By Desiree Kissoon
The many pictures of the beautiful vacation spots in Guyana, as seen on social media, make one long to visit to enjoy and relax, but, alas, it belies the hassle of getting to some of those places.
For the long Emancipation Day weekend, myself and relatives, who included two toddlers, set out for the Essequibo Coast to visit other relatives and to spend Sunday at Lake Mainstay. The kids were excited as we drove to Parika on Friday evening, aiming to get the early morning ferry the next day. Here we were thinking that since it was only 8 o’ clock in the night, our vehicle would be if not at the front, close to it.
We were in for a rude awakening, my nephew went to book his vehicle and when he came back and told us he had number 258 we were in shock. We were told that one boat was working, and was operating ‘touch and go’. Well some words have different meanings depending on where you are, I thought touch and go meant, they were not sure about the boat. However, I soon learnt that it meant that as soon as the boat docked, and it had discharged its vehicles and passengers it would come right back. We were also told that the second ferry the MV Sabanto was out of operation, because it would be used for a boat cruise on Monday. I don’t know if this information was accurate, but while returning to Parika on Monday, we saw people having a rocking good time on the MV Sabanto, which was cruising on the Essequibo River. That bit of information annoyed me, because I don’t understand why the MV Sabanto was not put into operation to relieve the suffering of the many people who had gathered at Parika on Friday and Saturday.
Our much anticipated trip was fast becoming a nightmare since we were not given any assurance that we would be able to get on the boat that was leaving Friday night, or the one planned for 8 o clock the next morning. The enthusiasm was waning when at around midnight, the kids started crying. My nephew decided to rent a hotel room for a few hours so his kids could have a bath and get some sleep. I was happy with this decision, since I am not as young as I used to be and I was tired. With the car booked, we went looking for a hotel room and could only find a ‘rinky-dink’ place with two small beds, a small bathroom, a 118-pound me could barely fit into, for $20,000. I felt sorry for my 180-lb nephew.
Before long we were back at Parika at 4 o clock in the morning and saw utter confusion, as vehicles just parked wherever they could find a place. And the touts were out! I heard one driver offer a person $6000 to ensure they got on the boat and the tout replied ‘big man you ain’t talking money yet.” I am not saying that people were able to get on the boat by bribing anyone, but the situation was ripe for such to happen. It was total confusion at the Parika Stelling on Saturday morning, vehicles and passengers coming in from Supenaam, had a difficult time getting through. Police finally turned up and regulated the traffic. At around 2 pm on Saturday, much to our relief, we were able to get on the boat to Supenaam. By the way, I didn’t mind paying the $100 to use the bathroom, but was a little put off when told that I had to fill the bucket and flush it myself. I mean, if I am paying to use it, it should flush on its own.
My problem is, there was no forward thinking by the Transport and Harbours Department (T&HD), which is responsible for the operations of the ferries. They must have known that the long holiday weekend would result in a significant increase in vehicles wishing to cross the river to get on the coast. They should plan ahead and not put a boat out of commission for a one-day cruise. They should have done on Saturday, what they did on Monday, when they brought the MV Makouria to assist.
By the time I got to my relatives’ home, the delicious pepper pot my Aunt Savitri prepared for us was cold, but we had it for an early dinner.
Now I don’t want to sound like a whiner, (but maybe I am), the drive to Lake Mainstay on Sunday, could have been a bit more comfortable, if the road was fixed. There were too many holes in parts of the road. Some parts were so bad, someone with a sense of humour put small coconut trees in the holes. I maybe be griping, but there were so many people that traversed that road on Saturday and Sunday on their way to the Mainstay Lake Resort. If the government is serious about tourism, then they should develop the infrastructure needed to boost it. Lake Mainstay was beautiful, and we had a great time there, I just wish it wasn’t such a hassle to get there. Seeing the beautiful blue skies reflected on the lake rendering it blue, was very soothing. It was back to reality with the return drive.
I was told by an executive from the Ministry of Public Works, the access road leading to the Mainstay/Whyaka community is slated for rehabilitation as part of major road works planned for Essequibo.
I hope this is so, and the ferry service more organized the next time I visit beautiful Essequibo and the Mainstay Lake Resort.
