Caribbean Beat — 25th Anniversary Edition — March/April 2017 (#144)

Day Three: Departing Morabaiko, you emerge to incredible
mountain vistas, as you enter the villages of Yurong Paru, and
then cross the Echillibar River to get to Monkey Mountain, one
of the larger Pakaraima communities — named for the seasonal
migration of monkeys from the northwest to the Kanuku
Mountains to the south.
The people of Monkey Mountain are multilingual — they
speak Patamona, Macushi, and Portuguese, as well as English.
A nearby waterfall allows you to cool off after the hot and dusty
drive. Locals search for the precious minerals found in the area
and use them to trade for fish and meat with Brazilians in nearby
border villages such as Mutum.
East of Monkey Mountain is Taruka, a relatively new village,
originally formed by Brazilian Amerindians fleeing harsh
conditions in their country. During the great Rupununi uprising
of the late 1960s, most of the villagers returned to Brazil.
Day Four: Leaving Monkey Mountain, you come to rustcoloured
Tuseneng, founded by Archibald Scipio, the son of
an itinerant black balata bleeder and an Amerindian woman.
Because of Scipio’s appearance, he wasn’t readily accepted
by his community — so he moved to the area that is now
Tuseneng. Gradually, others joined him and formed the village.
Having been adopted by his mother’s side of the family, Scipio
went through the full crucible of training for Amerindian boys.
Eventually he became a piai man, or local doctor.
Passing the Kawa River (which is dry most of the time, but
can rise to chest-deep in the rainy season), you reach Bamboo
Creek for a brief stop, and then arrive at Paramakatoi. At an
elevation of 2,500 feet, PK — as it’s called for short — is named
for a wild guava found in the area. Branches from the trees are
used to make arrows. If you want a bit of historical intrigue, ask
the villagers for Macaw Cave, where you can see an urn with
ancestral skeletal remains.
From PK, the safari leads straight to Kato. With its setting
like a natural postcard, Kato was the location of that experiment
in growing potatoes and onions. The waterfalls nearby are
earmarked for a future hydro-power project that will give
electricity to the village.
michael lam
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