Getting in Guyana

The Georgetown is Guyana ’s capital city. It was so named after the British conquered the Dutch in 1812. The name originates from Fort St. George which was established at the mouth of the Demerara River as a signal station for the purpose of observing and controlling incoming and outgoing traffic.

Like all capitals, the city is the centre of government administration and a wide range of economic activity. Most of the streets of Georgetown are laid out in almost perfect rectangles, a legacy of our Dutch heritage. This design therefore makes it relatively easy for the stranger in town to wend his/her way around town.

The larger concentration of commercial houses is found ‘downtown’. This area is bounded by Camp Street in the east and by Water Street in the west with Lamaha Street and Brickdam being the northern and southern extremities respectively. There is however, an increasing number of businesses located further east of Camp Street in Regent Street .

BY ROAD
Transportation around the city is provided by privately owned mini buses which operate in allocated zones for which there is a well-regulated fare structure. This arrangement extends to all mini bus routes throughout the country. Taxis have freer movement around the city and into rural areas. Their fare, while generally standard, is less regulated.

The network of routes has a number of identifiable starting points which are concentrated in the Stabroek area and along the Avenue of the Republic between Coral and Robb Streets. Any traffic policeman or regular commuter would willingly direct the newcomer to the relevant ‘car park’. Additionally many public phone booths are conveniently placed in and around the city and the country as a whole. Having a phone card is a great advantage. These can be obtained from most stores or pharmacies or directly from any of GTandT’s Business Offices.

Food and Dining in Guyana

The food in hotels and restaurants reflects the range of influences on Guyanese society. From India came curries - especially mutton, prawn or chicken - and Africa contributed dishes such as foo-foo (plantains made into cakes) and metamgee (dumplings made from cornflour, eddews, yams, cassava and plantains cooked in coconut milk and grated coconut).

Portuguese garlic pork and Amerindian pepperpot are specialties. On the menus of most restaurants you will often find chicken, pork and steak and, most of the time, shrimp.

The best Chinese food in the country can be found in Georgetown. It is best to drink bottled water in Guyana. Local rum, Demerara Rum, is well worth trying, while the local beer is Banks.

Activities of Guyana

Fishing
The rivers and the interior abound in game fish, the best known of which is the man-eating piranha (called locally perai). The most sought after by the sportsman is the lucanni, a fish similar to the large-mouth bass.

Most of the interior rivers are difficult for the more casual visitor to get to, but those who book in advance can reach them by air. Some of the coastal rivers within reach of Georgetown are also good for fishing, although it is wise to stay overnight in the fishing grounds, as the best are four to five hours’ drive from the city. Fishing licenses are required.

Other
Camping treks, hiking and whitewater rafting have become increasingly popular over recent years. Horse riding is available at Manari Ranch in the Rupununi Savannahs.

Cricket and hockey are both popular, and the Bourda is one of the most attractive cricket grounds in the area. Birdwatching is also very good in some parts of the country.

Tourist Attractions in Guyana

Georgetown
The 19th-century wooden houses supported on stilts and charming green boulevards laid out along the lines of the old Dutch canals give the capital a unique character. Some of the more impressive wooden buildings dating from the colonial past include the city hall, St George’s Cathedral, the Law Courts and the State House.

The Botanical Gardens, covering 120 acres (48.6 hectares), have a fine collection of palms, orchids and lotus lilies; nearby is the new Cultural Center, which contains what is probably the best theater in the Caribbean. Also worth visiting are the Natural History Museum, which contains an up-to-date display of all aspects of Guyanese life and culture, and the Walter Roth Anthropological Museum.

Elsewhere
At the junction of the Essequibo and Mazaruni rivers, Bartica is the ‘take-off’ town for the gold and diamond fields, Kaieteur Falls and the rest of the interior. A visit to the Kaieteur Falls in the Kaieteur National Park is particularly recommended; situated on the Potaro River, it ranks with Iquazu, Niagara and Victoria in majesty and beauty.

There are numerous beaches in Guyana; these include Almond Beach, Shell Beach, No 63 Beach and Saxacalli Beach. There are rainforests in Iwokrama with a Canopy Walkway and the Pakaraima mountains.

