This first
picture is of a February 1996 canoe trip along the upper Essequibo River
in extreme southern Guyana. Our party consisted of Wai Wai and Wapishana
guides and boatmen and some folks from the U.S. The area is in the center
of one of the largest areas of undisturbed rain forest remaining anywhere.
This is
an anaconda that we came across on the Kassikaityu River. At the time it
looked about 50 feet long, but 15 to 20 feet with a 8 to 12 inch diameter
would probably be closer. We saw it on three different occasions. Each
time it posed for us for about ten minutes and then slithered back into
the water. My greatest fear was getting pushed into the water by my canoe
mates as they jockeyed for a better camera angle.
This was
a great campsite until one night during a rainstorm when about 15 gallons
of water collected in a sag in the the tarp. Some ropes gave way at 5 a.m.
and dumped all the water on my hammock and me. Fortunately, the water was
warm.
String figures are structures created from a loop of string with the hands, usually by one person, but sometimes by two, as in the well known string game "Cats Cradle". They are probably the most widespread of all games, being found in nearly all cultures.
In order to make string figures you first need string. Here is my Wai Wai friend Mewsha making string.
