The bus trip - 1/7/11

Hey, I added two voices to Guyanese voices.

First let me say that the bus trip was worth it.

But, laud it was something. I arrive at the bus stop to find a number of people waiting. It wasn't until I was on the bus and Polly came to say goodbye and she looked at the back of the bus and said, "but weh deh toilet?" My heart dropped. That was my one fear, no toilet on a 14 hour bus trip. But, yes, there was no toilet. The driver explained that the rough ride on the red sand road did not allow for a toilet or AC on the bus. I had nightmares of being the only one making the driver stop a million times along the way or wetting my pants. I could not run so I gritted my teeth and thought of other things.

I completed the first challenge - one and a half hours to Linden. I started to breathe easier. I figured I could handle the other challenges. Next one was two and a half hours.

Okay, so I failed, but so did others and I realized, like the driver said, they do stop. My camping days came back quickly. As I was returning from my first outdoor experience the driver asked me how did I find my first forest experience::)) Yes, again, the Guyanese bus drivers were friendly and helpful. They were from Lethem and one young man told me that I could walk the bridge and stroll in Brazil without a visa.

Other things to remember when traveling in this camp kind of way. I needed to have toilet paper and hand wipes. Thankfully I kept lots of paper napkins. There were a few places where they came in handy.

Dem Guyanese drivers does pelt yuh hear. And, deh bus big. I don't know how dey does do it. We pelt down deh road pickin' up people, blowin' horns for hello, stoppin' here and there for a quick bus driver to bus driver gaff. And, all the time there was the Guyanese breeze and a kind of relaxing quiet in the dark.

We stopped for a while to wait for the ferry to cross the Essequibo and I watched where the drivers went and followed and I had a great fish soup with cassava bread.

Second, Lethem takes no credit cards or debit cards.