1965 Exercise Book (Campus by Gage ) Original diary entries by Genny Garst.

Aug 19: Brief stay in Fort Collins, CO.: Met Marguerite and Tim in Greeley. Left VW there and they drove us to Denver. We just made it in time to get an International Driver's License. We had dinner at a seafood place and then they took us to a 9:00 PM plane. We arrived in Chicago, IL, around midnight, had a difficult time rousing a doorman at 520 North Michigan Avenue, but managed, and left most of our luggage there. Got to bed at the Sheraton around 2:00AM.

Aug 20: I slept late but Warren went to the office to start re-organization ofjunk. I went to the office around noon, had lunch, than went shopping downtown. Had a late dinner with Chris, Lorie, Jim, and Don.

Aug 21: Called Fran in the AM. We had lunch with her in mid-afternoon cocktail. Had dinner with Don and Lorie at the Sheraton. We went back to the office and talked until 2:00AM!

Aug 22: Arose at 6:00AM to finish packing and get to airport, Had breakfast at airport. Arrived in New York around noon, met by Joe, Bobbie, and Jim. We found our BWIA flight delayed so after trying to find Jum went on out to Larchmont, where we saw Jody and Myrna. Back t the airport at 12:30AM, but the plane didn't leave until 2:00AM. ($300.00 excess baggage!)!

Aug 23 : We tried to sleep on the flight but it was pretty uncomfortable. We were exhausted from lack of sleep in Chicago and New York. Plane stopped at Antigua, Barbados, and Port of Spain, all of which look like places it would be fun to go back to. BWIA flights were all late-my advice is for future travel this way go Pan Am!!! We spent several hours in Port of Spain, but each delay was given separately so we didn't think there was time for a hotel room or rest. We finally caught our flight onto Georgetown and arrived there around 3:00PM. The ride in from the airport did awaken us slightly. What a thrill! It's about 25 miles of a very narrow curvy road with cars, pedestrians, and bicycles. I'm sure the ca!a.!alty rate must be high. We found the hotels in Georgetown full so we ended up at the Tower Hotel (which is supposedly the best) in rooms that are condemned. However, they continue renting them. The bed in Jim's room was about to go through a hole in the floor. The shower and toilet facilities were very poor. Each time a door was closed an entire floor shook. If this is Georgetown's best I can see why the tourist trade hasn't caught on! Besides the room being very unlivable the price is $12.00 (BWI$) per night!!! The stores close at 4:00PM so I wasn't able to see about any shopping.

Aug 24: I went shopping today. Couldn't find 'Off', but did get most of the other supplies. I felt essential. We had dinner at the Palm Court ($2.50 for a steak). Warren and Jim made preparation for tomorrow's trip. I looked at guest houses (Rima $16 full board for two people, Mrs. Drivers $18.00 full board for two people). The rooms are not very desirable, small and no privacy, poor bath facilities and Mrs. Drivers is a three flight walk up.

Aug 25 : We left for Letham this morning. We were unable to get thing sent as air freight (so had to pay .17 cents per pound ... US .09 cents per pound). We left in an old Dakota (DC-3) which had four seats on the side and the rest was used for cargo. When we arrived with all of our equipment they unloaded several bags of flour. Weight is so critical they have each passenger weigh-in. After about fifteen minutes of flying over jungles we made a 180 degree tum and soon were back at Atkinson Field. Someone had not tightened the oil cap and it was vibrating and could work itselfloose and lose all the oil. I'm glad we had a cautious pilot. We were soon on our way again. Unfortunately it was quite cloudy. What glimpses we got of the ground were of jungle for about an hour, then we were flying over the savannah, with mountains in the distance. At last we saw the small village ofLetham by the Tacatu River. We circled across the Tacatu over Brazil and landed in Letham. The slaughterhouse is right beside the airport and after our flight was unloaded they started carrying, on sides of beef, live pigs and various other cargo. Two geology and geography professors from England were hoping they could board, finally someone found the meat shipment had been miscalculated so they were lucky enough to manage to get on. We met two graduate students from McGill University, David Frost and Mike Edenl, Tiny Ward and Shorty? and Geoff Lomas were there and fortunately Stan Brock of the was in town. We went to Geoff's for a beer then headed for Dadanawa with Stan in an overloaded Land Rover. Dadanawa is about 60 miles from Letham and it takes about 2 ½ hours to get there. We arrived at the Rupununi River about 3:00, loaded all our gear in a boat and rowed across, the Jeep on the other side wouldn't start so we left all our gear in it and walked the last½ mile to the ranch. It reminds me a great deal of the 4N. We met Tina the taper and watched Geoff take him for a swim. All the while I was wishing for mosquito lotion left back at the river. We finally got settle in our house around 6:00PM., but by then I had really been bug bitten. We had a very good dinner-delicious soup.

Aug 26: The grass here is very high-makes Wyoming look like a desert but Stan tells us it lacks nutrition so they can only run 10 head to a section. The ranch has 2800 sections. The name means "Hill of the monster" . The mountains we saw south ofLetham are north ofus here, to get here we traveled around them. We went out to a Vampire Bat cave, caught one bat. I didn't climb on up the hill and got lost getting back to the Land Rover, but found my way again.

Aug 27: I was invited to stay home while they filmed the Puma (Limo) chasing an armadillo and Muscovy Ducks. I helped film the ocelot (Bimo ).

Aug 28: We went out to another bat cave today. The countryside is very beautiful, so many pretty wild flowers.

Aug 29: We left for Letham early this morning. We had the tractor pull the Land Rover across the Rupununi. We stopped on the way in at a hut of some Brazilians and had the best coffee. They went to Moca Moca and climbed through the rain forest to where Jim had captured his Harpy Eagles. It was a most delightful walk, we got thoroughly soaked with sweat, then rain, then sweat. There's a very pretty stream, the Moca Moca, that flows through the area. We finally arrived in Letham, hot, dirty, and tired to find the rooms were not ready and when they were made ready no one notified us. We just went upstairs and picked a room that look unoccupied. Unfortunately there was no water, but our clothes were still damp enough, we wiped off with them, changed and went to Geoff's for dinner. Then we went to the government building to show pictures. The lens seemed to be for cinemascape so Marlin and Jim became very fat. We did get that corrected, but the transformer kept the projector going a little fast so both had very effeminate voices. We finally got back to the hotel at midnight. I blew my top at Jim and ended up walking home. We found a bottom sheet and pillowcase on one bed and no sheets on the other!

Aug 30: We left Letham at 1 :00 on a regular passenger flight (about 20 people seated on each side of the plane). We sat in the last three seats, near the cargo. We landed at Annai and when we re-embarked there the entire center aisle had been filled with tobacco leaves, those on the center front seats really had to struggle to get back to their places.

Aug 31 : We shopped this morning trying to organize hardware etc for the return trips, then went to the Botanical Gardens to film Jim capturing a Manatee. The manatee kept breaking through the net so that was unsuccessful. Jim's taxi driver took us by waiting around-then charging $3 .00 per hour. We had sent our back. We met Paul and Sue Scharivenka, He's the managing director for Demerara Oxygen Co., Ltd.

Sep 1: Had breakfast with the Scharivenka' s and then finished the hardware shopping.

Sep 2: Went shopping with Sue for gold and diamonds, didn't buy any, but had fun looking.

Sep 3: We left early this morning for the River-we drove with the Scharevenkas to a point upstream then engaged a "launch"-actually only about a 16 foot boat-and spent the day trying to film the Roats in or Canje Pheasant bird. The boat wasn't steady enough so Warren doesn't think he got very good pictures. It is a very pretty bird and interesting.

Sept 4: I spent most of the day recuperating from yesterday. I'm really tired and sunburned along with the Kabora fly bites from the Rupununi. Had dinner at the Bamboo Gardens, a nice Chinese restaurant.

Sept 5: We spent most of the day visiting the zoo and Botanical Gardens, a very lovely park.

*Sep 6: My 43 rd birthday. Before breakfast a hanging vase (for my Schloss) made ofB.G. (botanical gardens?) wood was presented to me. When I came home before lunch a large salad bowl was on my bed, after lunch, six smaller bowls arrived, then a wai-wai box, this is woven with a geometric pattern and is a case that fits inside another case, this then has colorful feathers decorating it. I think I shall use it as a purse. I went to see about renting a house. Talked with Mrs. Nobriga and had lunch with them. They are very interesting-she's of African descent and he is half Portugese and half African. I spent several hours talking. I don't think we'll take the room as there is no privacy there. The daughter Eve is a very attractive girl. Both sons are in London attending the University. (Address is 61 Caroal and Brummers Place). Well it's about time for dinner. I wonder what next will appear for my birthday? We had dinner at the Bamboo Gardens (they have the best shrimp), a nice Chinese place on Camp Street. Warren had arranged for chilled wine and a birthday cake. With the cake came a gold nugget ($34.00 BWI) locket on a gold chain ($8.50 BWI). It's very pretty and goes well with my nugget earrings from Alaska. I really had a very nice birthday.

Sep 7: I spent nearly the entire day at the hotel. Managed to get a sunburn while loafing around the pool. *Sep 8: We went to the water works to film manatees. They're a funny fish (mammal?), the mouth has many whiskers that I guess are used to strain the food. The nostrils have membranes in them that open and close. You can barley see the pinpoint eyes. It's difficult to get a full bosy pose because they create so much messy water, but when you do see them full length they're really long and fat. Much of their skin has algae growing on it. In the afternoon we delivered our freight to the airlines. We had to take the peccary and fox out on a donkey drawn cart. I wish we had taken a camera with us it would have made quite a picture. We had dinner with Ram Singh, met a Swedish anthropologist who will be coming thru Dadanawa while we are there. Went to see Mrs. Driver to tell her we wouldn't be going to Letham so couldn't deliver a message to Geoff Lomas about his wife (who is in the hospital in Georgetown).

Sep 9: We spent the morning trying to get through customs so as to get the film sent. What allot of red tape!!! First you must purchase the forms, then go to one customs house to have it filled out, then go to another customs house (about a mile away) to have the package sealed, then back to the airlines (near the first customs house) to leave the parcel for shipment. We left for the airport at 11:00AM, arriving around noon, fed the animals and departed around 1:00PM. We stopped in (about one hour), a very short strip running parallel to Rupununi. Often they took the Grumman because the field is under water. It was then a 40 minute flight on to . Stan and Ted were there to meet us. We had so many things we left some at Wichabai while we went on. The river was up so we crossed by boat sending the animals across first. Meanwhile, Ted went back for the rest of the things. From the river we traveled by tractor to the house, one casualty along the way. Our cool chest (to be used for strong film) fell of under the wheel of the wagon. I'm glad it wasn't the camera or some of the film! I managed to get things settled before dark, than we had dinner and got to bed around 10:00 PM.

Sep 10: Arose at 6:00AM with the sunrise, gosh they're pretty here. I spent this morning doing book keeping. Then helped with filming the Aguti (sp?). This afternoon we filmed Tiny the Taper and Jacko the small Spider Monkey. Did some tape recording at noon of Tiny, Jacko, and a Capuchin baby monkey and the Toucan, Nellie.

Sep 11 : Helped with filming the fox this morning. He really didn't do much except run around the compound. I took allot of stills of the Margay cat, hope they come out well. This afternoon we received a cable from Jim Fornler saying Warren's father is seriously ill with a kidney infection, no hope for a recovery. We've decided to go to Georgetown on the first plane, which isn't until Monday.

Sep 12: We tried filming Chico the jaguar today but couldn't get him to come out of his box. We put an Agouti in to entice him out, but he just waited until it came within reach and put his paw on it. Then we put the peccary in. It even went to the front of the box and took a few nips at Chico, but he didn't come out. We packed things tonight so that ifwe don't come back they will th be easy to freight to Georgetown. We can't work here after Sept 30 .

Sep 13: We left for Letham early this AM and made good time, two hours. Stan tried crossing the Lacatu at the crossing where there is no bridge and ran off in a dogs hole. Fortunately we were right at the edge ofLetham so a tractor came down and pulled us out. We got into Georgetown about 5 :OOPM, too late for a telephone call but sent cables off

Sep 14: We managed to get calls thru to Doris and Don, but Warren couldn't hear a thing. His dad is in a coma. We've checked out flights to the US and he may leave tomorrow. Pan Am flight is on a Thursday.

Sep 15: We received word that Warren's dad passed away last night so we have decided to go back to the Rupununi, we really couldn't accomplish anything by going home. Telephone calls today were just as unsatisfactory as yesterday.

Sep 16: I spent most of the day trying to clear a package from Don through customs. The customs inspector at the airport {Mr. Mitchell), strongly suggested that I hire a friend of his, Mr. Clark, to help me fill out the necessary forms so that we could get the packages cleared by plane time for tomorrow morning. I had heard of corruptions in the government, but this is my first close association with it. All other people I have had contact with have been very helpful with no signs of an outstretched palm.

Sep 17: Mr. Clark {Mr. Mitchell's friend) greeted me at customs this morning and spent½ an hour filling out the wrong form, then, at my suggestion, he asked about it from the gentleman whom had helped me so willingly yesterday and ended up merely taking 40% of the value that was written on yesterday's forms and charging me $10. 00 for this service. I let him know I thought the price quite steep for five minutes or less of work that I was quite capable of doing. I plan to report this after we leave B. G.

*Sep 17: (I think should read Sep 18): We managed to get the packages this morning and catch the plane which was, as usual, a couple of hours late. I took charge of a small Macusis Indian boy that was to be delivered to Mrs. Justice Joe in . He was only about two years old and spoke no English. When I first got off the plane with him no one came to claim him so I thought we might have an adopted child. Finally, some elderly Indian lady and family came forward and seemed to know him, since they show little emotion I couldn't tell by the child whether he belonged there or not, but assumed he did. Columbia Lomas (Geoff's wife, who has been at the hospital in Georgetown) was with us on the plane. She certainly is a beautiful girl. We brought two Boa Constrctors and a Giant Ant Bear with us from Letham. We purchased the from Geoff for $20.00 B.G. We got Mr. Wilson to bring us out to Dadanawa for $50.00. Arrived in Dadanawa around 6:00PM. They had not received our telegram so were not expecting us.

Sep 18: I've been terribly tired today and have hardly moved from the house. I didn't go for breakfast so Irene (Frazer) brought it to me. I'm a little embarrassed about that so shall go for breakfast no matter how tired I am. I don't know how much Warren accomplished, but he took 400 feet of film.

Sep 19: It's been cloudy and rainy all day so not much filming has been done, but it gave Warren a chance to try and organize what has to be done. I sat and talked to Irene at great length. She is really quite lonely, I think. One of the Wapisana Indians brought in a huge Piranha fish today, the first Piranah I have ever seen. Sep 20: I helped with filming the ocelot and porcupine this morning, then the Ant Bear this afternoon. The Kabara flies have had a field day with me again. I made a jewelry roll for Warren' s birthday. I also made a bolo tie, using a two cent piece and a pig ring, some rope for fish net, then used cartridges of a capture gun. Ted says it's a true Rupununi thing!

Sep 21 :Warren's birthday. Since we had celebrated earlier I just quietly gave him his "Rupununi Gift" and stayed home and read most of the day. Sep 22: Helped with filming the Ant Bear.

Sep 23 : We worked with Chico (the jaguar) this morning. Had a difficult time getting him out of his box .. The dogs then treed him about a mile away.

Sep 24: Took Chico out again. He was a little better. This afternoon we filmed Jacko the little Spider Monkey., he's really a cute one. I discovered later that my still camera wasn't working. I hope Warren got some good pictures.

Sep 25 : Worked with Chico this AM, still not much. Then we worked with "Limo" the Mountain Lion and a boa constrictor. This afternoon I tried to tape record ''Nellie" the Toucan and Tiny the Tapir.

Sep 26: We tried to get Chico again today . Warren put the camera in his box and got some good shots, but not much.

Sep 27: We caught "Jill", the Paca, and took some shots of her with Tiny. She' s a very interesting animal. Took the fox out and turned him loose, hope he can make a living for himself

Sep 28: Took pictures of Chico by the pond, had hoped he would climb a tree but he didn't. We had an interesting eleven banded armadillo.

Sep 29: Tried to get Chico to chase some Giant Ant Bears but he's a coward and won't leave his box. I wrote a lot of letters yesterday and today and am finally about caught up with correspondence. I took a few shots of the Margay Cat and ocelot. Tomorrow we leave.

Sep 30: We got things all weighed in this morning and delivered to Wrehabai. The plane was to leave at 12:00, but finally came in around 2:00. We arrived in Georgetown at 4: 15 and waited until 6:30 for a taxi.

Oct 1 : Spent the day getting parcels of film shipped out.

Oct 2: I spent my time today trying to get a sunburn and ran a few errands about town. We got our first mail from the sates yesterday and today.

Oct 3: (Sunday): Tried to get some editing done on sounds, did get caught up on most of the letter writing and more sun bathing. Oct 4: Warren went to the zoo to get some filming. I stayed to get errands done around town. It rained very hard and all Warren got was soaked!

*Oct 5: Spent the day at the zoo photographing. Worked with Tyra a large (I cannot read) armadillo, an emerald green boa, a Red Crooks Boa and the Two-toed Sloth. I managed to get a parcel through customs in about three minutes this AM! We met Dr. Herald from San Francisco and Brady from Niagra Falls. They're here doing some films for "Science in Action". Both men are associated with marine biology and are looking for the rare white dolphin. We had dinner with them and met their photographer,? Waterman.

Oct 6: Did some interesting filming on the cattle egrets today. They are nesting. One partner seems to bring in a twig and give it to the other who places it in the nest.

Oct 7: Sent some parcels home, wrote a few letters and went to bed early!

Oct 8: We went to Mr. Rickford's house to see the sides he has on trips to the interior. There certainly are a lot of fairly scenic spots here. Too bad Georgetown isn't one of them.

Oct 9: It was pouring when we left for the airport this morning. We were on our way to . When we left Atkinson Field it was still a little cloudy but the weather improved with the day. We landed at MacKenzie and picked up more members of the party. There were *the following from Gt. Ardith Raine, sect.(?) for US Consul, Barry Hickman with the British Consul, Mr. And Mrs. Easton who manage a sugar cane estate, Dr. Frank Williams a Guyainese medical doctor, Joyce Astwood, a Guyainese who manages a hardware store and Judith Hayes, the daughter of the Presbyterian minister here. She's here visiting while her husband is on duty in the Pacific studying geophysics (he gets his PhD this year). In MacKenzie we picked up Teresa and John Langham, (he's a security guard for Demba Bauxite and she's a beauty operator), Isabelle Graham a Canadian working for Demba-she's very interesting- spent 1 ½ years *sailing on the Yankee. Her roommate Juline Phillips also Demba employee and from Edmonton, and Vech Londie and? Craig whom we didn't get to know. We left Atkinson about 11 :00 and arrived in Imbaimadai around 1 :00. Had a delicious lunch, wandered around the camp there and Mr. Peters showed us many of the raw diamonds he has. We then took a short walk to the Paratang Rapids, then back for a delicious dinner and bed. Warren and I could see a night of no sleep, so we scouted the woods and found a place to hang our hammocks away from the crowd and juke box. All of us were supposed to sleep in an area no larger than 20 x 30 feet which was within a block of this roaring juke box and the drunk diamond minors who didn't seem to want to go home. We pitched our hammocks about ½ mile away and could still hear the noise, but it was tolerable. About midnight we heard a lot of Holler Monkeys.

Oct 10: The diamond minors gave people diamonds last night which we missed out on but I'm glad I got some rest. We left by boat ( after a good breakfast) for the Karowrieng River and the Maipuri Fall. It truly is a beautiful fall. We had to portage around some rapids. We had lunch (which James had fixed and sent along) at the camp of Victor who is at the Maipuri Fall then set out for the Timheri Rock Paintings. We climbed for 1 ½ hours and I was completely exhausted before we reached the paintings. I hope Warren got a good picture of me there for I don't intend to go back! We had a nice nights rest in our wooded hammock site. Oct 11: We left early this morning for the Chi Chi Falls on the upper Mazaruni River. It was about a two hour boat trip with one portage along the way. We stayed at Joe Pennock's camp and at some of the boats that were mining for diamonds. They have two boats hooked together by a raft. A long siphon goes down to the sand and a diver goes down and places the siphon in special locations. The sand and gravel is pumped up then three large sifters are used for washing the sand and searching for the diamonds. They twirl the sifter and look for the diamonds in the center. The top sieve has a large mesh that will catch large rocks and/or diamonds the other meshes are progressively smaller. They get some gold from the same sand. When we reached the point were the trail to Chi Chi was supposed to start we founds there was no trail so we tried to go on upriver by boat. The fellows pulled the boat through some rapids. About a ½ mile further we hit a dead end oflarge boulders. Some of the hardier soles (including Warren) set out to find Chi Chi, but I was content to stay behind. They finally came back about two hours later without Judy and Dr. Williams so Arren went back to rescue them. By the time we got all assembled it was very late so we headed straight for Imbaimadai without stopping even shot the rapids rather than portage. We got back to camp at 4:00 which was the time the plane was to arrive. We had a hurried late lunch and rushed packing. Went to see Mr. Peters and bought a nice diamond for $30.00 then walked out to the landing strip just in time. Mr. Peters had come out and presented us with a large hunk of gold. (Warren had helped him with his movie camera). Some Indians had brought a baby otter in and we would have bought it but we had spent all our money on diamonds. I felt so guilty though leaving that baby with the Indians who were trying to feed it rice that we decided to have Mr. Peters try to get it for us and ship it in on Wednesday's flight, that is ifit is still alive by then. The pilot flew over Chi Chi Falls so some of the passengers got to se them anyway. We were so late we had to land illegally at MacKenzie, it was after dark and MacKenzie has no field lights. The bed really looked good by the time we got back to the Taines Hotel.

Oct 12: Stayed home and tried to recuperate today. Stan Brock called this evening and we got together for a swim and a late dinner. We had drinks with Pam Singh and Steve until about 7:00PM, then went swimming, twas fun.

Oct 13: I started trying to collect the $266.00 from customs today, but found my friend Mitchell has not sent the paper back yet. We had dinner with Stan and Ardith, both came for a swim, then we went to the Bamboo gardens for dinner.

Oct 14: Judy came for a swim this afternoon. Spent the morning working and got the packages sent through Pan Am. We had dinner with Stan this evening.

Oct 15: I spent most of the day trying to get thing straightened out about the packages sent by st Pan Am on Oct 1 . I'm about ready to send Pan Am a bill for my services. There really is no excuse for this ditty dallying around. It is just gross incompetence!

Oct 16: Met Joe Pennock at Pan Am; he's got his problems with them too. He and his wife came over this evening. However, I had either the flu or food poisoning so didn't really get to enjoy them. Oct 17: We finally took me to the doctor around 1:00AM. He gave me pills for diarrhea, vomiting, pain and sleep. I felt like a walking drug store!! It did enable me to make the Kaieteur Fall trip that I wouldn't have made, though I was very disappointed in Kaieteur. It is the dry season and there isn't much water. We flew up in a Cessna 185. The landing strip there is mighty rough.

Oct 18: I started the day at Pan Am, as usual. Mr. Mitchell still has not signed that sheet of paper and now has our waybill as well. I finally went to Rosa the supervisor and hope that gets some action. Warren went out to film the raccoon, crabs and fish but I stayed home to wait for a call from Pan Am.

END

transcribed by: Elizabeth Grenard