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Eduardo's
true treasures
They
set out to find the City of Pure Gold but found Garden Eden
In
thousands they come to seek their fortune in the jungle: Guyana’s gold
and diamonds lure hordes of prospectors into the wilderness. It began
500 years ago when the rumor spread in Europe that there was a city of
pure gold hidden between the amber-colored rivers and the emerald green
rainforest. Yet with their minds set on finding the fabulous eldorado,
the treasure hunters did not notice the richness surrounding them.
By Bernhard Grdseloff |
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Trinidad
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The Caribbean
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"Our
true eldorado is the unspoiled nature, our tropical flora and fauna,"
says Gerald Gouveia, president of Guyana’s hotel association. And Lucy
Spelman, director of the Washington National Zoo, adds: "It’s a
safari destination for people who already know Africa and are in for
some new experiences."
Four
fifths of Guyana is covered in jungle – one of the last four, utterly
pristine rainforest areas on the globe. This Garden Eden is inhabited by
colorful macaws, monkeys, jaguars, tapirs and giant otters – all in
all 800 bird species, 200 different mammals, more than 400 fish species
and 150 amphibians and reptiles.
But
the legend of the Golden City in the tropical forest also has a grain of
truth to it. On average, a ton of gold and 50 kilograms of diamonds are
prospected from Guyana’s rivers and dug up from the soil each month.
And that’s only the official amount.
"There
are thousands of people out there panning alone or in twos," says
Nicole Corea, whose family has been making a fortune on gold prospectors
and diamond diggers for thee generations, flying out or taking boatloads
of provisions to the fortune-seekers. "In some remote places you’d
think you’re in the Wild West." |
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Gold,
diamonds and unspoiled nature: Macaw
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A
hop, skip and jump from the Caribbean
What might this
young Guyana jaguar be dreaming of? Hardly of white sandy beaches and the
turquoise blue sea, even if the Caribbean islands are right in front of
his nose. Paradise to him is the jungle, the savannah and the honey-colored
rivers. That’s where the majestic wild cat rules over
some of the largest creatures on earth. "Guyana is home to almost a
dozen giants from the animal world," raves Lucy Spelman, director of
the Washington National Zoo. "The Giant otter, the Anaconda, the
mighty Harpy eagle, the Giant ant-eater, the Black caiman, the giant
freshwater fish Arapaima, the largest river turtle and the largest
bat." And all that just a hop, skip and jump away from the Caribbean…
Photo: Duane de
Freitas, Dadanawa Ranch
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