Part 5: Fish and Farine to the Extreme

The two boys finally crash later, and I toss them back their blanket as I pull back on my not so newly wet pants. Dillon finds something else to keep busy with but Vaughn insists on taking his ten, not five. He’s quickly snoring. The other boys were up and about fast and went out again, and I figured I’d attempt at bathing in the river again, figuring I had nothing to lose because all my clothes were already wet. So I go back, do some wash as well. By then, it was Wednesday morning, and on Sunday, I was made to understand we’d be coming home on this day. But then a day into it, Tosh was saying we’d head home Thursday. After Tuesday night and the Duncan boys saying they might leave on Wednesday, I was ready to beat out with them. I wouldn’t ask to go home, but if a boat was going…. I’d had enough experience, and I was a LITTLE too wet. I could put up with and even enjoy more, but if I had the choice… yeah, I knew what it’d be. So after washing, I lay my key items to dry next to the fish being smoked and just waited around. (My clothes smelled like smoked fish after that, but I didn’t care, only that they were dry) I ate some shebay for breakfast, took another nap, and kept waiting.

The boys came back, ate smoked fish, and then the plan became to break this camp and go camp on the rocks at some place I didn’t hear for the last night. Anthony ran this all past me, in a half asking permission, half giving me the heads up sort of way. I just nodded. So we all broke camp and climbed in the boats, I, of course, with the Duncan boat. We went back to the place we’d gone the night before. There were some nice rocks right there and the sun was shining and I immediately whip out my clothes, wash and lay them out on the rocks as Vaughn does the same with his. Camp became divided; Vaughn saw the rocks as a drying opp and so his stuff, his brother’s and then mine, came to be with the rocks. Tosh’s boat gravitated towards the other side of the pond entrance, who saw it as a good place to set up a tarp and keep smoking fish. He claimed they’d not sleep that night, so they wouldn’t need to string up hammocks. I shimmied up on a fallen log and lay out my wet hammock (through leaks in the tarp and my wet body, it was wet, even though Matthew had taken it down and covered it for me while I was out fishing the night before), something that earned competency points with the boys, I think (I hope). Dillon took off with Tosh’s boat to do something, and Vaughn decides we’d tie up hammocks to take another five. Sure, I’m up for it!

I was through with going on the expeditions, and content to “keep camp” from this point out. Of course, he helps me tie up, and he even gets a tarp put up over us. My hammock ropes are pretty short so he swaps one of mine with one of his. I’m loving this sense of belonging to the two of them, even the idea of having our own separate camp. I cut a mango for us to share as he finishes with our hammocks and then we lay there, talking until he falls asleep. I fall asleep, too, though it starts to rain and I worry about the clothes. Vaughn sits up and declares that it’d pass and to not worry about it, so I relax, but then it kept raining and he finally goes “Ok, I think this is the Real Thing,” to which I laugh and then get up and collect all our clothes, their boxers and all. "Real thing" is a phrase he uses a lot, it's funny.

The sun comes out again and this time it’s on the other side of camp, so I carry them over there and lay them all out. The others come back and Dillon ties his hammock in between and above ours and he climbs up and in and we all three fall asleep for quite awhile. The others eat some smoked fish and farine, which I woke up and went over to help myself to. To get across, you had to climb into one boat, walk to the end, pull the other boat to you, get into the other boat, then climb onto the other bank. I went back over and fell asleep again. They all took off and when the boys finally woke up, they were still gone. They ask if I was ready to go out again and, being sufficiently dry and rested, I agree; one last hoo ha. It was just the three of us this night.

We go back into the pond area, set up nets again and catch some bait. I get bold and ask if I could clean one of the bait fish. I cut that baby up and bait my own hook, oh yeah. Having gotten quite comfortable with each other, we began talking a lot more personal this night. We keep up the convo quite easily, I’m almost having to divide my attention between the two. Dillon is the more quiet of the two. He’s 23. I’ve learned he’s the more moderate of the two, too. He doesn’t like to drink much, nor dance that much. He said I could dance better than he, which I laughed about. He said he’ll just kind of move his body and keep his feet in place, as his friends try all sorts of dancing. He may “have a woman,” but I never got around to talking about her with him. I also wanted to ask them if they had any kids, but never did. Vaughn, the younger one (18) on the other hand, is the more outgoing of the two. And when we got on the subject of dancing, I sort of teasingly asked “You like dancing, don’t you, Vaughn?” And he goes, oh, let’s not talk about THAT. But he quickly admitted to enjoying dancing and having a good time, to which I was aware of as we’ve been dancing buddies a lot. We didn’t talk about my preferences.

