WILDLIFE P A K Y O U R B A G S F O R A E X T R A V A G A N Z A. By Cato Elnaes and Ashley Holland. ThePADDLER 116. ThePADDLER 117

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ThePADDLER 116 P A K Y O U R B A G S F O R A WILDLIFE E X T R A V A G A N Z A By Cato Elnaes and Ashley Holland I first went to the Rupununi region of Guyana in 2010 with a group that was offering a

Whilst at Caiman House, a community-owned lodge and research centre in the Amerindian village of Yupukari, I heard about a local wildlife, wilderness and river guide who runs camping expeditions into

Ashley and his crew of Amerindian guides have been running these specialized and custom-built tours for many years, catering for people keen to fish and explore pristine wilderness and to see and

1 ThePADDLER 116 P A K Y O U R B A G S F O R A WILDLIFE E X T R A V A G A N Z A By Cato Elnaes and Ashley Holland I first went to the Rupununi region of Guyana in 2010 with a group that was offering a two-week tour of the eco-lodges in the area. Whilst at Caiman House, a community-owned lodge and research centre in the Amerindian village of Yupukari, I heard about a local wildlife, wilderness and river guide who runs camping expeditions into some of the most remote rivers and forests in Guyana by the name of Ashley Holland (ashleypholland.com). Ashley and his crew of Amerindian guides have been running these specialized and custom-built tours for many years, catering for people keen to fish and explore pristine wilderness and to see and photograph wildlife. He has run trips for a number of film crews and researchers, but his main clients are eco-tourists, birders, sport fishermen, wildlife photographers or clients who have a very keen interest in the natural world, such as myself. At that time, Ashley who lives in Yupukari, was away on a month long expedition with some guests, so I did not get to meet him, however, what I heard about his trips intrigued me. Staying at a lodge is a good way to see a country and gives one the opportunity to look for wildlife but what I really wanted was to experience something different something wild and untamed, something unique, to try to get away from civilization and truly experience the wilderness in its raw form, to go somewhere few have been. Shortly after I returned to Norway, I contacted Ashley and subsequently booked a month long trip with him on the Rewa River the following season. The idea was for us to travel slowly, about a 100 miles up the river to a series of waterfalls in two small aluminium boats powered by 15HP outboard engines, camping along the way. According to Ash the Rewa was a remote, beautiful and unspoiled river, teeming with wildlife and birds, and as an added bonus it has great fishing, which whetted my anticipation of the trip as I am also a keen amateur angler. ThePADDLER 117

Ash and his crew were professional and extremely knowledgeable, yet at the same time so relaxed, laid back and friendly, they made me feel like an old friend of the family.

2 ThePADDLER 118 A year later I found myself back in Guyana again, this time with Ashley and his small crew of guides. We spent a fantastic four weeks on the river and the trip surpassed my expectations. Ash and his crew were professional and extremely knowledgeable, yet at the same time so relaxed, laid back and friendly, they made me feel like an old friend of the family. THE START True to Ashley s word we had some great sightings as the river slowly gave up many of her secrets The river was everything I expected it would be and I loved every minute, from sleeping in the comfortable hammocks under the tarpaulin, listening to the howler monkeys calling in the dawn, to siting around the flickering light of the camp fire cooking the fish we had just caught for our dinner whilst exchanging stories of our lives mine in Norway and the guides of their lives and experiences in the forests and rivers of Guyana. Fishing The fishing was indeed fantastic and I caught my share of dinners including some stunning red tailed catfish although these we would always put back. According to Ash they are too pretty to eat. And besides there were better eating fish like peacock bass and tiger catfish. To be honest though there are so many species that it is a fisherman s paradise. Wildlife of course being wild can often be hard to see particularly South American species, many of which are nocturnal but true to Ashley s word we had some great sightings as the river slowly gave up many of her secrets. I returned to Norway feeling that I had just had a trip of a lifetime and over the course of the next few months started dreaming of a return. The following year I did another trip with Ashley to a different river but this time I asked my partner Ute, who is a nurse, if she would like to join to which she gladly agreed. One of our camps along the river The second trip was a great success too and I would have to admit we are hooked on the Rupununi and have now returned a number of times over the years each time doing a river trip with Ashley and his crew. It was whilst sitting around the fire one evening, sparks whirling up into the darkness, sipping a cup of hot cocoa topped off with a healthy shot of Guyanese rum, prepared for us by Jose the camp cook and comedian, that we got to talking about our next adventures and the suggestion of a canoeing trip came up. ThePADDLER 119

ThePADDLER 120 After some discussion Ash suggested we return to the Rewa, the site of my first expedition with him.

