Guyana - "Cherokee 2568 Romeo - Climb and maintain 10,000"

There are no words to describe the experience of seeing Kaieteur Falls yesterday. It was beyond incredible! Kaieteur Falls is one of the most powerful waterfalls in the world, as well as one of the tallest single drop falls (822 ft - about 5 times higher than Niagara Falls). Our ride was a Cessna Caravan, with 12 passengers plus the pilot and co-pilot. Side note: Amanda and I were both incredibly surprised when the pilot turned to talk to the passengers and he was a blonde-haired, blue-eyed Canadian. Not what we were expecting at all, but a pleasant surprise. ;)

The flight took about an hour, and we were cruising over completely untouched jungle the entire time. Less than 50% of that section of the Amazon has been explored. We were in uncharted territory, and it was amazing! Amazon Rainforest as far as the eye could see. I am still in absolute awe.

Our first view of the falls was from the plane. Again, there are no words to sufficiently describe how awesome this view was.

Once we landed, we were off on our rainforest trek! We saw some amazing foliage and even a rare Golden Frog! The Golden Poison Dart Frog is one of the deadliest animals on the planet, with enough poison to kill 10 grown men! We did not find this out until after we got close enough to take a picture. :)

We hiked to 3 different vantage points, and each time the view was spectacular. There's not much to say, so enjoy the pictures!

It rained at this first lookout, but I'm so glad it did!! (see later pictures)

The first of many rainbows we saw that day. :) :)

Not going to lie, it was a little freaky dangling my legs over
the edge of the cliff. :) But the view was INCREDIBLE!

Once we boarded the plane to head back, the pilot took us around for a few more passes of the falls. He then backtracked and turned back to follow the river...to then dive over the falls! It took us all by surprise, but it was so cool! The plane tires were practically touching the water! We definitely got an up close and personal view of the waterfall. :)

Mist behind the waterfall.

The edge of the waterfall, just before we dove over the edge. :)

We also got a nice view of the city of Georgetown on the way back. It's such a colorful city!!

All-in-all, an incredible day yesterday. I am so glad I got to see Kaieteur Falls, and I hope I get to go back someday.

Much Love,

Joslyn

P.S. In his had are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to him. The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land. -Psalm 95:4-5

Guyana - We're not in Ohio anymore...

Well, we're definitely not in Ohio anymore! I think the heat, flying cockroaches, lizards, and trashcan fruit-fly infestation of 2016 definitely made that clear lol. ;) The internet hasn't been working the past several days, so I'm trying to catch up on posts. I last posted the night before we went to the fish wharf. It was so cool! There were fresh fish everywhere, varying from alive in a bucket to headless or gutless. Zenzie and Jason from the lab tried to get us to buy a whole fish, and asked us if we knew how to clean/gut it. HA. Amanda and I just looked at each other and that told them all they needed to know. They think it's hilarious that we've never cleaned/gutted a fish or killed and plucked a chicken. Who knew we'd need those skills on this trip? Also, I learned that 'shrimp' and 'prawn' mean the same thing - British English is quite common here in Guyana.

Colorful boats at the wharf

Fresh shrimp

There were so many people buying and selling fish, shark, crab, and shrimp. It was such a cool experience! We also learned that Guyana has the largest freshwater fish in the world (Arapaima) - it can grow to be 9 ft long!! Apparently it's a gentle giant, but I don't want to test that statement...

After we got back from the wharf, we went to the lab for a little bit, then it was laundry time! Little did we know that it was a 4+ hour process...I am so grateful they put in a washing machine for us, but man do I miss my little washer and dryer from my apartment! To start, we had to move the washer in front of the sink and attach a hose from the faucet to the washer. Once the washer was filled with water, we added the detergent and let it do it's thing. Then, we had to drain the wash water via a short hose into a bucket. Eight buckets later, it was empty. We then had to add fresh water to rinse our clothes, and again drain it (8 more buckets full). There is a small spin compartment that helps dry the clothes, but only a few clothing items could go in at a time. Once they went through the spin cycle, we hung the clothes on our Macgyvered clothesline in the kitchen. At one point, the hose came off the back of the washer and water spilled out everywhere. At least we got a clean floor AND clean clothes out of this process?? It was quite an undertaking, but the clean clothes were worth it. :)

The lovely washing machine

Clothes everywhere :)

Sunday we also had some work to do in the lab, but it didn't take long. We were free to relax the rest of the afternoon, which was heavenly. Reading, reading, and more reading. :) Then, Nalissa and Jason picked us up to show us the seawall. It was so cool to see the Atlantic ocean! Admittedly, the water was kind of gross looking - all brown and murky; but still, it was the ocean! The seawall was almost like a boardwalk, with games and rides for kids and food stands set up all over. Apparently, the thing to do at night is to park by the seawall and blast music, hang out with friends, and drink. We left before that got too busy, as our Guyanese friends did not recommend that we stick around for that. :) On the way home, we got to grab a burger, fries, and a milkshake. It was a nice treat, and the burgers even had grilled pineapple on them! 

