The Search for El Dorado*

                                            If You Ruled the World

If I ruled the world, every day would be the first day of spring...

But, if YOU were to rule the world, where would you choose to rule it from? What kind of place would it be? What kind of characteristics would you look for? Well, let’s see...

You might pick a mountain top because that would give you a sense of power when you look down on your lands and peoples below. Also the people in the lands below would naturally look up to you and feel inferior themselves. Everybody knows their place right?
OK, so far so good.

You might also choose a palace with a beautiful view. After all, it is no good being the ruler of the world, if you don’t have a special place to live in, now is there? So an opulent palace is in order, the best there is. Built with fine attention to detail, made from only the finest rocks, carved by the best craftsmen and planned according to the best design. More importantly, if you are ruler of the world, you don’t need to pay attention to that mere triviality that humans use, money. OK, so money no object then.

Also, all deities like water don’t they? So we need some water. It needs to be impressive; it needs to have a bit of fire to it, an impressive river with a dangerous edge.

We also need some mystique, some sense of awe, something inspiring don’t we? Yes, I think we do. After all, you want to command respect and awe don’t you? You don’t want mere mortals sussing you out, do you now? You want respect and attention. So we need an awe- inspiring place, somewhat isolated, away from the crowds. This place needs to be difficult to get to, difficult to see, not even many people know about it. They may have heard about it, but they do not know about it. And they may know about it, but that doesn’t mean they know where it is, or even how to get there, or how unique and special it really is.

Ok, so far so good, but every ruler needs a central spot to govern from don’t they?

Yes, every deity needs a throne. Gods need a place to rule and to be ruled over. This must be something special, carved out of mountain, on top of a mountain, with a sheer fall below. It needs to inspire awe and dread. The throne also needs to be unique; it must give the impression of ruling the world, as indeed, it does. You must be able to touch the clouds, and you can. Here you can command, and that is what gods are meant to do....

Any place that rules the world also has to be in touch with the other planets in the universe doesn’t it? If the sun, for example, paid its respects that would be good, right? If there was mutual respect, that would be even better, wouldn’t it? So the chosen place needs mutual inter-planetary respect. Now that is challenging!

There is another condition that humans like to have when they go and visit their chosen one. They like to suffer. They like to suffer because that shows they are serious about their chosen one, so that their chosen one will forgive them their sins. You only get your sins forgiven, if you really suffer on the way to this place. No private landing strips or helicopter landing pads then I guess. Every person of whatever class or condition is reduced to the same state to visit this place. When you visit your God, that is how it should be right?

We also need a long history. But to maintain the awe and mystique, this needs to be covered in myth, part speculation and part fact. The fact needs to interesting enough to provoke the speculation, and vice versa.

If there was a place that combined all the above criteria, would people feel a calling, a kind of religious calling that attracts the pilgrims to Mecca or Jerusalem? First, they would need to be convinced that such a place existed, and then they would surely go.

So where on earth is this place? Can such a weird and wonderful place really exist? There is only one place in the world which has all of the above, unique and wonderful features, because there is only one God, right? So there can only be one, unique, inspiring place like this.

This place was kept secret for hundreds of years, but now the secret is out. It is called Machu Picchu in Peru.

And yes, it does have all the above.

Machu Picchu is situated 80 kilometers northwest of Cusco, perched on the crest of the mountain Machu Picchu, about 2,450 meters above sea level. The city itself lies in a saddle between two mountains, and has a stunning view down two valleys. It lies above the Urubamba Valley, with the wild Urubamba River below. From the cliff top of Huayna Piccu there is a sheer fall of more than 600 metres to the river.

Image from www.tripadvisor.com

The urban sector of Machu Picchu was divided into three great districts: the Sacred District, the Popular District to the south, and the District of the Priests and the Nobility. The central buildings of the city use the classic Inca architectural style of polished dry-stone walls using the ashlar technique, whereby blocks of stone are cut to fit together without the need for mortar.

Image from www.gotoperu.org

At the top of this cliff top of Huayna Piccu is a solid stone, carved out of the rock, where only one person can sit at a time. This is the ‘throne’ with which you can rule the world. The clouds kiss your cheeks, and dangle just above your head, as you sit here and contemplate life as the ruler of the world. You are the arbiter of life and death for a few minutes, and you can see most of the world from this unique vantage point. The moment is awe-inspiring.