Surama, set in savannah surrounded by forest-covered mountains, is home to the Amerindian community of the Macushi tribe, which welcomes tourists. Rupununi is the oasis in the desert with the Rockview Nature Resort and the ranches of North and South Rupunini, Karanambo and Dadanawa.

Shopping in Guyana

Hibiscus Plaza outside the Post Office in Georgetown has a wide variety of local arts and crafts including straw hats, baskets, clay goblets and jewelry. Other shops sell Amerindian bows and arrows, hammocks, pottery and salad bowls. Government-run shops sell magnificent jewelry, utilizing local gold, silver, precious and semi-precious stones.

Prices are very reasonable for the quality of the goods. It is absolutely essential to ensure that receipts and correct documentation are retained, otherwise visitors may experience difficulty when clearing customs.

Shopping hours:Mon-Fri 0800-1200 and 1300-1630, Sat 0800-1200.

Currency Information:

Currency:
Guyanese Dollar (GUSD ) = 100 cents. Notes are in denominations of GUSD 1000, 500, 100 and 20. Coins are in denominations of GUSD 10, 5 and 1. US Dollars are widely accepted throughout Guyana.

Currency exchange:
Banks offer exchange facilities. Bureaux de change offer free conversion of currencies.

Credit and debit cards:
American Express, Diners Club, MasterCard and Visa enjoy limited acceptance (eg at certain hotels and shops). Check with your credit or debit card company for details of merchant acceptability and other services which may be available.

Travelers cheques:
Accepted but not recommended for those who may wish to change money in a hurry. To avoid additional exchange rate charges, travelers are advised to take travelers cheques in US Dollars.

Currency restrictions:
The import and export of local currency is limited to GUSD 200. The import of foreign currency is unlimited, provided declared in writing on arrival. The export of foreign currency is limited to the amount imported and declared. The Guyanese Dollar is not negotiable abroad.

Exchange rate indicators:
The following figures are included as a guide to the movements of the Guyanese Dollar against Sterling and the US Dollar

Banking hours:
Mon-Fri 0800-1430; some banks stay open later on a Friday afternoon.

Georgetown, estimated population 250,000 (1998), is the capital and largest city of Guyana, located in the Demerara-Mahaica region. It is situated on the Atlantic coast at the mouth of the Demerara River and is nicknamed ‘Garden City of the Caribbean.’ Georgetown is located at 6°50′ North, 58°12′ West (6.8333, -58.2).

History

Georgetown was originally called Stabroek when the Dutch controlled the region. The settlement gained permanence during a period of French control when the first paved street, Brickdam, was built. It was renamed Georgetown in 1812 in honour of King George III, after the British occupied the colony during the Napoleonic Wars, and gained official city status on Aug 24, 1842 during the reign of Queen Victoria. In 1945 a large fire (The Great Fire) broke out in the city causing widespread damage.

The Capital City

Georgetown is the seat of the central Government of Guyana. All Executive Departments are located in the city. Parliamnent, Guyana’s Legislative Building, is also found in Georgetown and so is the Court of Appeals, Guyana’s highest judicial court. The Official residence of the Head of State as well as the Head of Government are both located in Guyana’s only city.

Economy

Demerara sugar, timber, bauxite, gold, and diamonds are exported through Georgetown’s harbour. List of businesses headquartered in Georgetown:

Bank of Guyana Western Union Guyana LTD Grace Kennedy Remmitence Service Money Gram Guyana Scotia Bank Guyana KFC Laparkan Group of Companies Gafoors Group of Companies Sprint 151 Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company Guyana Power and Light Guyana Water Inc Guyana Net U-Mobile St.Joseph’s Mercy Hospital KPMG Guyana National Milling Company of Guyana Le Mederian Pegausas Hotel The Tower Hotel Courts Guyana LTD Guyana Stores John Lewis Styles Giftland National Communications Network British Sky Broadcasting (Sky TV)

Politics

Executive- Georgetown is politically governed by a Mayor. The Mayor’s office inculdes several supporting agencies and divisions including the offices of the Deputy Mayor, City Clerk and City Engineer. The Mayor’s office also supervises the city counstables, who are city police with special duties. The current mayor of Georgetown is former cabinet minister Hamilton Green.

