Land of Many Waters: A few pics from this week - anniversary, staff day out and 'fun day'

Since writing my last blog on ‘love and marriage’ we have heard the exciting news that our younger daughter, Emily has got engaged to her boyfriend Chris. We are so thrilled with this news – they make a perfect couple and it is exciting to be planning a trip home in the next year or so! Mark is already fed up of me talking about weddings!

Chris and Emily

Also since last week, we have celebrated our pearl wedding anniversary and would like to thank everyone for their good wishes. To celebrate and try to make the day different we went to a hotel we had not previously been to – we had a lovely time there – had a swim and relaxed, ate a reasonable meal and enjoyed the hot running water! In the 18 hours we were there I had 2 showers and a bath to make the most of it!

Relaxing by the pool

The hotel pool

Mark and Nemo!

Going for a meal - shame about the hair! (me not Mark!)

The hotel is near the airport so a long way from here, but meant to be one of the best in Guyana – we found it was rather overpriced for what it was and the facilities they advertise on their website and room directories were not actually present! Typical Guyanese wishful thinking! The website says about the rooms:

‘Relax in comfort!! Sit and enjoy a beverage from our fully stocked mini bar while captivating your eyes with a view that is simply breathtaking of our peanut shape poolside or glimpse at the lush horizon populated villages near by.’

In reality there was a fridge, but it was empty and below you can see the ‘breathtaking view’ we had from our room!!

Breathtaking view from our room! Ha!

The website also said that the room contained a clock, radio, safe and coffee percolator but our room had none of those things! When we checked out we asked to speak to the manager about these things and to be fair to her, she was very apologetic and let us have last night’s dinner and drinks on the house! We have not received much quality customer service in Guyana so we were pretty impressed and intend to go back there again next time we need a break. We did explain to her that really they need to remove things from the website and room directories if they don’t provide them as that is misleading to customers. Hopefully they will either do that or put the things promised into the rooms!

Last Friday we went on a staff day out to the grandly named ‘Madewini Gardens Resort’ which consisted of two pools next to a creek and a few tables and benches! Our experience so far has shown us that people don’t tend to just do anything for ‘fun’ in the churches so I went feeling a bit heavy hearted and worried it would be a day long ‘service’ but in a different place! We did have to have the obligatory worship session but then went in the pool and actually enjoyed the afternoon. Mark and I were also brave and swum briefly in the creek – I was terrified as the water is black so you can’t see what it in it! I thought to myself, ‘Well I’ve overcome a lot of fears since being here so why not?!’ I stayed in for about 3 minutes but at least I had a go!! In this picture of Mark it seems to have blotted out his face so he looks like a ghost especially against the black water!!

Grandly named 'Madewini Gardens Resort'

By the creek

Dare I go in?!!

A ghost swimming in black water!!

The last of this week’s pictures are from a ‘funday’ hosted by one of the churches last weekend as a fund raising activity – they had asked Mark to open the ‘funday’ at 2pm so we dutifully go there by 2pm – you’d think we’d have learned by now!! They were nowhere near ready to start and we had to be at another meeting at 3 – so off we went to our other meeting and when we got back to the ‘funday’ about 4.30 they had started at last!! The ‘funday’ wasn’t really our idea of fun – there was a VERY loud worship group playing so no-one could talk to each other, a few stalls selling Guyanese food (mainly chicken and rice), a merry-go-round and a couple of trampolines which all looked like they had seen better days! We managed to stand the noise for about an hour then slipped away with ears ringing! Everyone else seemed to be enjoying sitting listening to the music and not talking to anyone so we are glad they had a fun day and hope they raised some funds for their building project.