Guyana info
 

Hi,

The post is based on crossing into Guyana at Lethem and then riding North to Georgetown.

Leaving Brazil was once again no hassle.

Getting into Guyana was no hassle until it was time for the bike. You need a bunch of copies (2 passport, 2 registration, 2 license, 2 of Guyana insurance) and then you get a (free) 'right to drive' permit.

Places in Lethem for bike stuff:

-N3 22.330 W59 47.993 The one bank in town. You can change money here (not Venezuelan Bolivars). They are only open until 1pm Mon-Fri. No ATM.

-N3 22.312 W59 48.041 Just around the corner from the bank in a baby blue restaurant is a guy who changes Brazilian into Guyana dollars. 1R-100G.

-N3 22.625 W59 47.540 You can get insurance here. 1 month was under $10USD.

-N3 22.401 W59 47.654 Savanna Inn Supermarket where you can get all the photocopies you need.

Road to Georgetown:

The road to Georgetown is generally good gravel with one annoying sandy stretch, though in the wet it can turn into a real swamp in places. There is one ferry to take across the Essesquibo. It goes once an hour, but will not cross over just to get a lone bike. I had to wait almost 4 hours for a truck to show before they would cross to my side of the river. It only runs until 6pm.

-N4 39.841 W58 40.046 Just past the ferry crossing is a guest house with decent food, kind of cold beer, free camping, clean flush toilets, and cold water showers.

Georgetown:

Good fun place and I didn't get any hassles at all.

-N6 49.151 W58 09.725 The only bank that accepts foreign cards is Scotiabank. There are a couple of other locations I think.

-N6 48.748 W58 09.953 GTM Insurance sells insurance for Suriname. Cheap (around $10USD/month) and quick to get.

-N6 48.771 W58 08.880 Suriname Consulate. Got the visa the same day, for a Canadian it's $45USD in USD only- no other currency.

-There are money changers (Cambio) everywhere and they give better rates than the bank and don't have forms to fill out. They pretty much exchange any major currency.

Nice to hear of someone else on that road. How's the weather?

FWIW, the ferry will take you without waiting long if you pay. They'll carry you for free if you wait for someone else to come along who's paying. That's why you waited four hours (but I don't know what happens if they're already on the north side of the river when you arrive--they like to hang there, since that's where the village is). There's a classy lodge, Iwokroma Jungle Lodge, on the south side of the river which has budget hammock space in addition to comfortable private rooms with food.

Mark

Hi,

That was the problem- they stay on the other side of the river between crossings and I tired everything to get them to cross. Even asking one of the guys on the little skiffs to ask them to cross, etc, etc. I almost crossed myself to negotiate something, but decided that I just didn't want to leave the bike like that.

I always seem to end up doing things backwards....

Oh, and the weather.... WET. I thought the dry seasons was supposed to have started. The ride from Lethem to Georgetown was dry until I hit the forest and then it rained almost solidly until I got to Georgetown. In Georgetown a bunch of the streets are flooded, though it seems to be coming down today.

Yeh, sounds like the dry season has started! Count your blessings.....

Dont worry, I'm sure it will be really pissing down serious non stop rain in a week or so when I get there. Gosh, between Mark, yourself, and a couple of others there is so much information on the Guyanas now that I feel like I have already been there.

Maybe I should try to find a route from Guyana directly to Venezuela? Naw, probably not.

Don't worry, this place strikes me a bit like riding through Africa where mother nature has such an impact on the road and general conditions that unless you're riding the same place on the same day as the guy who posted everything will be different!

Well, there allegedly is a track- completely unofficial and used primarily by various sorts who want to avoid official notice. A guy who worked at the airport/port customs in Caracas mentioned it... And then something about how they'd have a good time with a gringo or something....

P.S.
Yes, it will be raining, though it's so humid anyway that you won't notice! :)

Ha! Thanks. Given the relationship between Hugito and Washington, I probably wont push my luck.

Do you know if I will be able to buy insurance for Guyana while I am in Suriname?

Also, some Venezuelans that crossed into Lethem a week or so ago had mentioned to me that I need to procure a bike permit ahead of time from an office in Georgetown before I show up at the border, or I will be denied entry. I have not heard anything about this from others so I dont know if this requirement is only for Venezuelan bikes or for other nationality bikes as well. Although I guess it could be a new requirement?

Have you or Mark heard anything about this?

Thanks, Vince

I don't know about the insurance, but here is the Suriname address for the insurance I got in Guyana for Suriname, maybe they can do the same thing but in reverse.

