Alton, who welcomed me to stay with him and his family. He is wanting to set up eco-tourism in the village of Moco Moco, with its surrounding hills and waterfalls.
Stefano (aka chief), one of Alton's sons, crossing a river on a fallen tree, on our walk in the forest.
The view from Black Rock at the top of our walk. Moco Moco village is preserving the forest, seeing its value for eco-tourism, clean water supplies and sustainable forest utilisation.
Stefano and Andave, two brothers and my guides, up at Black Rock.
Overlooking the savanna plains, with Moco Moco village in the green foreground.
Notice at the hydro power station, built by the Chinese but destroyed after a few years' use by landslides, and now left to ruin.
Brothers Stefano, Andave, Kane, with cousin Jerrilee and her two daughters.
Expert bareback riders. I struggled to keep up and felt sore, much to their amusement.
The hills at Moco Moco.
A large rice plantation supplies cheap grain to the village.
Late afternoon volleyball at the village school grounds.
The bar and youth centre.
Kids ready for school and Alton's brother Keith ready for the day looking after the family's cattle.
A tame macaw with an injured wing next door.
Notice created by Alton and his sons, who are in charge of looking after the forest and waterfalls.
The immense trunk of a partially fallen silk cotton tree on the edge of the forest.
Bananas in a village farm plot.
Breakfast at Alton's, typically tea, fried dumplings and chicken in a tasty sauce.
On a big bike in the front garden.
Alton with his mother, nieces and elderly grandfather (111 years old, an Arawak, who came to the area in his twenties working with the cattle trade between the region's savannas and the markets on the coast) and grandmother (95, who grew up by the river on the border with Brazil and who thus only speaks Portuguese and Makushi, the local Amerindian language).
Maureen, Alton's wife, who caters at the school, getting her children ready for another day.
Alton and nieces.
Another day of school and another portrait.
\
After three days with Alton and his welcoming family, on the back of his pick-up towards Lethem to catch the bus further into Guyana.
