Cool man cool

Sitting in the air conditioned cafe drinking coffee and using the free wireless internet service.Great hey?

To continue... Guyana is divided into 10 regions. Georgetown is in Region IV, on the coast at the mouth of the Demerara river - a huge wide chocolate covered river with a high and low tide. As you fly over Guyana you see, out at sea, where the blue water meets the chocolate water. Most Guyanese (about 85%) live along the coast line East and West of Georgetown. The remainder live in the country and a few in the Hinterland (Interior)where there are few access points and no roads.

The Guyanese comprise three major racial peoples. The Afro-Guyanese, the Indo-Guyanese and the indiginous people the Ameri-Indians many from the original Arawak tribe. There is a significant racial divide and conflict although it is not overt. Political parties are split primarily along racial lines and the Indo Guyanese are presently in power. They do have some MPs from the other races but primarily it is Indo-guyanese.

Religion is primarily Hindu, Muslim and Christian although you see all kinds of churches. You will see above a few photos - if you can brighten them - of the Hindu Festival of Lights known as Diwali and a public holiday to boot which took place friday night (October 20th). All shops were closed Saturday.
The parade is very beautiful with cars and trucks decorated with tiny lights. They parade along the seawall road and through town and there are lots of firecrackers and flurescent bangles and brooches being sold along with candy floss of many colours!!!

The history lesson about Guyana is frustrating as you see their progress followed by the collapse followed by moves forward and falls back, as their raw products rise and fall on the world markets. The loss of their professional class is a huge economic and professional loss to the country and one of the reasons I have been asked to come here.