Sweet River. Demerara Harbour Bridge and Small Black Bee on Mexican Creeper, Antigonon leptopus, Schoon Ord-Peter's Hall, Georgetown, Guyana
The Demerara Harbour Bridge (1976-1978) is the fourth longest floating (ponton) bridge in the world at 1851 metres and 61 spans. It traverses the Demerara River between Peter's Hall a few miles south of Georgetown and Schoon Ord a few miles on the opposite bank south of the ferry landing at Vreed-en-Hoop. We had a pleasant time ferrying, walking and taxi-ing the loop this morning. We hiked the bridge but about 300 metres before getting to the eastern shore the footpath stopped abruptly...: reconstruction. We were grateful for a bridge-police truck; the officer had a rusty little ladder that allowed us to climb over the roadway railing, and we were given a lift to the mangrove lined eastern shore.
It seems that Demerara (or in Dutch: Demerary) comes ultimately from the Arawak language. To the south the river has fast-running Rapids which in Arawak were called Malali. That word was Dutch-Berbicefied to 'De Malali', and in the course of time the 'l's became 'r's.
This was as it remains today cane sugar producing country, and that raw cane sugar came to be known in Europe as 'Demerara'.
One of the many bright tropical plants here - also along the river and at bridge's edge - is Mexican Creeper, Antigonon leptopus. It doesn't produce Demerara but instead of course nectars which entice many insects. In the inset photo is a Small Black Bee, perhaps a Ceratina of some sort. Look at its remarkably beautiful striped eyes!
Sweet River. Demerara Harbour Bridge and Small Black Bee on Mexican Creeper, Antigonon leptopus, Schoon Ord-Peter's Hall, Georgetown, Guyana
The Demerara Harbour Bridge (1976-1978) is the fourth longest floating (ponton) bridge in the world at 1851 metres and 61 spans. It traverses the Demerara River between Peter's Hall a few miles south of Georgetown and Schoon Ord a few miles on the opposite bank south of the ferry landing at Vreed-en-Hoop. We had a pleasant time ferrying, walking and taxi-ing the loop this morning. We hiked the bridge but about 300 metres before getting to the eastern shore the footpath stopped abruptly...: reconstruction. We were grateful for a bridge-police truck; the officer had a rusty little ladder that allowed us to climb over the roadway railing, and we were given a lift to the mangrove lined eastern shore.
It seems that Demerara (or in Dutch: Demerary) comes ultimately from the Arawak language. To the south the river has fast-running Rapids which in Arawak were called Malali. That word was Dutch-Berbicefied to 'De Malali', and in the course of time the 'l's became 'r's.
This was as it remains today cane sugar producing country, and that raw cane sugar came to be known in Europe as 'Demerara'.
One of the many bright tropical plants here - also along the river and at bridge's edge - is Mexican Creeper, Antigonon leptopus. It doesn't produce Demerara but instead of course nectars which entice many insects. In the inset photo is a Small Black Bee, perhaps a Ceratina of some sort. Look at its remarkably beautiful striped eyes!