1 00:00:02,202 --> 00:00:04,403 Welcome to El Dorado. 2 00:00:04,571 --> 00:00:06,950 [Josh Gates] Oh, my God. 3 00:00:06,974 --> 00:00:10,587 [man] The Spanish came here because they believed that it was full of gold. 4 00:00:10,611 --> 00:00:13,023 [Josh] Right. They didn't find this El Dorado in the south... [man] No. 5 00:00:13,047 --> 00:00:14,580 ...so they believed to come up here. 6 00:00:16,750 --> 00:00:19,796 - How many burials have you found here? - 120. 7 00:00:19,820 --> 00:00:21,353 [Josh whispers] Look at that. 8 00:00:21,988 --> 00:00:23,288 We got a cave. Look at this! 9 00:00:23,890 --> 00:00:26,025 [dramatic music playing] 10 00:00:29,095 --> 00:00:30,941 [thunder crashing] 11 00:00:30,965 --> 00:00:33,932 It's just gonna get way, way worse. 12 00:00:35,168 --> 00:00:37,369 [dramatic music playing] 13 00:00:40,106 --> 00:00:42,341 Holy [bleep]. This is madness. 14 00:00:44,344 --> 00:00:45,544 Almost there! 15 00:00:46,246 --> 00:00:47,579 - [screams] - Hey! 16 00:00:48,314 --> 00:00:50,416 [dramatic music playing] 17 00:00:53,219 --> 00:00:54,364 Look at this! 18 00:00:54,388 --> 00:00:55,954 This is the lost city. 19 00:00:56,756 --> 00:00:58,001 What is that? 20 00:00:58,025 --> 00:00:59,236 - It's gold. - Yeah. 21 00:00:59,260 --> 00:01:00,303 [exclaims] 22 00:01:00,327 --> 00:01:02,227 That is amazing! 23 00:01:06,132 --> 00:01:08,233 [dramatic music playing] 24 00:01:12,138 --> 00:01:13,450 El Dorado... 25 00:01:13,474 --> 00:01:17,354 It is a legend both dazzling and deadly. 26 00:01:17,378 --> 00:01:20,257 For centuries, thousands of Spanish conquistadors 27 00:01:20,281 --> 00:01:22,859 vanished into the jungles of South America 28 00:01:22,883 --> 00:01:26,730 in pursuit of a secret city made of gold, 29 00:01:26,754 --> 00:01:30,322 laying waste to entire indigenous civilizations. 30 00:01:31,091 --> 00:01:34,171 But what actually inspired the legend? 31 00:01:34,195 --> 00:01:37,941 Were there really golden treasures and hidden cities? 32 00:01:37,965 --> 00:01:39,776 And if so, is there more out there 33 00:01:39,800 --> 00:01:42,546 waiting to be found? 34 00:01:42,570 --> 00:01:46,550 The country of Colombia is ground zero for the El Dorado myth. 35 00:01:46,574 --> 00:01:48,718 And now, modern explorers there 36 00:01:48,742 --> 00:01:51,443 are making incredible new discoveries. 37 00:01:53,913 --> 00:01:57,694 One archaeologist is mounting a search for a forgotten cave 38 00:01:57,718 --> 00:02:01,898 where Colombia's greatest golden prize was found. 39 00:02:01,922 --> 00:02:06,002 Another team is excavating the tombs of a powerful civilization 40 00:02:06,026 --> 00:02:09,706 near Colombia's mysterious Stonehenge. 41 00:02:09,730 --> 00:02:12,809 Meanwhile, deep in the untamed rainforest 42 00:02:12,833 --> 00:02:16,580 cutting edge technology has revealed a massive network 43 00:02:16,604 --> 00:02:19,983 of lost structures that have never been explored. 44 00:02:20,007 --> 00:02:21,318 Can they be reached? 45 00:02:21,342 --> 00:02:23,942 And what secrets will they reveal? 46 00:02:24,177 --> 00:02:26,223 [dramatic music playing] 47 00:02:26,247 --> 00:02:29,025 To untangle the myth of El Dorado, 48 00:02:29,049 --> 00:02:31,261 I'm embarking on my own quest 49 00:02:31,285 --> 00:02:33,396 for both truth and treasure. 50 00:02:33,420 --> 00:02:36,366 Where the chances for discovery and danger 51 00:02:36,390 --> 00:02:38,190 are as good as gold. 52 00:02:40,960 --> 00:02:42,272 My name is Josh Gates. 53 00:02:42,296 --> 00:02:43,840 Hello! 54 00:02:43,864 --> 00:02:46,576 Explorer, adventurer... 55 00:02:46,600 --> 00:02:47,911 This is sick. 56 00:02:47,935 --> 00:02:49,279 Help! 57 00:02:49,303 --> 00:02:51,314 ...and a guy who ends up in some very strange situations. 58 00:02:51,338 --> 00:02:52,516 Oh! [bleep] 59 00:02:52,540 --> 00:02:54,351 Woo! That was exciting. 60 00:02:54,375 --> 00:02:57,154 With a degree in archaeology and a passion for the unexplained... 61 00:02:57,178 --> 00:02:58,121 [exclaims] 62 00:02:58,145 --> 00:03:00,190 ...I travel to the ends of the earth, 63 00:03:00,214 --> 00:03:03,026 investigating the greatest legends in history. 