They ask if I’m learning any Makusi and I list off the words I know. Brian is Wapishana, Catherine is Makushi, and so their kids understand both Makusi and Wapishana, but can’t speak either very well. It was then that I noted that a lot of those in the village who stand out to me are those not with the typical Makushi background. For example, Fernando, who’s dad isn’t from the village and who’s mother is a strong individual in the village is the CH manager. Or Shamir, who’s dad is Indo-Guyanese from Town, who is quite a strong individual in the community as well. Interesting. I catch another fish! Smaller than the night before, but still exciting. We move around a couple times that night; I remember talking more than anything, not so much fishing. As we moved to our last location, one of them says “OK, this is it, whoever catches the next fish…” and I go “Ok, whoever catches the next fish doesn’t have to cook dinner!” To which they laughed and agreed to and so it was on. We all almost caught a couple, the boys brought a couple right up to the boat before they slipped off. It was a fun competitive spirit. Finally Vaughn pulled one in. We went and collected the nets and the fish that were in them then went back to camp. The others were already asleep – they ended up tying the big tarp up and it was apparent they had slung their hammocks under it – so much for staying up all night. So, it was me and Dillon who “had to” cook, and it was he who was doing the cutting and stuff, and even Vaughn was collecting wood for the fire (we still – ok THEY – had to smoke the fish we did get) so I got the pot and washed the fish as Dillon cut them up. We were down to just about nothing for supplies, and so our food was – fish chunks, salt and water. I also put a couple dashes of pepper sauce in there. One thing I learned about Dillon is that he doesn’t like plain boily boily, he likes his fish to be seasoned up, so I felt apologetic, but that’s all we had and they knew it. They had carried a pressure pot, and though I’d never cooked with one before and was nervous (I’ve heard they can blow up if they go unattended), I tried to assume control over the meal. The fish didn’t look done to me, but I got Dillon to check and he said it was fine, so there we go. They did their fishermen duties as I scooped some food for myself. It worked.

I climbed, only slightly guiltily, into my hammock as they stayed up to tend to the fish. But then they, too, climbed in and fell asleep. I remember waking myself up with a couple snores, which I only felt slightly self-conscious about. Three days together camping makes you 1) feel more close with those peoples and 2) lose a lot of formerly held modesties. At first light and first sound of them stirring, I popped up and began breaking camp – it was time to go home! I get my stuff in order, then try to get the rest of the stuff tidy. I was wearing dry clothes and was happy. The ride back was sunny and leisurely. They stop a couple of times and shoot at some things, but miss. We pull up to the main landing in Y and unload some things, then go to the Lawrence landing and fully unload. I get my bag and then stand around, not sure what to do. I sorta was waiting for the Duncan boys, but I knew they could be busy for awhile and again, it’s not like I really could or should help them. Tosh calls to me to head up, and so I look at them, ask if I could help or carry anything. Vaughn says no, but Dillon, looking at me and understanding, I think, of my desire to help, says I could carry the pressure pot up and drop it off at their house. Thank you, Dillon.

I look at them, telling them thanks for looking out for me (I practiced this sentence, choosing not to say “look after,” but “look out” for me.) and that I had some rice wine at my house with their name on it. Vaughn says he’ll be over later in the afternoon. I stopped by the house, and delivered the pot to Auntie Catherine. I asked how she was doing, and she tells me much better, though this has happened before. She says I must tell her whenever I need greens, which I appreciate. I tell her that her sons really looked out for me nicely, and it meant a lot. I walk up to CH to collect Ari and am met by Chris and Crew, which I was not prepared to take in. I was still running off Mapari fumes. I just grabbed Ari and head home, sweet home. I was visited later that afternoon, by Vaughn and his dad, Brian, and we shared a cup of rice wine and ‘nuff stories. Dillon came by later, as well, and I was invited to go by them for a mug of cari later. This could be the beginning of some beautiful friendships.

And so ended my first Rupununi Fishing Trip. What a diamond in the rough it was! I've learned that many of the experiences to be had down here are the same. It's also occurred to me that one can find beauty in anything, if they're looking for it. One can also find ugly, the same way.