Legislative- The City Counsil is the legislative branch of the city government.

Performing Arts

Georgetown’s theather scene is dominantly concentrated on the stages the National Cultural Ceneter.

Points of Interest

Georgetown is laid out in a N-S, E-W grid, interlaced with canals protected by kokers built by the Dutch and later the British that provide drainage to a city that lies 13 feet below high-tide level. A long sea wall helps prevent flooding. The city has an abundance of tree-lined streets and avenues and contains many wooden colonial buildings and markets.

Most of the main buildings are centred around the western region of the town. Around the western-central area is Independence Square and Promenade Gardens, the Walter Roth Museum of Anthropology, the National Library (built by Andrew Carnegie), the Bank of Guyana, the Museum of Guyana and State House (built 1852) where the President resides, and St. George’s Anglican Cathedral. St. George’s was built out of wood to designs by Sir Arthur Bromfield and was completed in 1899. It is 44 meters high and is generally regarded as the tallest wooden church in the world. A large chandelier, a gift from Queen Victoria hangs prominently within. There are many churches, mosques and mandirs in Georgetown.

To the south of this region is where the neo-Gothic Town Hall (1889) is to be found, as well as Victoria Law Courts (1887), Parliament Building, the large Stabroek Market (1792) containing the prominent cast-iron clock tower that dominates the city sky line, the Roman Catholic Cathedral, City Engineer House, the Magistrate’s Court, St. Andrew’s Kirk (18th century) and Independence Arch.

The northern area of the city near the Atlantic coast contains Fort William Frederick, a park and the Umana Yana, a conical thatched building built by Wai-Wai Amerindians using traditional techniques. It was built for the 1972 Non-Aligned Foreign Ministers Conference.

Georgetown is the seat of the University of Georgetown and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretariat. The University of Guyana is located in Turkeyen, on the city’s outskirts.

City Neighourhoods

Georgwtown is also the entertainment capital of the country. Sheriff street is known for its energetic night life and modern night clubs. It is said to be the Time Square of the city. Georgetown also contains some of the most expensive and luxerous neighbourhoods. Bel Air, Bel Air Park, Bel Air Gardens and Bel Air Springs are well known as places for the rich and powerful. Most residents here are high ranking executives or government officials. The close gated neighbourhoods of the city are mostly concentrated in the northeastern part towards Greather Georgetown and the Atlantic.

Music of Guyana

Guyana is a South American country whose musical traditions are a mix of Indian, African, European and native elements. Important American, Caribbean, Brazilian and other Latin musical styles are popular. Popular Guyanese performers include Terry Gajraj, Mark Holder, Eddy Grant, Dave Martins and the Tradewinds, Aubrey Cummings and Nicky Porter. The Guyana Music Festival has proven an influential part of the scene.

Popular music

The first half of the 20th century saw a number of popular Guyanese dance bands, including the BG Musicians Band, Harry Banks Orchestra, Al Seales and His Washboard Swing Orchestra, Bert Rogers and His Aristocrats Dance Orchestra and Mr. Gouveia’s Orchestra.

By the 1960s, these big bands with prominent horns, woodwinds and other instruments became less popular in favor of a wave of string bands. These included Bumble and the Saints, Sid and the Slickers, Bing Serrao and the Ramblers, Combo 7, Rhythmaires, Dominators, Curtis MG’s, Rudy and the Roosters, Yoruba Singers, Little Jones, Mischievous Guys, Cannonballs, and the Telstars.

Bumble and the Saints, led by Bumble Wharton, was perhaps the most influential group in this shift. By the end of the decade, new instruments like box guitars (introduced by Bing Serrao and the Ramblers) had taken over, while heavy guitar work by the Rhythmaires and Combo 7’s complex drum solos proved influential.

Calypso

Calypso is especially popular in Guyana, and is imported from Trinidad, which also produced chutney music. Calypso is satirical and lyrically-oriented, often performed during celebrations like Mashramani, while chutney is performed at private events, usually with lyrics in English and/or Hindi.

