ironmanjt

I've been sitting still too much.

Well, not really. .I just spent 6 days in Las Vegas, but that's not blog-friendly. .I might post about the flights and hotels at another time, but that's not all that exciting. .It's time to count some countries, and that's just what I'm planning on doing shortly. .I was inspired by the FlyerTalk thread on the cheap Delta fares to Georgetown, Guyana. .Didn't really work for me (especially since I don't "do" Delta, and it's a redeye to boot) but I found a great American fare to rack up some EQP, so booking done, it's time to plan!

You might remember the last three years where I spent New Years Eve...yes, Iraq and then Iran/Afghanistan, ending with Somalia this year. If you wanted to catch up my previous reports, they're here:

London to Iran and Afghanistan in a mix of C, F, and LCCs

Above the Arctic Circle with UA/CO/LH and SK in whY, C, and F

Around the World in 40 Days for 40 Years

8 Places People Who Are Right in the Head Do Not Spend New Years

12 Countries, 10 Airlines, 4 Islands, 27,080 miles, 11 Days

6 Countries in 6 Days - Caribbean Island Hopping and first AA Experience

So, trip was booked and the route was:



Details will be on my blog at this link!

Plans are:

1) Fly to Trinidad, and connect 3 hours later to Guyana, arriving at 2am
2) Sidetrip to Kaieteur Falls - one of the world's most amazing waterfalls - on a tiny single engine prop
3) Overland by bus/ferry to Paramaribo, Suriname
4) Hang out in Suriname
5) Overland by bus/ferry to Cayenne, French Guinana
6) Hanging out in French Guiana, and hopefully seeing the Guiana European Space Centre
7) Cayenne to Fort-de-France, Martinique
8) Exploring Martinique
9) Martinique - St Lucia - Port of Spain, and a night in Trinidad
10) Trinidad to DC on American again

I've edited this a bit, and will be posting in a daily format, which is more of how the trip actually unfolded:

1) Washington DC to Georgetown, Guyana on American and Caribbean Airlines
2a) Daytrip to Kaieteur and Orinduik Falls - Kaieteur Falls
2b) Daytrip to Kaieteur and Orinduik Falls - Orinduik Falls
3) Wandering around Georgetown, Guyana
4) Georgetown, Guyana to Paramaribo, Suriname on GUM Air, visiting Paramaribo
5) Daytrip to Brownsberg National Park, hiking
6) Paramaribo to Cayenne, French Guiana via share taxi and boat
7) Hitching to the European Space Centre, and Cayenne to Fort-de-France, Martinique on Air Caraibes
8) Exploring Fort-de-France, and travel to Trinidad on Air Caraibes and LIAT
9) Trinidad to Washington National on American.... with unexpected detour to Caracas!

More to come.....

ironmanjt

Score - got a tour booked and it's on assuming I can find transport from Cayenne! Anyone have feedback/suggestions how to accomplish this?

cpn1980

I am appr. 4-5 times per year in French Guyana to support launch campaigns at the European Spaceport. I would recommend that you hire a car at the airport and then drive to Kourou. It´s an easy 50 minute drive from the airport at Rochambeau to CSG. As far as I know there is no real public transport from Cayenne to the space port. Maybe to Kourou, but from there it´s also appr. 10km to the visitors center. Have fun...
Is in your tour also a visit at the new Russian Soyuz launch complex included?

BostonFlyer1624

I go to Georgetown often - PM me if you need any tips re: hotels, food, sights, etc.

ironmanjt

Unfortunately, seems to be two problems with hiring a car: they're almost all manuals, and you pay by the km. Considering the price and extra hassle of going out to the airport, this might be more trouble than it's worth? There are supposedly share taxis for €10 to Kourou, and I'd imagine I could pick up another to the space port from there?

The Soyuz Complex is part of the tour, so hopefully we'll get an up-close view!

hauteboy

Too bad you don't have time to make it out to Devils Island (it's a full day out of Kourou). The prisons there are quite scenic and sobering.

We rented a car in French Guiana that had unlimite miles... Still not so cheap unless you have a car booking code.

