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![[Willie Hawthorne]](../images/willy.jpg)
SUBJECT: Guyana Adventures
AUTHOR: Willy Hawthorne is a mechanical engineer currently volunteering technical services and teaching at the Davis Indian Industrial College, an Adventist, self-supporting institution in the Upper Mazaruni River district of Guyana, South America.
DATE: December 23, 1998
I am writing this by a dim florescent lamp that flickers bright occasionally. Life here is good.
Guyana is paradise... or real close. When I first came I expected to find a much different type of people. They have turned out to be warm, kind, generous, and wise. They have taught me far more about the creator than I have taught them.
Parima is between 9 and 15 miles from Venezuela. It is a region of transition between the high Savannah’s (grass lands) of Venezuela and the emerald rain forest of Guyana.
Our school campus is on the Kamarang River (branch of the upper Mazuruni). Sorry if the spelling is bad, no spell checker with this here Bic pen.
Right now there are bananas, tangerines, oranges, and grapefruit to eat. The natives have some really delicious foods they make out of various native plants ---> cassava bread (root), a green that looks like spinach.
Two water falls are within a 3 mile radius that look promising. One is Parima waterfalls. It is powerful. A small river that drops about 75 feet in about 50-75 yards. Problem is that is brings logs and boulders down stream, occasionally. I think it would be expensive to harness.
Ilubia falls is a creek that is about 8 feet across and 50 gallons per second flow, and drop of 50 to 75 feet. This is what I would like to work with. The source is controllable and has a straight fall (good for shorter pen-stock). I need to go back to the falls and make more precise measurements of flow and fall height.
Next semester is looks like I will be teaching a math and science class and helping teach carpentry. There is a man (native) here who is very good at working with wood. Jacob is his name. We have worked together on building small tables, benches, and walls. He cares about the students.
The students are respectful and cheerful. They want to learn. The desire to learn is very refreshing to find. The teachers all love God, as well.
I have learned allot about hand tools from Jacob. The one that was new to me was the hand (power) planner...took me a day or two to figure it out. It would really be great if we could get a router but they are expensive. We have almost an unlimited supply of materials to work with. There is a wood called “crab” wood. It is red, beautiful, hard and dense.
I have not heard any news of the outside world for more than three weeks. For a person that is used to keeping up with antitrust lawsuits (Microsoft) daily and news events hourly, I am having minor withdrawal symptoms...asking everybody about this item or that.
My solar cell and battery pack have been very handy. Used the spot light that uncle Stoney gave me to provide a spot light for some local talent at the school banquet the other night. All the native men instantly wanted to use it for hunting at night.
The indians are friendly, well dressed and would fit into the streets of Mexico City unnoticed, except they speak good English. People here seem to really love God and one another. I have learned allot from them.
I wish David Gates would arrive before January, but it will give me time to study my hydro books more and make more precise measurements of the two falls.
It has been fun learning to sleep in a hammock under a mosquito net. Rolling over can be challenging. I like the rocking motion. Reminds me of the sea.
Rains daily for short periods, so plenty of good water. Hardly any mosquitoes in the region where I am.
Willie
You may send E-mail to Willie at:
gates@andrews.edu or
GAMAS@solutions2000.net