Lethem, Guyana

We said goodbye to the kitchen staff with some sadness after a very pleasant interlude at the Villas Roraima hotel. It came into being thanks to a terrible mango market a few years ago, so the mango farmer owner built a hotel to create a new stream of income and we’re very happy they did. But it was time to get going even though Rusty was desperately reluctant to leave. 

The road from Boa Vista to the border 75 miles away was one of the best we have driven and we covered it at 60 to 65 miles per hour across rolling ranch land. Brazilian customs:

Bonfim (“good ending”) is the Brazilian town across the river Takutu from Lethem (“Let’em”) Guyana. We stopped to get gas and I was glad to see a Guyanese license plate in line to get gas in Brazil as it meant gas was probably more expensive across the river so our decision to fill up here was a good one. 

We later saw prices in Lethem which appeared to amount to six dollars a gallon so I hope that just out here in the hinterland but the Guyanas, all three of them appear to be quite expensive. This customs agent was fascinated by our motor home and videoed it to share with her husband as she wants to do the same…

We met our first grumpy Brazilian at the immigration check point but we followed instructions and got checked out of Brazil eventually.

The whole process took an hour which seemed excessive for what usually is an easy going country. Then we did the bridge over the river into Guyana.

And then at last I drove the cross over bridge taking us from driving on the right to driving on the left. 

And below we come down off the bridge on the left had side while traffic from Guyana enters on the left and passes below us to come out on the right going over the river back to Brazil. 

I grew up driving on the left in England and on the right in Italy but the two systems were completely separate in my head. Here I find it much harder to keep left as there are no visual clues in Lethem. But first we had to get into the country and that took three hours. Political advertising for the recent presidential election in which the incumbent won: 

This border is surprisingly busy and we saw a constant flood of people checking in and out around us. We made our way in and started at immigration. The modern way is to use a QR code to get the entry form, fill it out on your phone and send it to them. Then they fill out your details and ask how long you want. I said 30 days but they’d have given us more. 

Customs took forever and they wanted copies of everything and weren’t  they surprised I had them ready plus I also had a printout of our car insurance with a copy. I was ready. However pet importation  was a problem. 

I knew I was supposed have an import permit for Rusty from the ministry of Agriculture in Georgetown but I had written and got no reply. I showed my email to Jamal the sanitation clerk and he called Georgetown and they agreed I had done my best so we got permission to proceed. On Monday I’ll be in touch with Anastasia in Georgetown on WhatsApp and she will prepare our import permit for Rusty and at the same time his export papers for Suriname. You really do catch more flies with honey and I was very polite and cheerful through the whole process. 

The whole process took us to 3pm and I was ready for Chinese food at Ravi’s in Lethem. First we had to drive into town with Layne reminding me to “keep left” all the way. 

Our first order of business was to change money at the Amazonas hotel in a cubby on the ground floor. No passport needed but he would only take our brand new hundred dollar bills (200 Guyanese dollars to one US) so we changed $300. One reason we bought gas in Bonfim was because they take credit cards in Brazil but on this side of the river in an isolated town of 2,000 that was not a certainty so we used our Visa card one last time in Brazil. In fact debit cards are not used at all in Guyana or Suriname outside high end tourist facilities.  Be prepared for a cash economy! 

Going left round the traffic circle was a bit of a mental struggle but luckily there was no traffic.  After circling the block once (“keep left” Layne reminded me thank god at each corner) we found the hotel and got the Guyanese dollars as mentioned but a firm no for a pet friendly room for Rusty. Then we couldn’t find Ravi’s Chinese food so we said screw it, let’s  make miles. Immediately on the edge of town we met the dirt road to Georgetown  the capital. But first a quick photo tour of Lethem. 

There are lots of big Chinese emporia in town where Brazilians come to shop.

It’s all pretty soulless and uninteresting. 

The president and his prime minister the retired brigadier campaigning for another term, which they got:

And of course Rusty needed a walk after his patient visit at the border. 