Taxis in Kourou were near nonexistent at least on the street, you would have to call one. But it was expensive, we paid 36 Euro just driving around Kourou and that wasn't even counting going out to the spaceport.

ironmanjt

I managed to get a shared taxi to Kourou, and slip him a bit extra to detour by the Space Centre.

As far as the return, well, I'm back and will begin the updates tonight. This trip ended up being one for the history books!

ironmanjt

Originally, this trip was prompted by a sale that Delta was having to Georgetown. .Sale + country I haven't been to = instant interest to me. .However, when I discovered the Delta flight was a redeye in both directions, combined with the fact I have little interest in accumulating more Delta miles, meant I wasn't as interested. .However, I had the Guyana-bug now, and started looking for options. .American had a fantastic discount business fare into the country next door of Trinidad and Tobago, so after a little exploring and figuring it out, I booked it. .I would also help me towards the 55,000 elite qualifying points I would need to requalify for American Executive Platinum for 2013, so it was a no brainer. .Flights booked, I was set.

Morning came way too early (I know DCA is only 2 miles from home, but seriously, why do I keep booking these 7am flights in 2012? .I know I'm trying to conserve leave time, but really....) and I was off to DCA with plenty of time to spare. .After only three visits so far, the AAdmirals Club agent recognized me, which I was pretty impressed with. .At the new United, you're lucky to get a grunt as they let you in, the American agents have genuinely thanked me for my business, and truly seemed appreciative. .I know I'm always saying the airlines are all the same, but honestly, American seems to be making a real effort to thank customers. .It's not going unnoticed!

So, before you ask about the routing - yeah, the point of Dallas was to maximize miles. .Fare was only a few dollars more, and the cost of 3-4 hours of sleep, but with only 4 months left to earn elite points, I needed the extra routing. .Figured I could always sleep on the plane if needed.

American Airlines Flight 467
Washington National (DCA) to Dallas (DFW)
Depart 7:10, Arrive 9:15, Flight Time 3:05
oeing 737-800, Registration N845NN, Manufactured 2010, Seat 5E

Great flight, decent crew, first meal choice. .Other than that, there's not too much to say. .Flight had GoGo Wifi, but chose not to use it and slept most of the flight. .Also the first time in eons that I actually had an airline breakfast that I chose to not only eat...but almost enjoyed. .It was quite tasty! .Mmmm....biscuits!



Landing was about 15 minutes late due to ATC, no excitement, and a short walk from one end of the D-terminal to the other, and I reached my gate just as boarding had started. .I know some people think DFW is like MSP in that your walk can be FOREVER if you get unlucky, but fortunately on this occasion mine was short, and there was zero drama.

The rest of the details can be found in my blog post here.

ironmanjt

For several weeks before this trip, I'd been struggling to book a trip to Kaieteur Falls, Guyana. .I wasn't completely thrilled with the communication I was getting from the agencies I was in touch with, and I also had American Express Concierge and my hotel in Guyana working on it. .In the end, Wonderland Tours Guyana informed me they had a tour on the Sunday I got in leaving at 9am (remember I landed at 1:30am, in the hotel and bed just before 3) so this looked to be the best option.

On top of it, it was a tour to not just Kaieteur Falls, but to Orinduik Falls as well. .Sounded like a great deal. .This post is going to be mostly pictures, but just wanted to share a few details for people considering a similar trip. .In the end, Wonderland Tours Guyana came to my hotel just before the tour started to get me to sign the credit card receipt. .They'd charged my card a week before, so they obviously just wanted a signature. .When I got picked up at the hotel, it was by one of the other tour companies I'd been looking at - Evergreen Adventures Guyana. .It seems they bundle people to get a trip together, so you might consider the lowest-price option. .That said, service and booking from Wonderland was great, so take that for what it's worth.

I'd read online that Wonderland's trips depart from Cheddi Jagan International Airport - the international airport 30+ minutes out of town that I'd arrived at the night before and that they used Roraima Airlines. .Well, Evergreen Adventures picked me up at my hotel, we only drove 10 minutes to Ogle Airport (near town) and flew with Trans Guyana Airways. .So again, I think with any company you're taking some chances since they bundle. .That said, every aspect of my trip went perfectly.

