Day 2 - Shopping in G/town

Having had a luxurious sleep in the Sleep Hotel for the first night in Guyana the group of 9 was ready to start the looong day ahead! Everyone had to wake up and be ready by 9:30 to have the complimentry breakfast; a plantain roti, toast, pineapple jam, microwave sausage and tea breakfast may sound pretty disgusting to you Brits having your Tesco dinners, but this simple dish (which at first looked like hell) was a life saver!

By 11:00 the group split into 3; one food group (myself, Emz and Ester), the hardware group (John mark, Alex and Ed) and the admin group (Tosh and Steph). dressed in inappropriate gear we all stuck out like soar thumbs, against the chocolate background the 9 whities looked somewhat out of place, through the whole day it seemed as though we were the only tourists in Guyana! our pink ladden princess Em was bombarded but lustful jeers, "Barbie Girl have you got a boyfriend?", and our arian god Mark was taunted with the likes of "Hey Ruddy, get out here look at how white this man is!". But the two shopping groups had no problems getting around town. It strikes me that despite the squalor and poverty (with leprosy and beggars scattered about the rat infested dirt roads)everyone in this wonderful country seems curious and friendly towards the encroaching aliens; all the people here have the time of day to hear about your trip and all seem genuinely amazed at the level of commitment in our trip.

We each had a small list of stuff to buy, as part of the food group I can only elaborate on the food stuffs, we managed to buy potatoes (of which were some what squashed and rotten), a lot of rice, odd spices and a vampire slaying amount of garlic, etc. the haggling in the market ios quite fun but is scarily stressful, while we were able to reduce prices by the equvalent of pennies I couldn't help but think that this strange haggling was stressing ou the marketeers more than it was us; by the end of the day we weren't even bothering to haggle. The food buys were so heavy that they warranted a taxi ride of which the kind taxi driver seemed surpringly shcocked when he attempted to lift the bags we had carried for so long. Our highlights among our group apart from the constant perched lips of oggling Ema adorers was Em falling unsuspectingly into a massive crater in the road, while quietly chuckling her foot was coated with an undescribable floor mess, thankfully she was able to recover from her fall and embarrassment.

Fairing slightly better than us the hardware group were able to buy near enough all of the Guyanese equip[ment on their list in 2-3 shops; this allowed them to siesta in the sun with coconut drinks.

The admin group were dealing with much worse news; appently the Environment Protection Agency ermit we need to stay in the jungle messed up along the way. This team met up with our ever so helpful contact Trevor and managed to make contact with the people at Iwokrama. Steph having not put any insect repellent on her uncvered lower legs was thus sattacked and annihaleted by mosquitoes loving her white blood.Unfortunatly the cockup is forcing Steph and Toshi to stay a few more days in Georgetown while the whole mess gets sorted out; the rest of the team however will venture on as per usual into Iwokrama tomorrow night. If all goes to plan though, plan B will conclude with the 9 junglateers camping it up by wednesday!

Just so you know, everyone is still alive and kicking and as of yet we aren't at each others throats, but only time can tell. As a rather enthused local told me today "keep it real, peace out white boy!"

CT

Day 1 - Arrival

After 25 hours of being awake, we have finally arrived at the hotel in Georgetown, at 1am local time, or 6am London time, and have spent the whole day in airports.

This morning we managed to just about make the 7.17am Gatwick express from Victoria, which was jam-packed even for that time in the morning. We queued for ages in Gatwick with 11 bags, and had to put most of them on the oversized belt, and then again we stood in a very long queue to gets our bags scanned - the message being 3 hours arriving at the airport in advance is well-timed!
We didn't all sit together on the plane, which lasted for 9 hours in the company of incessantly screaming babies EVERYWHERE. None of us managed to get some sleep, so instead resorted to watching 3 movies, and took a few strolls here and there.

At Barbados the warm weather greeted us - no less than 30C - along with a short tropical downpour. However, feeling so liberated and free after that flight, most of us stood and enjoyed it! The queue at the airport to check in was even longer than anything in Gatwick, and we had to pay $35 extra for excess baggage. We then went on a mission to find some food, and ended up paying universally extortionate airport prices, and had to sit around for what seemed like an eternity. Also, we found out that Emma managed to get a pocket knife through Gatwick security! Our flight was delayed by a total of 2 hours, and when we arrived in Guyana after severe decompression symptoms and feeling nauseous from the mini plane we queued for, again, an eternity for immigration sevices.

We were all feeling the sleep deprivation getting to us, but the fun hadn't begun! First, when a few of us had gotten through with our 2-month visas we realized only 4/11 bags had arrived as well as that 3 of us were only able to get month-long visas!
So we sat around and worried, but after having made a complaint about the visas they were changed, and 15 minutes later the rest of our bags arrived on a different flight!

So now we're finally all settling down safely for the night, the guys with a bottle of beer and the girls in their nightgowns and curlers. Sweet dreams, and till the next time!

Fundraising

Current Funds

Personal Contributions £5,000.00 Imperial College £5,000.00 ZSL £2,000.00 RGS £750.00 Harrow £500.00 Lyndhurst House School £200.00 Lindeth Charitable Trust £300.00 Barker Charitable Trust £100.00 Ring Automotive Ltd £250.00 10Km Sponsored run £900.00 Medical Modelling £350.00 Band Night £391.00 Cake Sale £651.00 Total Raised £16,392.00

Future Events
Auction
The generosity of a large number of shop owners in the chelsea Kensington area has been overwhelming. Their donations will be auctioned off at Bonhams auction house along with a variety of lots provided by the team members themselves. The date of the auction has been postponed until after the expedition has taken place so watch this space!

Past Events
Klinefelters Fundraising Gig
On the 29th of May The Klinefelters successfully provided a whole nights entertainment and managed to raise £391 from a crowd that quite blatently knows good music when it hears it.

Bake sales
Against all odds, the culinary skills of the team yielded a massive £651 from the generous... or ravenous staff and students of Imperial college.

10k Run
It was a photo finish between John Gale and everyone else... John, admittedly, clinched it though

Edward Sulston Profile

My fascination with Biology started at the age of 9, with a visit to some of the national parks in North America, since then it has been a passion of mine. I was awarded a Nuffield Bursary in the summer of 2002 for a research project in neurology at the John Radcliff Hospital in Oxford. I’ve always had a fascination with marine environments, with a pet project over sixth form at Magdalen College School helping to develop a Marine Aquarium. I did a small amount of work for the natural history department of the BBC doing research into equipment to be used for the program Amazon Abyss. Work experience half way through my sixth form consisted of working for the Park Rangers of Oxfordshire, learning of invasive species and land management. My interest has now turned towards Jungle environments, as the most species diverse ecosystems in the world they are an exciting area for study. I relish in the challenge of entering a new environment that holds many hidden wonders.

Cuong Tang Profile

Although my experience of the jungle environment is limited to a trek through a Vietnamese jungle while on holiday, I thrive on the opportunity to experience and get down and dirty in Guyana. As one of the last four pristine rainforest left on this planet, I believe this trip will be life changing, and perhaps give me some direction career wise. From the majestic Jaguar to the haunting stare of the Saki monkey, my love for the beauty of nature is the reason I chose to study biology at university. What could be more fulfilling than observing an untouched haven for biodiversity?

Emma Keller Profile

I have not encountered a jungle environment before but feel ready to embrace the new experiences that I will endear. I am a self-motivated individual and am always eager to learn new things and be confronted with places and situations alien to me. As a person I am organised, happy and will always strive to succeed as I believe the greater the goal the riper the reward. I am easy to get along with and enjoy working as part of a team and co-operating with others. Leadership is a strong quality of mine and I can step in and out of this role when required.

As part of my A-levels I undertook a camp-craft trip whereby survival in a woody area, living in tents with limited facilities and conductance of research throughout the day were involved. Although completely different, I feel that I will be able so extract some of the skills I learnt here and apply them to the jungle situation

Oliver Hill Profile

Experience
Travelled for 6 months around mainland China in my gap year. Focussing mainly on the study of kung fu.

I was born and raised in the heart of the Devonshire countryside so wildlife as always been a major feature of my existence. This lifestyle has given me a strong basis in outdoor survival and wildlife watching. Much of my young life was spent camping in our woods, watching wildlife and appreciating nature. I have developed a keen sense for wilderness survival through the tutelage of parents, local farmers and woodsmen and just living there and building a fire or a campsite. My parents have always been avid naturalists and for as long as I can remember have taken me along to the meetings and lectures of various societies to which they belong such as the RSPB (Royal Society for the Protection of Birds), the Devon wildlife trust and the Devon herpetological society. This has ingrained the ability to quickly recognise those details which allow us to differentiate between similar appearing species. Conservation has always been a great concern of mine and I feel strongly about actively doing my part towards helping get us back on track. My contributions to the team would revolve around my survival skills and knowledge of wildlife tracking and recognition.

Stephanie Heard Profile

I am an extremely keen and dedicated 2nd year undergraduate, studying Biology with a Year in Europe. I have completed the Gold Duke of Edinburgh in Snowdon, where I developed important skills in expedition planning, map reading, basic survival skills while camping such as setting up camp and cooking. I also learned the importance of teamwork, how to keep a team motivated and building up fitness for expeditions. I attended the 2nd year Marine Biology course in Guernsey where I learned invaluable field work skills. This course involved the frequent use of transects, quadrat and the identification of species in that environment, so I feel confident in carrying out the planned research and data analysis in Guyana. I was a member of the Wirral Countryside Volunteers which involved countryside management and animal habitat development. Having grown up in South Africa, I have travelled to many wildlife reserves, including the Safari and Hluhluwe Umfolozi Park where I have participated on park treks with park rangers. I have therefore been in ‘wild’ environments before and feel I have adequate experience in this area. Growing up and travelling around South Africa and many other places such as Brazil and Europe has instilled in me a very strong sense of adventure and determination to endeavour through challenges such as the Guyana expedition.

John Gale Profile

Travel has always been one of my passions. During my gap year in 2004 I conducted six months of research diving: three months for the Capricorn Coast alliance in Madagascar and three months for GVI (Global Vision International), Mexico. The research focused on fish and coral distributions, looking at the sustainability of village fisheries in Madagascar and the fluctuations in populations of certain fish and coral species on the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef. During the summer of 2003 I worked for a university lecturer researching bat populations in a country house in Wiltshire; tagging lesser horseshoe bats to measure the feeding range.

Other travel has included trips to five continents. All jungle experience comes from a five day trip in the Brazilian Amazon, a four day trek in Laos and a four day summit ascent of Mt Mulu in Sarawak, Borneo. I’ve trained as a PADI Divemaster and logged over 140 dives. In 2002 I travelled in a camper van for three weeks in the Australian outback, and also spent one week being taught the habits and names of reef-fish on the Ningaloo reef, NW Australia. More recently this summer a schoolmate and I travelled by bus to Vietnam through Thailand and Laos. I feel these accumulated experiences have given me a superb grounding in basic survival skills, an ability to understand foreign cultures and a solid grasp of relevant field research techniques all of which gives me confidence that I will be a useful member of the expedition team.

Ester de Roij Profile

Last summer I went to Ecuador for a month to radio-track bears, which involved listening to signals through an antenna, locating them and then recording compass details. The readings were done on hikes along transects on various mountains. This has given me good practical experience such as marking transects, and the use of electronic equipment, that would be useful on this trip.
Apart from being a very keen biologist (and greatly enjoying fieldwork), I love working in teams and I am always up for a challenge. I am generally ambitious, reliable and trustworthy.

Alex Cameron-Smith Profile

Experience:
I have worked in two wildlife parks in the UK: Paradise Wildlife Park in Broxbourne and Capel Manor in north London. I worked in close proximity with a large range of animals, including tigers, lions, snow leopard, European wolves, squirrel monkeys, cheetah, lemurs, meerkats, lizards, snakes, camels, zebra, reindeer, toucans and various birds of prey. I have climbed the eleven mountains of Snowdonia in Wales (with a dislocated knee), as well as three other peaks, which helped me obtain essential team skills as well as increasing my physical fitness.

I have a first aid qualification in both basic and emergency procedures, and I will be renewing my certificate before the expedition.

Mark Brown Profile

I am currently studying biology in my second year and hope to be able to go on to do a PhD with the ultimate goal being to enter a research career. Constantly learning, discovering and understanding is an exciting concept for me and something I am extremely motivated to achieve.
I am predominantly interested in the smaller scale biology, that of the cell, the biochemistry and genetics. How these sorts of mechanisms manifest themselves on a larger scale such as the entire organism or even evolution is of great interest to me.
Music is also a large part of my life, playing various instruments and writing my own songs is a great hobby of mine and I feel that creativity is a valuable thing, especially in an area such as research.

Personal goals
See an area of the world drastically different to any I’ve been to and have a chance to help preserve it for others.
To gain an insight into what a research career would be like whilst paving the way towards it by developing my CV.

Hitoshi Takano Profile

Experience:

- 2 months, Sungai Kinabatangan, Sabah, Borneo – Collecting beetle samples for Natural History Museum, London (2005).
- 2 months, Alabat Island, Philippines – Helping to conserve a watershed area for the inhabitants of the island, in conjunction with the National Museum of the Philippines (2005).
- 1 month working as a guide in Khao Yai National Park, Thailand – Taking visitors trekking through the rainforest, valuable experience in communication and taking responsibility for all members in the group (2005).
- Trekking through various rainforest environments in Taiwan and Malaysia (2005).
- Ascent of Mount Kinabalu (4,100m) Sabah, Borneo (2005).
- Organising and leading four team members on the last leg of the Pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostella, north-west Spain, to raise money for Whizz-Kidz (2004).

Since a young age, I have been fascinated by Nature and the planet we live upon. From the camouflage of a leaf butterfly to the deadly venom of a cobra, I have marvelled at Nature’s ingenuity. My main interests lie in herpetology, especially snakes, an inordinate fondness for such strange creatures. Yet I know, without conservation measures, much of the planets unique ecosystems will be destroyed and many species will perish with it, leaving our next generation without the sights and sounds of what is in my eyes, paradise.
I am an extremely motivated individual, who likes to do things to the maximum ability possible. I have a fun and amiable personality, and enjoy working as part of a team, as well as the challenge of leading the team. I am able to stay calm and think clearly and quickly under pressure and most importantly, I never give up. Organising and leading this expedition to Guyana will be a challenge and a once in a lifetime opportunity I must grasp.