Timehri—a mystical, beautiful location

Jul 21, 2019 News

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By Alex Wayne

To avoid the ‘bacchanal’ at the minibus parks this time around, I opted to consult with a close associate who owned a car, and used his vehicle as my means of transport instead.

This of course would allow me to enjoy the scenery as we drove by. This somehow always relaxes my mind and most time gave me some well deserved open air and very breezy, blissful sleep.
We left Georgetown around 10 am and quite soon we had also left behind all the hustle and bustle of the city and its incessant, unnerving noises. Then we were darting in and out of traffic on the East Bank Demerara Highway.
In no time I was fast asleep, leaving my driver to navigate the country roads as we weaved our way to Timehri.
As soon as we were approaching the intersection called ‘Timehri Junction’, the driver woke me and in a few minutes, my fingers were working feverishly as I detailed information about the enthralling scenery that flowed past on both sides of the vehicle.

Thick dense trees and foliage rolled past on both sides in various shapes formed by the undulating hills and wide beautiful, pristine valleys. I gazed in awe and even shock at housetops, which were just level with the road shoulders since they were built in valleys close to the roadside. I could not help but wonder what would be the outcome if a speeding vehicle somehow swerved off of the highways and landed on the roof of a particular home.
It almost sent chills up my spine as I dwelled on that train of thought.
Timehri is a village in Guyana located 41 kilometres to the south of the nation’s capital Georgetown. As history would dictate, the name “Timehri” is an Amerindian word meaning “paintings and drawings on the rock”.
It is the home of the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA), which is our major international airport. It is also home to the South Dakota Circuit where numerous international competitors meet and participate in much anticipated annual motor racing events.
CJIA, formerly Timehri International Airport, is located on the right bank of the Demerara River in Timehri, 41 kilometres (25 miles) south of Guyana’s capital, Georgetown.
As I disembarked within close vicinity of the CJIA, bus drivers rushed at me jostling each other as they tried to get me into their vehicles. I politely explained that I had just arrived and explained my reason for the visit. A few of them kept urging me to ensure I approached their buses for transport when I would have completed my exploits.

Chatting with residents
I was hungry and on enquiring where I could get a hot meal, I was directed to the popular Lotus Restaurant, just a few metres from the airport. I was certainly moved by the excellent service I received there at the hands of the female supervisor.
She chatted pleasantly with me, as I munched heartily on a very tasty curried chicken and roti, washed down nicely with some good, ice-cold cherry juice.
As I sat there, the drone of aeroplanes at the CJIA startled me a few times but I soon got used to it and hurriedly finished my meal. The sun was really getting hot and I did not want to be caught for an extended period exposed to its scorching rays.

Then I began my exploring and I truly enjoyed the experience. This was more so fuelled by the warmth and pleasantness extended by villagers, who readily received me with a smile.
Lucille Beresford, a very merry elderly food vendor who has been plying her trade close to the airport for over ten years, explained that the trade was getting competitive, now that many other competing stalls have sprung up within close proximity of each other.
“When I started selling here ten years ago business was booming. It was just a few stalls and we always would provide different food items. Everyone used to rush to my stall because I took time when I prepared my food.
Excellent taste and presentation was always a plus and priority for me. I love to see when my customers smile in satisfaction, and when they purchase items to take home to their families after tasting my food for the first time.

