If one is looking for a truly back-to-nature experience filled with sightings of creatures of the wild, the ideal place to visit is the Iwokrama Forest.
Covering nearly one million acres (371,000 hectares) of untamed wilderness, Iwokrama is located in central Guyana in northeastern South America. While many can only imagine the thrills of seeing a Jaguar mere meters away, or watch the eyes of Caimans and spiders light up at night in their natural habitat, and see a most unique, beautiful but dangerous caterpillar, the delegates of the Miss Jamzone 2004 pageant along with some local media personnel got this experience recently.
They also walked the 30-meter high canopy overlooking dense jungle.
Sponsored by the Ministry of Tourism, the team of about 25 left Georgetown on board a bus in the early morning hours, unsure of what to expect but pumped- up for adventure. The time was 6.30 am.
The drive took us along the East Bank Demerara road onto the Soesdyke/Linden Highway. This signaled the beginning of a journey that has forever changed thoughts of this “Dear beautiful land of Guyana”.
After approximately ninety minutes on the asphalted road and through Linden, we were on the trail to our destination nestled in the “Guiana Shield”.
Hours into the jungle the question “Are we there yet?” rang out ever so often. Civilisation as we know it had disappeared and towering trees in the morning mist ran on forever.
“Nature is at peace and I am too…I wonder what lies before us and more so behind those monstrous trees,” were my thoughts as most of the team fought back drooping sleep-deprived eyes.
Civilisation at last
The first stop was a shop. It had an abundance of food, from curry fish to ‘cook up’; and oh, the Corn Curls!! But strange enough there was no wild meat. “We don’t eat the animals here,” said the shopkeeper as he sipped on a Banks Beer.
Minutes later we were on the trail again, listening to modern music, contrasting to the deafening but unidentifiable sounds of nature, unlike the sound of the city cricket.
Some 40 miles later we were at the Mabura Police Outpost. There we found out how precious a newspaper could be. The police had none but the plainclothes rank was most hospitable and courteous. After leaving our names for border security purposes, we were off again.
The first sighting …a Jaguar
Up ahead in the distance there was the first sign of feline wildlife. Unmoved by the presence of the approaching metal animal (the bus) he strutted in obvious familiar territory. “Look a jaguar!” someone shouted, and the others were on their feet. The big cat, as if we did not exist, trotted a few steps. His coat was a golden yellow to brown and black. His tail swished from side to side.
“Wow!” someone exclaimed. Another openly expressed fear. Most of us had seen a jaguar before but in a zoo, not in the wild. The sight was most amazing.
As we drew closer, the animal leaped from the track and up a high sand bump and disappeared into the jungle.
Despite the many cameras and electronic devices on board no one got a shot of him as his majestic appearance was unexpected and brief. The reactions along the trail varied from optimism of what would be seen next to that of fear of the unknown.
Yet we pressed on for what seemed like an eternity of more and more forest and morning mirage in the distance.
While we could not recognize or name most of the trees along the path the “Conga pump” (a tall tree that civilisation in Georgetown used for making bush tea) jumped out at us ever so often.
With at least two more hours to go to complete the journey the driver, with the chatty Permanent Secretary at his side, was wide awake but most of the team was fast asleep.
The others fought with their make-up kits as the bus went up hills, down valleys and into wide openings and sometimes through tight turns. At least eight purple and blue butterflies were spotted as they fluttered by without care.
Finally, we arrived at the docks and via speed boat, made our way to the Iwokrama Field Station, barely beating the rains. The time was about 2.30 pm but it looked like closer to 7pm.
The field station sits on one of the oldest exposed rock surfaces in the world. Along with Amazonia, the Congo and Papua New Guinea, the Guiana Shield is one of the last four “frontier forests” - mostly uninhabited and waiting for adventurers seeking a truly unique ecotourism experience.
Greeted by some staffers, mostly indigenous looking people, we made our way to the lunch area. This area is also used to conduct lectures to visitors and tourists. Its construction is mostly indigenous, with a dome for trapping natural light but it had modern amenities including Internet ready computers. From the upper floor one has a view of the cleared area with four cabin-like buildings with accommodation for 25. The cleared area was surrounded by towering trees save for the eastern side that led to the Rupununi River. That river is home to caimans, a growing population of Arapaima (the world’s largest fresh water fish) and Piranhas amongst other aquamarine life. It is also the feeding place for spiders at nights.
