When I first told my dad I wanted to join the Peace Corps, I remember my dad's response exactly:
"Well, if you go somewhere I haven't been before, I'll come visit you."
Now, that isn't why I picked Guyana (I picked "send me anywhere") but it worked out in my favor, because although he's been all over South America, he'd never been to Guyana.
His trip started out on the wrong foot, because we got trapped in Georgetown longer than I'd anticipated, and the longer I'm here, the less I like Georgetown, so I didn't want to waste any of his trip there. BUT since we were stuck anyways...
We headed over to the National Park I wrote about in another post, and spent HOURS feeding more than half a dozen manatees (I think at one point there were about nine, though they kept submerging, so it's hard to be sure). Despite the fact that I'd told Dad it was still the dry season, it proceeded to rain for about three days straight, because of course it did.
Next was the real test of adaptability: Dad couldn't get on the flight down to Lethem. That left me with only one option: putting him on that horrible overnight bus. That trail is murder, with potholes big enough to swallow up a herd of goats (probably) and the drivers smash you in with about 600 other people until you can't breathe, and then you stay like that... for anywhere from 13 to 18 hours (just of the drive. that doesn't include the several hours you sit parked so the driver can nap). I couldn't even go with him, because PC won't let volunteers take that bus anymore, because it can be a bit dodgy. So I had to put my dad, on his second day in the country, on that bus by himself, and promise I'd pick him up when he got to the North Rupununi.
If he got to the North Rupununi.
He made it out alive, and I was waiting at the other end in Annai, and brought him home to my house. My students were wicked curious about him, and skipped right over to introduce themselves, which was shocking to me, because it took
months to get even a "hello" when I got here! Then he proceeded to pass out in my hammock for basically the rest of the day. I can't blame him: that's my favorite thing to do too.
FINALLY we got to the actual plan, which was a trip up (down? Who knows. I'd have to look at a map, and... yeah, I'm not going to do that right now. I should probably know that by now, since I've lived here for almost two years at this point...) the river to an eco lodge in Rewa with two other volunteers (Steven and Thomas). I'd tried to explain the two boys to Dad so he'd know who was coming with us, and his only response was "Will I like them?" *looks at picture* "Probably not." (He did.) Our boat driver bailed on us at the last possible second, but luckily for us, Steven's host dad Eli, who has family in Rewa, agreed to take us. Better yet, when we got there, someone I'd met back when I first came to Region Nine for my site visit turned out to be a tour guide with the lodge, and he remembered me, and so he and Eli took us fishing.
 |
| Eli fishing from the boat |
 |
| Vivien teaching my dad their way of fishing |
 |
| The piranha Thomas caught |
 |
| Dad all proud of his killer fish |
 |
| Piranha |
 |
| Also an out of season catfish, which Vivien got all excited about. |
I took about eight million pictures, mostly from the boat, and the boys had fun fishing. My dad got his wish and caught a piranha, so really, what more could you ask for from a trip to South America?
 |
Vivien caught a crab, covered in tiny baby crabs (look closely) by sticking his hand into crevasses underwater, which is more than a little insane, considering what else is in that water.
 |
| This. This is also in that water. That's a "vampire fish" |
|
 |
| Lots of these in the water |
 |
| Awww, look how cute he is |
 |
| Oh look, there's a bigger one |
 |
And another one...
 |
| Wait. |
|
 |
| Wait, no. |
 |
| Don't pet the caiman, even if you can reach them. |
Not everything wants to eat you though. There were plenty of birds, and even some adorable (and very noisy) Giant River Otters. I took hundreds of pictures, and it will take me FOREVER to go through them all, but I've picked out a few to show off.
 |
| Just chillin' on the beach. I like this bird. I feel like we could hang out. |
Okay, so I will have to post pictures of the boys later (I know I have them, but I've procrastinated long enough posting this!) So I'll just leave you with this:
