Located just a few hours away from the capital city, is the quiet rural community of Yarrowkabra. It is situated along the Soesdyke Linden Highway. Similar to most communities, this area is home to over 1,000 residents who differ in race, lifestyles, culture, and preference.
The days spent in this community are very peaceful whether on rainy nights or sunny days and can only be disturbed by a neighbour’s boom-box system or the sound of vehicles passing on the nearby highway.
Interactions with a few villagers revealed that from Monday to Saturday, residents engage in normal work activities and other commitments, but on Sundays, things look somewhat different since this day is considered as ideal to spend time with family and friends.
As mentioned before, villagers have different preferences of how they choose to spend weekends or more specifically, Sundays. Some are comfortable soaking up the pleasures of staying at home and spending quality time with their family given the tiresome days at work, while others prefer a more exciting Sunday where they can enjoy refreshing, black water creeks situated along the highway.
The Yarrowkabra creek and the Splashmins resort are among the recreational hot-spots that are usually chosen to have a family getaway on a scorching Sunday, as it also provides an opportunity to have picnics, barbecues or even birthday celebrations. But while a crowd of residents spends most of the day out of the neighbourhood, those who prefer to stay at home usually utilize their time either at church, doing business at their small shops, doing chores or even visiting the supermarket for groceries.
Though the first half of the day is spent on routine activities, the other half is dedicated to preparing a sumptuous lunch for the household as well as relaxing. And like the rest of Guyana’s population, the food menu ranges from dishes like fish curry and rice to a steaming pot of cook-up rice, which would usually be complemented with a glass of cold, coconut water with shreds of jelly if you’re lucky or a natural fruit punch to counter the heat of the day.
Whilst some residents await the arrival of the cool afternoon, there is no better way to utilize the extra time than relaxing in a hammock, taking in the sweet, Yarrowkabra fresh air and enjoying the undisturbed peace that cloaks the atmosphere. It is the perfect setting for a revitalizing nap.
But, the thought of resting does not convey the message that the day has concluded. Rather, it affords some of the community’s population a chance to rejuvenate and prepare for the night’s activities either spent at home or at a village hot spot.
During this time, a peaceful atmosphere transforms into a lively one as music now blasts through the boom-box systems of villagers, who are usually hanging out with friends while others are of the local night clubs located within the community. But even as the night produces a different energy, there still remains a few villagers who end their Sundays the simple way, that is, by telling folk stories or sitting under the bright moonlight and embracing the beauty of the stars.
Overall, the community of Yarrowkabra remains one where its residents differ and enjoy life in many ways but together, they embrace and adapt to changes in a uniquely humble way within their now developing community.
