browser icon
You are using an insecure version of your web browser. Please update your browser!
Using an outdated browser makes your computer unsafe. For a safer, faster, more enjoyable user experience, please update your browser today or try a newer browser.

Mazaruni River, Guyana, with Video!

Posted by on October 16, 2015

Guyana

Even though we are on a pretty tight budget, we decided to splurge on a tour of the Mazaruni River and a hike to Marshall Falls.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mazaruni_River

We hired Mr. Bhagwanbas Balkarran, Delta 2 Tours, to take us up the river:

1 Mr Bhagwanbas Balkarran Delta 2 (1280x960)

He picked us up at our boat anchored at Bartica, across from his hotel:

1a D Factor hotel (1280x960)

We traveled west over the top of Bartica before heading south into the Mazaruni. This is a beach on the north west side of Bartica that is used as a logistical point for resupplying interior operations (mining and harvesting). Companies truck supplies to this beach, drive their trucks a few feet into the river and are then met by a boat. The supplies are manually loaded into the boats for delivery to the interior of the country, via the river.

1b logistical beach north Bartica (1280x960)

Prison boat going by:

1c prison boat (1280x960)

Heading further west:

1d heading to Mazaruni River (1280x960)

1e into Mazaruni River (1280x960)

Prison on the west shore, Mazaruni River:

1f prison (1280x960)

1g prison (1280x960)

1h prison stelling (1280x960)

This is a dry-dock, built hundreds of years ago by the Dutch, still in use today:

1i dry dock next to prison (1280x960)

This one is waiting on its turn in the dry dock:

1j waiting on refit (1280x960)

Our first stop on the Mazaruni River, Fort Kyk Over Al:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Kyk-Over-Al

2 Fort Kyk over al (1280x960)

2a (1280x960)

2b (1280x960)

2c (1280x960)

2d (1280x960)

Granite quarry. Mr Balkarran told us an Italian company buys quite a bit of the granite for countertops, some is used for building, and the aggregate is used to build roads, etc:

2e quarry (1280x960)

2f (1280x960)

2g (1280x960)

2h (1280x960)

Worker housing:

2hh workers housing (1280x960)

Supplies heading to the interior:

2i offloading supplies for interior camps (1280x960)

Barge waiting to be filled:

2j barge (1280x960)

2k barge (1280x960)

Dredges in the distance, tearing up the bottom of the river, looking for gold:

2l gold dredges (1280x960)

Another quarry:

2m quarry (1280x960)

Mazaruni River:

2n river shot (1280x960)

2o foliage (1280x960)

Supply boat:

2p supply boat (1280x960)

2q supply boat (1280x960)

His boat was pretty fast:

3 fast (1280x960)

Swirling river water:

3a river (1280x960)

3b fast moving water (1280x960)

Good idea to have a guide if you plan on going very far into the river:

3c jagged rocks (1280x960)

3d more jagged rocks (1280x960)

Our guide took us a bit further inland past the falls to his camp on 55 acres, right at the base of these rapids:

3e rapids (1280x960)

His beach:

3ff his beach (1280x960)

He told us that during rainy season there is enough water flowing here to drive his boat further inland:

3g grass (1280x960)

These grasses that grow around the rocks are being studied by several universities for possible treatment or cure for HIV/AIDS:

3h flowers (1280x960)

…on to Marshall Falls:

3i (1280x960)

3j (1280x960)

3k (1280x960)

Tied up the boat and started our hike here:

3l start of hike to falls (1280x960)

3m (1280x960)

3n (1280x960)

3o (1280x960)

Flora:

3p (1280x960)

3q (1280x960)

3r (1280x960)

After a 20-30 minute hike through the jungle we came upon the falls. Beautiful scenery, but the bridge has seen better days:

3s bridge to falls (1280x960)

Falls:

3t (1280x960)

You” go first:

3u (1280x960)

Marshall Falls, not huge but they are beautiful and the water was clean. It was so fun to be back in the water.

3w (1280x960)

3v (1280x960)

This is a big brown butterfly, at rest his wings are folded and show only the brown outer side. The inner side of their wings are brilliant neon blue and in flight they look like a neon blue flashing light show. And when they fly they bounce around a lot so, no, couldn’t nail that shot down:

4 butterfly (1280x960)

4a butterfly (1280x960)

Great tour but time to head back. Same quarry heading back down the river:

4d (1280x960)

4c (1280x960)

Gold dredge parked next to a really nice island resort:

4e island resort (1280x960)

Mr. Balkarran gave us a fantastic educational and informative tour, then dropped us off right back at our boat. Worth every penny!

That afternoon we went back to Baganara Resort and said our goodbyes, which was very tough. We made some wonderful friends in Guyana and it was difficult to say goodbye… The next day we pulled up anchor, headed down the river, stopped at Saxakalli Beach for a night, then back to Parika. We anchored between Roed en Rust and Parika, took a day trip to the capital Georgetown, then checked out to head for Suriname.

One Response to Mazaruni River, Guyana, with Video!

  1. Dad/Bob

    Wow great pictures and the video was super. You are becoming quite good at them. Looked like you guys were really enjoying the falls. Love ya.