64 00:03:03,050 --> 00:03:04,294 Okay, let's punch it. 65 00:03:04,318 --> 00:03:07,152 This is Expedition Unknown. 66 00:03:09,055 --> 00:03:11,223 [latin american music playing] 67 00:03:13,259 --> 00:03:15,038 Wheels down, Bogota. 68 00:03:15,062 --> 00:03:18,642 Colombia's colorful, chaotic capital. 69 00:03:18,666 --> 00:03:22,245 The city is perched nearly 9,000 feet above sea level 70 00:03:22,269 --> 00:03:25,337 with views that will literally take your breath away. 71 00:03:26,306 --> 00:03:27,951 Oh. 72 00:03:27,975 --> 00:03:29,352 Thank you. Gryffindor. 73 00:03:29,376 --> 00:03:31,210 [both laugh] 74 00:03:31,778 --> 00:03:34,079 [upbeat music playing] 75 00:03:36,316 --> 00:03:38,228 Before I trek into the depths of the jungle 76 00:03:38,252 --> 00:03:40,030 in search of El Dorado, 77 00:03:40,054 --> 00:03:42,221 I stop for one last indulgence. 78 00:03:42,989 --> 00:03:44,768 Gracias. 79 00:03:44,792 --> 00:03:46,703 This is Chocolate Santafereno. 80 00:03:46,727 --> 00:03:49,339 Which is hot chocolate and cheese. 81 00:03:49,363 --> 00:03:52,097 A classic Colombian comfort food I'm told. 82 00:03:57,437 --> 00:03:58,648 Yep, it's great. 83 00:03:58,672 --> 00:04:00,016 It's official. 84 00:04:00,040 --> 00:04:02,352 Two things I would never combine in my life 85 00:04:02,376 --> 00:04:04,409 I should have been putting together this whole time. 86 00:04:05,345 --> 00:04:05,989 Amazing. 87 00:04:06,013 --> 00:04:08,258 Delicious. 88 00:04:08,282 --> 00:04:10,594 [Josh] When you tell people you're traveling to Colombia, 89 00:04:10,618 --> 00:04:12,128 everybody asks the same question. 90 00:04:12,152 --> 00:04:13,897 Is it safe? 91 00:04:13,921 --> 00:04:16,666 And, hey, fair enough. After all for decades 92 00:04:16,690 --> 00:04:19,002 this country was caught in the crosshairs 93 00:04:19,026 --> 00:04:20,837 between rightwing paramilitary groups, 94 00:04:20,861 --> 00:04:22,105 leftwing guerillas, 95 00:04:22,129 --> 00:04:25,108 and some seriously well-armed drug cartels. 96 00:04:25,132 --> 00:04:27,366 But then, things got better. 97 00:04:30,069 --> 00:04:32,215 In 2016, an historic agreement 98 00:04:32,239 --> 00:04:34,384 between the government and the insurgent rebels 99 00:04:34,408 --> 00:04:35,752 led to a cease fire 100 00:04:35,776 --> 00:04:37,976 and a Nobel Peace Prize. 101 00:04:39,746 --> 00:04:42,125 And, hey, kidnappings are down by 92% 102 00:04:42,149 --> 00:04:45,083 so, you know, that's good. 103 00:04:45,818 --> 00:04:48,086 [suspenseful music playing] 104 00:04:50,790 --> 00:04:54,170 The country has quickly become a hotspot for adventure travelers 105 00:04:54,194 --> 00:04:57,240 and I'm one of them, here to begin my quest for the truth 106 00:04:57,264 --> 00:05:00,010 behind the legendary city of gold. 107 00:05:00,034 --> 00:05:03,079 Okay, so to understand the myth of El Dorado 108 00:05:03,103 --> 00:05:05,782 we have got to talk about the founder of Bogota, 109 00:05:05,806 --> 00:05:09,052 Spanish conquistador Gonzalo Jimenez de Quesada, 110 00:05:09,076 --> 00:05:11,376 whose statue is right behind me. 111 00:05:14,013 --> 00:05:16,948 Right. Uh... [chuckles nervously] About that... 112 00:05:18,318 --> 00:05:21,331 Okay, so we happened to have touched down at a slightly, 113 00:05:21,355 --> 00:05:23,588 what's the word? Dynamic time. 114 00:05:24,891 --> 00:05:26,525 [statue thudding] 115 00:05:27,193 --> 00:05:29,027 [police blows whistle] 116 00:05:31,297 --> 00:05:32,664 Ola. 117 00:05:32,865 --> 00:05:36,335 A few weeks ago, demonstrations erupted across Colombia. 118 00:05:37,103 --> 00:05:38,970 [shouting in Spanish] 119 00:05:39,605 --> 00:05:42,107 [crowd chanting] 120 00:05:47,947 --> 00:05:50,293 These protests were originally about taxes 121 00:05:50,317 --> 00:05:52,829 but they have taken on a life of their own. 122 00:05:52,853 --> 00:05:55,065 It's like Occupy Wall Street. 123 00:05:55,089 --> 00:05:57,801 People are rising up against corruption, 124 00:05:57,825 --> 00:05:59,302 calling for peace, 125 00:05:59,326 --> 00:06:02,038 and generally fighting economic disparity 126 00:06:02,062 --> 00:06:04,507 here in Colombia. 