October 5 - First Impressions

We nearly didn’t make our connection in New York. Our itinerary said that we had an hour and a half to get from the Delta gate to the Caribbean gate. It was late at night and everything was closed. We finally found a uniformed man who told us how to get there and warned us that we had to check in by 5 of 12 or the flight would be closed. We raced and made it before they closed the flight, but we did not get seats together. It was a long four hour flight to Trinidad. Neither of us got much sleep. The plane was packed. When we got to Trinidad, the plane had to circle the airport for ten minutes because the airport was not open. When it opened, we landed. Wayne and I were able to sit together for the 50 minute flight to Georgetown. We got there, but our luggage didn’t. Elder and Sister White took us in tow. They drove us around to see the sights. We were almost too tired and I have a cold (which flying did not help) for us to enjoy it. We are glad to be here.

Georgetown would be a tropical paradise except for the dirt and trash. Nobody picks anything up, and any trash is just dropped where the person is. Street vendors leave heaps of trash and just move to another street corner. The poverty is overwhelming. We saw huts where people have lived for generations. When it rains, the trenches fill up and flood areas with trash water. There are many horse drawn wagons. Elder White says they overwork the horses. Many are undernourished. The few cows we’ve seen are scrawny because all they eat is grass. There is plenty of grass.

It rains a lot. There are coconut palms all over. Coconuts are harvested like blackberries in the northwest. Whoever gets there first. There are bananas and plantains. The Whites bought us a pineapple at the open air market and it is more delicious than any pineapple I’ve ever had. It is sweet without being acidic. You can even eat the core.

People who work in stores wear uniforms. I first noticed this at the bank while Wayne was opening our account. I was sitting in a waiting area. Several beautiful women walked past me wearing slacks and long-sleeved jackets that fit them perfectly. They looked like runway models, except they were dressed alike. I noticed that the fabric was polyester. I assume that they only wear the clothes to work where it is air conditioned. When we went to the camera store to get Wayne a passport picture for his Guyana driver’s license, the girls there had a different uniform. It was lovely. The male employees all wear white shirts, dark pants and ties. The children all wear uniforms to school, but each school has its own uniform. I saw lime green and dark green, light blue and white, orange and yellow, navy blue and white. The schools are free, but if a child can’t afford a uniform, he/she can’t go to school.

Elder and Sister White took us where we needed to go yesterday and we were very grateful. The cars drive on the wrong side of the road here. Wayne and I are going to have a hard time getting used to that. Last night, we were headed for a restaurant for dinner and we were talking about the people. There are Amerindians who look like our native Americans, East Indians from India and Negroes who don’t mind being called negroes. Elder White was pointing out facial characteristics. I saw a tall man walking down the street without a stitch of clothes on. I said, “Oh my goodness, that man has no clothes on.” They all said, “Where?” I said, “You just passed him and I don’t know if he is Amerindian or East Indian.”

We are settling into our apartment, but need to go shopping. There is an assortment of dishes in the kitchen, but no pots and pans (there is a kettle big enough to can in). We got to the grocery store last night before I caved in completely and I had presence of mind enough to buy peanut butter and jelly. We had peanut butter sandwiches for breakfast today. Tasted good and, like camping, we just have to improvise!