The Beauty of Guyana, Part 1: Culture and Nature (February 2024) 圭亚那之美(一)：文化与自然（2024年2月）

The blog about my trip to Guyana is divided into two parts: Part 1 provides an overview of the journey, which you can read below, while Part 2 features a collection of bird photography titled “Marvelous Birds” (see next blog). Enjoy!

我的圭亚那之行的博客分为两部分：第一部分为旅行的概述, 您可以在下面阅读 ；第二部分则收录了一组鸟类摄影作品，题为“奇妙的鸟类” (见下一篇)。请欣赏！

Our trip to Guyana was primarily to photograph the unique bird species and natural beauty in South America. A group of six bird photography enthusiasts flew directly from New York’s Kennedy Airport to Georgetown, the capital of Guyana, in a five-hour flight. Arriving at the airport just after midnight, we immediately felt the transition from winter to summer. A friend of one of our team members, Jean, was waiting for us at the airport. She is a native of Guyana and speaks English with a pleasant South American accent. Jean and her son Terry were responsible for the trip arrangement in Guyana. They were very hospitable, and helped us in their ways to ensure we had a great experience.

The next day, before heading to our birdwatching destination, we explored Georgetown, the largest city in Guyana. The city isn’t very big, but it has everything; it appeared vibrant and bustling with business opportunity, likely due to the oil industry development. We visited the largest farmers’ market in the city and tasted local fruits. Jean bought some ingredients and went home to prepare us a delicious and plentiful local meal. To our surprise, the dishes were remarkably tasty.

我们这次去圭亚那，主要是去拍摄南美特有的鸟类和自然美景。六位摄影爱好者从纽约肯尼迪机场搭乘直飞航班，五小时直达圭亚那的首都乔治敦。午夜时分到达机场，我们立刻感受到从冬天转到了夏天。我们一位同行的朋友简（Jean）在机场出口等我们。她是土生土长的圭亚那人， 讲着带有愉悦南美口音的英语。简和她的儿子Terry负责我们在圭亚那的行程。 她俩非常好客，在接下来的日子里，母子俩尽心尽力，让我们有了一个难忘的圭亚那之旅。

第二天，在前往拍鸟目的地之前，我们先游历了乔治敦这个圭亚那最大的城市。这座城市其实并不大，但它应有尽有；看上去到处生机勃勃， 商业气氛浓厚，这些可能主要得益于石油开业开发所致吧。我们逛了市区最大的农产市场， 品尝了当地的水果。简买了些食材，回家为我们准备了非常丰富的当地风格的美餐。出乎我们的意料，这些菜肴味道都出奇地好。

Our destination was Waikin Ranch in Lethem, a major city in southern Guyana. We woke up at 4:30 AM and took a domestic flight from Georgetown on Transguyana airline. A minor note: my photography equipment exceeded the 20-pound weight limit, so I had to pay an extra $15 for the overweight (at $1 per pound).

^{Small airport to Lethem 小机场至莱瑟姆}

After about an hour and 20 minutes of flying, we landed at a small airport in Lethem. While waiting for our pick-up, we wandered into an exhibition room belonging to a local wildlife conservation organization next to the airport and came across an interesting poster showcasing common local animals along with signatures from donors and supporters. I added my name to the poster as well.

^{Lethem airport 莱瑟姆机场}

The owner of Waikin Ranch picked us up in a jeep. The road from the airport to the resort was rust-red, resembling scenes I had seen in Africa. The resort was about a 45-minute drive from the airport, nestled in the wilderness and surrounded by grass and shrubs, or savanna, and haunted by small animals. The village grows local vegetables and raises cattle and chickens for guests. The owners (couples), both Portuguese descendants, were very friendly. The resort has only six guest units, which perfectly accommodated our group.

我们的目的地是位于圭亚那南部的一座大城市莱瑟姆附近的怀金牧场。我们在早上4:30起床，从乔治敦的小型国内机场搭乘圭亚那航空。一个小插曲是，我的摄影设备超过了20磅的重量限制，我不得不为超重支付了另外的15美元（每磅1美元）。

^{Small airplane to Lethem 飞往莱瑟姆的小型飞机}

经过大约一个小时二十分钟的飞行，我们降落在莱瑟姆的一个小机场。在等待接机的时候，我们走进了机场附近当地一个野生动物保护组织的展览室，看到了一张有趣的海报，上面展示了当地常见的动物，还有捐赠者和支持者的签名。我也在海报上签了名。

^{Poster of wild animals in Lethem and signatures 莱瑟姆的野生动物海报和签名}

怀金牧场的老板用吉普车把我们接走。机场到度假村的路是锈红色的，和我在非洲见到的景象类似。度假村距离机场约45分钟车程，位于荒野之中，四周被草和灌木包围，有小动物出没。村里种植当地蔬菜，并养殖牛和鸡，可提供客人们的部分用度。业主是葡萄牙裔，待我们非常友好。度假村总共只有六个客房单位，正好接待我们一行·。

The resort served as our base for bird photography. Every morning and evening, we explored nearby green spaces, bushes, and grasslands in search of birds. About 2-3 hours from the resort lies the Upper Takutu–Upper Essequibo mountains, where Harpy eagles are reportedly found. We drove there early in the morning to look for the eagles. Upon reaching the base of the mountains, guided by a local tribal leader, we trekked into the jungle for 40 minutes and waited under a huge tree. According to the guide, there was a Harpy eagle’s nest above, where the mother eagle raised her chicks. Unfortunately, after several hours of staring at the nest, the eagle never showed up, possibly because the chicks had grown up and left the nest.

