| After travelling across the majestic Pakaraima Mountains, participants in the 2009 Safari have ended their journey satisfied about taking part in an adventure of a lifetime.The Safari took participants from Georgetown and passed through 14 Amerindian villages in Region’s Eight (Potaro/Siparuni) and Nine (Upper Takatu/Upper Essequibo). The official leg of the Safari began in Karasabai, Region Nine and ended at the Orinduik Falls.In all, the journey covered some 529 miles, organiser Frank Singh told Kaieteur News yesterday, and was completed one day ahead of time. It started on March 28 and ended last Friday.Frank’s company, Rainforest Tours, specialises in outdoor adventures in Guyana’s interior. His specialty is overland tours to Kaieteur, and from Kaieteur to Orinduik Falls.The Safari to the Pakaraimas is possible because of the ingenuity of former Minister of Local Government, Harripersaud Nokta.From time immemorial, roads linking the villages of Regions Eight and Nine were non-existent. The villages of the Pakaraimas were landlocked, thereby forcing their inhabitants, who specialise in hunting, farming and fishing, to traverse the mountains, rivers and plains for days, sometimes weeks on end in search of a possible market for their produce.Both men and women had no choice but to carry their belongings in traditional Warishees slung across their backs and tied to their foreheads. Thanks to the efforts of Nokta, they now have a road linking the two regions.Because they were the experts on the trails, Nokta commissioned the local people to establish a link in what he termed “friendly territory.” Once it was feasible, funds were allocated through the Social Impact Amelioration Programme (SIMAP) and work on the road commenced.“When we built this road, we had no consultant, no engineer, no bulldozer. We built it with what we call ‘man-dozers’,” Nokta boasted.With the road carved out, a travel to both regions, and the Safari was made possible, taking participants across breathtaking vistas for an unforgettable adventure.Among the highlights of the Safari, participants travel across conglomerate rocks or the ‘diamond’ rocks. Even if they couldn’t see it, the thought of traveling across it lit up eyes and filled hearts with awe.But travelling across mountains is not the only satisfying experience. The ability to observe the local people and their cultures and taking in the beautifully laid out housing is magnificent to behold.These include the village of Tuseneng,Nike Air Max Sale Australia, which consists of stunning cone-shaped, thatch-roof mud houses that have taken on somewhat of a reddish-orange colour. Something else that provided inspiration for the Safarians was the fact that in Tuseneng they speak the Patamona tongue!At Kato, the thatch-roofed benabs set against a backdrop of towering mountains seemingly covered with manicured lawns is the perfect scene for a postcard. Kato holds the distinction of the being the most beautiful Patamona community.The Guyana Oil Company and the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company sponsored the 2009 Safari, while Air Services Limited provided participants with t-shirts and head caps bearing the official logo of the Outing. |
