WHILE most tourist spots are marked on maps, if you drive along the Ogle main road on the East Coast of Demerara, Kalindi Lorde’s vibrant fruit stall has transformed the ordinary roadside into a place where visitors can get their first taste of Guyana.

Lorde never set out to become a must-visit site. In fact, she launched her business in one of the most uncertain times in history, during the COVID-19 pandemic when the country was at a standstill and opportunities were few.

She set up the stall to make a living, but over the next six years, it has become a hotspot where people are not just simply tasting or buying fruits, but they are experiencing a piece of the Guyanese culture.

Speaking to the Guyana Chronicle recently, Lorde explained that during the pandemic, her husband was forced to pause his job as a mini-bus driver due to social-distance restrictions.

Faced with uncertainty, the couple turned to something simple but essential, selling fruits. Together, they worked through the entire pandemic, and their fruit truck became a reliable presence during unpredictable times.

Before the traffic light on the Ogle main road, there lies a stall, complemented with a colourful display of the authentic local and even foreign fruits, such as jackfruit, known locally as ‘kowa,’ sapodilla, awara, and whitey.

“Service to people,” is how Lorde, a woman who greets everyone with a warm smile and pure Guyanese hospitality, detailed her job.

“When people come, I would try to give them the best that I have and that’s why I love doing it. I love people,” she said.

Lorde, who hails from Canal No.2, said she sources her fruits from her hometown.

Regardless of whether it is granadilla or sapodilla, Lorde said tourists are drawn to the authenticity, one slice at a time.

Detailing her daily interactions, she stated that tourists are often enchanted with local fruits, and this just brightens her day.

“I introduce granadilla to a lot of tourists and every time they come back, they come for the granadilla,” she said, adding that other fruits garner much attention too: “They’re always overwhelmed by the taste of it [sapodilla].”

However, it is not just about the number of sales as the fruit vendor would give customers some history lessons. She said she would talk about local names and the story behind each fruit, while sharing her own memories and lighting up with genuine excitement when someone tries a fruit for the first time.

“When they come, I explain to them. I show them. I give them a taste… Sometimes even Guyanese I introduce to [some fruits],” she said.

The reactions are priceless, she emphasised.

These interactions, according to her, bring pure happiness, as she gets to share Guyana’s culture with others, from children to the elderly.
“I get a lot of reactions, especially [from] children when they come to the stand; they would be like ‘hi!’ and [be] really nice and I feel good about it,” she said gleefully.

Moments such as these happen daily and Lorde continues to treasure them.

Despite the challenges, business has been improving steadily.

According to Lorde, peak months such as July, August, September, and December, bring a wave of tourists and overseas-based Guyanese who have made her stall a routine stop— improving her business and making her even more dedicated.

Additionally, with the increase in tourists, Lorde noted that she has seen a surge in sales. “Compared to 2019 to now, it’s way busier now, you know, you get more sales.”

Although she has witnessed price changes since opening her business, owing to both local and global factors, Lorde remains optimistic.

Additionally, the vendor shared her ambitions to expand her business even further, noting: “I think if I had a farmland that would improve my business because I would plant my own stuff because if you get your own stuff, then you could sell more reasonable.”

Small local businesses such as Lorde’s fruit stall play a quiet but important role in bolstering Guyana’s tourism sector. As Guyana positions itself as a premier destination, these small businesses are not just roadside stops, they are essential to the Guyanese experience.