Pretty sunset on the beach

View of the 'beach' from the jetty

During the workweek, everyone at the lab has been making sure to throw in some fun, touristy excursions. :) We stopped for fresh coconut water on the way back from Berbice, climbed to the top of a lighthouse for an amazing view of Georgetown, and went to the Guyana National Museum and saw their Giant Sloth exhibit. They are very good at balancing work and play. :)

Fresh coconut is DELICIOUS!

One view of Georgetown - I love all of the colorful houses!

View with the Atlantic ocean

Giant Sloth (Pictured: Zenzie, me, Amanda)

They had a little tea tray with mugs all set up
for Amanda and I to have at the lab.
They are too good to us! :)

I just have to mention how amazing the entire lab staff has been thus far. Everyone is SO welcoming, and they do everything they can to make sure Amanda and I are comfortable and enjoying our time in Guyana. They are so proud of their country, and are definitely making sure we get to see and experience the best Guyana has to offer. I have officially become addicted to roti and curry. I could eat all the curry dishes all the time!! It has truly been a wonderful trip thus far, and I'm even more excited to see what else we get to see and experience while here. 




This weekend, we're flying to see Kaieteur Falls (either the world's widest or tallest single drop waterfall, I've been told differing facts lol) and the Georgetown Zoo & Botanical Gardens. Amanda and I said that while trekking through the jungle, we would abide by the, "smack first, explain later," rule when it came to bugs. :) Plus, Nalissa and Jason are taking us to a restaurant to get "Guyanese Chinese food", whatever that means. I'm sure it will be delicious!

The amazing lab team!
Back: Dr. Hartley, Jason, Sven
Front: Zenzie, Amanda, Shevon, me, Nalissa

Much Love,
Joslyn

P.S. Psalm 121:7-8 - The Lord keeps you from all harm and watches over your life. The Lord keeps watch over you as you come and go, both now and forever.

Guyana - Routine, Roti, & Research

Cows on the way to Berbice

I think I've finally gotten into a routine here in Guyana! Wake up, eat breakfast, and head to work - either the lab or fieldwork collecting samples. Week 1 of the research project is almost over, and things have actually gone well! There have been a few hiccups, but that's to be expected with any international research project. You just go with the flow and adapt to work in the variety of situations you come across. I've also gotten to travel to different parts of Guyana (Berbice), and the scenery has been beautiful!

Once we're done working in the lab, we head home to relax and cook. I'm so excited to actually have time to cook now! Amanda and I have been making a variety of dinners that require a wide range of effort - everything from mac-n-cheese to pineapple teriyaki chicken over rice. See pictures below. Tonight, we're attempting chow mein with veggies and chicken. 

We've also gotten to try some Guyanese dishes! Beef pepper pot is DELICIOUS - it's like a stew with a sort of gravy, and you dip homemade bread in it. We've also tried roti and pumpkin. It was a sort of thick pumpkin stew with different seasonings. It also had these orange things in it that I thought were carrots - they were not carrots, they were peppers. Really, really, really spicy peppers! I ate a whole one by accident, and thought my mouth was one fire! Not a pleasant experience, but I survived and that has to have increased my spice tolerance, right? As for the roti, well that is this amazing kind of flat bread. Apparently it's best with curry, but that wasn't ready yet when we picked up lunch on our way to the lab this morning. We'll just have to try that another time.

French toast with guava jam and fried potatoes

Mac-n-cheese and Netflix

Pineapple teriyaki chicken over rice

Roti (note - this is a google picture)

Beef pepper pot (note - this is a google picture)

We have about a 30 minute drive from our flat to the lab, as it is sort of outside the city on Agriculture Road (fitting name). Here are some videos of the drive down Agriculture Road (turn down your computer volume - the wind is very loud):

This weekend we have a few things to work on in the lab, and then hopefully we'll explore Georgetown with some of the friends we've made at the lab. They have a whole list of things we have to see and foods we have to try before we leave Guyana, so here's hoping we get to everything! Tomorrow morning, they are taking us to a fish market at 6:00am. Apparently they usually go at 4:00am, but I think the shocked look on our faces convinced them to make it 6:00am. :)

Much Love,

Joslyn

P.S. Luke 4:10 He will put his angels in charge of you to watch over you carefully.

Guyana - "Those crazy Americans!"

I guarantee our neighbors were thinking, "Those crazy Americans," yesterday evening, but I'll get to that in a bit. 

Overall, yesterday was quite relaxing. We went to bed around 8:30pm the night we arrived - yes, 8:30pm. We were running on 3 hours of sleep from the plane ride, so an early night was needed. Plus, it gets dark here at like 5:30/6pm, but we're used to it getting dark at 9:00/9:30pm, so it always feels later. I slept in yesterday until about 6:30, then read for a few hours all cozy under the mosquito netting canopy. :) Breakfast was Honey Nut Cheerios and peanut butter toast with guava jam (the jam is a Guyana speciality). Amanda and I proceeded to be lazy and read, color, and watch Netflix all day. It was glorious. We also got to figure out the showers here. We discovered that, while our hosts were amazing and got us a washing machine and wireless internet, we do not have hot water. Good thing it's so hot everyday! The cold showers are actually heavenly! 