The animal kingdom’s ‘Extremes and Rarities’ includes the world’s greatest number of fish and bat (90) species for any area this size. The bats made themselves known that night during a slide show about Iwokrama.
During the lecture the knowledge base was most informative and enlightening. Iwokrama is home to many of the world’s record holders including the Arapaima, the Giant Otter, the pit viper (Bushmaster), the Caiman (Black Caiman) and the Giant River Turtle.
As we discovered for the first time, while most of our lives were spent in Guyana, we did not know much about our country.
It is also home to many of the largest animals in South America including the False Vampire Bat, the Harpy Eagle, the Jaguar, the Anaconda and over 500 species of birds.
Even before this was made known to us we grabbed a quick bite of non-forest food and then were off to Turtle Mountain via a one-hour speed boat ride.
The boat pilot took us along waters that ran for miles with various species of trees and plants. The ride was most thrilling as the water moved from still to ripple filled, to foamy. The skies and the trees met in the water, sometimes causing thoughts of a greater purpose other than for traveling.
Occasionally a flock of birds was seen as the colours of the skies moved, sometimes steadily.
We arrived finally at a corner that only a skilled and knowledgeable person could locate. There was no marking or sign, just greenery that was no different from most of the forest along the river. The speeding boat crossed the waters to the point of entry. Before long, with skilled navigation through thick brushes and tall trees, we arrived at an opening, the paddle wash pond (a small creek). It was one of the more still waters that I had ever travelled on.
I couldn’t help thinking that the Loch Ness Monster might come up at anytime. Luckily that was just a myth. Soon after we were at the foot of “Turtle Mountain”. There, we were greeted by several indigenous students of the North Rupununi Rewa Primary School.
There are 14 Amerindian villages in and around Iwokrama.
Moving along to the campsite opening built by Trekforce, we were able to pick up water stones and taste the plums that had fallen from trees in the forest.
Then came a sound from among the trees. It was soon identified as that of a passing Red Howler Monkey (one of four species found in the jungle.)
Walking past vine that twirled like snakes and posing for a moment at the base of some of the world’s tallest and widest trees we came upon a sign that read “Turtle Mountain Camp” amidst the forest trees.
A few more steps and we were at a clearing in the forest that opened up into a cut-out area that featured a few varnished wood constructions shaped like large Amerindian huts with hammocks and mosquito nets. This was new to all at the site, but normal to the youths. We learnt that hunting is a no no for visitors. “All local communities use the forest for traditional purposes. Coastlanders are not allowed to hunt or do any felling of trees; no one is allowed to take any plant or animal from this forest,” said one of the Iwokrama guides to the team.
After a quick chat with one of the rangers we headed back to the field station.
After dinner, a lecture featured even more information on Iwokrama’s extraordinary plants and geography.
“There is an unusually high number of plants found nowhere else on earth, including countless rare and endangered species that are within this forest.”
It is home to 1500 types of cacti, including saguaro, prickly pear, carrion flower and mother-in-law’s armchair.
It boasts an extraordinarily diverse geography with mountains measuring up to 1000 meters high. Its diversity extends from the Essequibo River (the largest in Guyana), which springs forth into the forest every rainy season.
Iwokrama is sometimes referred to as a palm forest with braided rivers flowing over volcanic dykes. Nearby is the North Rupununi savannahs and wetlands with more than 200 ox-bow lakes.
By 8 pm (it looked like midnight and sounded different from city life) we had dinner and then it was time to take a speedboat ride on the river. Some went along while others stayed behind, fearful of the blackness of the water coupled with the many stories of animals that live in the water.
After much traveling some saw what appeared to be little lights in the water but in actual fact they were the eyes of Caiman’s. A little way off there was sightings of blue lights that turned out to be spiders on the hunt for food.
Returning to land, the team headed for their various Cabins in a mostly pitch dark environment.
“The generator had problems and as a result the cabins are without lights for the past three weeks. We are working on it though,” was how one of the staffers explained the darkness.
Not worrying much about the darkness, the group made its way to the various cabins and retired for the night with mixed mind sets. Day two was yet to come.