Hello again from Iwokrama, this is the second time i've written this entry (patchy computers) so fingers crossed it lasts till the end! Since I last wrote we've done a lot of painting. I'm not sure if i mentioned last time but we decided to paint the walls and podiums one shade of green and the floor a darker shade. So we finished the wall paintings and they dried nicely whilst we had a relaxing afternoon. In the evening Bernie brought in her packet of Uno cards which was interesting. I'd completely forgotten how to play, though my sister loves the game, and Jon had never played before. So we sat down with some beers, some pizza pringles and some cadbury's chocolate (it tastes a bit different) and played away. Bernie graciously told us that she would not cheat as she normally does, but still promptly won 10-9-6. Jon came last after repeating the mistake of forgetting to say Uno when he had one card left.

The next morning, we woke up and set about painting the floor green. It took a couple of hours to do it well and we stood back and admired our work, only for the heavens to open and constant drizzle fell for the next hour or so. Our beautiful paintwork ran and ran and it was all a bit of a mess. The situation took a surreal turn when a toad jumped out of the drainpipe, covered in green paint, and tried to escape as I used a long branch-broom to get it out. Unfortunately it tried to escape up the wall so his dark green feet marks are all over our light green walls! Nightmare. So we gave up painting, and had lunch, after which i tried to have a nap, but it's just too hot so Bernie and I went down to the river to watch the caiman in the river. Sankar was pretty stationary but then Taki (Dec) came down with some fish which he tied to a small piece of log and then threw it out on the end of his line. After a few tries Sankar decided to go for it and took the log in his mouth before wheeling to get away. He carried it back to his rocky basking place and Taki tried in vain to get it back. After I had asked if he was strong I was given the rope to hold whilst Taki tried to flank the croc and get it to swim towards us for Bernie's photo. What follows will always be "the time I wrestled with a crocodile" but really there was only one winner, as soon as Taki reached the side Sankar decided to wheel away and make a break for it into the centre of the river. I was left desperately trying to drag him back, but the fish-wire slid through my fingers and every time I coiled it he pulled harder. Lewis (Ant) took a break from listening to his Baha cd and tried to wrestle him back, but the rope just snapped. Taki looked crestfallen and so he and Lewis, like a true double act, got into the canoe and when croc-hunting, alas with no success. The Taki went out alone and we watched him drift downriver until suddenly he motored towards the bank, we could see his opponent swimming by the bank, frantically trying to get away. Somehow (poor English dictates that we will never know) Taki managed to return with his line. Amazing stuff.

We then helped Jon with some planting and watering, before Jon and I swam in the river. It's a pretty strange experience, part of you is freaked out by the rays, the electric eels and the huge anacondae, and the other part is enjoying the first warm water in Guyana. It was so black that we could barely see our feet, but it was stunning to look over to the other shore and the islands as the sun set behind some trees.

In the evening we had planned to play Uno but ended up being taken to party in the village by the kitchen girls. You'll be happy to know that Dennise and I did not wake up married, she ended up with Arnold, the local stud, who wears a tupac t-shirt and a white hat. The party was in a small shack, with barely any light, a hugely loud sound system and a mixture of soca and baha tunes. The dancing was good fun, though a bit random, Jon was very impressive, so was samantha from the kitchens, all good stuff! Bernie and I spoke to the guys and found out that whilst most of them are married, most have "sweetgirls" or other girls they sleep with. Everyone here is related, i'm not surprised! We took the boat back at 12:00 and collapsed into bed.

This morning, faced with the task of painting and planting the distance markers, I suggested a trip to Fairview to recover some plants. The little villager boys all run away when they see us, but the primary school kids just looked out at us as we passed. Oprah Winfrey was right when she criticised American schoolchildren for wanting toys, trainers and electronics, when in Africa (Where she has just opened a school) they want pens, bags, and books, just like in Africa everyone here is immaculately dressed for school in bright uniforms. This school has a small peccary sniffing around underneath, as I took a photo it sniffed me too, but I think all this Deet i've been putting on sent it away! We came back with loads of strange plants, a pumpkin, and plenty of scratches on our arms!

When we came back Jon and I painted the second layer in the atrium, so that's done now, and it's been drying for an hour now, so fingers crossed it stays dry (it's boiling outside at the moment but rain comes when it comes). It looks brilliant, and we have six big pots with some amazing plants we took from trees yesterday. Kevin, the resident climber, took a knife and clambered up some of the huge trees in the jungle to cut them down, they're going to look great.

Anyway, I'm worried this is going to delete so i'm going to post now, and leave my final post to talk about the Amerindians, Guyana, and the Iwokrama Project. Hope you get this! Till next time