Supenaam: a budding tourism highpoint with bustling speedboat activity

Aug 18, 2019 News

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By Alex Wayne

I love travelling and sightseeing, and I certainly do love exploring, but I would have been a happier person if my exploring today had practically nothing to do with speedboats or water.

But what can I say? There was no trail that would possibly lead me to Supenaam in the county of Essequibo.
And if I could get there by aeroplane, I just could not afford it on this particular journey.

I have a phobia of water, and horrid tales of mermaid dragging humans under surfaces every time, I dare to enter a speedboat, or any form of water transport.
I was certainly getting goose pimples as I approached the area where the Supenaam/Parika speedboats were moored. And this particular morning the waves were really rough, crashing into each other, a sound that was certainly not welcoming to me.
I watched in fear as the moored vessels bobbed and danced crazily atop the waves, as the tide washed in with much ferocity.

It was a great effort to get on the boat as it seemed to want to sweep me off my feet and into the Essequibo River. I eventually sat gingerly in the very first seat of the vessel, and a beaming elderly woman mouthed, “Son, yuh sure yuh want to sit down there?”
I flashed her one of my best smiles and assured her I preferred my choice of seat. She chuckled mischievously at my response, with a certain twinkle in her eyes that had me wondering what she was implying. I would soon learn the true meaning of what she was hinting and it was certainly an unpleasant ordeal.
Supenaam (Region Two) is a region of Essequibo in Guyana, a territory that is claimed by Venezuela. It stands bordering the Atlantic Ocean to the north, the region of Essequibo Islands-West Demerara to the east, the region of Mazaruni-Potaro to the south and the region of Barima-Waini to the west.
The journey
I carefully strapped on my life jacket, and quite soon, I heard the rev of engines from our vessel, signalling the captain’s readiness to take off. The engine roared loudly and the vessel seemed to shudder as it took off riding the waves like an enraged dolphin.
My heart lurched in my chest and my breath seemed to stop short and the captain pushed the vessel against the menacing tide. The boat rode the waves as it sped forward landing on the other side with a sickening thud that sent pain searing through my lower back.
At one point, a very large wave sent the boat almost sailing into the air evoking wails of alarm from several passengers. When it landed on the other side, I felt as if the vessel was breaking in two. The impact flung me upward causing me to hit my head sharply on the roof of the speedboat. And to think that at least three passengers were peacefully sleeping through such an ordeal, certainly amazed me. The journey continued in this fashion and by the time we arrived at the Supenaam Stelling, I was battered, sore and in much pain.
I was kind of limping when I got off the boat, seething inside at the recklessness of the boat captain. One woman let on that they pushed the vessels to the extremes, despite the weather, so as to ensure they make as many trips as possible.
In no time, we were swarmed by hire care drivers, but I had to sadly burst the bubble of a very pleasant car driver by informing him, that my destination was no further than where I had just arrived.
Exploring the location
Supenaam was indeed quite an exciting location, and very alluringly picturesque and breathtaking.
As I walked about, I observed in some areas sprawling lush, green rice fields, beautiful cottages, and a fusion of very impressive businesses.
This location, according some residents, is said to be the first place in Guyana to be settled by the European colonisers, thus projecting the called Pomeroon/Supenaam.
This location is made up of several villages and communities according to villagers, some bearing names like villages on the East Coast of Demerara, and Berbice as well.
I gulped in the mesmerising sight of colourful plants, laden mango trees, and the melodious sounds of singing birds, darting from flower to flower, soaking up coveted nectar.
In some areas, the scenic location seemed to ooze quiet and tranquility, and this was evident by the sight of residents lounging under trees, and a few in hammocks under their homes.
My first encounter was with vegetable vendor, Selena Persaud, who spoke a little of her livelihood.
“The Supenaam area is really nice with very peaceful people, and very hard working too. Many of us get by with our farming and we always gather around after a hard day’s work to bond and catch up with friends and relatives.
“This location can said to be the village of fun frolic and good music. On weekends, especially, music creeps into to your very soul from the rum shops, and that signals the time or drinking and maybe dancing to your favourite tunes.
“If yuh like more action, then you can always travel to Charity which is more developed than this area.
In this village, everyone does something and everything to make a living. Some persons still trade in the traditional making of coconut oil, while others still walk and sell pastries or vegetables and ground provision.
Many are rice farmers and this brings in quite much needed dividends for family members.”
Villagers said they enjoyed good water supply, good electricity and good drainage in many areas, but noted that much more can be done in the backlands of Supenaam.
Lucille Spencer said life is mostly merry, but not without struggles as in every other village
“Not everyone has life easy in the Supenaam/Pomeroon area. We all have our struggles, but we are contented and try to make ends meet with our coconut products and fresh bush fish from the many ponds and trenches we have here.
“This is a very promising area; we just need a little Government assistance from time to time to get things going.”
Gloria English, who has been living in Supenaam for ages now, attempted to shed light on the history of the location. During this process, she said that to do so, she will have to talk about several locations, since they formed the chain like fusion of highpoints that is more so referred to as Pomeroon/Supenaam.
“There are many wonder to behold here in Supenaam and the Pomeroon region by extension. This area is quite a promising tourist attraction. I have heard the story that at Kabakaburi in the Pomeroon River, there is a big iron chain tied to a huge tree, and some say it leads to the middle of the river, where it is said a Dutch ship sank long ago.
Many tell stories of the ship being filled with treasures, and as such tours are being organised to this very location.
That aside, this village is popular for the best in Creole foods, like cook-up rice and metagee, and one can always get properly prepared wild meat if they so desire.”
The Good Hope/Supenaam area in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), which is the main port of entry to the region from the Essequibo River, has seen an increase in business activities and more visitors, now that the multimillion-dollar Supenaam Waterfront Development Project is a reality.
The project poses great opportunities especially for the local businesses and tourism and has greatly changed the locations.
The $88M project was made possible by the Government of Guyana through the Ministry of Public Infrastructure and the Region Two Democratic Council (RDC), works was done on the boat docking, the parking area, the installation of lights and the construction of the road leading to the location. It allows farmers to market their produce under less strenuous conditions, and more comfortably too.
The project features a new passenger-waiting and paved, parking areas, organised vending spaces with standardised shops, a paved waterfront promenade with rails, shaded public seating and lighting panels along walkways and GFC request for a boathouse, were some of the amendments residents would desire to be included in the project.
The Pomeroon-Supenaam region comprises forested highland and low coastal plain, but also takes in a small portion of the hilly sand and clay region.
The over 42,769 people of this region live in Amerindian settlements and more established villages concentrated along the coast. The town of Anna Regina, on the west bank of the Essequibo River, grew out of a government land development scheme and is made up of former plantations such as Henrietta, Lima, La Belle Alliance.
The Tapakuma Project in this Region links the Tapakuma, Reliance and Capoey lakes into one large conservancy, which supplies irrigation water for rice fields, which dominate Region Two. One of Guyana’s largest rice producers, Kayman Sankar Ltd operates in this region, producing rice not only for local consumption, but also for export to other countries of the world.
Besides rice farming, some people cultivate coconuts and care for beef and dairy cattle. Timber production is conducted on a very small scale in this region. Not surprisingly, the Region is known as ‘the Rice land’ as historical facts suggest.
With its many beautiful waterways, amazing river transport, and jovial, feisty people, Supenaam (Pomeroon/Supenaam) is indeed a location that can holds its own against many of the budding tourism locations in Guyana.
Join us next Sunday when we take our cameras to the somewhat secluded village of Good Faith, in Mahaicony on the East Coast of Demerara.

 

 

 

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