Patricia says good-bye to Guyana

Good-bye Guyana! (Jean-Claude affichera son au revoir plus tard pour nos lecteurs francais)

Dear Readers, 

This is the final installment to be posted on this blog in English.  Jean-Claude is too busy right now; he'll post within a week. Saturday, May 18 2013 we leave Guyana for good. First we head to Martinique for some Rest and Relaxation where the food and wine are French and excellent.  Then home to my sister's in Ontario on May 26th.

It has been a wonderful eleven months, enriching, educational, challenging.  Not always easy, not always pleasant, but certainly always worthwhile.  Volunteering with an organisation like Cuso International broadens your perspective, enlarges your worldview, allows you to learn and contribute while being well supported by an infrastructure that gives you accommodations, health insurance, a stipend, and in-country support.  What I appreciate the most is that Cuso International has NO AGE DISCRIMINATION.  They now offer more short-term assignments (3 to 6 months) suitable for retired people or mid-career people who can take a short-term leave.  I’d encourage anyone who is adventurous and resilient to try this experience.

Unfortunately there will be no photos to accompany this post as our iPhoto has got a bug!  We were able to save the one below – our good-bye lunch with my colleagues at Distance Education.  To my right is Barbara, the Head of Department, then Santosh and Donna, the two adm staff Jean-Claude is tutoring.  We are at the New Thriving Chinese Restaurant in downtown Georgetown.  (Note what's behind motorbike.)

I am happy to be leaving.  I have had interesting work, traveled throughout Guyana, met great people.  But the continuous never-ending heat is like a straw draining my energy.  I want to return to being active in the daytime instead of wiped-out on the sofa or in an A/C office until the sun goes down.  But I will miss:

1. My Guyanese friend, Shalini.  She took me under her wing and showed me nightlife in Georgetown.  We visited all the clubs and danced, danced, danced!  She has a wonderful sense of humour!  Thanks for your friendship, Shalini!
2. Mohan, Santosh, Donna, and all the other Guyanese we have met, even our unusual landlady Janet.  Each of them gave us a glimpse of the reality of living in Guyana.
3. The interesting adventurous eccentric out-of-the-usual Cuso volunteers.  It was nice to meet people like us, who share our interests. 
4. The warm tropical breeze when the sun is gone.  It is wonderful to just step outside, no boots, coats, hats, gloves to put on!!  It is wonderful to sit outside in the evening and feel the luscious warmth.  Daytime is another matter! 
5. The great variety and density of trees, flowers and birds in Guyana.  Wow!  I love the trees – the swaying coconut palms, the huge perfectly shaped mango trees and all the others I don’t have names for.  We have seen such a variety of beautiful birds, large and small.  The same with the flowers. 
6. There is colour in Guyana all year round.  Winter in Canada is white, gray, brown.  Here it is colour, colour, colour – even in the people!
7. The wildness of Guyana – the kilometres and kilometres of untouched tropical forest and then of the savannah.  The many wide long rivers that flow from the Amazon Basin into the Atlantic. Kaieteur Falls in all its splendour, untouched!  Dadawana ranch straight out of the 1920s.  Few people, gorgeous landscapes.
8. The friendly chatty taxi drivers. (and the cheap fares - $1.50 to $2.00 Cdn anywhere in the city)
9. The cheap mini-buses (80cents) packed with people..the only form of public transport apart from taxis.  
10. The energetic chaos of the markets.  Friendly, welcoming people with ready smiles and quick to laugh.

So, dear Readers, thanks for taking this journey with us.   Patricia