By Lakanand Singh
After two months of planning, indecision and busy weekends our road trip up the Soesdyke-Linden Highway came to fruition. Was it my idea? No. Did I plan the excursion? Again, no. I did, however, invest in fishing line, hooks, two yari-yari rods and tagged along with my brother and three of his friends.
Journeying along the stretch of the Soesdyke-Linden Highway has always been, for me, one of the more enjoyable road trips in Guyana, second only travelling along the coast to East Berbice (granted, I haven’t had the chance to traverse the red road to Lethem). The opportunities for great photographs are almost endless. Factor in the undulating landscape and winding roadway between the sandy hills and pits and you’re sure to have your very own portfolio.
Along both sides of the Linden Highway, countless trails can be seen making their way from the asphalt into the unknown. Hidden from view are villages, schools, resorts and farms. We made our way through one such trail that promised to take us to Splashmins Eco Adventure Park. It’s a short drive from the highway to our destination.
Alas, we arrived on empty stomachs, but we had planned to do our very own cooking on the premises. Fried chicken and fried rice were on the menu that day. Our trusty mate Omali was the chief cook for the occasion. As prepared as we were, we had a single kahari in our possession which meant that the rice and chicken could not be cooked simultaneously. Naturally, the chicken had to be fried first, based on this logic: “we need some cutters budday”. Little time was wasted.
To the fishes! Omali and I remained with our precious chicken while the three enterprising anglers made their way to the waterfront with rod in hand.
They returned without a catch, citing the water level as the main deterrent to fish in the area. We took it with a grain of salt. Funnily enough, we had forgotten to bring salt with us. Thankfully, the chicken was seasoned the night before. However, our fried rice did not fare well. In our defence, it was perfect, save for the lack of salt. The rice was wonderfully boiled (albeit without a strainer – we drained it by the spoonful), mixed with finely chopped vegetables, two entire packets of fried rice seasoning, and of course, the ever-present Chinese sauce. It was quite possibly the blandest fried rice we had ever tasted, but we were hella proud.
All in all, it was a day well spent. Good people, great music, hilarious conversation and dare I say, tasty food (leff we, the ketchup is a frivolous detail). Enjoy the remaining photographs, of water and sky.
