Lethem: The jewel of Guyana’s ‘Deep South’

JUST when I thought I’d seen all Guyana has to offer by way of natural beauty, I was introduced to Lethem, way down in the southernmost reaches of Guyana, where my journalistic duties recently took me to cover the ever-popular Rupununi Rodeo.

altI was certainly not prepared for the breathtaking spectacle that unfolded before my very eyes as we journeyed to this distant interior location; and to this day, I am still awed and spellbound by the abundant and arresting beauty with which Mother Nature has endowed Guyana in ‘The Deep South’. As is the saying: The best was saved for last. Ask me if I would do it again, and the spontaneous answer is: I most definitely would.
This trip has certainly taught me to properly appreciate the numerous mighty works of the Creator.
Even after returning to the city, I still seemed to be in a sort of hazy cloud, reminiscing on the mystical beauty and economic boom of Lethem. This location is doubtless the certain number one tourist destination in Guyana.

The townalt
Lethem, seat of administration of Region Nine, is a booming community located on the northern shores of the Takutu River in the Upper Takutu/Upper Essequibo district of Guyana. Named after Sir Gordon James Lethem, who governed British Guiana from 1941 to April 12, 1947, Lethem looks across the Takutu into the Brazilian town of Bon Fim.
Lethem is the hub linking many of the surrounding villages to Georgetown. The bridge over the Takutu River was recently completed, and now links Guyana and Brazil. This bridge is expected to bring Brazilian goods to Port Georgetown faster than shipping through Brazilian ports.
Lethem is approximately 280 feet above sea level. Its population is varied, and includes native Amerindian people from nine original tribes in the savannahs. There is a unique mix of Caribbean and African heritage. Few Caucasians live in altGuyana, and most visit just to engage in scientific research in the savannahs or rainforests, or on Christian missionary campaigns. The language spoken at Lethem is English with a Caribbean accent. Some Portuguese is spoken, mainly by Brazilian immigrants, in addition to the many dialects of the Amerindian tribes.

Environment and economy
Lethem is part of the Rupununi Savannahs, and is home to enormous cattle ranches, where the many vaqueros, or cowboys, live. The local flora includes an abundance of cashew and mango trees. Coconut trees are also common, and there is a cashew processing plant at St. Ignatius, a community within Lethem. There are several retail establishments throughout Lethem, and U.S. currency is typically accepted along with the Guyanese Dollar.alt
Water is often drawn from hand-dug wells, although there is a community water supply. Bottled filtered water is common, and easily available in stores. The area’s other economic activities are plant and mineral extraction, and tourism. A rodeo event is kept at Easter.
Lethem has an airport (IATA Code: LTM) that connects it to the capital city of Georgetown with scheduled air service most weekdays. The airport has a single, 6,194-foot (1,888-metre) paved runway with instrument markings but no lighting. The runway is oriented at 07/25. The approach to 07 is often flown in Brazilian airspace, which begins less than 1 km from the threshold. Scheduled service is provided by Trans-Guyana Airways via a single-engine Cessna Caravan. Persons travelling by air to Lethem should know that there are strict weight restrictions for luggage. Weight, depending alton booking, could be restricted to less than 20 pounds. The airport office is located just south of the western end of the runway.

