RUPUNUNI RODEO
I've been missing home a lot lately and thinking of all the things I'm yet to do there. I was too young to travel alone when I lived in Guyana and unless my mom or sisters were going, I wasn't. Not even with friends because Mom was not about the "my friends are going, why can't I?" life.
I moved to New York when I was 18 years old and my trips back home are usually spent with family and friends leaving very little time to explore. Needless to say, there is still so much for me to experience in Guyana!
Well what does that little tidbit have to do with my outfit? Where are the coconut trees and mangos Guyanaese gyal?
First of all, I'm definitely not in the Rupununi of Guyana as my post title suggests. The Rupununi is located in the South-West region of Guyana bordering Brazil and is made up of flat grasslands, mountainous terrains and vast wildlife.
We frequently refer to this area as Region 9 (in the Upper Takutu Essequibo region) and three of our Amerindian tribes (Wapishana, Wai Wai and the Macushi) inhabit the areas. Because of the abundance of grasslands it's considered to be 'cattle country' and there are many ranches worked by vaqueros aka cowboys.
Speaking of cowboys and cowgirls, there is a Rodeo in Guyana that occurs during the Easter weekend in the town of Lethem. Activities include bull riding, horse racing, local pageants and games for children. Local crafts, food, drinks and snacks are readily available and you can also find eats from our Brazilian neighbors as well. I've always wanted to go but Mom never thought it was safe for me to drive with my teenage friends and she had good reason too. As far as I can remember there were quite a few fatal accidents related to Rodeo so I understood her protectiveness.
With that being said, I hope to one day be home for Rodeo but in the meantime I'll let my outfit transport me to Lethem.
For this look, I wore a white off the shoulder dress that's actually a vintage Mexican wedding dress. I cinched the waist with a broad braided brown belt (picked up from the Philly AIDS Thrift) and tucked the front of my dress under it to create a high-low effect. I wanted to show off my cowgirl boots!
In the Summer I like to secure my curls away from my face with two flat twists to the front. This style also helps to show off your earrings. Mine are vintage sombrero earrings made out of leather and engraved "made in West Germany" on the back.
