IT GOES without saying, that Guyana is way more than Georgetown, but it takes a trip outside of the city to really appreciate the country in all its splendour.

This past week, I took a trip to what is called the heart of Guyana. It’s way into Region Eight (Potaro- Siparuni), and known quite famously as Iwokrama.

According to my guide, Mr. Patterson, Iwokrama got its name from a mountain in the range; it’s a Macushi word which means ‘place of refuge’.

The whole point (well, what should’ve been the point) of us students going on this trip was to understand what a conservation is and the dynamics of a conservation. Iwokrama is conservation in Guyana, which means that some of the land is set aside for sustainable development and the rest of the land consists of protected forests.

Sadly, while about 60 students and a few teachers from my school were away for three days, we only spent just over a day at the Iwokrama lodge. This was because the drive from Queen’s College to Iwokrama took about 12 long hours, one side.

Before departing I was told tales of the gruesome journey by bus and most of my friends were mentally preparing themselves for the motion sickness to step in. Surprisingly, the roads had only been graded so the journey was as smooth as it could possibly be. Still lots of bumps, though.

Now here, there isn’t much to see. It’s just miles and miles of pristine and untouched forests, and once or twice you’ll see a hawk or another bird fly by. When Mother Nature takes her lights off, however, the sky transforms itself into black blanket littered with diamonds. Without artificial lights to compete with, the sky was breathtaking.

Morning came too soon and by midday, we were in Iwokrama. In the 24 hours we were actually in there though, the group trekked up a 984-foot high mountain; up 160 stairs, across three hanging platforms; traversed along some trails and of course, indulged in loads of lollygagging.

So we were given the option of going to Turtle Mountain first and to the famous Canopy Walkway after, or vice versa. Whichever route you took, you’d have to really mentally prepare for the journey.

I went to Turtle Mountain first, which to me was smarter. Getting there required a short boat ride on the mighty Essequibo River. The rapids along the river were unreal; going around them seemed like the boat was approaching these mini-waterfalls and that was simultaneously exhilarating and terrifying. If you can’t make it up the mountain (I’ll tell you why in a bit), just go for the boat ride.

Now, I was told that the journey up the mountain was only an hour and a half hike. Turns out, there was a trail to the landing, then a trail from the landing to the foot of the mountain and then you had to actually trek on the mountain. And I only found out all of this while on the hike, so imagine my reaction when I was told- right after I began rejoicing that the hike was almost over- that I hadn’t even begun climbing the actual mountain.

The hike was punctuated by the sounds of the cicadas and screaming pihas, compounded by the rustling of the leaves, which would convince you that it was raining. I did get to see a cock-of-the-rock also, just before we reached the peak. Its bright red feathers stuck out like a sore thumb amidst all the greenery.

But finally, at the peak, boy that was something else.

You know the saying: “Life’s a climb but the view is worth it”? This view made the climb more than worthwhile. Picture an endless panorama of the trees in the rainforest with the Essequibo River slithering through it coupled with a backdrop of the mountains holding up the sky. Guyana is just majestic.

Fast forward to a few hours later, when it was time to go to the Iwokrama canopy; with our thighs still burning from the hike up Turtle Mountain and our bellies filled with cook-up, the climb up 160 stairs to get to the walkway just seemed too much.

At the top, the view from the canopy was definitely different from above Turtle Mountain. While the mountain provided a somewhat all-encompassing view, the canopy provided a minute projection of actual life inside the rainforest. And the trees here, the greenhearts and purple hearts (and ones I can’t remember)- hey made this six-foot tall youth feel like a tiny ant.

Between the stars, the Mountain View and the canopy, I’d say the aesthetics of the trip were very close to perfection, but only missed its mark because I didn’t get to see a jaguar (the locals call it a ‘jaggy’) or a `caiman.’.

Now, as the country celebrates its 48th Republic anniversary, the extravagant floats showed all the great things about Guyana, the flora, the fauna, the culture and the people. At the same time though, it’s worthwhile remembering how much more there is to this country and what it has to offer.