WHEN WE think of Paradise, images of far-flung places assail our minds; we think of countries cloaked in mystery, with a myriad adventures lurking around every corner and beautiful destinations beyond local shores.
Not for a moment would we imagine that such a place could be reached in less than an hour; that one such place exists within our very own borders.
Over the years, many adventurers have embarked on expeditions to discover and unearth  the hidden treasures that lay buried deep in our endless jungles, and high up on our mountain peaks, and just last month, another expedition was launched to retrace the steps of Sir Walter Raleigh.

‘At first glance, the Waini’s waters appeared dark and beckoning, its shimmering surface glistening in the afternoon sunlight only to be disturbed by the intrusion of the boats as they cut across the placid façade’

Sir Walter set off on an expedition to Guyana in 1595, and sailed up the Orinoco River looking for El Dorado, the legendary City of Gold. And though he did manage to find a good deal of gold in his travels, he never did find the mythical golden city.
Centuries later, a team from the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) set out on their quest to retrace his steps, to discover for themselves the promise of this pristine place, and yet again, a team was deployed from the Ministry of Tourism to welcome the valiant voyagers to Guyana,  the ‘Land of Many Waters’.
Once again, the escapade began on February 5 at the Ogle Airport, the genesis of many an exciting and rewarding jaunts, and the culmination of many an expedition.
With the promise of new discoveries and virgin treks to tread, the team departed with high expectations and open minds to greet the foreign team slated to make their appearance at the mouth of the Waini River in Region One (Barima/Waini).
The one-hour airplane ride transported the welcome committee over marshlands and mud flats, and past nesting flamingoes ablaze with colour in the morning sunlight.
All too soon, the first leg of the journey came to an end and the aircraft careened to a halt at the Mabaruma airstrip, where the wired travellers were whisked away to the waiting accommodations at the Broomes Hotel.
With little more than an hour to recuperate, the team prepared to leave the comforts of the quaint lodgings for the open waterways of the mysterious Waini River, where they were to meet the BBC voyagers, who, like Raleigh, sailed across the Atlantic from Trinidad and Tobago to the coast of Guyana.
Equipped with the appropriate attire along with a vibrant attitude, the second one-hour journey began. This time around, two speedboats were deployed to transport the team to the waiting convoy.
At first glance, the Waini’s waters appeared dark and beckoning, its shimmering surface glistening in the afternoon sunlight only to be disturbed by the intrusion of the boats as they cut across the placid façade.
And thus began the watery ride up to the Waini delta, with the attentive party on board, past isolated villages nestled between the marshes along the banks of the river where little children could be seen wading in the shallows as the elusive Scarlet Ibis stood nearby.
Of course, there would be no new discoveries if bold adventurers did not wander off the beaten path from time to time, and this is exactly what the travellers did, as they were somewhat early in arriving at the waiting point to welcome their British visitors.
The adept navigators of the boats, rather than have their charges wait in the open waters at the mercy of the noonday sun, steered the curious visitors into what appeared to be bushes alongside the river.
And just as they were about to panic, the bushes parted, and a clearing appeared, much to the relief of the touring party, revealing a well-worn path lined with cascading coconut trees. The expedition had just begun.
One by one, the party disembarked onto the strange land, which formed part of the famous Shell Beach, a renowned nesting ground for turtles, and each ventured out on their own to survey the scene.
During the lengthy wait, the party drank their fill of the delightfully young  coconuts offered by the guides, relishing the taste of the nectar-like juices that emanated from the mysterious shell casings to quench the thirst and titillate the taste buds.
Looking upward to drain the last of the sweet water, the spotless blue sky above opened, and for the tiniest of seconds, all seemed right with the world. 
With barely seconds to bask in the sweetness of the proffered fruit, a dancing crab caught the eyes of the enthused explorers, all too eager to envelope every sight, sound, and smell of this foreign land.
Excitement and energy permeated the air as the wanderers, oblivious to the passge of time, followed the awkward crustacean which led them a merry dance through the undergrowth and sandy mounds, never failing to entertain with its mincing gait.
As the time drew closer to finally completing the mission, the now satiated group boarded the waiting vessels to greet the foreign explorers on their own unique mission.
Even as silence settled on the passengers, it was clear — as centuries before when Raleigh ventured to discover the unknown in this foreign land, far from home – that the uniqueness of the experiences themselves were, in a way, discoveries in their own right.