Photography by Eoin Carey
Words by Tamsin Cunningham
Setting out on an exploration can be a daunting prospect. Our minds naturally gravitate towards the challenges to be overcome, the obstacles that may have to be navigated, the limits that might contain us or the boundaries that we hope to surpass.
These thresholds are important and it is important to think about them. The acts of facing fear and the unknown are a powerful part of exploration’s ability to transform us.
But just as powerful are joy and delight.
Something magical happens when we allow ourselves to step into wonder and beauty. It is as if that joy and delight neutralises our preconceptions, and like water to a sponge, we soften into absorbing so much more.
The photos in this visual essay were taken from the very start of our journey through the rainforest to Tayos. We were ready for a long, gruelling hike uphill through the heat. But from the very beginning at the edge of the river, the butterflies appeared, arresting worries, drawing out fascination. And our guides, who already clearly understood the power of joy, started our hike not with a headlong rush into the arduous climb to our destination but with the invitation to swim in the cool, delicious waters of the river. They fuelled us up with wonder and delight. They reminded us of all that is there to be enchanted by if only we follow the butterfly path.
With thanks to Oscar, Patricio, Alex, Jaime and Sapito.
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