127 00:06:04,531 --> 00:06:07,577 Many of the injustices that Colombians are fighting today 128 00:06:07,601 --> 00:06:09,112 started with the Spanish. 129 00:06:09,136 --> 00:06:12,916 Which is why protestors tore down that statue of de Quesada. 130 00:06:12,940 --> 00:06:14,718 And to see the bigger picture 131 00:06:14,742 --> 00:06:16,608 we've got to turn back the clock. 132 00:06:20,913 --> 00:06:23,727 Christopher Columbus. You remember him. 133 00:06:23,751 --> 00:06:26,663 After bumping into the Caribbean while searching for China, 134 00:06:26,687 --> 00:06:29,833 he returned to Spain with reports of a new world 135 00:06:29,857 --> 00:06:32,369 which ushered in the era of exploration. 136 00:06:32,393 --> 00:06:35,160 And more accurately, exploitation. 137 00:06:36,229 --> 00:06:38,397 Meet the conquistadors. 138 00:06:40,366 --> 00:06:41,711 Hernan Cortes. 139 00:06:41,735 --> 00:06:44,214 He arrives in Mexico in 1519. 140 00:06:44,238 --> 00:06:46,850 And through some very careful diplomacy 141 00:06:46,874 --> 00:06:49,141 lays waste to the Aztec empire. 142 00:06:50,209 --> 00:06:51,755 In 1526, 143 00:06:51,779 --> 00:06:53,723 this jack wad Francisco Pizarro 144 00:06:53,747 --> 00:06:56,159 decimates the Inca empire in Peru. 145 00:06:56,183 --> 00:06:58,795 Then there's de Soto who went looking for a route 146 00:06:58,819 --> 00:07:00,797 to China in the southern United States. 147 00:07:00,821 --> 00:07:02,665 Go figure. And Ponce de Leon 148 00:07:02,689 --> 00:07:04,734 who thought the fountain of youth was in Florida. 149 00:07:04,758 --> 00:07:06,836 All right, maybe he was only half wrong. 150 00:07:06,860 --> 00:07:09,038 And those are just a few of the Spaniards. 151 00:07:09,062 --> 00:07:11,541 Portuguese conquistadors called bandeirantes 152 00:07:11,565 --> 00:07:13,143 snatched up Brazil. 153 00:07:13,167 --> 00:07:17,180 And Old World invaders fan out across the continent like a virus, 154 00:07:17,204 --> 00:07:18,915 all in the name of their kings. 155 00:07:18,939 --> 00:07:19,883 Oh, and for God. 156 00:07:19,907 --> 00:07:22,886 They're also doing this for God. 157 00:07:22,910 --> 00:07:26,423 In the end, the conquistadors kill an estimated eight million. 158 00:07:26,447 --> 00:07:30,160 More than 80% of the indigenous population. 159 00:07:30,184 --> 00:07:31,594 And fueling their rampage 160 00:07:31,618 --> 00:07:35,799 are the vast quantities of gold and silver they discover. 161 00:07:35,823 --> 00:07:39,169 They melt it down to mint coins and decorate churches 162 00:07:39,193 --> 00:07:41,971 and shipped more than 180 tons of gold 163 00:07:41,995 --> 00:07:43,161 back to Spain. 164 00:07:43,196 --> 00:07:48,166 In today's prices that's worth about $450 billion. 165 00:07:49,202 --> 00:07:52,237 Which brings us back to our man in Bogota. 166 00:07:55,208 --> 00:07:57,220 De Quesada wanted in on the action. 167 00:07:57,244 --> 00:07:58,955 So in 1536, 168 00:07:58,979 --> 00:08:01,146 he mounted an expedition to Colombia. 169 00:08:02,315 --> 00:08:05,795 What he saw inspired a legend that would sow destruction 170 00:08:05,819 --> 00:08:08,865 and change the course of history, 171 00:08:08,889 --> 00:08:12,491 that somewhere there was a secret city entirely made of gold. 172 00:08:13,659 --> 00:08:15,260 El Dorado. 173 00:08:17,129 --> 00:08:19,108 This is the closest thing to El Dorado 174 00:08:19,132 --> 00:08:21,010 contained within four walls. 175 00:08:21,034 --> 00:08:23,301 The Museum of Gold in Bogota. 176 00:08:25,771 --> 00:08:28,985 Home to 55,000 glittering artifacts, 177 00:08:29,009 --> 00:08:31,955 the treasures the Spanish never found. 178 00:08:31,979 --> 00:08:33,389 And the crown jewel of the collection 179 00:08:33,413 --> 00:08:36,059 is a masterpiece of ancient metalwork. 180 00:08:36,083 --> 00:08:36,993 The golden raft. 181 00:08:37,017 --> 00:08:39,596 It depicts a mysterious ceremony 182 00:08:39,620 --> 00:08:43,488 that may be the key to unlocking the truth about El Dorado. 