MIA Shenanigans

Right...now that I've been "Missing in Action" for nearly two months I figure it's time to sit down and update this blog, ugh! So much happened just before, during the trip to Gtown and Kaieteur Falls with Stefi and Ana I have to gather my energy just to type about it!

The last few days in Karanambu for Stefi and Ana were a lot of fun, extra boat trips, swimming in the river with Bud and Caiman catching!
For one, we 3 finally made it for a weekend to the village of Yupukari and stayed at Caiman House - it was lovely, the set up there is awesome. The first time we tried to all get there for the weekend Stefi because so seriously ill that we thought she malaria (she didn't luckily) and a few days later Ana was also struck down. The weekend that we did finally go Stefi was sick again but determined, even throwing up over the side of the boat on the way wasn't going to stop her!

Upon arrival we were greeted by our usual Caiman House mates Nando, Mike and Jess. We also got to meet one of the owners of C.H, an american woman, Alice. She had heard that we were coming and knew that Stefi was a vet and so presented her with a completely skeletal, emaciated puppy that had be brought to her. Stefi was barely able to sit upright on the couch but thankfully I knew what needed to be done and helped her do it. We gave the pup a small amount of food and then I gave it a few sub-cutaneous injections of saline solution to help rehydrate it (Stefi was passed out in bed by this stage). That was my first encounter with a dog in that poor condition, completely emaciated, could just about see the whole skeleton, it had practically no fur, was swarming in fleas and had a decent collection of ticks too.
WARNING: Following picture may upset some people . . .


It was amazing to see the improvement with each spoonful of food (we fed it a mixture of cooked rice mixed with a bit of powdered milk). By the end of the weekend it was already starting to wander around and act like a bit of a puppy. I haven't seen it in roughly a month but I'm about to head to Yupukari and Caiman House today (28/04) so I will give an update when I get back if it's still there.


One afternoon Stefi and I were down at the river with Buddy and 3 of the boys Denton, Devon and Martin. They were having a ball running about the sanbank and swimming, they also proceeded to show off when we pulled out our cameras by doing forward flips into the river! I was impressed haha because I have no hope of doing that!


Here we have Denton or Devon caught mid flip - they are first cousins but are almost the same age and very very similar looking - more like brothers, and as such I am forever getting them mixed up!

The boys then proceeded to show off one step further by running up to the cliffs above the water pump and leaping off. Stefi and I took one look at each other and simultaneously said "Should we?", after questioning the boys multiple times about whether the water was deep enough for us we decided to go for it. It was hell of a lot of fun and an adrenalin rush! We have some great videos from it but unfortunately the net connection here isn't fast enough so those will have to wait until we meet up for a beer or some cake (I'm distracted with the thoughts of cake because there is a birthday today = cake!). Having my Olympus Tough camera which can get wet was a bonus, especially when I decided to go up to the cliff and take a video of myself leaping off and splashing into the river haha.


Stefi took this for me - it is definitely a favourite photo of mine, talk about Batman Skills on SHAZAAM!

*distracting whislte* I may or may not have just snuck into the kitchen to steal a cookie and peek at the cake cooling on the bench...

There were plenty more shenanigans down at the river such as

playing caiman


and doing the proverbial monkey climbing up this lone, dead, branchless tree


Here I am eating a snack with Bud, Martin is chilling in the background and Denton is being cheeky and mimicking me!


Throwing Martin off my shoulders like dad used to do with us down at the beach :)


Is it a plane? is it a beaver? Can it even fly?


Bel munching on some afternoon tea


Me chilling with ma homey Bud in lockup ;)


That night Stefi, Ana, myself and a few guests went out with the team from Caiman House to go Caiman catching - very cool stuff! The guys caught 2 caimain, the first one was an average sized male and the second would've been quite a catch except he wasn't in very good condition, you could see quite clearly that it was underweight.


Freshly caught caiman using a noose, Ash is taping its snout shut.


Measuring the head. You can see that the caiman has practically no jowls which is an indicator of health and weight. Big crocodilians in their prime and or in zoos will have big jowls and the base of their tail will be nice and plump and fat - these are their two main fat storage areas.


What're you looking at?


Very smooth and quite soft in a way...


Trussed up like a christmas turkey and getting weighed


WHOOSH! and he was out of there!

What a great night with not only Caiman catching but we also had a great gathering with all of the 'home team' as well as the good friends we've made at Caiman House. There was lots of great food, laughs and good times. Group photo time!


From left to right in the back row: Pat, Mike, Ana, Stefi, Jess, Diane, Ash (being a cheeky bugger) and then myself, Fernando and Gerry in the front row.


The next day it was time for fair wells, goodbyes and our 12-13hr bus trip to Georgetown. This was my first "real" bus trip as it were - dirt roads, no suspension, air con is the windows open and the bus zooming along. As "real" bus rides go I am quite aware that despite it's length this one is pretty cruisey. Yes at the end of it my kidneys had been shaken hard enough to create a Shaken Martini for the toughest of tough James Bond fans, my spinal cord was no longer attached to my brain and I had an inch thick coating of dust everywhere and on everything, there were no screaming, crying or vomiting children, no pooping livestock and plenty of seats to go round.


Here is our transport to cross the wide and briskly flowing river


Well I guess it's time to grab a cold coke and pull up a seat for a while...


Trying to catch a few winks - suddenly crashed (as in I was very tired and had a nap - not as in the bus ran off the road - it didn't...thankfully), but it was very hard to nap as before every sharp blind corner the bus driver would lay on the horn to warn any incoming traffic...did I mention the horn was very loud and very shrill...oh and there were A Lot of sharp blind corners on the way to Gtown...

The few days we had in Gtown before and after Kaieteur Falls we spent doing plenty of walking, exploring and gorging on yummy food such as pizza :P We also frequented a bar with our own lunch - corn chips, salsa and a block of cheese. They didn't mind because we were 3 charming young ladies (haha!) who spent hours there drinking many of their beers ;)


Good times at Windies