In no particular order…
– it’s pronounced GUY-anna
– Guyana means “land of many waters”
– reminds me of the Caribbean (not so much like Central America or what imagine the bulk of south America to be like)
– people are very soft spoken here, or at least behind counters – having a hard time hearing them (plus the accent, but mostly the volume – theirs low, ambience loud).
– the bridge to Brazil (on the other side of the country) apparently has a cool label switching system to go from left side (Guyana) to right side (Brazil) driving. Huh. Most left side drive places are effectively islands.
– not many convenience stores here. Finally found a large 1.5L bottle if water at a little Indian resto for G$260/US$1.30
– found a working Scotiabank ATM this morning, with an exorbitant G$1047/US$5 fee (excluding foreign exchange fee) regardless of the amount withdrawn – and I don’t need much for the next 52 hours
– though near the market are money changers… Guys sitting on a chair with a 1″ wad of bills (not doubled over) in their hands. I imagine there must be some hidden protection nearby…
– lots of schools, each with their own uniform; some with loose ties, even for girls, which is just cruel in this climate
– crowded mini vans seem to be the primary mode of transportation here
– lots of traffic lights in town, inc pedestrian signals and countdowns
– it’s easy to look past the open gutters (occasional sewer smell) and litter on the sides of the street (there are some public trash bins, and I’ve seen garbage trucks and an anti-litter poster with steep fines) but what troubles me is how much broken glass is around (looks like from green beer bottles)
