Off to Bartica

 

The week started off pretty slow, with no bills to pay, but one of the elders got knocked off his bike and had a few bruises and one 1 inch cut to bandage (blessing from heaven) and we are still looking for an apartment for our diamond elders who have to move because the landlord has too much pornography sitting around next door.  We haven't found the perfect place yet.

On Thurday we attended an funeral for one of the members who has been faithful for many years.  She died of a stroke.  She was only 62, but has been in poor health for several months.  Sheesh, she was my age. People just die younger and more health problems here in Guyana.  

On Friday, after we took care of office business, we took a trip to Bartica to witness the marriage of two of our members in the Vreed en Hoop branch.  Bartica is on the Essequibo river, which is the 4th longest river in the world and it is to the west towards the Venezuela border. Most of the  people who live along the river do not have electricity so they buy generators for light and cook on gas stoves.  It is a simple life and a good one.  

To get to Bartica, we drove West for about an hour and then boarded a 20 passenger speed boat for another 1 hour drive in the water.  It rained for half the time, but it was a covered boat so we didn't get wet.  

There hundreds of small Islands in the Essequibo river.  The couple choose to be married on a sandbar next to Parrot Island (named that because, at night, hundreds of parrots roost on the trees there). The sandbar is under water except during low tide. Then you can see if for about 3 hours.  They chose 4:00 pm to be married and the groom had set up a canopy and chairs and a table for refreshments. We arrived at 3:45 and the bride arrive at 4:15. 

The ceremony lasted about half an hour and they took pictures and served a meal after that.  We boarded our boat to leave at about 5:15 and noticed, as we were leaving, that the sandbar was quickly disappearing. By 6:00 pm, the sandbar was under water again.  That has to be the most unique wedding we have yet to attend.  It was really an enjoyable day.