度假村是我们鸟类摄影的基地。每天清晨和傍晚，我们去附近的绿地、灌木丛和草原，寻找鸟类。离度假村2-3小时的地方， 叫上塔库图—上埃塞奎博山 （ Upper Takutu–Upper Essequibo mountains），据说有角雕(Harpy eagle)。我们一早驱车前往，寻找角雕。到了山下，在当地部落向导的带领下，我们走进丛林， 步行40分钟，在一棵巨大的树下等待。 据向导说树的上面有角雕的巢，母角雕在此抚养小鹰。 可惜的是，我们等了几小时，目不转睛地盯着鸟巢， 但角雕从未现身，可能是因为小鹰已经长大并离巢了。

In addition to our time at the resort, we were fortunate to have two very successful birdwatching excursions. One was to a tribal tourism area called Sky Valley to look for the Cock-of-the-Rock birds.

The village grew taro-like plant, banana and fruits, and the roads were made of mud and stones, likely seldom visited. The village chief led us to a place where Cock-of-the-Rocks often played and mated. This spot was in the middle of hill. There was almost no path, so we had to carry our heavy cameras as we climbed. Our efforts were paid off when we found the dancing and calling Cock-of-the-Rock birds in the jungle. They were very alert and vigilant, but I managed to take many close-up shots without making a noise. To show my gratitude to the chief and the tribe, I gave the best photo of the Cock-of-the-Rock to chief, hoping it can help the village to advertise and attract more tourists. I thought this would be my only opportunity to see this kind of bird, but unexpectedly, the next day, when we visited Kaieteur National Park to watch water fall, we spotted the birds again.

除了在度假村， 我们很幸运另有两次非常成功的观鸟之旅。一次是前往属于一个部落的旅游区， 叫天空谷 （Sky valley)，去寻找岩鹭 （ Cock-of-the-Rock）。村庄周围种植某种类似芋头、香蕉和水果，路是泥石铺成，平时估计也没人来。

村长上山带我们去岩鹭常常嬉戏和交配的地方。这地方位于半山腰，几乎没路，我们只好背着沉重的相机攀爬。功夫不负有心人，我们在那里找到了正在丛林中跳舞和鸣叫的岩鹭。岩鹭非常机警和灵敏，我大气不喘，静静拍了许多特写镜头。为了表示对部落感谢，我将我认为是最佳的照片赠送给村长，以便让村庄可以用作广告，吸引更多游客。我原以为这是唯一的机会看到这种鸟，但出乎意料的是，当隔天我们去凯图尔国家公园看瀑布时，又见到了这种鸟。

The last and most thrilling birdwatching experience was in a village by the Mahaica River.

This village was a four-hour-drive away from our hotel, so we had to get up at 2:00 AM and arrived there around 6:00 AM before dawn to catch up the best moment for birdwatching along the river. Various birds were flying and feeding along the banks in the early morning light, playing among the trees and bushes. We also spotted a few red howler monkeys cautiously watching us. Lizards wondered around. The most impressive sight was Guyana’s national bird, the hoatzin, also known as the canje pheasant or stinkbird. It resembles a beautiful rooster, but is much more elegant and graceful, although it has an unpleasant smell.

最后一次也是最令人兴奋的观鸟是在马海卡河畔的一个村庄。这个村庄离我们的酒店有4小时的路程， 所以我们在凌晨两点出发，差不多6点抵达那里， 在天蒙蒙亮的时候开始乘船沿着河流观鸟。

岸边的小树林里栖息各种鸟类，趁着天未亮时份出来觅食，在树木和丛林中嬉戏。树林里也能见到几只红吼猴警惕地看着我们。蜥蜴四处游荡。最为令人印象深刻的是圭亚那的国鸟麝雉，又名臭鸟。 它看上去像一只美丽的公鸡，可要比公鸡优雅得多， 只是它有股令人不爽的味道。

In addition to birdwatching, Guyana has many beautiful scenic spots. Visiting the world’s single tallest waterfall at Kaieteur National Park was an unforgettable experience. We took a helicopter there since there were no roads leading to it. Landed at dusty, nonpaved tiny airport and looking around, we immediately felt it is a worthy trip. After that we flew to the the border of Guyana and Brazil, tour the Orinduik Falls, a magnificent nature wonder.

除了拍鸟，圭亚那也有许多美丽的风景点。上面提到的在凯厄图尔国家公园参观世界上单个最长的凯厄图尔瀑布是令人难忘·的体验。我们乘坐直升飞机去那里， 因为没有道路通到那里。当我们降落在一个布满尘土、没有铺砌路面的小机场时，环顾四周，我们马上感到这是一次值得的旅行。之后我们飞往圭亚那和巴西的边境，游览宏伟的自然奇观- 奥林杜克瀑布。

Unfortunately, our time was limited, and there were many wonderful places we couldn’t visit. One day, we actually reached the border with Brazil, but we had to turn back. Of coerce, visiting those places certainly is in our future plans.

可惜我们的时间有限， 许多好地方去不成。 其实有一天我们已经到了和巴西交界的地方了，但也只能折回来。 当然，去那些地方已经是我们未来的计划中了。