Going to cricket at Providence?
Adopt a soldier's motto: 'be prepared'
By Michael DaSilva
Stabroek News
March 29, 2007
Thinking of going to World Cup cricket at the Guyana National Stadium at Providence?
If you are, then walk with your food, water and other beverages. Why?
Because the prices for these commodities are unreasonably high and way beyond the reach of the ordinary working class Guyanese.
A check of the food booths during the inaugural match between Sri Lanka and South Africa at the spanking new stadium yesterday, revealed that the cheapest commodity (cassava or egg ball) was priced at G$200 at the Roti Hut concession.
The normal price for an egg-ball is G$70 while a cassava ball costs less.
The most expensive of the items sold at drink bars yesterday was the Johnnie Walker Blue Label whiskey which was sold at G$4,260, for a single shot.
If you are not a `Blue Label' person, then you could have gotten a shot of Johnnie Walker Black Label Whiskey for $1000 or a shot of `Johnnie Walker Red' for $500.
Hard drinkers would have found that they can `build a head' on the cheaper stuff, such as vodka, which was being sold at $300 per shot or on XM 5-year-old which went for the same price.
Need something milder? Then you could have purchased a shot of XM 15-Year-old rum for G$1500 per shot.
Gordon's Gin carried a price of G$340 per shot, but G$200 more would have given you a shot of Irish Cream.
If you do not drink hard liquor, then be prepared to walk with enough money to purchase beers.
A bottle of Banks Beer which normally costs G$200, was priced at $500 per bottle at the stadium yesterday, the same price for the Banks Milk Stout.
A bottle of Shandy was sold for G$400, while a bottle of Banks Premium Beer was sold at $600.
These beverages are not being sold in bottles or glass containers and cannot be taken into the stands.
If because of your drinking you might develop a craving for a little `cutters' there is no problem getting something salty in taste. As a matter of fact, there were many food items available yesterday that contained salt which are good for use when drinking.
The Roti Hut had cheese or tuna sandwiches at G$400 each, curried chicken and rice or roti at G$1400 each and chicken patties at $400 each among other items.
JR Burgers consisting of beef with cheese, chicken with cheese and vegetarian burgers were being sold for G$800 each, while a Jamaican pattie costs G$400.
The burgers can be `washed down' with a milk shake that costs G$600.
If you are an individual who like to eat something more solid, then you can visit the KFC stand that sold a `21-piece' for G$6000 or a 25-piece of Hot Wings for G$3000.
There you can digest the chicken with a 20-ounce soft drink that costs G$120 on the road, but was being sold for G$240 at the stadium.
Scrambled eggs with sausage and a few pieces of bread, or tuna and roti, or vegetarian and roti all cost G$1500 each, while Tai chicken and vegetarian rice or cook-up rice with a piece of chicken bar-b-cue, the size of a cricket ball or smaller costs G$2500 each.
The cheapest rice meal there was the vegetarian vegetable rice sold at G$800, but you might want to walk with a sprinkle of salt in a container.
After indulging in drinking and eating, or if while indulging in drinking and eating, you feel to `Blow you mind' then ensure you walk with a pack or two of cigarettes, because the item was not available at the stadium, and even if it were available, you cannot indulge in this habit in the stands.
So, are you going to cricket tomorrow? Then adapt a soldier's principle, 'Be prepared.'