On the way back, we’re caught in a deluge of biblical proportions; the footpaths become rivers and what at first appears to be a deformed cat walking beside me turns out to be an absolutely enormous toad. As darkness falls, the savannah is lit only by the stars and the sparks of fireflies. Moving onwards towards the Brazilian border, we detour along the Rupununi River to Karanambu Lodge – an isolated, enchanting place that attracts wildlife and wildlife lovers in equal measure. The stills from movement sensor cameras around the property are like a Who’s Who of Guyana’s must-see mammals: jaguars, ocelots, tapirs, giant anteaters, capybaras.
The dinner table at the lodge is usually presided over by 82-year old Diane McTurk, a local legend and larger-than-life character famous for her work with orphaned giant river otters. “It’s not just otters,” her colleague Adrienne tells us in her absence. “People here come from miles around to bring Diane orphaned or injured anteaters, tapirs, and even jabiru storks.” We’re told the story of the baby tapir raised by Diane that came back to her as an adult to be nursed after getting savaged by a jaguar. “It knew where to come for help.”
Our final stop before flying back to Georgetown from Lethem is the Makushi village of Shulinab. We wander around the village, stop by the local one-room school pursued by a gaggle of curious children, peek into the tiny health centre, complete with anti-AIDS posters, and talk to the villagers. Everyone is friendly and welcoming, unlike, say, the Amerindians from highland Peruvian villages, who often view strangers with wariness and distrust because outsiders have often brought them harm.
