Vreed en Hoop
Vreed en Hoop is a town at the mouth of the Demerara River on its left bank, in the Essequibo Islands-West Demerara region of Guyana, located at sea level. It is the location of the Regional Democratic Council office making it the administrative center for the region. There is also a police station, magistrate's court and post office.
Vreed en Hoop encompasses a few smaller communities, among them New Road, Plantain Walk, Crane and Coglan Dam. The name of the town comes from the Dutch "Vreed en Hoop", meaning "Peace and Hope" in English. The town was founded by A. Rahman an indentured servant who won the land in an auction.
Passenger boats traverse the Demerara River linking Vreed en Hoop to the capital city of Georgetown in about five minutes, much faster than using the Demerara Harbour Bridge. For safety passengers must use the lifejackets provided. The busy terminal connects travellers to the West Bank Demerara road up to Parika, with cars and minibuses plying the routes. Vreed en Hoop also consists of a market and other shopping stores. It has an educational institute for children and a college where teachers go for training.