Now, onto the trip! .Check-in at Ogle was painless, a quick run through the metal detector, and we were waiting in the tiny departure lounge. .Soon, it was time to board our Cessna Grand Caravan.

Georgetown, Guyana, Ogle Airport (OGL) to Kaieteur Falls, Guyana (KAI)
Departure 10:30, Arrival 11:15, Flight Time approximately 45 minutes
Cessna 208B Grand Caravan, Registration 8R-GAB
Seat "1A" Directly behind the pilot

Flight was actually quite smooth! A few pictures right after takeoff:





The rest of the post can be found on my blog at this link.

ironmanjt

As you saw in my <a title="Kaieteur Falls, Guyana" href="http://www.jasonaroundtheworld.com/?p=1920" target="_blank">last post from Kaieteur Falls, Guyana</a>, it was time to head next to Orinduik Falls, a twenty minute flight south and right on the Brazil border.

Boarding the plane, and time to take off:

http://www.youtube.com/embed/MHKTWUd..." height="480"

Another shot over the falls:



See the rest of the post on my blog at this link

ironmanjt

After juggling around the trip a bit, and deciding to fly the next leg to Suriname instead of take a share taxi, I was left with a full day to wander around Georgetown. I'd been told by several people there wasn't a ton to see, and after just getting four hours sleep the prior night I decided to sleep in a bit.

Got down to the hotel breakfast (literally right down a staircase from my room - a 15 second walk) just as it was supposedly closing, only to find absolutely nobody around. There was bread and coffee sitting out from toast, and that was more than enough for me. Around 10 or 11, I finally made it out to start my very hot and humid stroll of the city. Even though it was hot and humid out, I wanted to walk around and see as much of the city as I could before the heat got to me.

Headed out of my hotel, the Herdmanston Lodge, through the nice courtyard:



I walked about 20-30 minutes through the city side streets of Georgetown:



See the rest on my blog at this link!

ironmanjt

p early, and off to the smaller "domestic" Ogle Airport for the flight with Gum Air to Zorg en Hoop Airport in Paramaribo, Suriname. Both of are the "smaller" airports that are "downtown" and when they say small they mean small! Unlike the charter flight to the falls the previous day, this one was actually pretty serious with security/immigration/etc, but they paid absolutely no attention to the baggage allowance. It was advertise at only 15 kg per person, but I was closer to 19-20 and they didn't say a word. It was only like $2/kg extra anyways, so...

I had bought my tickets with TransGuyana Airlines, but showed up to find out the flight was operated by Gum Air. Seems they codeshare on this route, with TransGuyana offering one flight, and GumAir the other. Since my ticket was just a computer printout, I had no way of knowing in advance. No big deal, I was glad to see, however, it was the same plane type as the day before.

Georgetown, Guyana, Ogle Airport (OGL) to Zorg en Hoop Airport, Paramaribo, Suriname (ORG)
GumAir Flight 42
Departure 8:30, Arrival 10:45, Flight Time approximately 1:15 minutes
Cessna 208B Grand Caravan, Registration PZ-TBT
Seat “5A” alone in the back of the plane

Flight was completely full, but no luck this time in getting the pilot to let me sit in the copilot seat So, I took the seat way in the back so I could watch. This plane has seen better days:



A couple of aerial shots from during the flight. .We were at a max altitude of 12,000 feet, which I thought was pretty unusual for an unpressurized plane.



Read the Rest of this Post on my Blog at this Link

ironmanjt

My guide/driver picked me up right on time the next morning for the roughly two hour drive into the interior of Suriname (around 120-150 km or so) and into the edges of the Amazon Rainforest. My company for the day was a Dutch lady who had been born in Suriname and her two young sons. The plan was to stop along the way to get lunch at a small roadside Surinamees/Indonesian snack joint and then head into the park where we'd lunch before starting a several hour hike into the park.

The drive to the park wasn't too bad, except for the last 20km or so, which took well over an hour to cover. It was a nasty potholed dirt road, and when I say potholes, we're talking 1-2 feet deep and filled with mud and water most of the time! However, we made it to the park just fine and were ready for lunch.