“Everyone had their own group of customers who supported them on a daily basis. I used to make real big time money and my apron pockets used to be overflowing with them dollar bills. But things have changed now. As you can see, there has been a great increase in food stalls here.
“Some of them are really big and fitted with mini sports bars. This attracts the big spenders and as a result, the dollars are going elsewhere. Even some of my most loyal customers have drifted elsewhere because they are attracted to the entertainment offered by these much larger food stalls.
“Things have gotten hard for us, as a matter of fact; I am contemplating relocating my stall to an area where the competition is not so stiff.”
Moving away from the food stalls, I followed a winding road, which soon turned off into a sandy path, flanked by dusty dunes on both side. This was a very peaceful section of the village where the laughter of happy residents rang out from a great distance.
I approached a merry old woman with twinkling eyes and introduced myself and my reason for visit. We chatted for a little while during which she insisted that I sample two of her homemade tamarind balls. I did not regret accepting the invitation.
But oh boy…Then a sting of bird pepper soon got the best of me and she laughed as water streamed from my eyes. Readily, she offered me a glass of ice-cold golden apple juice and promised that it would cool the burning.
And it sure did help a lot because in minutes the burning sensation was cooling from my lips and tongue. Wanting a little history about the location, she soon directed me to retired head teacher, Oswick Adams, who eagerly engaged me in conversation.
He quickly delved into documents he had in a box and was soon able to detail to be historical facts surrounding the location.
“This place is very rich in its history Mr. Wayne… As I can recall the United States obtained rights to locate military facilities in British Guiana as part of the Destroyers for Bases Agreement with the United Kingdom in 1941. On 14 June 1941, the first United States Army forces arrived to survey land for a bomber airfield near Georgetown.
Atkinson Field was built 28 miles (45 km) from Georgetown on 68 acres of land formerly known as Hyde Park, on the Demerara River. The forest was cleared and hills were leveled and a long concrete runway was constructed.
On June 20, 1941, the airfield officially opened with the activation of a weather station. The station was named after Lieutenant Colonel Bert M. Atkinson, a United States Army Air Service World War I Aviator. Colonel Atkinson was the commander of the 1st Pursuit Wing on the western front in 1918. Colonel Atkinson retired from the Army in 1922 and died in April 1937.
The mission of the station was the defense of the colony against Nazi U-Boats. The airfield was also a major staging point for American aircraft crossing the Atlantic Ocean heading to the European Theatre on the South Atlantic transport route.
In 1965 and 1968, additions were made to the airport facilities. On 1 May 1969, the Atkinson Aerodrome was renamed the Timehri International Airport.
“Timehri” is a Carib word for rock motifs located deep in the Guyana hinterland that pre-date the arrival of Europeans in the New World. The airport had also featured murals employing Amerindian motifs by Guyanese painter, Aubrey Williams.
In March 1997, following the death of President Dr. Cheddi Jagan, the government decided to rename the airport the Cheddi Jagan International Airport. The proposition to rename the airport was proposed in the Parliament (National Assembly) by the then Minister of Amerindian Affairs, Vibert De Souza.
De Souza noted that it would be a fitting tribute to a man who had spent his life committed to the betterment of Amerindian people and fighting for the freedom and unity of all Guyanese.
A plaque bearing the new name was unveiled on May 21, 1997 by the Prime Minister, Janet Jagan.”
The man refused to talk about the expansion of the airport saying that there is too much controversy surrounding it, all of which has been exposed in the media. He particularly applauded the Kaieteur News for seeking and exposing many things he felt that the public needs to know.
Mr. Lennox James, a well-established farmer spoke about his farming exploits and of being lucky to be residing in a location where there is very fertile soil.
“Timehri is a very nice place to live in and all the races here live as one. We are very contented and very proud of our beautiful village. This area has natural beauty and I think the Government should invest into making Timehri a major tourist attraction.
“We have the space, and the natural hills and valleys, which would be perfectly suitable for exploring and sightseeing, even bird watching.
“As a farmer here, I am very lucky to be living in an area where there is rich, fertile soil, and the sandy loam works quite nicely for my eschallot, cucumbers, cassava, sweet potatoes and pumpkins.
“My pumpkins, especially, grow really big because of the good soil, and I therefore get to make an extra dollar than the normal farmers in other areas. The only trouble is getting my produce to Georgetown sometime. And some time I have to sell at low prices in the city to avoid spoilage.
“There are vendors and farmers in Georgetown coming from far and wide and as such the competition is high. This forces many farmers to sell at really low prices to get back to their homes which may be great distances away.”
Everyone seems to be employed in Timehri, and while some residents were engaged in various professions at the airport, others were content to sell in their shops and many food stalls. Some managed small liquor shops, while a few were the owners of ‘entertainment hot spots’; that offered weekend rollicking for residents, and persons coming from afar.
Some residents are engaged in professions outside the village. A large number of males are pork-knockers in the hinterland areas according to some residents.
South Dakota Circuit (An entrainment highpoint)
