Bartika

The next morning I went out back to Akavini Charity, which are usually organized on Monday market days. I must say that for Guyana the concept of "market" is better not to build a big illusion, as it is in no way akin to the Middle East or Asian bazaar and even the African market. Sold all the same thing as usual (for example, some markets Burda and Stabruk in Georgetown), but affects the number of tables, the dismantling not only of food and necessary things, but all the junk, loud music and crowds of people, this is not peculiar to Charity quiet on Sunday, and as they say local, the other days. In the evening, in connection with chtov September is a month of Indian Crown, were declared by traditional Indian dances, but to me, unfortunately, could not see, as the move was coming back to Supenaam, and thence to Bartik.

Taking a car with two black ladies in colorful fellow travelers, I went back through the paddy fields and neat little houses to Supenaamskogo Stelling. We had to cross back through the straits between the islands on Essekeybo in a wig, and from there take a boat to Bartik. Make it better be before dark for safety reasons, so we went to Supenaama direct non-stop.

Reaching the Supenaama, I happily sank the boat in a wig, and after 50 minutes already searched the boat for Bartik. She was on the other side of a bridge pier. It should be noted that the boat Bartik more on capacity than those who go to the islands and in Supenaam + with a roof and floor of the rain on the sides.

The path from Wigs to Bartik takes 1 hour (boat - $ 2,000 place), but the shakes and shakes much more than if cross Essekeybo across to Supenaama. Waves of higher spray more, throws hard, so travel is not for the faint of heart. Fortunately for us, we sailed through a storm in Bartik and rain, causing even more rocking. Bartik town situated at the confluence of three rivers - Essekeybo, Mazaruni and Kuyuni. Essekeybo originated on the border with Brazil, in the south of Guyana, a place of residence of the Indians Wai Wai (Wai Wai), and is the third-longest river in South America after the Amazon and Paraná.

Moreover, we can say that Essekeybo in some sense a continuation of the Amazon, as in the rainy season through the savannah Rupununi (Region 9, Guyana border with Brazil) is connected to the Amazon Essekeybo and finds another way out into the Atlantic. Mazuruni has its origins in the jungles of western Guyana, and the river is partially Kuyuni demarkatorom borders Venezuela and Guyana.

Bartik word in the translation from one dialect of Arawak language means "Red Earth", which clearly can be seen by looking at the ground on the Mazaruni and the coast Kuyuni. The first settlers, with which the Dutch were originally called the place Frayheyd Plantation (translated from the Dutch "Freedom"), but that name has lived long and was replaced by Bartik. The city itself is small and situated on a triangular promontory - 7 and 9 Avenue street perpendicular to each other. Strongly felt, the Brazilian influence - less typical Guyanese homes, typical of Georgetown, New Amsterdam and a wig, more homes are inherent rural Brazil, Brazilian restaurants everywhere, the Portuguese speech, the inscription in Portuguese, stores that buy gold.

It is here, from Bartik and then driving around here is sent back to the miners, Issa, and other Kurupung mining sites on rivers and Mazaruni Kuyuni. The purpose of my visit to Bartik was Mazaruni river rafting and visiting the Marshall and the Marshall Falls rapids. The guidebook indicated that tours are offered and organized at the Platinum Inn, which is located immediately on leaving the dock. However, having come to the hotel and booked a room on the day (air conditioning, bath / shower, security, wireless Internet, free breakfast, as the downstairs restaurant - $ 8,000), I discovered that, contrary to the written, do not organize tours. After that walked around the city, returned to the hotel and began to think what to do next.

The first idea was to leave the next morning in a wig, and thence to Georgetown, but the desire to realize the planned zudilo somewhere deep in the brain, so the late afternoon, departing from rolling when moving through Essekeybo, I gained another recommended guide number - a number Captain Balkarrana, which, as noted, also organized a trip to the Mazaruni. Surprisingly, but thankfully, or luck, the captain heard me and agreed on the following morning to arrange rafting on Mazaruni. We agreed to leave the boat at eight o'clock, after which the rest of the evening was spent in the wireless Internet, which by the way drove surprisingly fast for a stunning Brazilian pop music from a nearby bar.