As the total length of the Rewa River is close to 200 miles and as we could only afford a month away from work, we realized that we could not do it all paddling.

From there we would start paddling, but the first hurdle was going to be the series of even bigger falls and rapids, all of which would need to portaged and navigated.

The fire had died to glowing coals and the level in the rum bottle had gone down alarmingly by the time we had formulated the whole plan.

throats lubricated with all the talking and planning we had been doing.

3 ThePADDLER 120 After some discussion Ash suggested we return to the Rewa, the site of my first expedition with him. But this time he suggested we travel further than before, portage the series of falls, and paddle to the very headwaters of the river. As the total length of the Rewa River is close to 200 miles and as we could only afford a month away from work, we realized that we could not do it all paddling. To make the trip feasible we would use two aluminium boats powered by outboards to get us far as the first falls. From there we would start paddling, but the first hurdle was going to be the series of even bigger falls and rapids, all of which would need to portaged and navigated. This would take a few days of hard work, but once past these we had smooth water and we could slowly work our way up the river, camping, exploring, fishing and looking for wildlife. The fire had died to glowing coals and the level in the rum bottle had gone down alarmingly by the time we had formulated the whole plan. The thought of the trip excited Ute and me so much that we maybe indulged in a wee bit too much rum that evening much to the amusement of Jose, who had been quietly refilling our mugs to keep our throats lubricated with all the talking and planning we had been doing. Ashley already had one 17-foot fibre glass canoe, so upon our return we researched suitable canoes for extended wilderness trips, and came across the Pakboats web site.they looked perfect: light, strong, could handle whitewater, and were big enough to accommodate everyone, including the equipment and food for a month long expedition. The greatest bonus is that the boats are foldable. They can be dismantled and packed into a bag, which can be carried by one person with relative ease, ideal for travelling. After reading reviews and doing some additional research, including contacting an operator in nearby Suriname who uses Pakboats, we went ahead and ordered two Pak 170 canoes. These were shipped to Guyana a few months in advance, so as to avoid any hassle with customs upon entering the country and to reduce the risk of lost baggage, so by the time Ute and myself arrived in Guyana, Ash had already been in possession of the canoes for several months and had tested them out. Ute and Ash Pakboats Cato and Brian Sneaking up The thought of canoeing, where we could silently glide along the water, sneaking up close to wildlife got our interest and attention immediately. It would be the ultimate way to travel and explore a remote region and there would be a romantic and adventurous feel to the trip harking back to the days of the early explorers. We were sure that without the disturbance of outboard engines, it would improve our chances of seeing and approaching wildlife and an added bonus was that it would be great exercise. In March 2016 Ute and myself flew to Guyana. After a day spent in Georgetown, the capital, we flew down to the Rupununi and met up with Ash in his home village of Yupukari. For the next couple of days, we relaxed at Caiman House lodge to acclimatize and recover from the air travel and to sort ourselves out. The morning we departed Yupukari we loaded up two aluminium boats with all our gear, food, the two Pak canoes and the one fibre glass canoe. The group consisted of six people: me and Ute, Ashley, Brian and Jenkins who acted as additional guides and of course Jose the cook. El Nino drought The first leg of the journey, 80 miles down the Rupununi River, then 100 miles up the Rewa to the first falls, was supposed to take three days; however, the region had been in the grip of an El Nino drought for two years, so the river levels were low, making travel very slow. In many places it was only a few inches deep and we had to jump out of the boat and push and pull over the sandbanks, always wary of stepping on freshwater sting rays that are greatly feared by the locals for their potent sting. Once in the Rewa it got even shallower, and we had to pull over logs and stumps, often resorting to partly driving the boats over semi-submerged logs, and then pulling the boats over by manpower. Stopped for lunch in shady spot ThePADDLER 121

ThePADDLER 122 So much wildlife On the way up we saw lots of wildlife, including some huge black caiman, several groups of giant otters, capuchin and squirrel monkeys, and a multitude of bird species

Of course there were lots of smaller species of birds, too many to name here, but Ashley and his crew knew them all and would often stop to point out something that was rare or special.