Timehri has developed a lot over the years. Aside from its many avenues for entertainment, the South Dakota Circuit is quite a highpoint for the various races hosted there. These events attract large audiences from Georgetown, and even from as far as Berbice and other distant areas. Already the village was raving about an exciting race meet billed there for today.
South Dakota Circuit is a permanent motor racing track in Timehri, behind the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, Guyana. It is operated by the Guyana Motor Racing & Sports Club.
The circuit hosts national circuit racing including the GMR&SC Skyline Mortgage Caribbean Race of Champions and various drag racing events.
A special fund-raising committee, headed by motor racing enthusiast, Sir Shridath Ramphal, and including Kit Nascimento and Alec Phillips and several others, lobbied local businesses for donations , raising some $200,000 to buy the bitumen from Shell Antilles Guianas Ltd.
They got enough to cover two miles of roadway (at a greatly reduced price) and with the then Ministry of Works providing equipment and a road engineer to design the curves, the job was done by October 16, 1970.
To mark the achievement the GMRC unveiled a plaque at the launching ceremony, inscribed with the names of the companies that helped. Dean Delamont returned and pronounced the facilities OK – issuing the club with an RAC International Track Licence, affiliation to the RAC and the provision of accident insurance for competitors and spectators alike.
The November 1970 meeting was the best ever, attracting some 15,000 spectators. It saw Team Speedbird return with Crabtree, in addition to teams from Antigua, Barbados and Trinidad. Team Guyana was led by President Eric Vieira in The Beast’s first appearance.
That meeting in November 1970 even got a whole page write-up in the prestigious magazine Autosport by Peter Burn who accompanied the UK team. It also set the format and dates for regular visits by Team Speedbird – coming either in early March (before the start of the UK season) or November (at season’s close) every year until 1980.
For many, the period 1970-1975 represented the halcyon years of the sport with Poole and Spice being regulars, bringing a host of interesting cars to these shores.
Around 1973 the oil crisis hit the world and even though motorsport slowed in the UK, Team Speedbird kept coming, bringing some of the UK’s best to Guyana and the Caribbean. Richard Longman (Mini-tuner extraordinaire) raced against Gordon Spice (Mini-racer supreme) in March 1975 (Longman won).
Also to visit were Jenny Birrell, Barry Foley (Auto Sport cartoonist), Bob Howlings (of Cheshire Sports Cars fame), Barry ‘Whizzo’ Williams, U2 Clubman racer Bob Lamplough, power boat racer Steve Castagne and the larger than life Derek McMahon.
The Caribbean produced its stars too, while Roy Taylor, Eric Vieira and even David Reid defended Guyana’s honour in their Jardim-built Terrapins, along with the U2s of Tom Wilson and Rod Grimes-Graem.
Timehri in the good ‘ole days’
On a visit to the location several years ago, I had befriended Mr. Royston Henry who had shared great insight on the makings of Timehri from his boyhood days. He was not around anymore, so instead, I was directed to a Miss Dorothy Schultz who was very reluctant to speak to a media operative until I began mouthing endearments about how saucy she looked in her eye-catching outfit.
For an old woman, her lips were blood red with lipstick and her nail painted red as well. Her eyebrows were neatly plucked and she wore a lot of jewellery although she was home.
Sensing she was a ‘hottie hottie’ in her days, I steered the conversation along that line and soon she was renting the air with rather girlish peals of laughter. But she was adamant in her demands that her photo should not be taken.
“I grew up in Timehri as a young girl and this place was just a very bushy location, but it was so beautiful with large sand fields and pastures to play in. Thatched roof houses were scattered here and there amongst the trees we used flambeax (lamps made from bottles, kerosene and cloth for wicks) to move about at nights.
“We even used to boil water to drink and also used the water from running creeks to wash and to clean our homes. There was no electricity in some areas, and some very foolish people built their homes on the wrong sides of the hills and they paid for it dearly.
“When we got heavy rainfall, there was land erosion and many houses were washed away. It was a very sad sight since many of those families were poor and made the best from the farming they did.”
She reminisced on awaking one morning to find water swirling through their home, which was built flat on the ground. Eventually the water swept away a lot of household utensils which they had to struggle to replace.
She explained that soon things began to develop and persons soon learnt to level and build their lands to avoid erosion. In time, impressive homes sprang up around the airport and Timehri began to take on a brand new infrastructural appearance.
When the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) built their training base there as well, residents felt safer and agreed that the village was rapidly developing at an admirable rate.
Today, Timehri is a vast array of quite stylish houses scattered amazingly in the sandy dunes and valleys, offering a very picturesque and they blend naturally with swaying trees.
Villagers now have access to potable water from the GWI establishments in and outside of the village, enjoy excellent telephone service, and a very attractive two-lane highway in progress that allows a better flow of traffic to and from the location.
Conclusion
Timehri can be best said to be a comfy village with exquisite beauty and very hospitable people. Join us next Sunday, when our reporter directs his sights to the quiet little village Anna Catherina, on the West Coast of Demerara.

 

 

 

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