I sit rain-soaked and smiling in the boat as the sunset in Guyana collides with a rainbow over the water. The storm passes and a red-tailed hawk circles above as an anhinga dries its wings on a nearby tree. Herons, egrets, and black caimans call this pond their playground, as do the small silver fish that jump on the giant lily pad like a trampoline, occasionally landing in my lap.
The birds’ calls keep me company as I wait for the Victoria Amazonica water lily to open. The cooler night air forces the petals of the world’s largest water lily to bloom. I watch, impatiently at first, and then become transfixed by such a rare sight. The creamy, white petals open before my eyes as night falls. The sweet fragrance attracts pollinating beetles, which are trapped inside the female plant’s petals. During the pollination cycle, the petals turn from cream to pink, showing off for a brief two-day period before the flower closes, dies, and sinks below the surface.
