But yet, from what we hear, its beauty is as if untouched.

Region One, known as the North West District, is now officially recognised as the Barima/Waini region, and its potential to be a major player in the tourism industry is enormous.

The Region is credited for being the grounds of Guyana’s most famous legend, that of El Dorado.

It is generally believed that 15 000 years ago, the war-like Karinyas (Caribs) were the first people to enter this Region via the eastern seacoast of Guyana. The Lokonos later followed them.

History shows that a spate of Spanish incursions saw several acts of atrocities against the Lokono (Arawak) people, starting in 1769 and ending until 1797, when the British held the Moruca post.

The Region is today an area of 9, 000 square miles with a population of some 24, 000. Amerindians of the Arawak and Carib tribes make up more than two-thirds of the population.

Given its numerous tourists sites - some natural, some man-made and steeped in superstition - the Region recently requested that the Ministry of Tourism see how tourism can be developed.

The Tourism and Hospitality Association of Guyana (THAG), was called in and its Executive Director, Ms. Indira Anandjit, took the trip along with her daughter and the Ministry’s representative Mr. Shafdar Ali.

Anandjit spoke with the Chronicle on how the Region could become a major player in Guyana’s tourism industry. She and the others spent fours days, each day going out to see something new.

The Region is accessible overland by way of the Essequibo Coast, by sea via the M.V. Kimbia, while two air services offer regular flights into the Region.

Day One

To get there, Anandjit explained that you have to take the bumpy ride along the Hosororo road, but it is only when you stop that you realise what you’ve been through, as the journey is filled with breathtaking views.

“It’s absolutely scenic, very, very scenic”, she said.

“To the western side, you see the Venezuelan border, and in the foreground, on the Guyana side, there are a few houses. And you also get a view of the Annabisi mountain range. I can’t really tell you what a pleasurable site that is. It is absolutely fantastic,” she related.

A long ride took the explorers to Tiger Cave. The trip cost Anandjit quite a few scars, but she prefers to call them “trophies”.

“There is a very, very high hill and you had to climb up and then slide down into the cave. Tigers used to be there, and you have sort of a creek that runs along. The cave has actually caved-in and the tigers apparently moved out. Now, it is infested with bats. It’s quite adventurous and a whole lot of fun, fun and more fun. I tell you, Tiger Cave is a real adventure”, she said.
“A lot of people are clamouring for the hard adventure, and for them Tiger Cave is something they would want to experience. Tiger Cave has a real charm about it”, she said.

From Tiger Cave, the next stop point was Barabina, the site of the Kissing Rocks.

“These were very, very big rocks and I think after a time, because of erosion and all of that, they fell and sort of hung over each other and it looks as though two faces are together and so they call them the Kissing Rocks”, Anandjit explained.

Day Two
Steeped in superstition, Face Rock is what Anandjit found totally mystical.

Folklore has it that in days gone by, the village had a ‘medicine man’ who was highly revered by the people for his ability to cure sicknesses.

As the tale goes, many people believed, and some still do, that he lives in the Face Rock.

“Long after he died, the hunters used to hear funny sounds coming from that area, and it was felt that no one should go anywhere near there”, Anandjit said.

Where did the name Face Rock come from?

One of the valleys of Barima/Waini
“If you look close enough, you will actually see a face. You’ll see the eyes, the nose, and the definition of a mouth on that rock. But it’s not actually carved into the rock. I don’t know if it became natural after a time, or if it has to do with your psyche of knowing the story before hand that you see the face, but it’s just there”, Anandjit said.

The next stop was Hotoquai for a look at Boat Rock.

According to that story, the Indians from Peru had come down to Guyana with their various forms of instruments and actually carved a boat out of a rock.

Today, the Boat Rock is a must for any visitor to the Region.

“Now why would anyone name a hill ‘Young Girl’?” Anandjit said she thought as they approached the next spot of their visit.

“It’s really a very high hill and it is generally felt that if you climb the hill, you would be fit and so it was named ‘Young Girl Hill’. From a distance, its point seems as if it is reaching beyond the clouds. It’s absolutely beautiful. Once you reach the top, it’s like you’re looking down on creation, with lush green valleys and beautiful flowering shrubs. It’s captivating and you feel like you’re really in another world”, Anandjit said.

Day Three

Along one of the many rivers of Region One.
The Region is also the home of Shell Beach, where four of the world’s eight endangered marine turtles come to nest.

Anandjit and the rest did not see any of the turtles where they stopped as the turtles had gone some eight miles away. However, there was evidence that the giant sea turtle had nested there.

It was then time for a 120 miles speedboat ride up the Waini River for the next stop - Assakata Lake.

“Trust me, nothing prepared for us for the beauty of that place,” Anandjit noted.

The trip entailed passing through the three lagoons of the river and the site that was proposed for the abandoned Beal Aerospace Technologies rocket launching station.

The last eight miles are quite picturesque, as Anandjit explained.

“Think of a rice field and a drain running through it. That ‘drain’ is what our boat went through and the surroundings was much like that. It was strictly swamp land, totally green and no tall trees or bushes, much like a savannah”, she said.

“We then approached a hill, and at the bottom of it, there is a thick overhanging layer of growth that you have to pass through,” she continued.

“You see, when you push your head in there and the boat passes through, oh my God! It’s a whole new world, extremely beautiful. This lake is big and it’s not very deep, so you can swim and so on. It was an experience. Getting there you sit and your buttocks really hurt, but its worth it, believe me, its worth it”, Anandjit related.

Day Four
The fourth day of the visit took the group 65 miles up the Barima River. The places of interest were the Heart of Palm operations and Red Hill, an Amerindian reservation.

Of course, there are other tourist sites in Region One. These include Sanookteda Hill, Abhouya Falls, Sand Creek (Waini) and the Whanna Rock Cave.

In addition, Region One and Guyana became widely known for the Jonestown tragedy.

On November 18, 1978 the members of the People's Temple committed mass suicide following the murder of United States Congressman Leo Ryan and some members of his party, who were investigating allegations that American citizens were being held against their will by Jim Jones. More than 700 persons died in the tragedy.

The People's Temple of Christ, a cult, led by James Warren Jones, an American, also known as Jim Jones, arrived in Guyana in 1974, with the permission of the then Government, to set up an agricultural community near Port Kaituma in the North West District which was later known as Jonestown.
There is absolutely no doubt that Region One can become an attractive tourist destination.

The Mabaruma sub-Region, with its distinctive rubber tree-lined avenue, is the administrative centre of the Region and offers its own attractions.

“Mabaruma seems to be an extremely peaceful area. The people are friendly, you can leave your doors open when you go out, and nobody interferes with your things, which is a plus, because you cannot say that for too many areas,” Anandjit said.

The main services of the Region are all located in what is known as the Mabaruma compound.

West of this compound, on Broomes Hill, is the Broomes self-contained tourist guesthouse, which offers a breathtaking view of rolling hills and distant mountains.

Around Mabaruma, the most panoramic view on a clear day is at Wanaina. Cloud-crowned mountains against azure skies, rolling hills, lush green valleys and winding silver-streaked hills are all there to take in.

Barabina, the nearest village northwest of the Mabaruma compound, is, according to local history, Guyana’s first village.

The Region offers moderate health facilities and security.

Anandjit said, of course, tourists would not start flocking to the Region in a hurry, but with systems put in place by the Regional administration, tourism can become a booming business for the Amerindians of the Region

Given its rich history, its sites, and the scenic views it offers, Anandjit is resolute that Region One can be easily marketed as an ideal tourist destination.