Linden to Lethem Part 2

The other big reason that we decided to wait at the ferry was that we were not going any farther today. The plan was to stay over in the Eco Lodge across the river and then tackle the other half of the dirt road the next day. It gets dark here at 6pm and usually rains in the late afternoon so that added to the decision as well. Iwokrama Lodge and Research Center is an oasis in the jungle. The little road into the property opens up to the large main lodge, two worker housing units, 8 guest cabins, and 1 guest Hostel. They property has been there for twenty years so it is well established and does alot of tracking of animals and forestry. 

Main Lodge

Our garage for the night.

They also have a pet Caiman that is 12 feet long, he was rescued as a baby because the piranha had chewed one of his legs. The staff nursed it back to life but the leg was lost, so the 12 foot three legged croc has gotten used to people and is slow enough that he does not pose a threat on land, however swimming in the river is strictly prohibited.

We meet David and Barbara, and their guides; Leon from Georgetown and buddy from Ecuador. David and Brabara are from Perth Aus, and are here on a bird watching expedition. This area is home to a recorded 472 species of birds, most of which within walking distance of the lodge. Plus, for added viewing there are monkeys, deer, Jaguars, snakes and about a million beautiful bright blue butterflies the size of a man’s hand. It is a very peaceful spot and the staff are very friendly, the ladies geet us with big smiles every time they see us and are attentive to ensure we have a pleasant stay. We get to sleep under a mosquito net in our cozy room, a perfect end to a fantastic day.

One of the many colorful species of birds found here.

The jungle critters serve as our alarm clock, as does the falling rain on the roof. We anticipated this so after a nice breakfast it was time to conquer the second half of the jungle road. This section is quite a bit tighter as the jungle is trying to reclaim the road, plus the rain has made the surface more slippery in sections and we get occasional wake up calls when the back tire tries to pass the front. We had bid farewell to the blue gas cans while waiting for the ferry so we are travelling a little lighter today as well. The final checkpoint is at the South border of the protected forest region and because it is New Years Day, the guards seem extra tranquil and tell us that the road ahead has some slippery sections.

What seems like all of a sudden, we are spit out of the forest and into the Grand Savanna. Much like the foothills and prairies at home. The jungle surrenders to wide open spaces with rolling hills and cattle ranches. 

The Grand Savanna.

The road also changed from wet red mud to washboard gravel with baby-head rocks sticking up for good measure. There is only one cure for this type of surface, speed. At around 80km/hr everything just magically smooths out, with the exception of the suspension on the bikes which is working overtime, but that is what it is designed to do.  

What it is like to film at 80km/hr, on a rough gravel road, standing up, camera in one hand, throttle in the other. Not quite like the after editing version. 

This 160km section from the river to the boarder only took four hours, so we get to the border town at noon, and to the actual border at 1pm. Stamp stamp out of Guyana and back into Brasil, only to discover that the Brasilian officers are on lunch until 2pm. So we wait and talk with the bus driver and the customs officer for an hour. Nice guys, the bus driver is heading to Georgetown today and figures he can make the last ferry at 6pm. That will be a challenge given the road condition and the condition of his little bus/van, we suspect he will be sleeping at the river tonight.

The border is about 120km from our destination of Boa Vista, which given the 2pm opening of the border should work out well. Also, the road is paved in Brasil so no more dirt today. This also puts us into town mid-afternoon so we should be able to get the bikes washed and maybe even ourselves. New Year’s Day in the city means almost everything is closed, even the car wash, but a young entrepreneur looked at the bikes and figured this should be worth a couple of Reias.

As we pulled into the wash bay some local guys hooted at us and said the car-wash is closed. We started to back the bikes out when the first guy strolled over and did the classic arm flap, indicating that the bikes need to be in the wash bay in order for them to be cleaned. From there the scrubbing started, first he soaked/rinsed the bikes with high pressure water, then he sprayed them with something that hurt when we accidentally breathed in the fumes. He was in a cloud of the stuff seemingly unaffected. Even his buddies moved farther back to avoid the vapor cloud of death. Then the bucket of laundry soap and sheepskin was employed to get the fine bits. He seemed a bit shocked when we commandeered the pressure hose and turned it on each other. Then we washed the luggage and one more death vapor was created with what appeared to be quick dry no spot stuff. The only thing I forgot to do was cover Brenda’s dash, now it is full of water and not working. The fun never ends, but for now we were focused on getting into a hotel, the first one wanted $100USD, ya right, they had a image complex. The second one was just as nice and was only $50CAD, and once again secure parking in the courtyard by the pool. We think it was because our bikes were shiny clean, 45minutes ago they would never have let them onto the tile floor.

Supper down the street at the very popular fish place, and that is a wrap. It is nice to be back in Brasil, clean and affordable hotels, great food, just enough modern conveniences to feel not so out of sorts, and of course very friendly people. 

You meet the friendliest drunk guys at gas stations. Not sure what he was saying in slurred Portuguese