Off The Charts In Guyana - Kayaking Up The Side Creek With Madame Butterfly

Heading up the side creek

Baganara Island Resort has numerous kayaks for guests to use.  The cruisers can use them as well - Thank you Baganara!  David and Randy learned from the bartender that there is a side creek with a "swimming hole" near by the resort.  Next thing you know, an excursion was planned.

Assistant manager Angel and bartender Dania accompanied our circus in order to show us the way.  It was a HOT day.  Very HOT!  "Who in the hell picked noon, the hottest part of the day for this excursion to kick off?"   However, it turns out that when the tide flows out, cool creek water fills up the creek so we had to go then to catch the last half of the falling tide.  Ah-ha.  The creek water is at least 20 degrees cooler than the Essequibo River water.  NICE!

We all paddled up a good distance and then got out of our kayaks to have a cool soak.  There wasn't really a "swimming hole" that I could see but it didn't matter.  Once again, the water color is tinted red from dead plants and minerals.

The Butterfly Whisperer

We were surrounded by rainforest.  Birds tweeted overhead and butterflies danced all around us.  We saw many of the big, iridescent blue morpho butterflies as well as many black/yellow and black/red butterflies.  But by far the most butterflies where some sort of yellow/green butterfly.  Catopisila, I think.  There were hundreds and hundreds of these.  When we piled back in our kayaks to paddle back out of the creek, these butterflies chose me as their leader.  Many fluttered around me, while others opted to ride along on my kayak, puddling in one area.  Our circus speculated what was attracting them.  I would like to think it was my universal personality that reaches across species but I suspect it was because my kayak was neon green.  I think they thought I was the mother ship.  After a little research, more than likely my kayak had trace minerals on it that attracted them.  Regardless, I became Madame Butterfly.  A group of at least 30 stayed with me nearly all the way back to the resort.

Madame Butterfly

This was the first of many trips up this side creek.  Sometimes we went up there to cool off.  Other times to explore and discover what we could see and hear.

Jim and Kathy up the creek WITH paddles - ha!