183 00:08:44,824 --> 00:08:48,037 To learn more, I need to meet the people who made it. 184 00:08:48,061 --> 00:08:49,261 The Muisca. 185 00:08:51,130 --> 00:08:53,243 I drive 50 miles from Bogota 186 00:08:53,267 --> 00:08:54,944 into the foothills of the Andes 187 00:08:54,968 --> 00:08:57,335 in a place called Sesquile. 188 00:08:58,237 --> 00:09:00,850 This are is sacred to the Muisca people. 189 00:09:00,874 --> 00:09:02,919 So I've recruited an old friend 190 00:09:02,943 --> 00:09:06,077 who's spent years earning the trust of their tribal leaders. 191 00:09:07,179 --> 00:09:08,825 - Ash! - Josh. 192 00:09:08,849 --> 00:09:10,860 - Oh, my man, how are you? - Good to see you. You good? 193 00:09:10,884 --> 00:09:12,195 - I'm good. How you doing? - Great. Thank you. 194 00:09:12,219 --> 00:09:13,530 Great to see you. 195 00:09:13,554 --> 00:09:15,465 What the hell is a Scotsman doing in the middle of Colombia? 196 00:09:15,489 --> 00:09:19,068 - Just like you searching for El Dorado, Josh. Really. - [laughing] 197 00:09:19,092 --> 00:09:22,872 [Josh] Last time I saw explorer and author Ashley Cowie, 198 00:09:22,896 --> 00:09:25,330 we were searching for gold in his native Scotland. 199 00:09:26,966 --> 00:09:28,211 Okay, so, El Dorado. 200 00:09:28,235 --> 00:09:29,312 You wanna see it? 201 00:09:29,336 --> 00:09:31,848 - Do I wanna see El Dorado? - See El Dorado. 202 00:09:31,872 --> 00:09:34,250 - Yes. Do you know where it is? - I can take you to show you El Dorado 203 00:09:34,274 --> 00:09:36,853 - but we'll introduce you to some people first. - Okay. 204 00:09:36,877 --> 00:09:38,054 If it's this easy, sure, come on. 205 00:09:38,078 --> 00:09:40,290 - Um, let's go. Lead on. - Let's go. 206 00:09:40,314 --> 00:09:42,959 - We're on foot, yeah? Oh, boy. - We're up here, Josh. 207 00:09:42,983 --> 00:09:45,417 Everything in Colombia is hills. 208 00:09:47,253 --> 00:09:49,899 After trudging up a steep jungle path 209 00:09:49,923 --> 00:09:52,090 we emerge into another world. 210 00:09:52,224 --> 00:09:53,458 Wow. 211 00:09:54,226 --> 00:09:55,427 Look at this place. 212 00:09:56,662 --> 00:09:58,229 Amazing. 213 00:10:00,199 --> 00:10:03,079 This is astounding. I feel like we've traveled back in time here. 214 00:10:03,103 --> 00:10:05,036 We truly have traveled back in time. 215 00:10:05,304 --> 00:10:06,783 [Josh] Is all of this Muisca? 216 00:10:06,807 --> 00:10:08,718 This is a Muisca community, Josh. 217 00:10:08,742 --> 00:10:10,253 They're called the Sesquile community. 218 00:10:10,277 --> 00:10:13,256 The basic religious beliefs of these people are what? 219 00:10:13,280 --> 00:10:16,159 Muiscas believe that a creator entity 220 00:10:16,183 --> 00:10:18,861 known as Chiminigagua created 221 00:10:18,885 --> 00:10:20,496 first the Sun and then the Moon. 222 00:10:20,520 --> 00:10:22,465 And they were married. 223 00:10:22,489 --> 00:10:25,902 Chiminigagua can't be worshipped directly. He was too holy. 224 00:10:25,926 --> 00:10:28,171 So the Muisca people worshipped him 225 00:10:28,195 --> 00:10:30,395 through the Sun and the Moon. 226 00:10:30,763 --> 00:10:32,197 I've seen a lot of gold. 227 00:10:33,633 --> 00:10:36,546 So this would have been offered up to these gods? 228 00:10:36,570 --> 00:10:40,049 The Museum of Gold in Bogota has 55,000 pieces. 229 00:10:40,073 --> 00:10:42,285 They reckon that represents about 5% 230 00:10:42,309 --> 00:10:45,054 of what the Muiscas gave to their gods. 231 00:10:45,078 --> 00:10:47,590 - So where are we going? - Yeah, we're going to the top of this hill. 232 00:10:47,614 --> 00:10:49,559 We're going to the temple of the Sun. 233 00:10:49,583 --> 00:10:51,761 Which is like the last place we have to go to get permission 234 00:10:51,785 --> 00:10:54,864 to enter the most sacred landscape in Colombia. 235 00:10:54,888 --> 00:10:57,200 If you think about it, it's like walking through the doorway 236 00:10:57,224 --> 00:10:59,168 to the El Dorado myth. 237 00:10:59,192 --> 00:11:00,625 Let's open the door. Come on. 238 00:11:03,529 --> 00:11:06,843 At the summit of the hill we find a large ceremonial structure. 