Cow and Esso Station (Springlands)
Corriverton is located on the mouth of the Corentyne River, approximately 60 miles east of the regional capital, New Amsterdam and 150 miles east of Georgetown.
The Corentyne River forms the boarder with the Republic of Suriname, the crossing point being at Moleson Creek Stelling, 10 miles east of Corriverton. (Stelling is the local name for ferry port.)
The area experiences a very hot and humid tropical climate. Rain falls all the year round, although there are marked rainy (or rainier) seasons. The region is well south of the Caribbean hurricane belt. The temperature at night does not drop greatly, so often it is necessary to sleep with a fan on.
The town has an estimated population of 30000 people. However this figure may not be accurate for the following reasons:
The local economy is based on rice and sugar production. In addition to these two main activities a great deal of income is derived from fishing and timber processing.
The contraband trade of the mid-1980's injected capital into the local economy although today the lasting benefits appear to be restricted to a few local businesses.
Generally the area is poor economically and suffers from a great number of the consequent problems. Many of the people are casual labourers who lack permanent or stable employment, they tend to follow seasonal work. Salaries are very low, e.g., a shop worker would earn G$100.00 per hour. Health Care and education, although available to all, are starved of resources and modern facilities. Many people do not have running water or other services in their homes. Alcohol abuse is common, especially amongst men. HIV infection is on the increase, especially in the 18-25 year old age group.
Credit cards are unheard of.
Guyanese people are famous for their hospitality. Visitors are continually invited to their homes for a ‘gaff' or to attend family weddings and funerals. When you visit, you are given vast amounts to eat and drink. Eating and drinking are a very important aspect of the local culture. Weight watchers beware!
The majority of the regional population is Indo-Guyanese, although a substantial number of people of African origin also live in the area. There are also many ‘Dugla' people, these people are of mixed African and Indian origin. There are also a few Amerindian and people of Chinese origin.
The region is the power base for the ruling PPP/Civic Party.
Although the official language of Guyana is English, the local Creole dialect is very strong and people are often difficult to understand. Conversely, local people may find it difficult to understand British or American English.
All three major Guyanese religions: Christianity. Hinduism. Islam, are all well represented. There are also minority religions like Rastafarianism and the Bahai faith in the area.
Population is distributed along the coastal strip in a succession of villages. There are very few parts of the coastal strip, which are not built up. Villages are based on the original sugar estate grid and tend to have number-names i.e. No. 43 Village, No. 64 Village. Although, there are some villages with actual names. e.g. Leeds, Springlands. Most of in inhabited coastal land is reclaimed and is below sea level. A sea wall and a series of Dutch style drainage dykes prevent flooding.
The area offers very limited entertainment. There are no large restaurants, theaters and only a couple of cinemas, which show mainly Indian films. The bars tend to be male dominated rum shops, where customers drink beer, vodka and rum and play dominoes or cards. There are a few bars where women are made to feel more welcome, but these are not common. A great deal of socialising is done in the home.
No. 63 Beach, 10 miles west of Corriverton is a popular spot on Sundays and Public Holidays. On these occasions people crowd the beach, eat, drink, play loud music, dance and generally have a good time, it's a good experience. It's quite acceptable for men to dance together.
Depending on the exact location of the house, there are up to six available TV channels. These offer a diet of local programmes and pirated American and Indian films. Many of the films are of an extremely graphic nature, both in terms of sexual and violent content.
Music plays an important part in local culture and is often played at a very high volume. Styles vary and include; Indian Pop, Reggae, Euro Pop and Calypso. All types of music are available on locally produced audiocassettes.
A wide range of videocassettes is available for rent all over the area.
Local transport is by mini-bus or tapir. A tapir is a small box shaped mini bus which should carry 7 passengers. Their range is from Crabwood Creek to No. 62 Village. Fares for both forms of transport are fixed by the Government and based on a fare stage system. There are only a few taxis in the Corriverton area and very few people own private cars. Driving on the roads is dangerous, especially at night.
Cows, horses, donkeys, pigs and goats are allowed to wander freely on the highway and pose a continual danger to traffic. In addition many of the mini-bus and tapir drivers race for fares.
At night people often ride cycles without lights and many other forms of transport have inadequate lighting.
1960's British cars and trucks are common. The Bedford truck is the most popular form of heavy transport.
The electricity supply of the area is 110 volts and uses American style Duplex plugs. The supply is very erratic and ‘blackout' is an almost daily occurrence. Sometimes the current goes off for 15 minutes and on other occasions for 3 days. The system is also prone to dips and surges, which can wreck electrical equipment.
The majority of cookers are fuelled by bottled Tex or Shell Gas. Supplies are available everywhere and can be delivered to the door.
An abundance of fresh food and sunlight generally means that expatriates enjoy a good standard of health. Malaria is rare although mosquitoes are not, they are everywhere and bite continually. For this reason it is advisable to sleep under a net.
Common illnesses include minor stomach upsets, worms and allergies and all are easily treated. There are several good private doctors in the area and a dental surgery has just opened.
Although it is not essential, it is advisable to filter and boil drinking water. However often when you visit peoples' houses they will give you water which has come straight for the tap with no adverse effects. It is very rare to find houses which have a hot water system.