Normally these are hard to see along the river as they prefer to stay deep in the forest but due to the drought many animals were forced to come to the rivers edge to drink.

below the surface, a tactic used to escape predators. Despite the low water we had an adventure, and after four long days of tough travel, we arrived at the cataracts below Carona.

4 ThePADDLER 122 So much wildlife On the way up we saw lots of wildlife, including some huge black caiman, several groups of giant otters, capuchin and squirrel monkeys, and a multitude of bird species including five species of kingfishers, lots of herons, a number of species of hawks and raptors to name a few. Of course there were lots of smaller species of birds, too many to name here, but Ashley and his crew knew them all and would often stop to point out something that was rare or special. We also had great sightings of two different species of brocket deer. Normally these are hard to see along the river as they prefer to stay deep in the forest but due to the drought many animals were forced to come to the rivers edge to drink. One afternoon we also came across a group of capybara with some babies which allowed us approach within a Cato and Dracula fish for dinner few feet before they dashed into the river and submerged below the surface, a tactic used to escape predators. Despite the low water we had an adventure, and after four long days of tough travel, we arrived at the cataracts below Carona. We pulled the boats up through the rapids and set up a camp overlooking the river a couple of hundred metres below the main drop. We decided to spend two nights at Carona to recuperate and to get ourselves ready for the next leg of the journey. This would also give us a chance to do some fishing, for which I gladly volunteered and I spent a couple of mornings fishing in the flowing waters of the rapids for pacu, a vegetarian type of piranha, and also for a large silver fish with huge fangs, called pyara or sometimes, the Dracula fish. Cato and Wolf fish for lunch I spent a couple of mornings fishing in the flowing waters of the rapids for pacu, a vegetarian type of piranha Electric eels One evening whilst having dinner Ash called us to the water s edge and with his spotlight showed us a couple of six-foot electric eels swimming around the boat an amazing sight. We were glad we already had our daily bath in the river a couple of hours earlier although Ashley assured us that generally electric eels are non-aggressive and not as dangerous as often is reported. The morning we departed Carona Falls in the canoes was a bright and sunny day. Ash and Jenkins spent an hour or so setting up the two canoes at the top of the falls whilst we portaged Left: a rapid we had to pass. the remainder of the equipment and food though a trail the crew had hacked through the rainforest. Above: one of the large falls we had to portage. Everything required for the expedition fitted comfortably in the canoes in fact we were surprised at how much more they could have taken. We opted to have the old fibre glass canoe transport most of the food and some of the camping gear, paddled by Jenkins and Jose. That left the two Pak canoes, Brian and myself in one, Ash and Ute in the other, together with all our personal baggage, hammocks and tarps, cameras and the balance of the camping gear. ThePADDLER 123

ThePADDLER 124 Despite some rough handling we never had any issues with punctures or tears and suspect the flexibility of canoes greatly reduces the chance of rips A rum christening Before setting

