Eldorado Isn't in the yellow pages

Eldorado Isn't in the yellow pages
Emily Gill
Cites:http://www.nytimes.com/2004/05/13/international/americas/13cuzco.html?ex=1399780800&en=cc7a460b720009af&ei=5007&partner=USERLAND and
http://www.nytimes.com/2001/05/06/arts/television-radio-a-conquest-whose-daring-matched-its-cruelty.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm

 This topic is not easy to reach about, most the sites are all in Spanish and I'm not planning on learning the language anytime soon. There are also so many legends about this mysterious place that its hard to find one that makes and sense. The articles I read from were newyorktimes.com, Alan Rider published in 2001 and PBS which was published in 2000 and will give you a lot more information about the brothers. Not the easiest read in the world but very insightful.
 This handsome looking devil to the right is Pizarro Gonzalo a well known explorer of Eldorado. Well him and his sidekick brother named Fransisco De Orellana. They sailed the Pacific Ocean in search for the city. They left a pretty bloody trail in search for it, no luck ever came to the brothers. Pizarro and Fransisco are most famous for being the fist to travel down the entire Amazon river in 1540. The article states that " the bothers went way over 700 miles down the river, desperate and hungry". They had almost 200 Spaniards and 4,000 Indians starve to death over the search for the Cinnamon city, as they liked to call it. A book was even published in 2004 called "The river of darkness" dedicated to them and their travels, which you can find on Amazon.com. Only 80 men came back live. Pizarro actually left Fransisco and 50 on the side of Coco river in search of food, the current was to strong to travel. This is where Fransisco died from starvation, him and all his men. Before his death, he had sent 4 men to send a message to Pizarro but the message was never sent. The 4 men had disappeared on the travel back, that was his last hope in reassue. This story is very sad and depressing, that didn't stop Pizarro to try to make another trip down the river. The preparation took years to get right, he wanted the perfect boat and the perfect men. Not long into the second travel men started to die off, including Pizarro. What can you expect from a boat made in 1500's, I mean it was probably made just out of wood. These men where well known for the risk they were willing to take in the hope of finding the city, they location from this point is still a mystery. This article helped me a lot to understand the length people were willing to take over the city of gold.What do you think about the brothers, were the grand conquistadors or just idiots with a passion for riches?

The myth

 Cites:http://www.nytimes.com/books/98/12/06/specials/naipaul-way.html

The myth
I found some great discussions about El Dorado, if you want more information the web links are up ahead, one was posted by newyorktimes on May 22,1994 by Brent Staples. I would look at the Geographicus.com one that one is really detailed. This topic reminds me of my dad, he almost became obsessed with this city, and got me interesting in keeping up with the news about it. The article I read was difficult so I put all of it in my own words so its easy to follow."East of the Eastern Ocean lie The shores of the Land of Fusang.If, after landing there, you travel East for 10,000 li You will come to another ocean, blue,Vast, huge, boundless", this was a poem written by a man in the 1500's who went missing in the tangled Jungle in search for the city of gold. All that was found was this poem, in his notebook.There are many myths about the lost city of gold, Where it is? what went on there? and how did it disappear? I want to focus on all of that, I promise it wont be a boring blog. The most popular name this city has been given is Eldorado but it also goes by the white city. Many people believe in this hidden city somewhere in South America, full of wealth,riches and a unimaginable amount of gold. The tempting lure of this uncountable gold sent many explores of into the lush rain Forrest, where many never came back. In the 16th century the Europeans heard about the golden city from the locals. In this time it was very common for Spanish and English men to seek out the city in hope of unlimited amount of riches. The original legend came from the people in modern day Columbia known as Chibcha. It began here because a ceremony was held here, by which the Chibcha people would cover there chief in gold dust and swim a lake filled with gold flakes. Then at the end of the 1400s these people were defeated by the Spanish and there practices ended but the stories lived on. The Spanish believed that some of the Chibcha people escaped and hide in a forbidden land of gold. The Spanish desperately searched for this city, and after five long expeditions came up with nothing.In 1540, the Governor of northern Ecuador heard of this hidden city he sent 340 soldiers and over 4,00 Indians out into the vast forest. Sadly all soldiers and Indians died from starvation, disease, and attacks from natives in the jungles. An Explorer named Juan Martinez, who went in the deepest parts of the jungle, were their gun power exploded. Juan's men blamed him and left, later Juan claims that alone in the Forrest and group of Indians blindfolded him and brought him the the lost city of gold. His story goes that the natives gave him golden gifts but on the way back were stolen from him. However, the Spanish never found the city they did find a lake named Guatavita, when they drained the lake they found thousands of pieces of gold at the bottom.The Incas made the legend live on by creating golden temples and even gardens of pure gold, they were taken over by Spanish conquerors. So the question is what happened to the city and its people? Leave me a comment and let me know what you think.