We did, however make some "friends" over the past few days. The first night, I woke up to the sound of a pan lid banging around on the counter. When I went to investigate, I discovered a lizard crawling around on the counter. At least it eats bugs? Then last night, the little guy (pictured right) decided to visit us and hang out in the sink. He's actually kind of cute. :)

Now to the reason our neighbors think we're nuts (preface - I have never handled bugs very well. I can get over them being around, but they still freak me out): A lovely 2+ inch cockroach was crawling around on the wall, and proceeded to crawl up to the ceiling. I was standing on a chair with a flyswatter, hoping it wouldn't come near me, when out of the blue it FLEW towards Amanda and I in the living room. Needless to say, we both screamed bloody murder and were freaking out. Neither of us knew cockroaches could fly!


Today, we finally got to start work. We met with the representatives from IICA and the various Guyana governmental organizations we are working with. From that meeting, we figured out the schedule and team assignments for the various field work. This week, I'm on the supermarket team getting the samples from supermarkets all across the country. We prepped the sampling kits today, and worked around the lab trying to get everything settled. Ready to start bright and early at 6:00am tomorrow!

Amanda and I in front of the IICA building

After work, some amazing people who work in the lab graciously offered to run errands with us. We needed to stop at the bank, find a place to buy delicious fresh fruit, and grab a few groceries. Two of the lab people we're working with live near us and offered to basically be our guides for the duration of our stay. :)

Cart with all kinds of fresh fruit - the pineapple is amazing!!

The supermarket closest to our flat - it consists of about 5-6 aisles half the size of ones in US grocery stores (but we could still find Kraft Mac-n-cheese and Honey Nut Cheerios!)

All-in-all, a very fun 2 days. I'm excited to see what the rest of the week brings, and I hope everything keeps going well in terms of the research and work we're doing here. :) Prayers are still very much appreciated. 

Much Love,
Joslyn

P.S. Traditional blog post bible verse:
1 Timothy 4:12 Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, and in purity.

Guyana - One billion percent humidity

This adventure started on Thursday bright and early - Amanda and I had to run a few errands before getting on the road to head to Doylestown, PA (where her parents live). The long 8-hour drive actually flew by, and we never even turned the radio on! I guess once we get talking, we don't stop. :)

Once we got to Doylestown, we proceeded to eat, and eat, and eat. :) Thursday: Burgers for dinner, amazing waffles and ice cream for dessert; Friday: amazing gourmet thin crust pizza, then a hot dog/curly fries with a twist ice cream cone for dessert. Getting our fix of American food before we leave I guess. At least that was the excuse we used!

Getting to the airport was pretty uneventful, although bittersweet when saying goodbye to Amanda's parents. They were such wonderful hosts! I felt like a member of the family. :) Once Amanda and I walked into the JFK terminal, I think it hit both of us - we're actually doing this! Leaving for 10 weeks. What were we thinking!? (only slightly kidding lol). There was definitely some excitement, but also slight terror at this adventure we were about to embark on.

Once the plane took off, I looked at Amanda and said, "Get me off this plane!!!" - note: this was mostly in jest lol :). But we were off!! The 1:25am take-off meant Joslyn wanted to sleep ASAP. Caribbean airlines had other ideas...all lights on and serving food at 2:30am!! WORST IDEA EVER. JUST LET ME SLEEP. However, I was able to sleep, and a short 5.5 hours later, we arrived! 

Guyana was beautiful from the air. Totally untouched green EVERYWHERE! I've never seen such an expanse of jungle/rainforest! Once we landed, we were met at customs by a Ministry of Health official who took our passports and customs papers to get stamped for us, then led us past the long line of passengers and out to our bags. It was awesome! We apparently have connections here. :)

We were met by the amazing Dr. Maxine, who has been arranging all of our transportation/lodging, and Mr. Makenzie, a driver for IICA. Dr. Maxine was pointing out the sights as we drove by, and bought us breakfast and some snacks to tide us over until she could take us to the supermarket later. Mr. Makenzie was giving us tips and info about Georgetown. Both so helpful! We made it to the flat that is going to be home for the next 5 weeks. Two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a washing machine (they surprised us with this!), wireless internet, etc. See below for some pictures of the flat:

The only downfall to this flat: no air-conditioning. When we stepped off the plane at 7am, it felt like we were swimming through the air lol. That gets worse as the day goes on. :) Here's hoping we acclimate in just a few days! 

All-in-all, it was nice getting settled into the flat and finally see Guyana. Now to relax, go grocery shopping, and do some prep work for the start of work on Monday! Kraft spiral Mac-n-Cheese is on the dinner menu tonight. :) Amanda and I were both feelin' the comfort food, plus it's so easy to make after an exhausting day. Prayers are still, and will always be, very much appreciated. :)

Much Love,
Joslyn

P.S. Gotta keep the bible verse tradition going: 

Proverbs 3:23-24 - Then you will go safely on your way, and you will not hurt your foot. When you lie down, you will not be afraid. As you lie there, your sleep will be sweet.