The journey
The beauty of the interior regions began to unfold as we passed through the mining town of Linden and sped along to Lethem on the unpaved but strangely attractive ‘red road’. I lay back on the seat of the bus and opened the window closest to me, intent on enjoying the refreshing breeze.
That absolutely did not happen, and I would never forget the shock and dismay that hit me when a speeding tanker rushing by engulfed us in a suffocating cloud of red sand. Gasping for breath and almost screaming as the sand burned my eyes, reality kicked in that the bus ride was not going to be pleasant as expected.
Then came the numerous large potholes as the bus dropped mercilessly in and out of them. I was very alarmed, as the structure of the vehicle shook and rattled as if the whole thing would fall apart. Things continued in this manner for most of the trip, with passengers swearing all around, as they lunged at the bus windows to lock them to keep out the altbillowing clouds of sand and dust.
That aside, the stirring scenes of towering trees and dense foliage rushing by was a refresher, coupled with the simplicity of the few very small Amerindian settlements we encountered as we plunged deeper and deeper into the interior regions of Guyana.
The trip took thirteen long hours of travelling, and my body was all cramped and paining when we made stops for refreshments at the few fast-food outlets along the roadway. As we drew closer to Lethem, I was drowned in a whirlpool of mesmerizing beauty as the exotic, towering mountain ranges seemed to glide slowly away as the bus made its way to our destination.
Lush, sprawling pastures rushed by on both sides, seemingly unfazed by the scorching heat of the robust sun, and the fact that it was ‘dry-weather season’ in the Rupununi. The sight of smoke billowing from many pastures was evidence altthat a few forest fires had started, but that seemed quite normal in this area. Creeks were almost dried up, and I pitied the crows, vultures and other birds perched on their banks looking sadly into the muddy water. They seemed to be weeping inside, or dreading the outcome, were the small streams and creeks to dry up altogether.
Everyone breathed huge sighs of relief when the bus rolled into Lethem to discharge the sweaty, tired and fatigued passengers all covered in red sand. We were dispatched to a Government building quite close to the Lethem Hospital, and, of course, made a mad dash to be the first to secure hammocks, a bed, or a cool bath in the two showers available.
That night, we slept as soundly as ever, without being able to do the ‘sit-and-chat session’ under the stars as planned as visiting media representatives.

Exploring Lethem
I was certainly under the impression that Lethem was a small settlement with little amenities, and I, of course, expected it to be ancient and a bit outdated. My expectations were confounded, but I was pleasantly surprised at the ‘top-notch commercialized atmosphere’ the location exuded. I would definitely argue that Lethem is more beautiful than our supposed Garden City of Georgetown, and it certainly boasts a larger commercialized sector.
I was taken aback to find several well-established grocery outlets and general supply stores, and even the odd boutique. Among the more popular was Wayka’s Shop, China Star Shop, R & R Hardware, Sermon & Sherine’s Trading Co. Ltd., Victor Shop, Sapataria Boutique, the Rock Shop, American Store and the very large Asia Trading Chinese store. And the hotels were very impressive, especially the Takutu Hotel, Restaurant and Bar, which is also equipped with a comfortable Internet Café for visitors.

‘I am of the firm belief that no other tourist destination can compare to Lethem’s natural, enthralling and arresting beauty’

And no longer do the residents have to travel to the city to conduct cash transactions. Lethem has a very impressive branch of the Guyana Bank for Trade and Industry (GBTI) Limited. The Savannah Inn is also a very comfortable location for visitors to stay when visiting Lethem. And the entertainment leisure time hideouts seem to be perennial in Lethem. These range from the very small to those that are very sophisticated edifices. The Guyoil Gas Station Mall is also quite a ‘lively spot’; it was chosen to host the 2013 Miss Rodeo Pageant, an annual feature whenever the rodeo rolls around.
Then, of course, there is the Double Wheel Nightclub, owned by popular businessman, Ian Rodrigues, which offers a quite relaxing and cozy atmosphere. According to Rodrigues, plans are in place to host several major events that would see the arrival of both local and international artistes in all the arts imaginable.

All around Lethem, the scenery was breathtaking, and this certainly had me wondering why the correct masterminds were not pooling their resources, skills and talents into upgrading this location to its full potential. Lethem, to my mind, should be shaped and molded to eventually become the capital city. Its potential as an unrivalled tourist attraction is indisputable; and it needs to be fully developed and modernized.
Lethem’s residents are concentrated mainly in St Ignatius village, Culvert City and Tabatinga, where housing development continues unabated. There is no doubt that the area is an emerging township, with an indigenous population that traverses the Takutu Bridge daily to work in new businesses along the commercial zone of Lethem.
Business for the small pool of taxi operators is also lucrative, due to daily air traffic services provided by domestic operators, including Air Services Limited (ASL). Some drivers reputedly make over $50,000 per day when business is booming.
In terms of information infrastructure, some residents enjoy cable television, while others view purely Brazilian programmes. Digicel has a substantial customer base, but is competing against counterfeit brands that continue to grow in numbers.

