Eco-lodges of North Rupununi: Rewa, Surama, Rock View

LE FRANÇAIS SUIT…

Last day of work was Friday December 21^st.  The very next day we took a one-hour plus flight to the Northern Rupununi, an area of mountains, savannah, and tropical rainforest in the middle of Guyana.  It was the first time I flew in such a small plane – you can’t stand up and need to avoid other people’s bums in your face as they wiggle down the small aisle to their seat.  But the flight was smooth and easy, much shorter and more comfortable than the 10-hour road trip, which is the alternative.

Guyana is strongly promoting community-based tourism as a way for the local indigenous people to stay in their villages and earn money.  We visited two:  Rewa and Surama.  These eco-lodges are rustic and cater to the adventurous.  They are completely managed and staffed by the local village people.  Surama was the first to be established and is now a model for others.  Surama’s eco-lodge is about 15 minutes from the village of 250 Macushi Amerindians and consists of 4 benabs and a main dining/lounge area.  Each month the staff and management of the lodge rotate with others in the village, so that their individual lives are not too disturbed by the tourism.  Guides have been trained and every tourist is assigned one, even if only for a “village tour”.  Activities are offered:  nature walks, hikes up the mountains, canoe trips on the rivers, fishing, but most especially bird watching.  Surama offers 3-day camping in the jungle and has associated with a tour agency to provide one week jungle survival training (and there are people who actually do this!!!) The food is all locally grown.  Rewa was established about 7 years ago and has just completed 3 new benabs with in-door washrooms/showers.  Rewa is a 2-hr boat ride down the Rupununi River and is the last village (250 people) in that area – isolated!! But villagers live on farming and the tourism.  The eco-lodge manager explained how very difficult it was (and still is) to convince his community to set up and work with tourists.  The people just cannot believe that outsiders would PAY to come and see their way of life, one they take for granted and don’t see as anything special.  Guyana, however, is trying to tap the bird watching and sports-fishing crowd.  It truly is amazing all the birds we see.  Near Rewa, you can find the largest fresh water fish (arapaima) that can be up to 6 feet in length!  The staff of both Surama and Rewa is Macushi Amerindians, extremely friendly, soft-spoken, and knowledgeable.  Any tourist to Guyana should put these eco-lodges on their list, as they need to be supported and encouraged  (and there is no garbage or clogged canals – spotlessly clean!).

Rock View Lodge is privately owned by Colin Edwards and his family.  Colin was a VSO volunteer in 1968 and decided to stay on.  He purchased a run-down ranch on the edge of the savannah and developed it into a lovely eco-lodge, beautifully landscaped (his passion is gardening) and very comfortable, serving excellent food.  It is also a working ranch and produces its own jams, meat, nuts, etc.  He was the first to hire and train the local villagers and has been a strong supporter of tourism for over 40 years.  We learned how cashew nuts are roasted and took a rigorous 5 hrs. hike to see the unique endemic Guyanese Cock-of-the-Rock.  We loved the hike but god, was it HOT and humid in the jungle!!  We waited one hour at the lek (their nesting area) and saw 3 beautiful orange birds (through binoculars).  Our guide, Archer, was a fountain of knowledge and so very very nice.

We loved the savannahs – the open space, the endless sky – quite the change from the tropical forests of northern Guyana.  We loved the peace and quiet of nature, the amazing birds, the weird sounding howler monkeys, the kind Amerindians struggling to adapt to a changing world.  Check out our photos below.

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Rupununi

Quelle chance que le travail de Patricia soit affilié à l’université: 16 jours de congé de Noël pour nous permettre de voyager! Pour la première partie de nos vacances « d’hiver » nous sommes descendus vers le sud du Guyana dans la région des savanes du Rupununi où nous passons 7 jours dans 3 refuges écologiques. Tous les refuges écologiques du Guyana ont la même formule : gérés par la communauté amérindienne, on loge dans de petits ¨cottages¨ en chaume et bois avec lit, toilette et douche; les repas sont préparés pour nous et on nous offre une variété d’excursions toujours accompagné par un guide local. 