Indian music arrived with immigrants from South Asia. This originally included folk music played with dhantal, tabla, sitar, harmonium and dholak, later including tassa drums. Music was mostly Hindu songs called bhajans, as well as filmi. The tan singing style is unique to the Indian community in Guyana and Suriname.

Popular Indo-Caribbean music began with the Surinamese star Ramdeo Chaitoe in the late 1950s, and accelerated with that country’s Dropati and, later, Trinidad’s Sundar Popo. It was not until the late 1970s, however, that Nisha Benjamin, the first major Indo-Guyanese performer, began releasing hits like “O’Maninga”. She often addressed political issues, like the oppression of the Indian community by Forbes Burnham’s People’s National Congress.

Rick Ramdehal

THE VOCALIST

Rick has always been meticulous about his vocal training, approaching his voice as a delicate instrument and subscribing to consistent and disciplined methods of practice. His vocal repertoire includes, bhajans, taan singing, soca, reggae, Indian pop, chutney, and mainstream pop and rock. From this wide range of styles, it is easy to see how Rick’s new sound has been labeled “fusion”.

Rick has been praised on numerous occasions on the great range and smooth texture of his voice. It has an infectious quality that, as described by one critic, “leaves his listeners longing for more.”

Foreign relations of Guyana

After independence in 1966, Guyana sought an influential role in international affairs, particularly among Third World and nonaligned nations. It served twice on the UN Security Council (1975-76 and 1982-83). Former Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister, and Attorney General Mohamed Shahabuddeen served a 9-year term on the International Court of Justice (1987-96).

Guyana has diplomatic relations with a wide range of nations. The European Union (EU), the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the UN Development Programme (UNDP), the World Health Organization (WHO), and the Organization of American States (OAS) have offices in Georgetown.

Guyana strongly supports the concept of regional integration. It played an important role in the founding of the Caribbean Community and Common Market (CARICOM), but its status as the organization’s poorest member limits its ability to exert leadership in regional activities.

Guyana has sought to keep foreign policy in close alignment with the consensus of CARICOM members, especially in voting in the UN, OAS, and other international organizations. In 1993, Guyana ratified the 1988 Vienna Convention on illicit traffic in narcotic drugs and cooperates with U.S. law enforcement agencies on counternarcotics efforts.

Two neighbours have longstanding territorial disputes with Guyana. Since the 19th century, Venezuela has claimed all of Guyana west of the Essequibo River — 62% of Guyana’s territory. At a meeting in Geneva in 1966, the two countries agreed to receive recommendations from a representative of the UN Secretary General on ways to settle the dispute peacefully.

Diplomatic contacts between the two countries and the Secretary General’s representative continue. Neighbouring Suriname also claims the territory east of Guyana’s New River, a largely uninhabited area of some 15,000 square kilometres (6,000 square miles) in southeast Guyana.

Guyana and Suriname also dispute their offshore maritime boundaries. This dispute flared up in June 2000 in response to an effort by a Canadian company to drill for oil under a Guyanese concession. Guyana regards its legal title to all of its territory as sound.

Disputes - international: all of the area west of the Essequibo River claimed by Venezuela; Suriname claims area east of the New (Upper Courantyne)
See also : Guyana, Courantyne/Kutari [Koetari] Rivers (all headwaters of the Courantyne)

Illicit drugs: transshipment point for narcotics from South America - primarily Venezuela - to Europe and the United States; producer of cannabis

Ecology and World Heritage Site status

Countries interested in the conservation and protection of natural and cultural heritage sites of the world accede to the Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage that was adopted by UNESCO in 1972. Guyana is no exception, and signed the treaty in 1977. In fact, Guyana was the first Caribbean State Party to sign the treaty.

Sometime in the latter half of the mid-1990s Guyana seriously began the process of selecting sites for World Heritage nomination and three sites were considered: Kaieteur National Park, Shell Beach and Historic Georgetown. By 1997, work on Kaieteur National Park was started and in 1998 work on Historic Georgetown was begun. To date, however, Guyana has not made a successful nomination.