Outstanding features
My visit allowed me to explore the cultural integration that has come to characterise the Central Rupununi area and its indigenous peoples, a growing number of Coastlanders, and an ever increasing population of Brazilians. It also fulfilled my curiosity of the GuyBraz phenomenon and its attendant features, which include cultural intermingling of mainly indigenous Guyanese with Brazilians, whose offspring identify as Guyanese-Brazilian, hence the coinage of the word, ‘GuyBraz’.
The experience was enriching from the dimension of the emerging township that Lethem has clearly transformed into, and it was culturally inspiring from a linguistic perspective. Among the many opportunities that the Takutu Bridge has evidently opened up is the free movement of both Guyanese and Brazilians to conduct business with minimal hassle or language barriers. Several new businesses have sprung up in the last three years, thus creating jobs for residents of Lethem, including those who formerly resided in St Ignatius village, but crossed the border to Bon Fim in search of job opportunities.
The place has its own kind of rhythm, and in the commercial sector there is obvious expansion, much of it a consequence of Brazilian investment. Brazilians now come from over the border to shop in Lethem, according to residents. Then there is the new Guyana Immigration Building, which is fairly spacious and is as congenial as an official institution is permitted to be. It is staffed by courteous and pleasant officers. On the Brazilian side of the Takutu Bridge are the Federal Police, who are equally pleasant and courteous.

Education
Lethem’s education system seems to be doing reasonably well, and Regional Committee Chairman of the RDC, Mr. Alfred Ramsaran, in an interviewwith this reporter, said that education development in the Rupununi has, over the years, been moving apace. There are presently four secondary schools in Region 9, namely Annai Secondary, Aishalton Secondary, Sand Creek Secondary and St. Ignatius Secondary, apart from the many nursery and primary schools scattered around the region.
According to the Regional Chairman, in 2010, the St. Ignatius Secondary School rated 73% nationally, and in the following years, the St. Ignatius Secondary School maintained that percentage of passes between Grades 1 and 3. Mr. Ramsaran, who is also Chairman of that school’s Board, said that in 2011, the St. Ignatius Secondary introduced four new technical subjects in the school programme in an effort to cater for the growing demands of the region. Those subjects are Electronic Document Separation Management (EDPM), Mechanical Engineering Technology, Electrical Engineering Technology and Building Technology. The Regional Education Committee has already identified a building to commence technical training in the skills required in the region, in conjunction with the Ministry of Education.
He added that the township of Lethem is growing daily, and the Education Committee and all concerned residents can help to educate the youths to take up positions in the region, not only as salesperson but in every aspect of work, such as teachers, nurses, doctors, land surveyors, accountants, building contractors, interpreters and translators, among other forms of employment.

Challenges 
Just recently, Minister of Public Works, Robeson Benn, revealed that the design for the Lethem airport is under review by the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA). He also said that Region 9 is one of the most rapidly developing regions in Guyana, with the building of the Takutu Bridge, the emerging agriculture sector, and the enhancement of the tourism sector.
Then there is the infernal red dust from the roads, which penetrates everywhere. Every vehicle which passes churns up a choking cloud of red dust, which coats anything and everything in the vicinity. The same red dust can be seen on the Lethem-Georgetown trail.
There are other issues as well, such as the litter in some parts of the community. The NDC does have a trailer which collects rubbish, but only in certain areas of Lethem. For the most part, residents burn their garbage, and at any given time of the day, columns of smoke can be seen rising to the sky.

Despite a few glitches experienced just like any other location, one would agree after a visit to this mystical location that Lethem is indeed the ‘next big thing’ in terms of top notch tourist destinations.

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