An El Dorado poster

It is time for Guyana to reclaim El Dorado.

El Dorado can become a gold mine for our tourism industry if we market it properly. El Dorado is among the world’s top ancient lost cities and has been claimed by various countries, including Colombia, Venezuela, Brazil, Peru and Mexico and it’s about time that Guyana reclaim this legendary city.

Sir Walter Raleigh in his book The Discovery of Guiana (1595) wrote, “The Discovery of the large, rich, and beautiful Empire of Guiana; with a Relation of the great and golden City of Manoa, which the Spaniards call El Dorado, and the Provinces of Emeria, Aromaia, Amapaia, and other Countries, with their rivers, adjoining.”

If Venezuela is to make the claim that Sir Raleigh is really talking about a part of Venezuela then they should give up all official claims to the Essequibo region and give up that part of Venezuela that Sir Raleigh mentioned.

Guyanese historians are very quick to point out that El Dorado lies somewhere along the Cuyuni River, others points towards the Rupununi. Obviously no one is certain to the location of El Dorado that is why it is such a great mystery. It is a popular mystery because of the gold it promises.

El Dorado is sometimes referred to as The City of Gold, but the legend states El Dorado is the title of the king that translate into “The Gilded One”, the city or country that El Dorado lived in have a variety of names depending upon the local legend.

Guyana has a lot to offer in the area of unexplored lands. While the more developed South American nations have been explored vastly due to their history of ancient civilizations through expeditions and satellite imaging, Guyana still holds her natural allure of exotic mysteries and unexplored beauties.

Our share of Mount Roraima still holds on to many of its mysteries because it is difficult to climb and requires authorization to enter certain areas, this is mainly why the range is explored from the Venezuelan side and leaving the Guyanese side unexplored. Is this where the key to El Dorado lies? Interestingly to note Mount Roraima is credited as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle inspiration for his book, The Lost World (1912). It is also the world’s highest tabletop mountain.

I am a strong believer in global recurrence and El Dorado has been a gold mine for Guyana centuries ago. The city of gold drew early explorers to our shores, although they did not find their golden city they stayed because of our beauty and access to other wealth. Can we lure them in with the legend and get them to return for our other natural beauties and hospitalities?

If none of this works out we can always lobby Angelina Jolie or Madonna to adopt a Guyanese baby and put us “on the map”.

Asif Mohamed

Guyana not only famous for Jim Jones

Is it time for me to retire my “ Guyana not only famous for Jim Jones” t-shirt? Abdul Kadir and gang have caused a media frenzy not seen about Guyana since the days of the infamous Jim Jones.

Sure we grab the media with cases like Richard James and Robert Mallay who are accused of killing four persons, two in Guyana and two in NY, and collecting the insurance money.

Another headline grabber was Harry Rupnarine, the New York cop who shot his fiancée in her face at close range and killed her on Atlantic Avenue , NYC. They are both Guyanese immigrants.

Of course we cannot forget Roger Khan and the international fiasco that followed his arrest in Trinidad .

All of these cases are nothing in comparison with the JFK terror plot. I have seen coverage by the local papers, the USA papers, Canada and British (The ABC countries) and the Caribbean , but this coverage is far beyond the regular coverage we are used to on stories pertaining to Guyana . For example Google News gives a result of 278 newspapers that cover the FBI trip to Guyana , 90 stories on commentaries by the Guyanese community, 93 stories about family and friends calling the suspects innocent.

In a country like Guyana that is working very hard to build its tourism reputation, this story can hurt us greatly or help us mildly. Sacha Baron Cohen “Borat” did help Kazakhstan tourism, but his story was fictional and did not involve “terrorists”.

I hope more people would join me in wearing my new “Guyana not only famous for Abdul Kadir” t-shirt, so we can explain the natural wonders of Guyana, including the magnificent Kaieteur Falls, eco-tourism hot spots and the hospitality of the Guyanese people.
Asif Mohamed