Adventure Village on the Corentyne highway consists of just close to 30 houses with a population of mostly farmers. The majority of the older folks have migrated and placed their houses on the market; ‘For Sale’ signs could be seen on several houses.
When one enters Adventure, coming from New Amsterdam, located on the right is the first entrance to Black Bush Polder. At the head of the entrance is a car park and several snackettes.
Residents in the area told the World Beyond Georgetown that to their knowledge the village always had the name Adventure. It has one cross road facetiously named Beverly Hills Street.
Ramesh Ketwaroo also known as ‘Short Boy’, 43, a rice farmer and cattle rearer, who has lived all his life in Adventure, started planting sweet peppers in his front yard last August. “The land deh and na do nothing so me decide to plant some sweet peppers a house here,” he said. Little did he dream of the bounty he would reap from it.
He explained that the village was once an estate owned by an Englishwoman and was later sold to 11 men who had formed a group. “The 11 persons part the land. Me father was one of them,” he explained.
While he plants rice in the backlands, he also rears animals so as to be able to provide the very best for his family.
In his spare time, he enjoys horse racing. “Me get this one horse now about one year. This na de first horse me a race, me done race about eight horse now and me get different, different jockey,” he enthused. “Me grow up in it. Me always love it,” he added.
Mrs Soman, who has resided in the village since 1983 also said that initially the village was an estate which belonged to an Englishwoman. She said her husband’s father was the manager of the estate. “Everybody use to be afraid of he,” she said, “khaki pants, khaki shirt and a big banduke on he side.”
She said the estate was sold for $227,000, “but nobody couldn’t a come up with that money,” as such a group of men came together and purchased the village.
She stressed, “I love this village. What I like about it is that since I living here I never hear two neighbours stand up and cuss each other. No matter where I go, I just look forward to come back here in the night.” She said that the residents are very considerate and understanding of each other.
According to the woman, who operates a grocery and food shop, there are no major reports of crime in the village. “Everybody occupy themselves with farming, so they don’t get that time to go mix themselves with gang and them kind of thing that.”
In 2017, Danian Jagdeo, a phone-card dealer was fatally shot in Mrs Soman’s shop by an armed bandit. The woman said it is a day which still haunts her. “When is that time in the day me does come out and peep to make sure everything okay.”
Kalamodeen Mohamed stated that the village has remained at one standard for many years now. “It is a quiet village. Everybody living loving, no problem with thief or that sort of thing, you know, people minding their own business, people stay indoors,” he said.
Mohamed, who is a member of the Neighbourhood Democratic Council, stated that at present they are working to upgrade the village playfield for the children in the community. He said the regional administration has promised to assist with a machine since they already have the sand.
According to the man, ancestors had allocated a piece of land aback the village for the playfield, but it was not wide enough. Later, a resident bought a piece of land in the said area and gave a portion to be added to the playfield.
Mohamed, a cash crop farmer and joiner by profession, said that currently business is a bit slow. “Because it na get scheme area is just people living on the road side alone and then being you have the estate closing down, people coming into farming,” which he says brings more competition for farmers.
Also located in Adventure Village is the Felix Austin Police Training College.
Donna Grey, 45, who sells bread in front of her residence said, she could not recall how long she had been selling in the area. “Because long me start, business lil slow but most people from Black Bush does buy from me.”
Grey explained that she purchases the bread and then resells. She said she enjoys living in the village but has to move because the house she is living in was sold to someone. “This is a quiet village,” she said.
According to Grey, she will be relocating to neighbouring Limlair Village. However, she said, she will return to sell in Adventure Village every day since that is where her customer base is.
She added that she enjoys selling bread because, “I does get to talk with people and so”.
Meanwhile, another resident who resided in the village for 34 years also stated that to her knowledge the village has remain at one standard. “We always had electricity and water, everything,” she stated.
The woman said she is very comfortable residing in the village. She said the police training college makes her feel a lot safer. She said that to her knowledge, apart from the murder of Jagdeo, there have not been any other reports of crime in the village.
Churiman Boodhoo, also known as ‘Vijai’, 50, said he moved into the village with his uncle when he was ten years old. “The people quiet. Me like living here, me na kay fa move out ever again,” the cash crop farmer said. He explained that he sells his items to trucks who then drive and sell. “Business get lil rough now,” he added.
Sanita Singh, who moved into the village 25 years ago, said she also enjoys living in the village. She said: “This is a quiet village, no problem. Me can’t go nowhere more than here. If me got to go anyway, me go to come back right here. Quiet people living here, cooperation deh.”
The woman said her husband who works with a rice farmer is a bird lover. “Me buy this two birds here for $14,000 for he for Christmas,” she said.
Also located in the village is a sports bar which is operated by an overseas-based Guyanese and his Jamaican wife. However, they were not at home during World Beyond Georgetown’s visit.
Alston Mangra also known “Shane”, who is also a farmer, explained that he has resided in the village for over 20 years. “This a good village,” he said.
The father of 3 was on his way to the backdam when World Beyond Georgetown visited and was among the people who were very friendly and eager to talk about their village.
There is an abandoned building, which residents said was once a major fertilizer business. One resident, who is close friends with the owners, said that the building and has since been sold to a Georgetown businessman.
Meanwhile, Rohan, a cattle rearer was enroute to graze his animals. Although the man was busy tending to his animals on the road he still posed for a picture on his horse. He said he has lived in the village for over 20 years.