N.V. Paramaribo Schade Assurantie Co.
H.A.E. Arronstraat 119 Paramaribo
tel: 421212
fax: 421325

I had to get a 'Permit to Drive' from customs (detailed above), but beyond that I didn't have any problem getting the bike in. I think things are different for people from the area since there is so much illegal migration and work going on.

Keep the rubber side down,
David

I got the driving permit and insurance in the first town past the ferry from Suriname--had to take a taxi there: "Baby Transport." Tell Baby I say hi. No special permit from Georgetown necessary, although I remember reading about this somewhere or other.

I heard about a smugglers' route overland to Venezuela, but it didn't sound inviting; too much to lose with a bike and gear, and sufficient mud even on the main routes.

EasyG has some videos and waypoints posted if you crave even more advance info.

Enjoy!

Mark

Oh yeh, Vince: I don't think I answered your earlier question. Alex in Belém is the one you found. A hell of a nice guy, surrounded by other good people, although not very prompt when he promises to meet you somewhere. He's got a repair shop and heads a club which collects supplies and hauls them by bike out into the jungle to supply remote villages. It's a great bunch and a good local connection in Belém.....although as you've noticed Brazilians are so welcoming that it's hard to make any forward progress sometimes.

Thanks guys. I appreciate the address in Suriname for insurance, no doubt that will save me a couple of hours walking around in the heat wearing moto gear. Baby Trasnport, I will remember that for sure when I need to get my permit to drive.

I will probably stop by Alex's shop to maybe do an oil change and put on a tire. I would even be interested in helping those guys bring supplies to people in the jungle. That sounds like its right up my alley for sure.

Its been really tough to keep moving. My Brazilian hosts have been relentless with their hospitality. I think I might wind up having quite a few Alaska bound guests once I get home.

I'm looking forward to the upcoming segment. Naw, dont want waypoints, thats just too easy. :-)

Vince

Yeah, the town just up from the ferry has a GTM insurance office and I'm sure they'd be the ones selling Guyanese insurance.

A bonus about having to take one of the little transports is that you'll get a ride in the only vehicle every built in Guyana!

I don't know about elsewhere, but if you've gotten used to great hospitality, Guyana won't disappoint- fantastic people!

Thanks. Well I am in Belém.

Little dry season in Feb/Mar huh? Not this year. I rode 840 miles today and it pissed down rain almost the whole time. I never shed my rain gear, and it was actually a bit chilly as I approached Belém, in the pouring rain of course. As I got into the city it was a hard constant rain, like a cow pissing on a flat rock.

I think I will spoon on some knobbies while I'm here as something tells me that I might need them. :-)

Vince

Eternally optimistic, as ever! I looked for knobbies in Belém without success. The best I could do was a new Michelin Sirac....not exactly suited for gumbo muck. Ask Alex, and if there are none available ask if he can order some. Or are you carrying them with you?

There's supposed to be a remarkable drought happening further up the Amazon drainage. Or maybe that was last week.

Boa sorte!

Mark

Ha! given the mud I rode yesterday with bald DS tires, Those knobbies sure would be nice.

I am carrying a front MT-21 with about 40 percent life left, but need to scare up an 140 by 18 inch knobby rear, which as you mentioned will probably be next to impossible to find.

Its amazing how tough MT-21's are to find in Brazil, even though they are manufactured here and I was literally tripping over them everywhere else in South America.

I went on those mud roads yesterday to check out a couple of parks, which turned out to be everything you said they would be. It cost me at least 6 hours of time slopping around in the rain and mud.

And you will no doubt have a good chuckle when I tell you that although I was supposedly in those parks, they sure looked a lot the rest of stuff I rode through to get to Belem. I dont know why I have to see everything for myself sometimes.

However the whole route with big wide open skies, the electric emerald green landscape, and ominous dark thunderheads dominating the horizon did have a special beauty about it, when it wasnt pouring down rain.

I'm off to check out Alex's shop today in rainy Belém.

I'm in Suriname right now and it has been dry here for the last two days, so maybe this fabled 'short dry season' is actually starting!

A little preview of what you'll get on the Georgetown to Lethem road. The mud isn't too deep, but it's slippery as snot. I certainly wished I wasn't on my crappy (for off-tar) Dunlop Trailmax TR91 tyres!
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Crashmaster- when are you expecting to hit French Guiana or Suriname? First beer is on me!