By Felicia Persaud
News Americas, GEORGETOWN, Guyana, Fri. April 27, 2012: A five-hour flight from New York’s JFK airport via one of three airlines, will take you directly to the only English-speaking country in South America that is Caribbean in culture, multi-ethnic as the region it lies in and truly Amazon in geography.
Welcome to Guyana, a country of 83,000 square miles of neatly carved out coastland where most of the population of less than a million live and a lush, virginal interior of forest, waterfalls, mountains and rivers for as far as the eye can see.
You will arrive at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, named after a former President, and plan for a hot 90 plus degree weather and a drive of 45 minutes to an hour in traffic from Timehri to your hotel.
6 p.m.: Time to snack local! A guard at the hotel gives us direction to a local snackette called M&M. It’s located close to the Demerara Harbor Bridge, a floating bridge in Guyana, and offers up local street foods like fish burgers, cassava ball, egg ball and dhal puri. There is no service with a smile here or attempt to rush either or replenish any of the dishes, but the fish burger was tasty as was the local cane juice we washed it all down with for just under US$5 for two.
8 p.m. Two hours later, it’s time to real chow down, the snack from earlier having seemingly melted away. Dinner on site at the Princess Hotel is the only real option as there is no other restaurant nearby. So we choose the US$20 buffet per person that offers up a simple range of dishes that includes jasmine rice, fish, chicken, vegetable kebabs and variety of healthy salad choices.
9 p.m.: Get a taste of a really cold Guyana Banks beer in the hotel’s casino, the only one in Guyana. It’s a typical casino with lots of “one armed bandits” machines as well as roulette and black jack tables for the more proficient gamblers. But you must give your room to the hostess for entry, go through security and buy a voucher worth at least US$5 to play the slots.
10:30 p.m. Let the party begin. Get a sense of the nightlife of the country in Georgetown, the capital, located about 15 minutes from the hotel. We begin our nighttime hang at The Palm Court, a bar/lounge place on Mainstreet, where the rich and powerful – the country’s finance minister was hanging out here – chill to music of the 80s – a staple it seems – and great Banks beer or Guyana’s rum and coconut water.
12:00 p.m.: Get your dancing shoes on at the Edge Lounge, located at the Tower Hotel on Mainstreet as well. There’s an entry fee of US$10 and get ready for a deejay that keeps it pumping by swiftly changing the Caribbean rhythms to keep the mostly younger crowd wining.
Sunday
1 a.m.: Our club hopping continued, with our guide pointing out the Mojo’s bar, also on Mainstreet and a brief stop to Selena’s on the Georgetown Seawall. But we’re told that’s close so we follow the light in the sky to the new club located on Sherrif Street in Georgetown – Club Monaco.
There is another US$10 cover charge here. It’s not as crowded but the music is local Caribbean as well and pumping from the speakers all around the dance floor.
2:30 a.m.: Time for a late night or early morning snack. So we head to Bam Bam Alley, a local strip near Charlotte Street, Bourda in Georgetown, where vendors offer up well seasoned fried fish and plantain chips.
9:00 a.m.: After a breakfast where fruits like papaya, pineapple, bananas and water melon are prominent, and local dishes like roti and stews are available as well as the basic eggs, bacon and toast, head out into the city for a walk about.
10:00 a.m.: The market, especially Bourda market on Robb Street in Georgetown is a great place to start as it features a lot of the local foods, including fruits like cashew, mangoes and awara as well as the Amerindian casareep, a thick black liquid made from cassava or yucca, that makes the spicy delicacy, pepper pot; herbs, both ground and whole; sweets like sugar cakes and fudge, and cassava bread – both salt and sweet. It’s an orgasmic, organic experience for any foodie.
Robb Street, near Light Street, is also now home to many Brazilians, who have come over the border. There is now a Brazilian hotel here, a Brazilian super market and for those seeking more – there’s a Brazilian strip club called the Bar Room.
11:00 a.m.: Experience the local shopping by walking along Regent Street, which runs parallel to Robb Street and you will run into it after walking through the market. But watch out for the traffic. There are few traffic lights here and the mini buses and cars come from both directions on the narrow streets.
On Regent Street, there are tons of local stores here including the new City Mall, where the food court is lined by local food vendors who offer up roti and curry, cook-up rice, fried rice, fried chicken and lots more of the country’s varied culinary delights that reflects offerings from the six plus races of people who call Guyana home.
12:00: Walk down Regent Street to Carmichael Street and stare up with awe at one of the tallest wooden building in the world – the St. George’s Cathedral.
If all that walking has made you hungry, hop in a yellow cab and head to German Restaurant on New Market Street in Georgetown for a Sunday soup. Their soups here – cowheel, beef or chicken are legendary and there’s always a large demand so get in line and order up and make sure you add some of the spicy Guyanese pepper to the bowl of steaming delight and order up a mauby to wash it all down.
1 p.m.: Take a drive up the East Coast. A cab ride should cost about US$12-15 one way. The drive along the railway road will take you past the Caricom Secretariat and Guyana Conference Center at Lillendaal, through villages like Plaisance and Mon Repos, where there’s also a bustling market of local vendors peddling organic meats, fruits and vegetables.
You will be stunned by the huge concrete houses and buildings along the coast even as a Guyanese man weaves into the traffic ahead on a donkey cart.3 p.m.: Head back to Georgetown and ask your driver to take you down Sherriff Street to get a day time glimpse of the stores, super markets and many restaurants, on this stretch then opt for a quick stroll through the Botanical Gardens and a drive past the National Cultural Center for a quick photo op.
5 p.m.: Take in a last minute local meal of cook-up, curry chicken or fried rice at Coal Pot restaurant, located on Carmichael Street before heading back to the hotel, packing your bags and returning home.