In 2000(?) Guyana submitted the Kaieteur National Park, including the Kaieteur Falls, to UNESCO as its first World Heritage Site nomination. The proposed area and surrounds have some of Guyana’s most diversified life zones with one of the highest levels of endemic species found anywhere in South America.

The Kaieteur Falls is the most spectacular feature of the park falling a distance of 226 m and exceeding the height of Niagara Falls (USA/Canada) five times. Unfortunately, the nomination of Kaieteur Park as a World Heritage Site was not successful, primarily because the area was seen by the evaluators as being too small, especially when compared with the Central Suriname Nature Reserve that had just been nominated as a World Heritage Site (2000). The dossier was thus returned to Guyana for revision.

Guyana continues in its bid for a World Heritage Site. Work continues, after a period of hiatus, on the nomination dossier for Historic Georgetown - a Tentative List indicating Historic Georgetown as being put forward for nomination was submitted to UNESCO in December 2004.

There is now a small committee put together by the Guyana National Commission for UNESCO to complete the nomination dossier and the management plan for the site. Recently, in April 2005, two Dutch experts in Conservation spent two weeks in Georgetown supervising Architecture staff and students of the University of Guyana in a historic building survey of the selected area. This is part of the data collection for the nomination dossier. It is expected that the completed nomination document will be submitted in 2006.

Meanwhile, as a result of the Kaieteur National Park being considered too small, there is a proposal to prepare a nomination for a Cluster Site that will include the Kaieteur National Park, the Iwokrama Rain Forest and the Kanuku Mountains. The Iwokrama Forest, an area rich in biological diversity, has been described by Major General (Rtd) Joseph Singh as “a flagship project for conservation.” The Kanuku Mountains area is in a pristine state, and is home to more than 400 birds and animals. These three sites together, we feel, more than adequately meet the requirements of exceptional natural beauty and biological diversity, as well as the requirements of size and integrity, for a successful nomination.

There is much work to be done for the successful nomination of these sites to the World Heritage List. The State, the private sector and the ordinary Guyanese each have a role to play in this process and in the later protection of the sites. Inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage will open Guyana to more serious tourists thereby assisting in its economic development.

Guyana exhibits two of the WWF’s Global 200 ecoregions most crucial to the conservation of global biodiversity, Guianan moist forests and Guyana Highlands moist forests and is home to several endemic species including the tropical hardwood Greenheart (Chlorocardium rodiei).

Culture of Guyana

Guyana’s culture is very similar to that of the English-speaking Caribbean. It is so similar that Guyana is included and accepted as a Caribbean Nation. Only its geographical location differentiates it from the rest of the English speaking Caribbean countries.

Guyana shares similar interests with the islands in the West Indies, such as food, festive events, music, sports, etc. Guyana plays international cricket as a part of the West Indies cricket team, and the Guyana team plays first class cricket against other nations of the Caribbean.

For Guyanese writers see Literature of Guyana.

Cultural events in Guyana
Mashramani (Mash)
Phagwah (Holi)
Deepavali (Diwali)

The major religion in Guyana is Christianity, accounting for approx. 48% of the population. Hindus make up approx. 36%, while Muslims account for 12% of the population. The rest of the population is split into a number of other religious groups.

Sports in Guyana The major sports in Guyana are cricket, Softball cricket (beach cricket) and football. The minor sports in Guyana are netball, rounders, lawn tennis, basketball, table tennis, boxing, and a few others.

Languages English (official language), Amerindian dialects (see Cariban languages), Creole, Hindi, Urdu.

The Culture of the South American nation, Guyana, is very similar to that of the English speaking Caribbean. It is so similar that Guyana is included and accepted as a Caribbean Nation. Only its geographical location separates it from the rest of the English speaking Caribbean. Guyana shares similar interests with these islands in the West Indies, such as food, festive events, music, sports, etc.

Cultural events in Guyana
Mashramani
Pagwa
Deepavali (Diwali)
Folk Festival

Sports in Guyana

The major sports in Guyana are Cricket, Softball Cricket (Beach Cricket) and Football (Soccer). The minor sports in Guyana are netball, rounders, lawn tennis, basketball, table tennis, boxing, and a few others.