Dear Editor,
We recently returned from a wonderful trip to Guyana. We stayed at many different and exciting locations in the interior, watching birds and wildlife in general. Great lodges, excellent guides. All in all a most pleasurable experience.
But two things struck us. One was the deplorable state of the road from Georgetown to the interior. I think that it should be obligatory that your Minister of Transport be made to take this trip on one of the local buses. He/she would surely then see that your country could be better served with safer roads and most especially safer bridges. The road itself is fine, but maintenance appears to be non-existent.
The other is Georgetown itself. Such a fascinating city, wonderful old buildings, friendly people.
But why oh why have your canals and drainage ditches been allowed to become over-grown, silted up and full of garbage. Some have become, and smell like, open sewers filled with rubbish. Surely a modicum of maintenance would prevent this and add to the charm of the city. Tourists would wish to linger instead of heading into the interior, which we found to be largely garbage free. There seems to be a totally different attitude to the disposal of waste in the interior to that of the coastal areas.
We live in Canada. Certainly no saints as far as garbage is concerned, but laws against littering do exist and are enforced. Your waterways – although necessary as flood prevention – could become a major asset in the beauty of your city.
With grateful thanks to the kindness of the people of Guyana from the moment we arrived to the moment that we left,
Yours faithfully,
J.D.Kerr-Wilson