I still don't remember the name of what I ordered for lunch, but it was a soup with pulled chicken in it along with lots of spices and a bag of rice and other condiments...including a hard boiled egg, to mix in. Quite tasty! While eating at some tables in the park, we were rewarded with some fantastic views.



The rest of the post is on my blog at this link

Homer15

Nice pics!

I went to Kaieteur some years ago-- what a sight. I remember our guide let us splash around in the river first, and then told us to come back to shore, but to avoid coming downstream. When I realized we had been splashing around about 50-100 feet from where the falls began I nearly had an after-the-fact heart attack.

ironmanjt

This was definitely the leg of this trip that I was most excited about, and most nervous about. Both for the same reason. Traveling overland by public transport definitely holds a romantic realness about it. You're often traveling with locals, getting an insight on how local people get from place to place, and if you're fortunate you get a good chance to interact with them as well. I can only remember one time that I did the shared car/taxi thing, and that was several years ago when I took a shared bus/taxi service from Moldova to Transdniester. That was a large bus, however, but I'll still count it since it left from the shared transport bus station.

In this case, everything I'd read online said that in order to be assured your share taxi would leave within an hour, you really had to be there before 7am, because after that time there were very few passengers leaving Paramaribo and you could be stuck waiting for hours for your taxi to fill up unless you wanted to buy all the spots up. Everything I'd read online told me to expect about 70 SRD for one of five seats in a share taxi (about $22) for the three hour ride to the border. With that in mind, I asked the hotel concierge to call around and see what options he could find.

He first came back with 500 SRD for a private car (about $155) which was absolutely ridiculous. In theory, I could show up at the share taxi rank and buy out all five seats for only 350. He then called "some friends" one of whom was willing to not only pick me up at my hotel the next morning, but would agree to come at 9am (yay sleeping in) and only charge 80 SRD. I figured for this price I'd be doing some sharing, but for the convenience of hotel pick-up, a "known" driver, and sleeping in it sounded great.

Fast forward to 9am...no sign of the driver. 9:15. Nothing. Hotel calls him and he answers..."stuck in traffic." Finally, around 9:45, he shows up with his sister and her small child already in the car. Great, at least we're off! No seatbelts, but wouldn't really expect that in a bush taxi. Of course, where do we go? You guessed it, the share taxi rank! Fortunately, it was just to meet three of his "friends" he'd agreed to pick up and drive to the border, so the wait was only another 10 minutes or so. Doing the math, I was probably subsidizing the others a bit, but it was what it was.

He was a relatively safe driver, although once again the entire conversation was in Dutch. We attempted both French and English, but they couldn't really keep up in either, so we spoke what Dutch we could and the rest of the time they all conversed in Creole. We did need to make one "ganja stop" along the way for the other passengers to smoke, and then we made another stop maybe 30 minutes from the border in order to...buy watermelons. All the passengers bought watermelons from the roadside, as well as buying huge slices of watermelon to eat. The driver offered "I buy you, you eat!" but I wasn't in the mood for suspicious roadside fruits with another 4-5 hours in shaky taxis to go. This is where things got strange. He confirmed I needed to go to the immigration building (the locals don't bother, and just take a water taxi across the river), since he knew it was important for foreigners to get the exit and entry stamps. "No problem, no extra."

After we started up again, the driver's English suddenly improved a bit. "You have girlfriend?" "Uh, no, too busy, too much travel." "Oh too bad. I have 3 girlfriend. You have boyfriend? I have two boyfriend!" "Uhhhh..." This was definitely getting very very weird. Little more small talk and he gave up, until we pulled up to the border. The local boat tout across the river swarmed the taxi, grabbing at my luggage. Driver assured me "It's ok, he my friend, he take you across river." Ok, that's fare. Saves me negotiating with the touts, and we confirmed the price was the same 20 SRD I'd seen online. Then, it got really weird. "You pay 80 SRD. If you no want pay, my friend have house down the street." Now, I'm pretty sure he was suggesting trading the ride for, um, "adult activities" and I quickly gave him his 80 SRD and walked into the immigration hut.




Read the rest of the post on my blog at this link