2015 sport awardees captivated by Kaieteur’s beauty

By Avenash Ramzan

The 2015 national sport awardees were special guests of honour on Saturday when the National Sports Commission, in collaboration with the Sport Ministry and the Government of Guyana, facilitated a trip to one of Guyana’s treasures- the Kaieteur- the majestic single drop waterfall.

The trip was the realisation of a promise made by Director of Sport, Christopher Jones, at the annual awards ceremony earlier this year.

The awardees and representatives of those who were unavoidably absent boarded two aircraft for the one hour flight from the Eugene F. Correira International Airport at Ogle to the Region Eight waterfall.

They arrived at the Kaieteur National Park to some slight drizzle, but that did not dampen their spirit, as everyone was eager to catch a glimpse of the world’s highest single drop fall, boasting a height of 741 feet.

The more than helpful and knowledgeable tour guides ensured the touring party became familiar with beautiful and endangered flora and fauna that lined the trail to the fall.

Winning their way through a rough and wet terrain, the awardees had to scale several step structure built by one ‘Johnson’ who saw the need for such, given the huge boulders several decades ago making access to one of the viewing points very difficult.

After safely manoeuvring through the trail, which was lined by massive rock formations and untouched greenery, the awardees arrived on top of ‘Johnson’s View’, but the mist was too much to capture the beauty of the surge of water flowing from the Potaro River.

Another trek up the trail provided a better view, and soon the cameras were out to record memories of one of the world’s beauties. The golden frog, unique to the Kaieteur National Park, also put in a brief appearance, much to the delight of the awardees, but the native cock-of-the-rock was too swift for the cameras, disappearing into the dense rainforest upon being spotted.

Undoubtedly, the highlight of the trip was arriving on Boy Scout’s View, as the fall appeared in all its grandeur and splendour, effortlessly bringing forth expressions of delight and joy, and uncontrolled smiles from all and sundry.

It was a sight to behold, as the majestic Kaieteur stood like a gentle giant, putting on a show for its humble patrons. It was no means the closest view of the fall. The rock formation on top of the falls where visitors would usually be accommodated was closed, as the rainy season has begun, swelling the Potaro and making that area a bit too close for comfort.

However, Boy Scout’s View certainly brought immense satisfaction, and everyone left with great memories and stories to tell about the pride and joy of Guyana.