After spending a tremendous 9 months extensively exploring Brazil we started to make plans to head North to Trinidad to hole out for the Hurricane Season. Initially, we had planned to travel up the coast making brief stops at French Guyana, Suriname and Guyana, however after reading the “Chris Doyle Guide to Trinidad and Tobago” which includes a section on “Guyana”, it made such compelling reading we decided to head straight for “Guyana” and hole out there for the rest of the Season.

Before heading that way we made contact with Kit Nacimento, as recommended by the Guide, and he was more than helpful. Kit kept in contact with us on our sail up from Fortaleza, and then on our arrival, he arranged for Dominic, his Manager, to Pilot us up the River Essequibo, the World’s third widest River.

Guyana proved to be everything it promised in The Guide. Once we entered the River Mouth we immediately felt like adventurers, on uncharted waters. The very unique lifestyle of Guyana unfolded with every mile of the 40 miles we did to reach Bartica, and we were continually amazed at the new experiences we encountered during our 3 months there. Dominic was an invaluable addition to our two-man crew, as well as having a comprehensive knowledge on the River, he also has sailing experience and understands yachts, thus we had an interesting sail to Bartica. Dominic is a very amenable young man, born in Guyana and has lived his life on the River, so is full of fascinating facts.

Kit arranged for the Customs and Immigration to meet us on the Yacht, whilst anchored off Bartica, and within an hour we were fully checked in. This was the quickest and easiest checking in procedures we had encountered in all of our years of sailing. Bartica is an unexploited mining settlement, in the Amazon Rainforest. It offers you a tremendous opportunity to explore the rainforest, savannahs and waterfalls safely. The people are very hospitable and although this is not a large tourist or sailing destination, most services can be found, which is also made easier by the fact that it is the only English speaking Country in South America. Names to look out for in Bartica are:-

· Lashley’s Boat Park – located between Cool Breeze Bar and the Dock, where your tender can be left safely and also supplies lovely Chicken.

· Bhagwandas of “D” Factor Interior Guest House – who does some “Not to be Missed” guided tours of the Rivers and Waterfalls and is also a great local contact, he arranged for our UK Gas Bottles to be refilled amongst other things. Telephone (592) 455 2544

· Freddie’s Meat Market – supplies the best fillet steak you will ever taste, and an opportunity to catch up on the latest soap opera.

· Cyber Dragon Internet Café – more than helpful with internet requirements.

· Shoba’s, 3rd Avenue, 3rd Street – Offers an efficient Laundry Service.

· Joyce of S/Y Mood Indigo – After extensive cruising, she has now settled in Guyana and built a lovely home on the shore of the Essequibo just off Bartica and welcomes all fellow cruisers to anchor off her home and use her grounds. Telephone 001 (592)665-3810 or 001 (592) 623 0242.

You can anchor off a number of “Resorts” in the vicinity of Bartica, where you will be able to enjoy the prolific and exotic birds and butterflies. All the Resorts offer something different.

Kit and Gemma made us particularly welcome and Hurakabra offers you an idyllic “Home from Home” stop with peace and quiet. We had some wonderful sightings of Macaws here and Sloths are also resident on the nearby Calf Island.

Banganara is more commercial, but the staff went out of their way to make our stay enjoyable, even to the extent of catching a wild Sloth for us, as they knew that we were intent on seeing them. There is also a Creek behind the Island which offers spectacular sightings of the Morpho Butterfly, as seen in the film “Papillion”.

Shankland, has interesting Jungle walks, where Morpho Butterflies, Monkeys, Hummingbirds and lots more can be seen.

Some nights must also be spent at Grass Islands, where hundreds of Parrots go every night to roost, a sight you will be unlikely to see anywhere else in the World, not to mention the sounds… Tracey and James have a Bar close by if you are in need of a cool beer or something to eat.

You must remember that you will be in the Rainforest, hence there will be regular rainfalls. These normally take place in the afternoon and are a perfect source of fresh water, if you make plans to catch it, we caught 80 liters off our Bimini in one 40 minute storm! The winds average 20 knots during these storms and most anchorages in the river are safe and offer very good holding. The lovely part is that we never experienced any wind at night, so you can always rest in peace.

Cost here is not high, checking in and anchoring in the River is free, however, there is a small fee for use of the Resorts. Basic food is acceptably priced, especially the meat and chicken, however, some of the imported goods are more expensive and limited in choice if possible come with a well-stocked store cupboard.

We were not disappointed, the three months passed far too quickly, it was really a magical time which neither of us will ever forget. What we thought was going to be a wasted 3 months waiting out the hurricane season turned into an experience of a lifetime.

Thank you to everyone who made our stay unforgettable.

Roy and Wendy, S/Y Zingara

For more information please contact Kit Nacimento at [email protected] Or visit www.doyleguides.com