Oasis Service Center along the Georgetown-Lethem Road
The Guyana Rupunini Oasis is an economical an interesting option to stay along the Georgetown-Lethem Road. While there you can hike the Panorama Nature Trail and it is also close to the Iwokrama Rainforest, Lethem, and the Pakaraima Mountains.
The Oasis Service Center restaurant and bar
There are not many adventure travel opportunities in this part of the world, so a one day stay is all that is necessary. It is a great place to stay in between Iwokrama and Lethem.
In my last post, I described how I felt like an ass for not doing adequate research on Guyana and coming to a place that was not exactly my cup of tea. Eighty percent of Guyana is supposedly covered in rainforests, and I came to Guyana to see rainforests, yet I managed to fly straight to the only spot in the interior not covered by rainforests.
For over an hour we flew over the lush Guyana Rainforest
The Rupunini is a wonderful place, and I could really imagine learning to love the place if I stayed there long enough and had time to spend there. However, I wanted rainforests, snakes, and birds, and they are found here, but not in the abundance that they are found in areas like Iwokrama and Kaieteur Falls.
Flying over the Iwokrama Rainforest on the way to Annai
It was horrible flying in because it was an hour and twenty minutes of lush rainforest, and my tongue was wagging in anticipation. Then, the last fifteen minutes of the flight we came out of the rainforest over this vast dry plain and landed in Annai. I wished I had a parachute and could have jumped out before we came out of the rainforest.
Suddenly the rainforests ended and we emerged onto a dry plain – Go back plane go back
Rupunini Savannah is beautiful, but not what I expected
I did manage to spend a half day in the Iwokrama Rainforest, but that cost $160.00 since I had to book a solo tour. They charged by the tour and not per person. Another day’s activities would have cost another $100.00 plus dollars, so I decided to bail and head back to Georgetown and make sure I got on a tour to Kaieteur. This turned out to be a fortunate decision as the tour I was going to book on Friday got canceled, and I was able to go on Thursday instead since I went back a day early.
That night I had no activity planned. The night before I stayed in the Rock View Lodge and this place set me back $180.00 for one night and this included food and access to a swimming pool. After a night in luxury, I needed something a bit more frugal, so tonight I was going to stay in a hammock out in the open under a benab with a mosquito netting.
Tonight I was staying in a hammock in benab
I was dropped off at the Oasis at 4 p.m. with absolutely nothing to do. The Oasis is a restaurant/bar along the Georgetown-Lethem Road that serves truckers, travelers, local residents, a few backpackers, birders, and anyone else that may come by.
The Oasis serves a hardy plate of food, has a bar, has music, and a TV. They also have overnight accommodations. They have reasonable rates on rooms running $50.00 for a private room, but you can also camp there for $10.00 or rent a hammock for $5.00 and sleep under a benab for $10.00. A benab is an outdoor gazebo like structure with hooks that you can tie up multiple hammocks and has a roof. It is a term and structure unique of Guyana.
Charming Oasis lodging
Oasis rooms: Spartan but comfortable
I had absolutely nothing to do. I looked up and down the road and not a car was in sight. I thought to myself this is going to be the most boring evening of my life. One thing I have learned is a good weapon against boredom is a beer. I went up to the bar and ordered a Banks beer.
Not much traffic on the Georgetown-Lethem Road – Tonight is going to be a long one, or will it?
Show me the way Banks beer
Read part II of the narrative: The whole world will pass you by at the Guyana Oasis
Stay tuned,
TT
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That road says it all. I hope you met a few interesting characters while drinking the beer – or had a good book to dig into. Sometimes it is so hard to know what you’re getting into from afar.
Leigh recently posted..A Visit to the Wilds of Wisconsin & Michigan’s Upper Peninsula
Things definitely turned around and a happy ending was had.