5 ThePADDLER 124 Despite some rough handling we never had any issues with punctures or tears and suspect the flexibility of canoes greatly reduces the chance of rips A rum christening Before setting off we christened each of the canoes with a splash of rum, not forgetting to pour a drop or two in the river for extra good luck. And luck we would have a couple of hours later. As both Ute and myself are not experienced canoeists we made a decision that for the first afternoon we would pack away our cameras and valuables in watertight containers in case of a mishap -- until we got used to how the canoes handled. We ended up regretting this decision as an hour and half later we came across a magnificent jaguar that lay sleeping next to a log on a small sandbank. Unfortunately, as it was semi hidden we did not spot it until we were 20 metres away, when it stood up, most likely startled by our unexpected approach. We all watched in awe as it looked at us for a few seconds and calmly walked up the bank and disappeared into the forest. Of course our decision to have our cameras packed away was one we regretted, but despite the lack of pictures it was a spectacular sighting that will live in our memories forever. After another hour of gentle paddling we set up a camp overlooking the base of the next falls, and that evening sat in the glow of the campfire, dining under the stars with the rumble of the falls in the background, each of us reliving and retelling the sighting of the jaguar. To celebrate we all had a double shot of rum and lime juice and that night crashed into our hammocks happy and tired, dreaming of what the rest of the trip would bring. The next few days were spent portaging the remaining falls and I must say that we found the canoes handled really well in the rapids. On a number of occasions, we had to pull them up through fast flowing water on ropes and they slid over and between rocks without any problems. Despite some rough handling we never had any issues with punctures or tears and suspect the flexibility of canoes greatly reduces the chance of rips. We did however manage to bend one of the poles in the bow of one of the canoes when it crashed into a log that was semi-submerged. The slight bend did not affect the canoe in any capacity however and we did not even bother to try and straighten it. In addition to several shallow rapids we had three large portages to do as well. For these we had to completely unload the canoes and carry everything several hundred metres through the forest and up over the falls. It was tough work but all part of the adventure. The Pak canoes are so light, they presented no problems portaging, especially if we carried them two persons to a canoe, one in front and one at the back. Once we had portaged the major falls we had some long stretches of flat water with no rapids. We set up base camps every few miles and slowly explored the river. On travel days we would typically depart camp after an early breakfast, slowly paddling up the river and stopping off in the middle of the day for 2-3 hours to have lunch in a shady spot and a swim, then doing a couple more hours in the afternoon, before looking for a suitable site to set up a comfortable camp. Usually we would paddle about ten miles and then spend a couple of days in a base camp to recover and to search for wildlife. Impressive Pac canoes We were impressed by how well the Pak canoes handled. Even with a lot of weight in them, we found that they actually paddled easier and faster than the fibre glass canoe, although the fibre glass canoe may have been a bit more responsive due to its more ridged hull. Life in the base camps was relaxing and peaceful but we kept ourselves busy looking for wildlife and exploring. In our spare time we went fishing for a large prehistoric-looking fish called himara which are also known as the wolf fish. They are great fighters, powerful and very aggressive, with a mouth full of one-inch-long teeth hence the name. Apart from being great fun to catch, they are also fantastic eating, and we ate fresh fish most days just barbecued over an open fire with salt and seasoning. Jose would also make fish stew, or fish broth called boily boil, usually with hot peppers, onions and garlic. Sometimes to change the menu he would make a curry, and occasionally fried fish. We would go early in the mornings and late in the afternoons quietly drifting down the river, listening to the sounds of the forest and keeping our eyes peeled for giant otters, caiman, tapir, monkeys and of course hoping for another jaguar. Often we would stop at sandbanks and search for tracks which the crew would point out and identify. ThePADDLER 125

ThePADDLER 126 were incredibly lucky to get a fantastic view of the world s largest and most powerful eagle for several minutes In the evenings after dark we would go out on the river again with a

Silently drifting down the river, cloaked in darkness under the glittering Milky Way, hearing the nocturnal sounds and calls of the forest is a surreal experience.

The guides would point out plants that could be used for medicine or weaving, vines that produced drinking water and trees that could be used for construction or other useful applications.

They are experts at finding wildlife and will often imitate calls or point out tracks and signs, so we were constantly learning and we never once got bored.

6 ThePADDLER 126 were incredibly lucky to get a fantastic view of the world s largest and most powerful eagle for several minutes In the evenings after dark we would go out on the river again with a spotlight, looking for nocturnal species like paca, ocelot or Amazon tree boas, frogs, toads and opossums. Silently drifting down the river, cloaked in darkness under the glittering Milky Way, hearing the nocturnal sounds and calls of the forest is a surreal experience. Forest walks were another activity, looking for snakes, lizards, monkeys, insects and birds, anything that was of interest. The guides would point out plants that could be used for medicine or weaving, vines that produced drinking water and trees that could be used for construction or other useful applications. Amerindians All of the guides working for Ashley are Amerindians; their whole lives spent in the forests and savannahs, so their knowledge is vast. They are experts at finding wildlife and will often imitate calls or point out tracks and signs, so we were constantly learning and we never once got bored. One morning whilst sitting in camp a harpy eagle swooped in and landed low down in the forest about 40 metres away. We all rushed for our cameras and were incredibly lucky to get a fantastic view of the world s largest and most powerful eagle for several minutes. Swimming We saw lots of tapir, usually bathing in the river or feeding along the edge, and once even had a mating pair swim up and down past our camp multiple times, totally oblivious to our presence. I guess they had other things on their mind. Tapirs are usually hard to see, especially in areas where they are hunted, but we were so remote they seemed unafraid of people. They are amazing to see but I don t think they would win any prizes for intelligence, or as Ash with his amusing list of quotes would say, They are not the sharpest tool in the box. Their eyesight seems very poor as often when walking they seemed to just bump into branches and logs and would typically just use their great strength to bulldoze their way through obstacles. ThePADDLER 127

7 ThePADDLER 128 Like capybaras, of which we also saw lots, tapir are capable of swimming underwater. We had to exercise caution when approaching them closely with the canoes, in fear of them submerging and resurfacing underneath us, tipping us into the river. In the canoes we managed to get very close to many species, especially when drifting downstream. We would just silently glide up to the wildlife, snapping away with our cameras. Usually if we moved slowly, the animals would hardly notice us at all until we got within a few feet, so it was perfect for photography. One afternoon whilst on a river drift we again had a slice of luck to spot a huge anaconda coiled up on the bank sunbathing. We slowly drifted to within a few feet and managed to get some amazing pictures. Whilst we never did get to see another jaguar, we certainly saw lots of tracks, and one night we heard a group of capybaras giving out alarm calls and diving into the river to escape. In the morning we checked the little sandbank not 50 metres from our camp where we would go for our evening bath and found fresh jaguar prints overlapping our tracks from the previous evening. It appears the jaguar had been on the prowl but the capybaras had sensed it and dashed into the river to escape. We had heard the whole episode from the comfort of our hammocks. On the way upriver Ashley had set out a number of camera traps in the forest and along the river which we collected on the way back down. He does this on many of his trips as it is a great way to see what wildlife is in an area. One trap got a picture of huge male jaguar walking along the river s edge in the middle of the morning. Whenever Ash collected a new trap we would sit around the laptop craning our necks to see what the camera had picked up. Seeing this huge cat arrogantly walking about in broad daylight brought back memories of our first sighting a few weeks earlier and got our hearts tingling with excitement at the possibility of seeing another. But the river does not always give up her treasures easily. ThePADDLER 129

ThePADDLER 130 The days slowly slipped by, Portaging one of the canoes through the forest to pass the falls. one into one another into weeks. We lost track of time and the days.

The only evidence of the outside world were satellites spotted overhead whilst we lay on the rocks or sandbanks looking up and stargazing before retiring to our hammocks.

8 ThePADDLER 130 The days slowly slipped by, Portaging one of the canoes through the forest to pass the falls. one into one another into weeks. We lost track of time and the days. Our lives revolved around the river and the forest and slowly we felt as though we were becoming as one with the wilderness. Not once in four weeks did we see another soul. The only evidence of the outside world were satellites spotted overhead whilst we lay on the rocks or sandbanks looking up and stargazing before retiring to our hammocks. As is so often said when one is having fun, time flies, and it wasn t long before we had to turn around and head back. We had managed to paddle up 60 miles from the falls and whist we could have gone a few miles further, time ran out on us. Our last base camp was named after Ute as the day we arrived there was her birthday. That evening we celebrated by sitting in our chairs on a sandbank next to the river as the sun slowly sank down over the forest, smearing the sky with a dazzling spectrum of colour gold, blood and malachite. Of course no wine was available but we made up for it by savouring the last bottle of man s best friend,' Guyana s legendary El Dorado rum, which we had kept hidden for this special occasion. A few days later we started our return journey. Of course heading downstream was much faster and easier so it only took us a few short days to get back to the falls and then our subsequent return to civilization. It had been an amazing trip, the best one yet, and we were filled with a deep respect and humility for the forests and the Rewa. How lucky we were to experience such a remote and pristine wilderness, something that is ever shrinking around the world as tropical forests are destroyed and development creeps and spreads her tentacles into the last untouched corners of the globe. Without the Pak canoes the trip would have been much harder to accomplish and they certainly proved themselves worthy for this kind of extreme expedition. Heading home with pakcanoes stowed in the boat

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