Dear Editor,
The ferry service to the Essequibo Coast is a nightmare. A car has to be at the stelling from as early as noon one day for the next morning’s ferry. This still does not guarantee you a space on the boat. If you don’t get to go, the next ferry is on the following morning. It is very frustrating and sheer punishment, especially if you’re travelling with your family. This situation is causing
Essequibo to stagnate, and discourages anyone who may want to visit relatives, or do business − or even tourists.
The government wants to construct airstrips at Wakenaam and Leguan, but I would like some of the big ones to take a trip on this ferry and see for themselves how distressing it is. Essequibo has two airstrips, but how many people use them? A trip to the Essequibo Coast and back with a car takes about a week! The newspapers should send reporters to see the large number of vehicles and disgruntled drivers that are left each day. After all, Essequibo is part of Guyana, and at least we should have a reliable and up-to-date ferry service to connect us to the rest of Guyana. Essequibians have been silent for too long on this scourge to our region.
Yours faithfully,
M.S. Baksh
When I was a boy I became curious about the Essequibo ferry after reading the book “Three Singles to Adventure”. We took a school trip on the Essequibo ferry and the book came to life. It is an unforgetable experience. I left Guyana after high school and returned 30 years later to relive my childhood experience on the Essequibo ferry. It was very much the same save and except that the ship’s canteen and bathrooms were disgusting. Afer 40 years the Essequibo ferry remained trapped in the past. It is the ferry service that time has forgotten. However I did enjoy the trip. I looked for an iguana on the mangrove branches but didn’t see any.
I’m still waiting to hear when the new two-ferry stelling at Aurora will open. I saw the construction when I was there late 2007 and thought that by now the dual ferries woud have been operational.
With very short dry docking time,old boats over 50 years(interational boat lifespan limit), it is a wonder the boat hasn’t sunk yet.What other nightmare are you talking about?
Why are we complaining?
Essequibo is the lost world. It’s been like that for eaons. And you’d think that since 1992 things will change. Yet we continue to vote for our own disaster. Come the next elections, everything will not matter – except race.
Then we’ll celebrate again. And continue to complain – again!
U got it Ghostie. U got it right there.
Two singles to Adventure. The President and the Prime Minister should travel to Essequibo using the ferry service. Few years back I had the horrifying experience to get on the Service with the taxi I hired to attend a funeral on my return journey to the East Coast. Please Mr. Prez we need new boats for the Essequibians. Do something quickly. The progress of Essuquibo is the progress of Guyana too.
most essequibians don’t travel on the ferry. they travel in speedboats. it takes forty five minutes from parika to essequibo.
Things are going on there as if in the times of Sir Walter Raliegh. Around 1500.