239 00:11:06,867 --> 00:11:09,078 And a friend of Ashley's. 240 00:11:09,102 --> 00:11:11,447 This is Candil. He's the leader of the community here. 241 00:11:11,471 --> 00:11:12,882 [both in Spanish] 242 00:11:12,906 --> 00:11:14,117 [translator speaking] Welcome to the temple of the Sun. 243 00:11:14,141 --> 00:11:16,007 Please, come inside. 244 00:11:19,912 --> 00:11:22,659 [Josh] But the door to El Dorado doesn't just swing open. 245 00:11:22,683 --> 00:11:26,763 To gain access, I need to be accepted by the community. 246 00:11:26,787 --> 00:11:31,000 [softly] What he's gonna do is a clearing ceremony, if you like. 247 00:11:31,024 --> 00:11:33,102 [translator speaking] To ask the gods for permission 248 00:11:33,126 --> 00:11:35,427 we're going to share a healing medicine. 249 00:11:36,295 --> 00:11:37,740 So they'll give us tobacco 250 00:11:37,764 --> 00:11:40,376 which is gonna clear the way for us 251 00:11:40,400 --> 00:11:42,578 to allow the spirit of the Sun god 252 00:11:42,602 --> 00:11:44,369 - to come in to us. - Mmm. 253 00:11:46,372 --> 00:11:48,239 [drums beating] 254 00:11:50,109 --> 00:11:52,010 [woman chanting] 255 00:11:52,678 --> 00:11:54,924 [Josh] Soaked in a dizzying haze of smoke 256 00:11:54,948 --> 00:11:59,295 the shaman blows finely ground snuff called Rape up our noses 257 00:11:59,319 --> 00:12:02,220 using the traditional bone pipe or tepi. 258 00:12:03,622 --> 00:12:05,123 [coughing] 259 00:12:08,260 --> 00:12:11,207 The snuff is meant to induce a relaxed state 260 00:12:11,231 --> 00:12:14,132 for the next step of the purification trial. 261 00:12:14,834 --> 00:12:16,434 [drums beating] 262 00:12:17,269 --> 00:12:19,170 A cleansing offering. 263 00:12:20,906 --> 00:12:24,787 These pieces of cotton are from the youngest leader of the community. 264 00:12:24,811 --> 00:12:27,557 The left represents a negative and the right is a positive. 265 00:12:27,581 --> 00:12:28,958 He's telling us to concentrate 266 00:12:28,982 --> 00:12:31,327 all of the negative energies we've ever had 267 00:12:31,351 --> 00:12:33,629 into this piece of cotton. 268 00:12:33,653 --> 00:12:35,987 [suspenseful music playing] 269 00:12:38,824 --> 00:12:42,105 [Josh] People are always telling me to stop bottling up my negative energy. 270 00:12:42,129 --> 00:12:45,029 But in this case, it's all about letting it go. 271 00:12:46,699 --> 00:12:48,500 [drums beating] 272 00:12:50,603 --> 00:12:52,648 [Ashley Cowie] Now we're gonna place these in the fire. 273 00:12:52,672 --> 00:12:56,419 We're asking for the good positive energies to be fertilized into our life 274 00:12:56,443 --> 00:12:59,477 and for the old negative energies to be burned away. 275 00:13:00,780 --> 00:13:02,313 [drums beating] 276 00:13:08,687 --> 00:13:10,700 [Josh] One final test remains. 277 00:13:10,724 --> 00:13:14,170 A fermented corn drink called Chicha is passed around. 278 00:13:14,194 --> 00:13:17,039 Made by chewing and spitting our corn kernels 279 00:13:17,063 --> 00:13:20,331 Chicha is a sacred and boozy backwash. 280 00:13:20,966 --> 00:13:22,078 There you go. 281 00:13:22,102 --> 00:13:24,547 - This is maize and Muisca saliva, Josh. - Yes. 282 00:13:24,571 --> 00:13:26,315 It's fermented for a long time 283 00:13:26,339 --> 00:13:28,506 so it's really strong. It's gonna hit you where it counts. 284 00:13:35,881 --> 00:13:38,861 [Josh] To outsiders like me, Chicha is challenging. 285 00:13:38,885 --> 00:13:41,264 But it's also an honor. 286 00:13:41,288 --> 00:13:44,100 And in the smoke, the centuries seem to waft away 287 00:13:44,124 --> 00:13:46,569 to a time before conquest 288 00:13:46,593 --> 00:13:50,039 when the Muisca were the guardians of this sacred landscape. 289 00:13:50,063 --> 00:13:52,964 [drums beating] 290 00:13:55,067 --> 00:13:56,601 [Ashley] Permission's granted. 291 00:13:57,970 --> 00:14:00,371 [dramatic music playing] 292 00:14:02,241 --> 00:14:05,021 [Josh] Candil escorts us from the temple of the Sun 293 00:14:05,045 --> 00:14:07,512 to the ceremonial heart of the Muisca people. 