$100 to ride the bus?!

I have been writing a lot of long emails to people, then I remembered that I have this blog and writing out all my info once to everyone is a lot easier.

So orientation is over, we spent the last 2.5 weeks getting adjusted to life in Guyana and especially the heat. Here is the journey so far: After 4 plane rides I was finally in Guyana. I tried to keep my eyes open through the bus ride from the airport but it was hard, and I think the heat made me more sleepy. We arrive at the education college around midnight and we were all exhausted. We found our rooms and figured out how to get into the mosquito net. Our days were filled with classes talking about safety, culture, language, and lesson plan making. We had a lot of free time, also, to take the bus into Georgetown and roam the markets. We had an endless struggle to find Guyanese SIM cards and phones, there seemed to be none left... but by some miracle a few of us were able to find SIM cards. It cost me $600 for a SIM card.
I bet you're thinking that $600 for a SIM card is a little steep... well there are 200 Guyanese dollars for every 1 US dollar, so infact my SIM card cost me $3 US. For you Brits, there are 320 Guyanese dollars for every 1 Pound Sterling. It means that I am walking around with $1000 dollar bills, makes me feel like a millionaire, until I remember that I am in Guyana.


I am slowly adjusting to the heat. I am continuously sweating, and constantly freckling. I have my first ever tan line, and compared to everyone else I am still unbelievable white, but for me this colour is amazing. The security guards at the college laugh at me for being so white and covered in mosquito bites
We have been to a few places, we have walked on the sea wall and seen the beautiful Atlantic Ocean... I just the word beautiful very loosely. The water is solid brown from the sediments from the Amazon River. We have been to a river resort called Splashmins; Fiza and I enjoyed sitted on the sandy bank with our drinks and the floating tide. It was pretty relaxing. We have also been to a lot of bars, playing cards, UNO, and jenga are great ways to pass the time... especially with our newly found drink "White Krishna". 

I have met a lot of interesting new people. I have also made a few non human friends too. I have had a few geckos hiding behind my door and under my suitcase, tree frogs in the shower, and stray dogs running around campus. Some of these dogs are cute, but some are really diseased; it's hard to see uncared for dogs and to just let nature take its course. These dogs are wild just like any other wild animal and need to be treated as such, even though I am so used to domestic dogs.
I have also seen a lot of birds... unfortunately I can't for the life of me find a decent bird guide. Georgetown does not have much in the way of (affordable) wildlife guides. I guess we are going to have to play it by ear and use the trusty internet to ID my birds.

I have made the executive decision to start eating meat while in Guyana. My vegetarian principle takes a stand against commercial farming and inhumane treatment of animals. The majority of animals farmed in Guyana are free range, therefore coinciding with my morals. I don't have any personal reasons not to eat meat in this country.  

Speaking of food, I am off to get something to eat. I am getting rather hungry.

-peace out!