Traveling Ted is a blog that takes readers along on my adventures hiking, canoeing, skiing, and international backpacking. Many blogs focus on one aspect of backpacking, but I tackle both the outdoor adventure side and international exploration as well.

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Georgetown Guyana

City Hall Building in downtown Georgetown

Georgetown Guyana is a really interesting city, and I spent my first couple of days in the country modestly exploring the capital. I was immediately struck at the similarity between it and Port of Spain in Trinidad & Tobago. A friend from Guyana had told me that Georgetown was a lot like Trinidad & Tobago, but  a little more rustic. This definition was spot on.

Georgetown Guyana

Old church close to downtown

Despite being firmly on the ground in South America, Georgetown seems more influenced by the Caribbean. This is not too much of a surprise since it lies on the Caribbean Sea, but it is not an island and there are no Caribbean beaches to speak of. Most of the Guyana shoreline is muddy.

Georgetown Guyana

Beautiful city street in Georgetown, Guyana

The mix of culture is also very similar to Trinidad & Tobago. There is a large East Indian population with descendents from the African slave trade and colonial descendants mixed with a small portion of Amerindians, which are indigenous people. This mix of people makes for an interesting blend of cultures and fantastic cuisine.

Georgetown Guyana church

St. George’s Cathedral is the most recognizable structure in Georgetown

I immediately enjoyed this melting pot of cuisines by eating an awesome pumpkin roti at Shanta’s, which is a place I would be returning to soon. Instead of having a strong pumpkin flavor, it was spiced with Indian herbs and spices, which cut the sweetness, but gave it an incredible flavorful taste.

Georgetown Guyana cuisine

Tasty pumpkin and roti with coconut water to wash in down

Georgetown Guyana

A building in Georgetown reflecting the Indian influence

Later that night, I stopped by the Latino Club at the Pegasus Hotel. A Caribbean band was playing covers from Otis Redding, Bob Marley, and others. This band also had an Indian singer who performed some traditional Indian fare. Once again, the blend of cultures was in effect. The band was playing to their audience and appealed to the crowd by implementing sound aspects from the major ethnic groups found in the country.

Pina colada Guyana

Listening to a fun band with an awesome pina colado mixed with delicious Caribbean rum

The one alarming aspect of Georgetown is the trash. Trash was everywhere and in heaps and piles in places sometimes right in the middle and next to downtown. The bright spot was the newspaper was full of editorials and articles upset about the garbage situation, so I hope this soon is fixed. Signs have been put up trying to educate the public to keep their city clean, but the campaign has yet to yield any positive results.

Georgetown Guyana

Pegasus Hotel is the Georgetown skyline with heaps of trash in the foreground – Hope the city works to gets this problem cleaned up

Lily pad

The scene was taken right next to a pile of trash, so beauty can be found in Georgetown

I was thinking of taking some pictures of the trash and juxtaposing it with the nice part of Georgetown, but I would rather focus visually on the nice parts of the city and hope the city moves forward and picks itself up. You can see from the above picture how green and beautiful Georgetown could be without the liter eyesore.

Seawall Georgetown Guyana

Georgetown beach from the Seawall

Despite the trash situation, I recommend spending some time in Georgetown and walking around to see some of the sites listed below, eat the interesting mix of cuisines, and finding places to have a cool refreshing cocktail after spending time walking in the heat and humidity. Many people who come to Georgetown are just here as a stop over on their way to see the amazing rainforests in the interior, but I recommend staying at least a couple of days here.

Georgetown Guyana

Typical Georgetown street near downtown

Some of the must sees on any city tour or city walk and included in this photo essay are the following:

Stabroek Market Georgetown

Stabroek Market in downtown Georgetown

Stabroek Market Georgetown Guyana

Stabroek Market

St. George's Cathedral Georgetown Guyana

Beautiful St. George’s Cathedral in downtown Georgetown

City Hall Georgetown Guyana

City Hall building in downtown Georgetown, Guyana

Georgetown Guyana church

St. Andrew’s Presbytery Church near Stabroek Market

Georgetown Botanical Gardens

Georgetown Botanical Gardens

 

Church Street Georgetown Guyana

View of St. George’s Cathedral from the aptly named Church Street

TT

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