294 00:14:09,281 --> 00:14:11,027 Josh, welcome... 295 00:14:11,051 --> 00:14:13,985 - ...to El Dorado. - Oh, my God. 296 00:14:21,427 --> 00:14:23,706 [Josh] This is absolutely breathtaking. 297 00:14:23,730 --> 00:14:26,175 [Ashley] There's no other word for it, Josh. 298 00:14:26,199 --> 00:14:29,846 And without this lake, there would be no El Dorado legend. 299 00:14:29,870 --> 00:14:31,781 [Josh] Muisca leader Carlos Candil 300 00:14:31,805 --> 00:14:33,950 and explorer Ashley Cowie 301 00:14:33,974 --> 00:14:35,551 explained that the El Dorado legend 302 00:14:35,575 --> 00:14:39,488 started with a ritual that took place in Lake Guatavita. 303 00:14:39,512 --> 00:14:42,191 The golden raft in the museum of Bogota 304 00:14:42,215 --> 00:14:46,796 depicts an actual golden raft that was used here at Guatavita, Josh. 305 00:14:46,820 --> 00:14:49,232 That golden man standing on the raft 306 00:14:49,256 --> 00:14:51,200 with all of his attendants around him, 307 00:14:51,224 --> 00:14:53,836 that was the coronation ritual 308 00:14:53,860 --> 00:14:56,594 to install he ruler of the Muisca land. 309 00:14:58,230 --> 00:15:01,577 [Josh] To the Muisca, Lake Guatavita was their holiest site. 310 00:15:01,601 --> 00:15:04,981 Where thousands would gather to witness the ascension of their ruler 311 00:15:05,005 --> 00:15:07,216 known as the zipa. 312 00:15:07,240 --> 00:15:10,386 [translator speaking] When the zipa came here to become king 313 00:15:10,410 --> 00:15:12,655 they would cover him in gold. 314 00:15:12,679 --> 00:15:14,891 This plant here when you mush it up 315 00:15:14,915 --> 00:15:17,482 becomes like a glue that was put all over the man's body. 316 00:15:19,118 --> 00:15:21,452 Then he was covered with golden powder. 317 00:15:23,889 --> 00:15:26,357 The raft is loaded with gold figurines. 318 00:15:27,559 --> 00:15:30,306 And it's pushed out into the middle of the lake. 319 00:15:30,330 --> 00:15:34,265 And when it gets there, and the sun is shining on that King to be. 320 00:15:37,803 --> 00:15:40,004 He dives off into the lake. 321 00:15:41,206 --> 00:15:44,175 At that point, he's the golden man. 322 00:15:46,779 --> 00:15:49,013 El Hombre Dorado. 323 00:15:51,216 --> 00:15:55,865 So, El Hombre Dorado or El Dorado. 324 00:15:55,889 --> 00:15:59,969 El Dorado originally, he's a man, is a king, a leader. 325 00:15:59,993 --> 00:16:05,775 So how do we go from a man, El Hombre Dorado to El Dorado, a city of gold? 326 00:16:05,799 --> 00:16:08,711 - It seems like a huge leap. - It's like a game of telephone, Josh, 327 00:16:08,735 --> 00:16:10,880 - Uh-huh. - First, conquistadors come here and find 328 00:16:10,904 --> 00:16:14,016 bits of gold, and they know that there's gold in these landscapes. 329 00:16:14,040 --> 00:16:16,574 - Right. - They hear about a golden man. 330 00:16:17,776 --> 00:16:20,823 Then it becomes a golden village and there actually is records 331 00:16:20,847 --> 00:16:22,425 - of people looking for golden villages. - Right. 332 00:16:22,449 --> 00:16:24,393 Then it becomes the Golden City. 333 00:16:24,417 --> 00:16:28,197 [Josh] In an early call in the game of telephone that turned a golden man 334 00:16:28,221 --> 00:16:31,834 into a golden city was placed by our toppled conquistador 335 00:16:31,858 --> 00:16:35,638 back in Bogota, Gonzalo Jimenez de Quesada. 336 00:16:35,662 --> 00:16:40,009 In 1536, he leads 900 men into the Colombian Highlands, 337 00:16:40,033 --> 00:16:43,145 where many fall victim to disease and starvation. 338 00:16:43,169 --> 00:16:48,884 Of the original party, only 170 make it out of the jungle. 339 00:16:48,908 --> 00:16:53,222 Clearly a glutton for punishment, in 1569, he tries again 340 00:16:53,246 --> 00:16:55,558 with similar dire results. 341 00:16:55,582 --> 00:16:59,662 But the survivors of these ill-fated expeditions return with stories 342 00:16:59,686 --> 00:17:02,832 of a treasure trove of offerings, lost in the depths. 343 00:17:02,856 --> 00:17:07,636 Imagine hearing stories of people covering themselves in gold. 344 00:17:07,660 --> 00:17:10,773 Right, I mean, you would think, "Oh, they must have so much wealth." 