El Dorado lives on – A group of seven finds their city of gold

Many have heard the tales of El Dorado, the tales of a famous king dressed in gold by the shores of a beautiful and mysterious lake.

How often have you heard stories of El Dorado and not flirted with the feelings of wonder and possibility that the legend holds? For centuries, many have set out for El Dorado in the hope of striking it rich, but we set out to the Rupununi and El Dorado with a different goal in mind. Seven of us are here, three Americans, two Canadians, one British and a lone male Aussie, on a five-week visit to Guyana with a Canadian non-profit organization called Operation Groundswell, whose slogan is “backpacking with a purpose.”

We started in Georgetown and are about to make our way from Yupukari to Kaichumbay, where we will be spending the majority of our stay. There, we intend to experience and learn about local cultures and traditions while working alongside local community members on chosen village projects. Accompanied by a local guide and driven by our collective excitement, we set out from Yupukari towards an expansive ridge in the far distance. Before we knew it, we were making our way over the crest while feasting our eyes on the expansive landscape, lit perfectly by the late afternoon sun. Forty-five minutes later, just when we thought we had seen all the beauty of Guyana’s interior savannah, we finally reached El Dorado.

We arrived just as the sun was setting over the Pakaraima Mountains. The mountains were so perfect it seemed as though they had been skilfully painted on a canvas. I couldn’t get over how breathtaking it was. I went wild – taking pictures, trying my best to capture every piece of the beauty I could. I didn’t want to forget what this looked like. As the sun continued to fade, the gentle sunlight fell onto the calm waters of Lake Amucu, making El Dorado even more picturesque than I could have imagined. Of all the photos I have taken so far on this journey, my favourite is one of El Dorado.

The clouds were arrayed so artistically in the sky; the sun peeked through them and glazed the water, making it shine like the surface of freshly polished gold. While its history has made for many misconceptions about the area, today, here in Guyana, El Dorado is recognized as a vast, seasonal wetland. The heavy amounts of rainfall in past weeks have transformed it into an even grander place than usual. It holds the water effortlessly. I consider the Macusi people so lucky to be able to call this place home.

Although I have given my best attempt to describe the beauty of all that is El Dorado, it truly speaks for itself. There is an indescribable feeling you get when peering over the landscape: almost magical. It’s as though you can feel the same passion and desire explorers like Sir Walter Raleigh must have felt when they heard tales of this site, or when the likes of Robert Schomburgk set eyes upon El Dorado for the first time. (Ashley Sohngen, Rupununi Learners, Yupukari)