Trail to Lethem
RESIDENTS of Masakenari, Guyana’s remotest village, also known as Gunn’s Strip, in deep south Rupununi Region 9 (Upper Takutu/Upper Essequibo), are now much closer to realizing their dream of, for the first time, having an overland trail from their village to Lethem and by extension, the rest of the Region.
This development follows the near completion of an expedition in the “deep south Rupununi”, led by world renowned British explorer, Colonel John Blashford-Snell.
At the moment, villagers of Masakinari can only get out to northern villages such as Aishalton by foot and boat, a journey which can take as much as three weeks one way.
Reports from the Region are that the expedition which left for the area early October last, is progressing on schedule and without incident.
Major General (Rtd) Joe Singh, a local contact person for the explorers, said that some members of the 25 member team were last week reported to be at a place named Crab Falls, from where they were moving south, surveying and completing the last leg of  a trail from the Kassikaityu River to Masakinari.
Other team members are at the village and have been providing free medical care and accessories, such as spectacles, to the villagers over the past week.
Surveys for the final leg of the trail should have been completed last weekend and the mission would be closed tomorrow with the members returning back to the Coast by aircraft Wednesday, Mr. Singh said.

The exploration by Colonel Snell and a multinational group of volunteers was undertaken by them at the request of the villagers of Masakinari.

The hardy Britisher is not a stranger to Guyana nor to the villagers of Masakinari.
This is his fifth visit and expedition to Guyana, and his fourth visit to the remote village of Masakinari where, in 2000, at the request of the Wai Wais, he took a grand piano by air and overland for use in the church in the village.
The local eco-tourism Company, Wilderness Explorers, has done the logistics to ensure that team members carry out their expedition and return safely, and the explorers have been guided and assisted by the villagers.

Director Major General (Rtd) Joe Singh, said that the results of the survey (as the proposed route for the tractor trailer trail) will be given to him and he will hand these over to Government for follow-up action.

He has said that he is optimistic that the villagers of Masakinari will get full support from Government in establishing the much needed tractor /trailer trail to the rest of the villages in Region 9.