Located in the sacred district of the city are the Intihuatana, the Temple of the Sun and the Room of the Three Windows. These were dedicated to Inti, the Inca sun god and greatest deity. The Intihuatana stone was arranged to point directly at the sun during the winter solstice. Also at midday on March 21 and September 21, the equinoxes, the sun stands directly above the pillar—casting no shadow at all. It is believed that it was built as an astronomic clock or calendar.

Image from www.sacredsites.com

These days many thousands of tourist walk the Inca Trail to visit Machu Picchu each year, which consists of a three to four-day journey on foot through the harsh terrain of the Andes to the isolated city. They suffer as pilgrims do to reach this sacred destination, and are rewarded by the prize of seeing the sun rise over Machu Picchu at first light.

The city of Machu Picchu-El Dorado- is calling you…to help rule the world….

Image from www.flickr.com

*This is the fourth and final article in the series on The Search for El Dorado

The Search for El Dorado*

                  The Pilgrimage to El Dorado-Macchu Piccu

Every year many men and women set out on the pilgrimage to El Dorado, the Inca Trail to the city of Macchu Piccu in Peru.

This pilgrimage is not set to celebrate some religion, but a secular pilgrimage to celebrate the pursuit of happiness, and the lost city of Macchu Piccu, the legendary El Dorado, the lost city of gold.

The Inca Trail is no walk in the park. Like any pilgrimage, pain and suffering are the order of the day. Altitude sickness can be a factor, it can affect people in different ways, and even the strongest can be brought to their knees.

The weather is not always kind. High in the Andes, where four seasons of weather can occur in one day, it can often making eccentric English weather look timid. It can be much colder than you might expect, and much hotter than you might imagine. Tiredness can also be a factor, and although the trail might explain your physical frailties, it may also expose your mental deficiencies.

The scenery is surprising, different and stunning. Sometimes it will look like any mountain or field, and then you will find yourself in scenery out of the Hobbit. Green lakes and purple skies, white eerie mists and genteel winds that dig into your bones.

The legend of Eldorado-the search for a lost mythical city of gold-has fascinated humans since the time of the Spanish conquistadores. Many tried but never found the magical city. Edgar Allan Poe sums up the frustration of those searching for the lost city in his delightful poem about El Dorado.

The Search for El Dorado

by Edgar Allan Poe

Gaily bedight,
A gallant knight,
In sunshine and in shadow,
Had journeyed long,
Singing a song,
In search of Eldorado.

But he grew old-
This knight so bold-
And o'er his heart a shadow
Fell as he found
No spot of ground
That looked like Eldorado.

And, as his strength
Failed him at length,
He met a pilgrim shadow-
"Shadow," said he,
"Where can it be-
This land of Eldorado?"

"Over the Mountains
Of the Moon,
Down the Valley of the Shadow,
Ride, boldly ride,"
The shade replied-
"If you seek for Eldorado!"

It is not known how much Poe knew about El Dorado, but he gave some instructive clues in his poem as to its whereabouts.

Towards the end of the pilgrimage, you should aim to arrive before dawn at the entrance to Macchu Picchu, the Gate of the Sun. When you arrive at the Gate of the Sun, the entrance to Eldorado, the lost city of the Incas, and you will see it, if you are patient, when the sun rises covering it in gold. The gold of the sun’s rays, those fleeting, golden arrows that spread happiness and warmth wherever they shine their light.

The mineral gold, the metal, have long since been found and carried away. Or has it? Macchu Picchu took so long to be discovered and hid so many secrets, I would not be surprised if it held a few golden secrets yet.

So here you will discover the temple of the Incas, the lost city that the Incas so successfully hid from the Spanish.

This is the moment of Gold, pure gold. Eldorado is found.

Image from www.flickr.com

*This is the third article in the series on The Search for Eldorado

The Search for El Dorado*

                                    The World’s longest held secret

How long can you keep a secret for? An hour, a week, a month, maybe a year.....before that gnawing desire to tell someone finally gets the better of you.

