-the El Nino ‘beach’ drawing crowds for leisure…and prized construction sand

By Alva Solomon

KNOWN as Ariwa Beach, it lies in the middle of the Takutu River. In fact, it is actually the dried-up sandy bed of the river, which is an international boundary separating Guyana from Brazil. But, these days, as dry weather conditions impact the Rupununi, the people have found ways of sidestepping the seriousness of the situation; at least temporarily.

The Takutu River meanders around the Rupununi, and its waters are known to be fierce during wet weather conditions. Back in May-June 2011, the Lethem area was hounded by severe flooding, mainly because of persistent rains locally and because Brazil’s Rio Branco had overtopped its banks and had thrown its excess into the Takutu, causing the Takutu to rise beyond normal levels. The Rupununi was reeling from inundation, and government teams carrying food, water and words of encouragement flew to and fro across the flooded landscape of the entire region. These days, however, the situation is completely different. The land is dry, dusty and dirty; one’s clothing is likely to become red, especially while travelling in or behind a vehicle, or simply walking along a busy roadway.

Last weekend, when the Guyana Chronicle visited the area, several families were in the Takutu River aback St Ignatius, a prime hangout spot on Sundays. A small temporary car park was sectioned at the front of the site, with trees marked with signs such as “cars”, “motorbike”, among others demarcating the parking priorities. A “no-littering” sign also hung conspicuously from a tree.

A few steps further, handrails painted in white and yellow lined a walkway which was both naturally and manually carved into steps leading to the river. The sight of the dried–out river below greets visitors. The evidence of El Nino is evident on both sides of the river: dry sun-burnt grass and dusty trails. In the middle of the river, a temporary bridge was built by self-proclaimed caretakers for residents to cross over to the beach. The bridge was aligned neatly, with wire-rope at hand-reach to be used as support by any crossing it.

One of the caretakers told this newspaper that the Brazilian military would patrol the river, whether in dry or rainy season, and this, he noted, happens without any issue. The same happens when the Guyanese soldiers patrol the river. He noted, however, that the

Brazilians gave “permission” to set up temporary huts, equipped with wooden seating and barbecue grills carved from old drums and tyre rims.

Further up the beach, a few bags of coals lay alongside a hut as two children enjoyed the water. A fishing boat could be seen in the distance, and one of the caretakers signalled to the boat operator that it was time to pull in the fish seines. According to the caretaker, at this time of year, and given its expanse and easy access, the beach is one of the more popular venues in Lethem.
“All you need is to find a vehicle to drive straight here from Lethem or wherever, and you just enjoy the area,” he said as he held onto three wooden flag-poles which were planted on the beach with much significance.

“It’s three flags. The one on the right is obviously showing Guyana side, and the Brazilian is on the other side. Now the white flag is the one which holding them together peacefully,” he said, grinning freely.

A walk along the beach comes with much courage, especially to those barefooted, since the soil is of sand and stone. “I think is stone really, but it has sand, and that is what is in demand in this area to build the homes,” the caretaker noted.

He said that truckers were in the habit of removing the sand and retailing it at huge cost in the community; it costs as much as $45,000 per load. This occurs at another section of the community, where the Takutu passes close to Lethem.

“But that is another story; for now, we just enjoy this beach,” the caretaker added. He said the structures built are made purely of palm and cheap wood, and are built mainly with changing weather conditions in mind. He pointed to the dry banks of the river, layered sections of which stretch across the landscape, each layer indicating the level of the river at various times of the year.

During a visit to the area the following morning, there was a noticeable mark on the river banks. The river had risen slightly overnight. This may be credited to a recent change in the weather patterns in the North Rupununi/Pakaraimas, where the waters are known to run south into the Rupununi.

The rains have been pouring along certain parts of the roadway linking Linden to Lethem, mainly along the trail south of the Kurupukari Crossing on the Essequibo River. This was noticeable during a trip along the trail last weekend.

While the weather patterns may be changing in southern Guyana, the visitors to Ariwa Beach are enjoying the benefits of the waterway; and based on the experiences of the 2011 floods, the current experiences may be preferred against an overtopping Takutu River.