THE FACTS
Location: Guyana, S. America
Start point: Georgetown
Best time to visit: October-July
Activities: Riding horses, taking an active role in the big roundup, learning to become a Vaquero and a host of other activities (see days 4-6 of the itinerary).
Tribe: Vaqueros (Wapishana Amerindians)
Duration: 11 days
Guideline Price: From £1,200 (US$ 2,160)
ITINERARY IN BRIEF
Day 1: Arrive into Georgetown, meet your guide and the rest of your team. Spend the night in the Georgetown Hotel and start to explore!
Day 2: Briefing on what will be going on over the next few days and make sure everyone is ready to hit the savannahs. Late in the day, head off in a bus deep into the heart of Guyana: traveling overnight you will be much cooler and more comfortable. We will arrive in Lethem about noon the next day.
Day 3: In Lethem we head out in 4x4 vehicles into the South Rupununi savannah. This journey will be fun and is usually eventful due to the number of rivers we have to drive through and remote savannah trails to follow – we might even see a giant anteater if we’re lucky! Once we arrive at the ranch, get aquainted with everybody and take a dip in the cool creek.
Days 4-6: Over the next several days we’ll teach you everything you need to know about being a cowboy or vaquero as they are called here on a ranch in the savannahs of Guyana. It will help if you’ve ridden a little before, but the way the cowboys do it, is a little different to English technique, so if you’ve never ridden before, you’ll be fine.
Each day there will be chance to have a go at some of the following;
* Riding across the savannahs in search of cows to round up,
* Early morning rides looking for Giant Anteaters, Armadillos, or even Monkeys in the nearby forested mountains.
* Learning to use a bullwhip, Indiana Jones style, making a gunshot type crack.
* Use of the lasso to catch the cows whether in the corral or galloping full pelt across the plains.
* Milking the cows
* Fishing traditional style with bow and arrow, cast net or local rod.
* Making leather craft, such as hobbles
* Climbing and abseiling nearby rocks
* Snorkeling in the local rivers
* The ranch could be slaughtering a cow whilst we are there and if this is the case then there is the option to help out, gutting, salting the meat, stretching the skin for rawhide which is used to make lasso etc.
Days 7-8: For the next couple of days we’re out on the plains, looking to round up the cattle (there are hundreds at the ranch –so it’s a big job). We have to live out in the savannah, camping out in hammock and living from your bed roll, strapped to the back of your saddle. With all the cows in, it’s roundup rodeo time! Lassoing all the young cows, throwing them down, branding them, then riding them across the corral (if you’re game!). You’ll be doing all this, with everyone else sat on the corral fence screaming advice and longing for their go. We’ll turn it into a little rodeo competition, not just with lassoing, but cowboy horse racing, lassoing from horseback and many more chances for fun.
Day 9: We head back to Lethem today to de-kit. Spend the night in a local hotel and recount stories of the last few days.
Day 10: Probably with a little bit of a sore head, we travel back to Georgetown by vehicle or light aircraft today. Those who wish can take the optional trip to Kaieteur falls by light plane, which will also take you back to Georgetown, where you’ll meet up with the rest of the team for your final night in Guyana.
Day 11: You are free to depart at any time of day.
“This ‘Rawhide’ Vaquero trip will take you to the remote southern savannahs of Guyana, to enter the real world of cowboys, dusty roundups, steer roping, branding and the high-energy action of the corral.”
LOOK FORWARD TO
• Work with a team of Vaqueros at Sadle Mountain Ranch to help in the daily running of the ranch…you will become a Vaquero!
• Milk the cows, learn to lasso, live at the ranch or under the stars out on the trail…
• Bring in the cattle for the big roundup: this is a hectic and high-energy time at the ranch!
• Explore Georgetown and Kaieteur Falls the largest single drop waterfall in the world.
GETTING AROUND
You will take a bus, and 4x4 vehicles but mainly you will be on horseback. Light aircraft will take you to the Kaieteur Falls.
EATING AND SLEEPING
In Georgetown you will be staying in the Georgetown Hotel. Meals are not included here but we’ll suggest places to eat, ranging from hotel restaurants, smart coffee shops to Brazilian BBQ’s. At the ranch you will be sleeping in hammocks inside the barracon with meals being provided by ranch staff. Once on the trail you will live from your bedroll, slinging hammocks between trees. We’ll camp near creeks, make our fire and cook our own food. We may stop at a neighbouring ranch if the cattle trail take sus that way, in which case there will definitely be some Rupununi hospitality!
