My last post for today...

After delighting you all with recent photographs, I thought, "enough of this loveliness and Guyana fancy. Why not have a break for a change and give the Guyanese something to look at"... So, for reasons of parity and fairness to all, I am changing the focus of this blog from GUYANA to the UK!!! 

That's right peeps - I am finally following through on my threat and am coming home. I have a few false starts on making this happen, but tickets are booked and bags... well, they are still empty, but you know what I mean.

I leave these fair shores on Tuesday, to have a week in Trinidad with my friends who hosted me for pioneer school (I know you read this Che and Nats - get cooking!) and then Dec 12 I arrive in the arctic and foreboding Gatwick airport. I am in London / Scotland / Wales (sorry Ireland, not you) and back to London until Jan 7. Then I am yo-yo'ing back to Guyana to continue with my adventures.

I am sure I won't get to see all of you in the short time I have, but I hope you know it is not intentional. It is so over-whelming thinking about coming home and seeing everyone. I can't believe it has been a year and a half - the bets were on for a return within two months! I have had some amazing experiences and am sure Jehovah has many more for me to revel in. But, it is definitely time to come home and take stock, have some mulled wine and bask in the best season on the calendar - WINTER (not the pagan festival that goes with it... naughty!!! ;) Tho Matt Humps has promised me some traditional fare in the form of cooked meats and pigs in blankets!). 

I can't wait to walk the Embankment with a mulled wine in my hand, walking around the tree in Covent Garden, taking a stroll on the Heath and having a touristy pic outside of the Science Museum and the V&A. Big jumpers, scarves, Indian curry, some good wine and some even better hours spent with long-not-seen friends. Fish, dim sum, SOUP (oh how I have missed SOUP), slow cooked lamb (actually, cook it quick and get it in my stomach), TELEVISION!!!, did I mention Indian curry!?!?!

Watch out Londondinium, your child is returning...

Coffee

Okay,

This deserves its own post. For the last year and a half I have been asking everyone who is coming in and out of the country to mule some coffee with them (thanks Jo). You see, here we cannot buy it - nowhere in Guyana! On our trips to Suriname, we can sometimes unearth a pack or two, but that is all. We are indeed in the last days...

Well - imagine our shock and horror at learning that not only does Guyana have coffee plantations, a sister owns one and another owns a factory. They process and export the coffee, but never does it touch the lips of a resident of this fair land. 

It was such a lovely smell. The sister gave us a huge sample bag and I am now in talks to hook up a supply to Berbice, through a brother who sells in the market. Good times ahead!

Pay attention now:

These, my friends, are the where the magic begins. The red beans on the right are the coffee beans in their natural state. I am not sure why the ones on the left were dried, as I dont think they are used like that... not sure... not a good start

The beans are put through the first machine that strips the skin and they make a lovely big pile

Their now naked selves waiting for a make-over

Then they are planed in this sun-bed to dry

Once dried, (perhaps the black ones up top) they are placed in this roaster. It was amazing to see the machines - it was like walking around a museum, but that is what they use everyday to do their work

The smell coming off this was amazing

And that is it - then they are sent off to grind in another machine

And are then dressed into their bags - 180 GUD for a pack, which is about 50p

And then into my belly... Mmmm

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A COFFEE BEAN - FASCINATING!!!

More Essequibo...

Sorry for the hiatus in posts - the all-day blackouts and tropical rain is thwarting my uploads: Rainy Season has begun!

Forthwith - more pics:

My transport to the assembly - soooooo cooooooool

Stayed with a family who are rice farmers. They let me drive a tractor baby!

This was our lil river preaching crew on the second time out

This is bro and sis McAlman - of the Guyana yearbook fame. They have been preaching on the river for over 30 years and pretty much everyone you talk to at the hall studied with them. Hilariously, despite 30 years on the river, neither can swim!!!

Essequibo...

Hi All

It has been a long time since my last post, or so it feels. Things have been very busy indeed. I was invited back to the north of the country - to Essequibo - and the delightful Charity. They were having their two day assembly and needed help organising and delivering sign language interpreting. I jumped at the chance to go, as it is a beautiful area, on the Pomeroon river, at the mouth of the interior and literally the other end of coast to my home, Skeldon.

So, myself and a team of brothers and sisters from Skeldon and Georgetown headed over to Charity. I stayed for what ended up being two weeks, whilst others came for just the weekend. Here are some highlights (I have to break this into two posts, I fear, else the post will be too heavy).

My adventure began with this! MMMM - I ate them all - kinda like mini-burgers

Charity is so different to Skeldon. People really take care of their house lot - so lovely

Charity is on the mouth of the Pomeroon, so we got to go river witnessing! So cool.

You just pull up to the jetty and yell 'INSIDE', like we do with the normal ministry.

More to come in the next post...