Linden: Very soon, Guyanese at home and abroad will experience first-hand, Linden’s tourism hot spots, more specifically, the Kara Kara Blue Lake.
A tour guide company, located in Linden, ‘Kara Kayaking and Adventures’ is in the process of commencing operations which will provide guided tours to these locations. Collaborating with the company is tourism advocate Deon Anderson who is on a mission to fully exploit Linden’s tourism potential by “encouraging persons to bring the vacation home.”
Anderson explained, “Linden in itself is a unique tourism spot, especially for nature lovers, the blue lakes are comparable to the Caribbean beaches for its natural beauty and surrounding landscapes and many in and out of Guyana have never even seen these views before. So, providing persons with an option to see, experience and enjoy all this would be an ideal venture to embark on.”
The company will be providing guided tours called, ‘The Kayaking Experience’ with professional swimmers, lifeguards, safety gears and will highlight the historical background of the amazing sites in Linden. Visitors will be able to enjoy several of the blue lakes in Linden which in fact are man-made due to bauxite mining. Lakes are also available in Wisroc, Coomacka Mines, Richmondhill East Montgomery Mines and South Arrowcane. The blue lakes are extremely deep; therefore, safety is a priority. As such safety gears and on-the-spot lifeguards will also be made available during tours.
There will also be tours to the picturesque white and clay hills of Linden, some so tall, a perfect view of the town can be captured from their peaks. One of these is located in Richmond Hill fondly known as “the mountains”. These man-made hills are as a result of the stripping of the overburden, to get to the bauxite, and brings a surreal touch to the lakes that are neatly nestled between.
These are just a few of the amazing breath-taking landscapes indigenous to Linden where one can enjoy the serenity and fresh air. The many valleys, overhead springs, black water creeks and forest treks are among activities that can be experienced via the guided tours.
Persons will also be able to visit the Industrial Museum of Linden which displays refurbished bauxite trains, a walking dragline and the 100 years Bauxite Anniversary Arch. Monuments such as the water wheel which was also recently refurbished will also be a part of the package.
In 2016, the United Nations listed Linden as a ‘prospective world tourism destination.’ The announcement was made at a World Tourism Summit in Chonqing, China attended by former Mayor of Linden, Carwyn Holland and Regional Chairman Renis Morian. Chonqing City eventually twinned with Linden, in an effort to develop its untapped tourism gems.
Waters safe
As a chemical engineer, it was a necessity for Anderson to ensure that the lakes are safe and sound. Hundreds of Guyanese have been clamouring to experience them but there were some issues with the safety of the water, giving them their unique blue hues and having their genesis from the bauxite mining. He explained that the blue colour of the water, however, is not as a result of the presence of chemicals, “but its novelty actually lies in the absence of dark sediments on the lake bed which pronounce the reflection of the sky. It is the similar case with oceans.”
Anderson collaborated with entities, whose mandate is to monitor the quality and safety of recreational and potentially recreational areas like swimming pools, creeks, rivers and lakes. “Such collaboration has resulted in sampling and monitoring of the water quality at the Blue Lake, creeks on the Linden highway, and public swimming pools. Participating laboratories include Kaizen Environmental Services (from Trinidad); IAST and GuySuCo. So far indications are that the water quality is within safe limits,” Anderson revealed.
Anderson related that very soon, official contact information and online access should be made available of ‘Kara Kayaking and Adventure Tours.’ A Facebook page is already available.
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