Cette fois pas de long et pénible voyage en camionnette : nous avons pris l’avion puis 2 heures de bateau vers notre premier refuge communautaire de Rewa. On est vraiment dans la brousse : pas de route mais que les rivières pour se déplacer. D’énormes caïmans le long des berges, beaucoup de poissons dans ces eaux brunâtres et comme presque partout au Guyana une fantastique variété d’oiseaux tous plus exotiques les uns que les autres. Notre deuxième refuge, Surama, se trouve juste en bordure entre la savane guyanaise et la forêt équatoriale. Quelle belle vue du ciel et des immenses plaines herbeuses : ça change de toujours être entouré de denses forêts équatoriales.  Notre dernier arrêt, Rockview, est plus un centre de villégiature privé qu’un refuge. Très beau terrain aménagé avec une grande variété d’arbres et plantes : intéressant de découvrir la variété de palmiers qui existe au Guyana. Aussi c’est la saison des noix de cashew qui poussent partout dans cette région. On a eu droit à une démonstration complète du séchage et de la cuisson des noix suivi d’une dégustation de cashews fraiches.

our 15-seater - notre petit avion (15 passagers)

a 2-hr boat ride on the Rupununi river to Rewa - 2 heures de bateau sur la rivière Rupununi pour arriver à Rewa

savannah and rain forest & a Rewa house - la savane et la forêt & une maison de Rewa

solar panels provided to all Amerindian villages - panneau solaire fourni par le gouvernement à tous les villages isolés

Rewa Eco-lodge: our benab - le refuge écologique de Rewa: notre logement

Jean-Claude's favorite spot inside the benab - l'endroit favori de Jean-Claude dans le ¨benab¨

Patricia's favorite spot - l'endroit favori de Patricia

breakfast by the Rewa river - le petit déjeuner sur les rives de la rivière Rewa

Our Macushi guide, Ken, in blue.  Why is he laughing?? notre guide Macushi, Ken en bleu.  De quoi rit-il?

Because we are trying to paddle in a dug-out canoe - parce qu'on essait de pagayer un canot indigène

national flower of Guyana: the lily Victoria Amazonica - la fleur national du Guyana: Victoria Amazonica 

at dusk it flowers in 15 minutes - au coucher du soleil la fleur s'ouvre pendant 15 minutes pour la nuit.

Surama Eco-lodge & our guide Aleisha - le refuge de Surima et notre guide Aleisha

the benabs at Surama - notre ¨benab¨à Surama

Look familiar West Coast Canadians?  Surama's totem pole 2012 - Vous reconnaissez ça les  gens de la côte ouest? le Totem de Surama complété en 2012

Surama "house" -maison typique du village de Surama

Surama: reminded us of the Gatineau hills in Ottawa - Suram: ça nous a rapellé les collines de la Gatinau près d'Ottawa

Aleisha and boat captain for our trip down the Borro Borro-saw 6 macaws having a party! -   Aleisha et le capitaine du bateau pour notre voyage sur la rivière Borro-Borro. On a vu un ¨party¨de 6 magnifiques perroquets Macaws!

entrance to Rock View Lodge - l'entré du Centre de villégiature Rockview

view of the savannahs from the lookout - vue de la savane

watch out for falling mangoes! attention aux manges qui tombent!

Rock View is not as rustic as Rewa or Surama! Rockview: pas mal plus comfortable que Rewa et Surama!

the cashew fruit and nut - le cashew et sa noix

inside: note the oily lining - this burns! l'intérieur de la noix: attention l'intérieur huileux est toxique

See what I mean!! une fois chauffé ça s'enflamme!

our Rock View guide, Leslielynn, cracking open a roasted nut - notre guide Lesley qui ouvre une noix rotie

and inside is a delicious cashew nut! à l'intérieur une délicieuse noix de cashew

With our guide Archer on the hike to the lek - en route pour notre randonnée en forêt avec notre guide Archer

the famous Guyanese Cock-of-the-Rock - le fameux oiseau du Guyana: ¨Cock-of-the-Rock¨