into our van and headed through the savannah to look for anteaters . Driving along the limitless flat expanse it was hard to imagine that the river and jungle weren ’ t far away . When we arrived at our location we were met by a vaquero who would help round up an anteater of two . I was really excited because I ’ d never seen one . We were able to photograph several . They are quite large and can move at a rapid speed .
In less than 24 hours I had seen two big creatures , so I was happy . The next highlight was something entirely different . All of us were excited about going out on the river toward dusk to see the Victoria Amazonica , the world ’ s largest waterlily . Not only are the lily pads enormous – they are incredibly strong . Our boatman put his water bottle on one of them and passed around a picture showing a baby resting on one such lily pad ( speaking of bottles , Chris remembers enjoying that rum punch on the boat , along with biscuits , as we basked in the beauty around us .) At dusk the flower starts to open . Once it does , it changes fairly quickly . It begins as a sizeable , closed brown bud . As it opens , the brown “ shell ” alternates with panels of white . Flourishing further , the brown disappears , giving way to an exquisite pure white flower that is just breathtaking . Brian recalls that the canoe ride back to the lodge under a brilliant starry night sky was magical .
We were to have one more excursion at 6am the next morning before heading on to the village of Yupukari ( if one doesn ’ t stay there , the McTurk ’ s can arrange a visit . They can craft your stay to cover all of your interests ). We set out to look for giant otters . Now , half of our group had seen some the day before , so the other half , myself included , were a bit disgruntled . In two boats we stayed fairly close together so we ’ d see all or none together . Up and down we went – nothing . Our guides were determined to find some , and in time they did . At first it was one .
Then a second one showed up and in no time , wewatched a crew of them swimming around and enjoying each other . They weren ’ t as close as we might have liked , but close enough to get some shots with a good telephoto . I ’ d have loved to see one completely out of the water to see its size , as I couldwith the caiman on the beach , but judging from their huge heads , the name “ giant ” wasn ’ t for nothing . From the internet I learned that the Giant River Otter , endemic to South America and often referred to as the “ river wolf ” is the longest member of the weasel family and the world ’ s largest otter . It can grow as long as 6 feet ( 1.8 meters )!
If you are looking for a pleasant stay , being attended to by expert staff , enjoying good food and company as you walk , hike or glide on the river seeking all kinds of wildlife , if you have a particular subject you want to explore or villagers to greet , Karanambu is the place for you .
24 | TOURISM GUYANA 2024