get to know Jane and Rob – they are lots of fun to be around. Jane is finishing five years here as ambassador, so they are a wealth of knowledge about Guyana. It was my first time driving any length of time here, and I did fine – I was scared to death of wrecking with the British ambassador on board!
We set out around 6AM and cruised the river for a couple of hours, then returned for a delicious breakfast. Then we went on the speed boat up to the water conservancy, about thirty minutes up the river and through a smaller part of the river where kingfishers led the boat up river – it was fun to watch them fly in front of the boat, dipping down to catch a fish along the way. The conservancy is an old homestead, now semi-preserved. It was empty save for a young guy who apparently keeps the place tidy. It was like stepping back in time.
After returning to Guyana, the week was pretty much back to normal. I went to the embassy’s potluck on Friday before we left for Mahaica, and we went to a co-worker’s birthday party Saturday evening after returning from the river. Guyana is really geared up for Christmas with lots of lights and good cheer.
Before leaving Arkansas, James Wise and his girlfriend Jenny came over for coffee last Sunday morning. I hadn’t seen him since college, I guess, and it was fun to catch up. Alison was not feeling well, so sadly I didn’t see her and David as much as I would have liked. John and I went back to the Goat restaurant (quickly becoming one of our favorite places) and we also had a Mexican food fix.
I’m happy to report that Flavia did well with our housesitter while we were gone (and also for the overnight to the river). It was such a relief!
John and I binged the new season of “The Morning Show” this week – as much as I like the actors in the show, I was quite disappointed with the writing and plot lines. I finished reading “Nobody’s Girl,” by Virginia Giuffre and thought it was well done, considering the sordid subject matter of Jeffrey Epstein.
Here are a few photos from the river:
