Columns & Blogs

On my last trip to Guyana, I went in search of an old sugar estate called Reynestein, which is described by a traveller called Dr Bollingbroke in 1799. It is now part of the super-estate, Wales. Back then, the good doctor had described the life of the Dutch planters; billiards, good coffee, the finest linen, floors scrubbed with citrus juice, farmland ‘like gardens’,

Here I am with the descendants of runaway slaves on Skin Island, in the River Marowijne, Suriname. These children, from the Paramaccaner group, are happy. Across the river in French Guiana, it's a different story.

This is the ranch store at Dadanawa (Guyana), near the fabled table-lands described in Conan Doyle's novel. It's the place to buy a stirrup, or a beer, or a single cigarette.

This is a Warao tribesman from the coast of Guyana (their territory also extends into Venezuela). The Warao may have been among the first Amerindians ever to travel to London.

Cinemas around the world. Often, I try and see a movie when I'm on my travels. Sadly, I was too late for this superb cinema in New Amsterdam (Guyana).

The water monkey. Originally, this was going to be the title of my book, 'Wild Coast', because I wanted something that was common to Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana. Well, what is it?

For me, grappling with the concept of slavery was one of the most troubling aspects of my journey through the Guianas.

On the one hand, slavery seemed to have disappeared completely; the ‘yards’ have gone, and the impedimenta has rotted away (the photo shows a rare set of manacles, owned by a friend in Guyana).

This is the River Corentyne, on the border between Guyana and Suriname. In colonial times, the border was established running up the middle of the river. But what happens out in the estuary? The question didn't really matter until the discovery of potential oil deposits.

I would love to have written more about the Chinese on The Wild Coast, particularly in Guyana ( I had some research material). However, although I met a few people of Chinese descent (e.g Brian Li, the headmaster in the Rununi, and the Chan-a-Sue family in Mabaruma), I never found myself with a particularly Chinese story to tell.

There's still a lot of debate over the pros and cons of the Empire, and both sides tend to rely on mythology. However, it's the hardware of empire that fascinates me.