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| Cassie's house |
So, I just spent the 19 amazing days in Wowetta, Annai, North Rupununi, Region 9 (I live in near Rose Hall, Region 6). It is an amazing place. I felt like I was in another country! The reason for my visit was to collaborate with another Volunteer on a week long camp for girls in the village. The first weekend I used to adjust to life in the bush, bond with Cassie's host family and just enjoy the area. As it turned out there was a football game (that's soccer by the way) happening in Surama. Surama is another village in Annai but is quite far away- we had to ride in a trailer pulled by a tractor. We were so cramped that I couldn’t see anything but the people squished around me. Oh yeah...and it was raining, so there was a tarp over all of us. Good times. After about an hour we made it and enjoyed the rest of the day. The football game was fun, but the best part was the food. I had the most delicious bbq chicken ever and homemade corn wine.
White I was there I also ate corn porage, beans and farine, laba (!), casava bread, homemade bread, instant coffee, hot coco and so so much more! I bathed and washed clothes in a bash (pool of running water from the bush) which was about 1/2 mile from the house. Limed with the 18 members of Cassie's family over the weekend and the first week and planned for the Girls' Gathering. I washed wares (dishes) out of a bucket, went to bed with the sun, got up with the sun, told time by the sun, spend SO much time with the kids, watched an old man weave fans, baskets, matapis and other fancy things. I learned the entire casava process and even drank the local "strong drink" made from casava. I had my hair braided by a local and taught a few horseback riding lessons. I had a roach crawl out of my shorts AFTER I put them on, bats in the thatched roof, HUGE spiders everywhere, fish in the bash, bitrish on my belly and other random bugs. Oh yeah, AND MOSQUITOES!!! I was able to share a bit about American culture and learned SO MUCH about Amerindian culture.
The second week was amazing. The girls LOVED the gathering that we held. We had tremendous community support and involvement! It was great to see such a small village (600 people) come together for the girls. We did self esteem games, exercises, had speakers from the community and a local counterpart to assist every day. We made nut butter oatmeal cookies on Thursday. Then on Friday we walked an hour out to the BIG bash to swim and fish. We roasted and ate the fish we caught on a fire next to the road. It was great! (I caught and ate 2 tiny fish.)
So the day I had to leave was pretty sad. I said goodbye to the entire family and arranged transportation and headed off to the airstrip (40 minute ride)...only to be informed that there was no flight that day. OK, well luckily the internet worked so they were able to coordinate a pickup with the airline. So I said goodbye to Cassie and headed to the departure benab. I could hear the plane descending, then coming in to land OH wait NOPE. The pilot didn't touch down. OK, well maybe he overshot it...NOPE. He circled 4 times and never landed. The airline employee (also the Post Office worker) said that the plane would not be coming back that day. I was out of cash to arrange another ride back to Wowetta and Cassie already had a second passenger on her bicycle, so I made the decision to stay the night at the AMAZING resort at Rock View (because I could use my debit card). After a great swim in the pool, a cold refreshing shower, and 32 ounces of COLD water I limed in the hammock for the afternoon. Oh by the way, I still didn't have conformation that I would be on the next day's flight. Eh no sweat, this is Rock View. So The next morning I was informed that I would be on the afternoon flight AND a guide was available to take me on a hike of the mountain. (I had asked about 10 people to go on a hike while I was staying in Wowetta, but no one wanted to go.) YAY So after a morning swim I grabbed some water and set off to hike an awesome mountain. It was A-MA-ZING!!! AND when I got back I was informed that my room was paid for by the airline becuase it was their fault the plane didn't land. OH I never said why...haha there was a DONKEY on the airstrip who slipped through a hole in the fence. HA.
Luckily the plane landed on Tuesday and I was able to hop aboard (they didn't shut down the engine on the Cessna Caravan). I had to climb behind the pilot. We stopped in Lethem to unload passengers and pick up more. I was offered right seat in the cockpit-HECK YES, THANK YOU. It was great!
So the next day I made it home to Region 6 and met my new puppy...YES I have a puppy! I will write about her just now. :) In the meantime, here are some pictures from my trip
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| View from the flight in. |
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| Tally. |
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| The kids helped to make bread...they actually started the fire. |
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| My sleeping quarters-I slept on the mattress Cassie always sleeps in her hammock. |
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| The airstrip. |
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| "Walking" trees |
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| My favorite flower!!! |
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| It looks brown, but the water is really clean. |
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| The bash where we bathed and did laundry. |
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Also where I sunbathed :) |
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| Scorpion in the water bucket int he kitchen. |
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| Fresh ginger picked just for me. |
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| Fun at the bash. |
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| Getting checked for louse by Tally. |
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| Fun at the big bash with the girls. |
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View from the top of the 700' mountain I climbed.
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More pictures are on my bookface page! :) More to come just now about my puppy and my house!