Lethem is pretty dismal, no character, gloomy residents and that shabby feeling which radiates from every border town. Despite the prospect of 275 miles of dirt we were glad to leave. 

The dirt starts right at the edge of town on the so called Lethem-Linden Trail, impassable as usual in rainy season which supposedly starts in late November. This time of year it’s a washboard nightmare but in the first thirty miles not technically challenging. 

After ten years of dicking around the government has started paving this highway with $190 million borrowed and so far less than 30 miles have been paved of 75 miles planned. That would still leave 200 miles to be paved to create a truck route to the sea from the interior of northern Brazil. The idea is to undercut the barge monopoly in Manaus which won’t allow for an all weather road and for products to ship out through Georgetown. 

Though the Guyanans are slow to get it done. American road sign, metric speed: 

Imagine this lot in rainy season, a sea of slippery mud. 

All that’s left of the new bridge construction is the sign…and the new bridge. Apparently they have rebuilt the bridges along the entire highway but we shall see.

The old bridge is still there: 

But the new bridge is much nicer. We covered 30 miles in three hours after we left Lethem driving slowly trying not to break GANNET2. It got dark and we were driving with headlights, not something I like to do Duvall on a dirt highway but at last we found a tiny pull out where a farm track joined the highway. I back up and we were fine for the night. Hot sticky and a bit buggy but we had some ramen, I wrote this and so to bed.  A long day. 

A swimming pool! Room service! Constant a/c! It’s tough being an explorer. 

Up next: The Lethem -Libden Trail so long it’s in two parts….

Out Of Dodge

 By the time you read this we will I hope be on the road to Bonfim, a village 70 miles away in the border with Guyana. I cannot say I am thrilled to leaving the comfort of our hotel but we have a job to do and it’s time. It’s going to be a tough drive for the next few days and I know we will miss the comfort of Villa Roraima. Nevertheless we have prepared as best we can for the unknown that is the road to Georgetown, the capital on the coast 430 miles away.

Yesterday we visited another self serve laundry, this time without Rusty who stayed home in the cool air. 

The owner was there and he said he owned three laundries. He makes US$50,000 each every year and spends about $5000 on soap for each laundry. I was slightly astonished. He also exports food to Venezuela and he had just got home from a trip to Tampa and Orlando to visit some relatives.

His car cover for his Porsche (of course) was dry and we said goodbye, all in Spanish which was easier for him than English he said. Interesting guy, maybe 40 or 45 years old and full of energy. It was great to talking him and see his world. He uses social media too: 

No employees, just a woman to come by and keep it clean. Do you think the US is ready for this?

Onward to the supermarket to get supplies for the road ahead. This Novo Tempo had covered parking which is excellent in this equatorial sunshine. 

Check out some weird Brazilian packaged foods we saw (but didn’t buy):

Some weird soda:

2.2 pounds of flavorless tapioca flour  for a buck twenty five. Yum, I don’t think. 

One guy we met told us to buy chocolate to sweeten officials in Guyana so we did. Hope it works. 

Various potato chips. The only familiar fast food chain we’ve seen is a couple of Subways since we’ve been in Brazil. I like peanuts but they only sell them here in very small very expensive bags. Bummer.

No idea what is in this aisle:

They also had pickle flavored ketchup. Layne didn’t buy any because she said they had too much sugar. So much for cultural research:

One other strange thing we’ve seen here is the traffic lights. They use two lights then the top light scales down to the bottom light and then it changes. 

About ten seconds to a green turn arrow: 

Below it’s green for go. About thirty seconds before it will change the top light goes out and green rectangles appear slowly going down to the bottom. 

About to turn green, and so forth:

It’s not a bad system but I’ve never seen it anywhere else. And so back to the hotel, a swim a steak dinner and a little light packing. 

We will miss this place. 

The borders 70 miles away, then once in the town of Lethem (pronounced “Let'em”) we’ll buy some Guyanese dollars (200 buy 1 US dollar) and some Chinese food to go, then we’ll get on the dirt road to Linden 275 miles away. I hope.