I am going to tell you about the secret that was kept for hundreds of years by hundreds, even thousands of people, but they never let on and told outsiders their secret. But when the secret finally came out, it was compounded by an awful betrayal.

A city was built in 1462 by the Inca civilization in Peru at the height of its powers. Allegedly it was constructed for the Inca Emperor, Pashacuti, although there are also other theories. The site chosen was already a sacred place and the Incas left no stone unturned, literally, in making this a magical, unique place.

They built the city in the classical Inca style from grey granite, with polished dry-stone walls, using no mortar. The result is a masterpiece of engineering and design, with the highest standards of craftsmanship, in a place of almost impossible access. The city became the secret. Its very existence fell into doubt, despite its importance to the people of the surrounding area.

Positioned at 8,000 feet above sea level, and on a mountain ridge above the Urubamba valley, it is only 80 kilometres northwest of Cuzco. The city thrived for about a hundred years until it was abandoned. Various theories exist for its abandonment ranging from disease to fear of the Spanish discovering it. When the Spanish conquistadores arrived in Peru, they conquered most of the country, but despite setting up their capital in Cuzco, they never found this city, despite looking for it ceaselessly.

The Spanish arrived with a crazed craving for all things golden, and didn’t mind what they plundered to achieve their objectives. The Peruvians saw what the Spanish were doing to their country, and decided not to tell them anything about this city in the mountains. A wall of silence built up around the city, and the secret held. When survival is at stake, nothing else matters. Consequently the city became overgrown, and developed its own disguise, with the help of Mother Nature. Limited access and the difficult terrain helped to preserve the secret.

At the turn of the twentieth century, another type of foreigner came to Peru searching for and researching its secrets. These were the sole explorers or archaeologists. They came supposedly not to conquer, or plunder, but to discover facts and delight in new discoveries. Some of these suspected that there was more to be discovered beneath the surface, but still the secret held.

Eventually an American archaeologist, called Hiram Bingham, from Yale University started his various expeditions to the area. His regular appearances and supposedly scholarly intentions with impeccable credentials seemed to confirm his trustworthiness.  

Bingham started to dig below the surface and built up confidence with the locals. But when the secret was revealed, it was revealed by an eleven year boy who led Bingham to the most sacred site of the Incas, Machu Piccu. The secret that had held for four hundred years was out.

But, like many secrets that come out, it was followed by an awful betrayal. Despite being rightly hailed as being the discoverer of Machu Piccu, and showing its importance to the world, Bingham excavated and discovered priceless objects of the Incas, which he transported to Yale University for further study. The betrayal came when Yale University claimed title to the artefacts.

The process had been overseen by the National Geographic Society who had been witness to the fact that the artefacts had only been ‘loaned’ to the University. Infact, the ‘loan’ has lasted a hundred years, almost the same time as the city’s original life, although in 2007 Yale and the Government of Peru announced that they had come to an agreement on the permanent return of  most of the items. They thus provided a fitting end to the tale of the world’s longest held secret of the city of Machu Piccu. 

                                                               Image from www.tripadvisor.co.uk

*This is the second article in the series of The Search for El Dorado.

The Loch Ness Monster is back!

Just when we thought she had gone away, Nessie is back. Yes, the Loch Ness Monster has been spotted on Google Earth. There she is in all her splendour going for an afternoon swim, as one does in the summer, and she has had her privacy invaded. She has probably had her phone hacked, just to get this picture. You can not go anywhere these days without somebody creeping up beside you and taking a photograph.

Some people have said that this is just a picture of a boat. Yeah, right! If boats travel under the water in Scotland, you won't find me travelling on one!

                                               Image from www.searchengineland.com

I have dug this poem out of the archives to remind us about dear old Nessie.

                                                           Image from www.library.thinkguest.org

                          Nessie's Poem 

 
In Scotland's ragged mountains in high Inverness,
Lies the quiet tranquility of lovely Loch Ness,
It's most famous resident is a lady monster called Nessie,
Her story is so cute, but frankly just a little messy!!

Strong rumours abound that Nessie doesn't even exist,

Despite all the evidence, the rumours persist,
But she's appeared in photos, and even on the telly,
But some still have doubts about our dear Nessie.