345 00:17:10,797 --> 00:17:14,944 They must be so dripping in gold, that they can afford to bathe in it almost. 346 00:17:14,968 --> 00:17:16,846 - Yeah. - Their imaginations must have gone wild. 347 00:17:16,870 --> 00:17:18,047 Yeah. 348 00:17:18,071 --> 00:17:21,584 [Josh] Gold fever erupts, the scene depicted 349 00:17:21,608 --> 00:17:24,186 on that ceremonial raft launches an Armada 350 00:17:24,210 --> 00:17:29,280 and waves of conquistadors descend on Lake Guatavita to make their fortune. 351 00:17:30,616 --> 00:17:32,094 So hundreds of years ago, how would they have tried 352 00:17:32,118 --> 00:17:33,929 to get this gold out of the lake? 353 00:17:33,953 --> 00:17:37,166 First attempt was made in 1545 with wooden buckets. 354 00:17:37,190 --> 00:17:39,035 - Wooden buckets? - That's how desperate they were, 355 00:17:39,059 --> 00:17:40,836 they got more ambitious and they did this here, 356 00:17:40,860 --> 00:17:45,074 - they cut this ravine into the side... - Oh, here where it's cut out. 357 00:17:45,098 --> 00:17:48,711 Yeah, this is a draining hole, Josh, where they tried to drain the water out. 358 00:17:48,735 --> 00:17:50,813 It was a disaster. 359 00:17:50,837 --> 00:17:54,650 In 1580, the Spanish drained the lake by 60 feet, 360 00:17:54,674 --> 00:17:57,953 but only recover half a million dollars worth of gold. 361 00:17:57,977 --> 00:18:00,790 But they abandoned the project, when a ravine collapses, 362 00:18:00,814 --> 00:18:03,147 killing hundreds of workers. 363 00:18:04,249 --> 00:18:06,929 In the late 1800s, they pumped water out from the central lake 364 00:18:06,953 --> 00:18:08,998 and they got it down to about four feet high. 365 00:18:09,022 --> 00:18:11,834 But of course, the sun was coming through the water, 366 00:18:11,858 --> 00:18:15,704 and it baked the silt into cement, so they couldn't get through 367 00:18:15,728 --> 00:18:17,006 the cement to get to the gold. 368 00:18:17,030 --> 00:18:19,575 It does seem like every effort to recover gold here 369 00:18:19,599 --> 00:18:21,844 - has been kind of cursed. - Without doubt. 370 00:18:21,868 --> 00:18:25,581 [Josh] Disastrous attempts to salvage gold from Lake Guatavita 371 00:18:25,605 --> 00:18:28,017 didn't stop until the Colombian government declared it 372 00:18:28,041 --> 00:18:31,309 a cultural heritage site in 1965. 373 00:18:33,812 --> 00:18:36,926 All of these attempts to drain the lake, to damage this place, 374 00:18:36,950 --> 00:18:38,094 to take this gold. 375 00:18:38,118 --> 00:18:41,764 How has that affected the Muisca? 376 00:18:41,788 --> 00:18:44,834 [translator] Our community was destroyed by the conquistadors, 377 00:18:44,858 --> 00:18:49,138 we lost our homes and our sacred places. 378 00:18:49,162 --> 00:18:53,109 We could not practice our religion, and forgot many of the stories 379 00:18:53,133 --> 00:18:55,945 of our grandparents. 380 00:18:55,969 --> 00:18:57,646 First wave was the physical trauma, 381 00:18:57,670 --> 00:19:00,182 having lost over a million people, it was horrendous. 382 00:19:00,206 --> 00:19:05,054 Sisters, brothers gone, traditions, songs, music, crafts, wiped out. 383 00:19:05,078 --> 00:19:08,557 - Yeah. - But then came a spiritual catastrophe, 384 00:19:08,581 --> 00:19:10,626 they had no connection with divinity, 385 00:19:10,650 --> 00:19:14,986 they had no way to listen to the goddess and to the gods. 386 00:19:16,321 --> 00:19:20,669 Now, do you think though there is more gold out there? 387 00:19:20,693 --> 00:19:24,807 Maybe not a gilded city, but do you think there is still lost gold 388 00:19:24,831 --> 00:19:27,543 that elusive thing the Spanish were after? 389 00:19:27,567 --> 00:19:29,645 So much more to learn about El Dorado, Josh, 390 00:19:29,669 --> 00:19:32,281 you've seen where the golden raft ceremony took place. 391 00:19:32,305 --> 00:19:34,884 - Yes. - But what you really need to see is where 392 00:19:34,908 --> 00:19:38,787 that little golden raft was discovered. 