Travelling to Bartica is a refreshing experience

Apr 16, 2017 News

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By Brushell Blackman
After I was told that I had to visit Bartica I started to imagine what the trip was going to be like. I was familiar with the Georgetown to Parika route, since I have made that trip on many occasions for personal and other reasons.

What I could not do, even though I tried, was to paint a picture of what the ride on the speedboat would be like. I should back up and say that I went to Bartica over 15 years ago when I attended a church camp.
But it was impossible for me to cast my mind back so far. Fast forward 15 years, and never did I imagine that I was now going to experience what would turn out to be an adventurous endeavour.
As I arrived at Parika stelling, I couldn’t even remember where the boats plying that route were docked. Then I thought to myself I should just follow the two people that were carrying luggage, because my reasoning was they are going into the interior. And it has been well established that Bartica is the gateway to the interior.
My trailing of these individuals worked, and when I saw the speedboats I forgot everything about those two guys who had been indirectly providing some direction.
There were about 20 covered speedboats docked neatly, and I thought to myself well these could not be the boats that traverse these waters. If I’m to be honest, I wasn’t expecting a boat with a roof, because if there is one thing I recalled from 15 years ago, it’s that I was exposed to the elements on that trip.
A guy approached me and asked if I was going to Bartica, I answered in the affirmative, so he directed me to one of those boats that I had noticed earlier with a roof. I then carefully navigated my way down the steep ramp towards the boat.
On board the vessel there were whispers of all tones, and the fusion of a number of conversations told a story of camaraderie at face value, because one can imagine having to sit for so long and not saying anything to the person

next to you.
As soon as I was on board a guy said to me “tall man tek a jacket deh”, I duly complied after peering out in the distance and seeing as far as the eyes could see volumes upon volumes of water before me. It told another story that these boat operators had their passengers’ safety at heart.
Finally the boat was ready to leave, the 50-odd people who sat patiently for about thirty minutes went mute and you could have heard if a pin had dropped. But then again it would have been difficult to have a chat, since the noise that emanated from the two engines affixed to the boat would have overpowered anything anyone may have attempted to say.
All fired up and ready to go, the bow of the boat angled to the sky as it sat on top of the water. As the boat shot across the undulating waters I said goodbye to that part of Guyana and I hoped to get to my destination in one piece.
Skimming across the waves reminded me of when you are awakened by someone rapping on the door – a thudding sound. The pilot took full advantage of the expanse of water.
No one said a word to each other, but then how could we, with the boat hopping like a fearful frog. With all the scenery available, it would have been remiss of me not to take it in. I used the opportunity to snap some pictures, although I felt a bit odd since no one else could be bothered with that.
It was about 30 minutes into the journey that I begun to smell what I thought was a certain brand of perfume I had used before, and then it dawned on me that the boat is haring across the waters and there was no way the powerful wind would have afforded me that kind a luxury.
The smell I was getting was just pure, unpolluted air in the middle of an imposing waterway, but it was energizing.
I cannot put into words that experience, you have to experience it for yourself; the air was so fresh you could literally feel it. As I was taking in that experience, I suddenly asked myself if the boat stopped but it didn’t, it was just that we were now in very calm waters and you hardly realized the boat was moving. This is when nature’s uniqueness hits home – at one point the waters are rough and then all of a sudden they seem to have made peace with someone.
As I looked ahead I noticed an object in the water in the distance ahead of me, it was two men in a small fishing boat working the river to perhaps make a sale or to procure the ‘meat kind’ for a later meal.
Added to that, the many small islands dotting the river made me truly appreciate the beauty of Guyana.
Suddenly the boat’s engine stopped…there was a village in proximity and it occurred to me that someone was getting off. The lady was assisted off the boat into shallow water, and she waded through it, while waving to us as we sped away.
One hour into the journey I said to myself I couldn’t be far from Bartica since the boat operator said it would take about 75 minutes to get there.
Soon after, I could see what appeared to be houses on a hill top and realised that I was indeed approaching Bartica. My suspicion was confirmed when I noticed the ‘Welcome To Bartica’ sign. It was an interesting hour and a quarter indeed.
If you have not travelled to Bartica by speedboat I promise you that you are missing quite the experience. I will say it was a novel experience. This is a trip I will surely make again, even though my return to the city was not half as great.

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