It appears she's really quite a beautiful creature,

With many a refined and delicate feature,
Covered from head to toe in slime-coloured green,
She's really the strangest animal that's never been seen!

Nessie has a very long neck and enormous tail,

And with such a small head, actually looks quite frail,
But she has deep brown, wild and elusive eyes,
That completes her weird and elaborate disguise.

Nothing impedes Nessie, the weed or the rock.

As she dives to the deepest depths of the loch,
She moves through the water with such unerring ease,
She's the queen of the water if you please!

Nessie first got noticed when she reared out of the water,

And shocked the wits out of the local doctor's daughter!
But really she's not usually so frightening,
Except when there is a little thunder or lightening.

Every year the tourists come and they gaze

Through the loch’s dim waters’ haze,
But Nessie lives in the depths of the loch,
And if she really appeared she would give everyone a shock!

The scientists have said she's just not for real,

They've called her an otter, or even a seal,
And I don't know how they possibly could
But they've even called her a log of wood!!!

Many a clear photograph, however, has been taken,

And her clear, bright features can hardly be mistaken,
She can sometimes be seen plunging or diving,
I can assure you it's true that she's really thriving!

But Nessie doesn't like to be in the public eye,

She's really quite retiring, bashful and shy,
And by disappearing with such regular persistence,
She continues to cast doubt on her very existence!!

Although Nessie's life is steeped in deep mystery,

Her place is assured in Scotland's history,
But quite frankly, Nessie is a bit of a lady bounder,
And without a sense of humour we'd never have not found her!!!

The Search for El Dorado*

                      The Longest Wild Goose Chase in History

Europeans first heard of a magical, hidden city full of gold from the natives when they conquered the countries in South America in the sixteenth century. The search for this magical place was to fire the flames of imagination of some of the greatest explorers for the next few centuries.

The Spanish ordered at least five major expeditions to find the magical lost city, but each was to prove fruitless. One expedition was to lead to one of the greatest journeys ever carried out-the first complete journey from the source to the mouth of the mighty Amazon River.

In 1541 Gonzalo Pizarro together with his nephew Francisco de Orellana gathered about 350 soldiers and 4000 Indians, and set out to look for the elusive city. After attacks from hostile natives, hunger, disease, and desertions Pizarro quit, but ordered Orellana to continue his journey. Orellana continued and ended up following the course of the Amazon River until he eventually made it to the Atlantic Ocean.

The Incas were an advanced and sophisticated people who the Spanish had conquered in Peru. But they were also a highly intelligent people, who did their best to outwit the Spanish to protect their people and culture. Their magical, golden city did exist, but the Incas did what you or I would do to protect it. They subtly lured the Spanish in completely the opposite direction!! They planted exhausted natives delivering false messages to the Inca King, but who surprisingly ended up in the hands of the Spanish!

Orellana must have realized that he had been duped. If he did not, he seems to have survived the journey at the expense of his sanity. On returning to Spain he told fantastic tales of being attacked by giant women warriors called Amazons (wishful thinking is a wonderful thing!), encountering amazing walled cities, and organized farms. His exotic and fantastical tales further fuelled the flames of the legend of El Dorado. It was only many years later that we discovered that the women of the Amazon are surprisingly short, and there are no walled cities or organized farms in the Amazon, even today.

Image from www.en.wikipedia.org

Sir Walter Raleigh, one of Queen Elizabeth I’s favourite explorers, on her death found himself in the Tower of London, charged with treason in 1603. But Raleigh had a fantastic imagination and he eventually persuaded the new King James I that he knew where the legendary city was located, and would bring him back untold riches. The lure of the gold was too much for the new King who decided to give Raleigh a second chance.

So in 1618 Raleigh set out for the Americas. Raleigh encountered hostile Spaniards, hostile natives and hostile monsters from a tribe of headless, club-wielding warriors with eyes and mouths on their torsos. Raleigh had clearly lost his head, and when he returned to England empty-handed, King James ensured that he did. 

The secret of the whereabouts of this lost, magical and golden city would hold for a few hundred years yet.

 *The first in a four part series on The Search for El Dorado.