393 00:19:38,811 --> 00:19:42,057 - It wasn't discovered around Lake Guatavita? - It was found about 100 miles 394 00:19:42,081 --> 00:19:44,448 - from here, Josh. - Really? 395 00:19:45,817 --> 00:19:49,331 Thank you so much for taking us here for allowing us to come here 396 00:19:49,355 --> 00:19:51,567 to see this place, it's really special. 397 00:19:51,591 --> 00:19:53,435 - [speaking in Spanish] - [translator] Thank you so much for coming. 398 00:19:53,459 --> 00:19:54,992 Thank you. 399 00:19:55,027 --> 00:19:59,530 From Lake Guatavita, I journey 100 miles south to the town of Pasca. 400 00:20:01,099 --> 00:20:05,281 The location of the cave of the golden raft is a closely guarded secret, 401 00:20:05,305 --> 00:20:08,017 to discover what other treasures may be hiding inside. 402 00:20:08,041 --> 00:20:09,885 I'm going to need a guide. 403 00:20:09,909 --> 00:20:13,088 That's where archaeologist and expert in Muisca art, 404 00:20:13,112 --> 00:20:15,858 Dr. Natalia Lozada Mendieta comes in. 405 00:20:15,882 --> 00:20:17,092 - [Josh] Natalia? - Yes. 406 00:20:17,116 --> 00:20:18,961 - Hey, how are you. - Fine, Josh. 407 00:20:18,985 --> 00:20:21,297 - Jump in. - Thank you. Nice to meet you. 408 00:20:21,321 --> 00:20:23,832 Nice to meet you too. Okay, where are we going? 409 00:20:23,856 --> 00:20:26,268 - That's the big question. - Further into the mountains. 410 00:20:26,292 --> 00:20:27,803 - Further into the mountains. - Yes. 411 00:20:27,827 --> 00:20:28,904 - Oh, boy. - [laughs] 412 00:20:28,928 --> 00:20:31,207 We're going to see where the Muisca raft was found. 413 00:20:31,231 --> 00:20:34,910 I can't wait. This is amazing. How are the roads, perfect? 414 00:20:34,934 --> 00:20:37,913 - Yes. - I've only just met you, but I sense that 415 00:20:37,937 --> 00:20:40,783 you're lying to me. 416 00:20:40,807 --> 00:20:45,421 The conquistadors believe that the roads in El Dorado were paved with gold. 417 00:20:45,445 --> 00:20:48,980 But where we're going, they're not paved at all. 418 00:20:49,081 --> 00:20:50,926 - Okay. - Oh. 419 00:20:50,950 --> 00:20:52,695 Natalia, you were right, the road is great. 420 00:20:52,719 --> 00:20:54,363 It's everything you promised. 421 00:20:54,387 --> 00:20:58,167 - I tried to tell you. - How confident are you that you can find this cave? 422 00:20:58,191 --> 00:21:00,202 I mean, I have a rough idea of where it is. 423 00:21:00,226 --> 00:21:01,704 How rough? 424 00:21:01,728 --> 00:21:03,672 - It's my first time there. Yeah. - Wow. 425 00:21:03,696 --> 00:21:07,176 - We're gonna try to find it. - Okay. 426 00:21:07,200 --> 00:21:09,678 [Josh] The cave has never been fully investigated 427 00:21:09,702 --> 00:21:11,981 and its location was nearly forgotten. 428 00:21:12,005 --> 00:21:15,351 Now, we may be one of the first to ever film there. 429 00:21:15,375 --> 00:21:17,441 - If we don't get led astray. - [dogs barking] 430 00:21:19,344 --> 00:21:22,179 I'm following these dogs, they're leading the way. 431 00:21:26,818 --> 00:21:29,898 - I think you have to stop here. - This is it? 432 00:21:29,922 --> 00:21:32,334 Yeah, this is it. Now it's up there. 433 00:21:32,358 --> 00:21:34,258 We have to go walking. 434 00:21:34,993 --> 00:21:36,594 - I'm sorry, up there? - Yes. 435 00:21:36,928 --> 00:21:39,063 It looks slightly imposing. 436 00:21:41,133 --> 00:21:44,813 - I mean, that's about as mysterious a view... - That you can get. 437 00:21:44,837 --> 00:21:46,148 - Yeah. - [Josh] I all of a sudden understand 438 00:21:46,172 --> 00:21:48,117 why no one knows where this cave is. 439 00:21:48,141 --> 00:21:50,819 There are no trail markers, no landmarks, 440 00:21:50,843 --> 00:21:54,356 just the faint traces of an ancient path. 441 00:21:54,380 --> 00:21:56,492 [Natalia] The cave doesn't want to be found. 442 00:21:56,516 --> 00:21:58,927 [thunderclap] 443 00:21:58,951 --> 00:22:00,929 [Josh] It's starting to rain, let's get inside the trees here. 444 00:22:00,953 --> 00:22:03,621 - [Natalia] Yeah. - Get rain gear on. 445 00:22:08,527 --> 00:22:10,039 [Josh] Oh, it is just vertical. 446 00:22:10,063 --> 00:22:13,964 Yeah, literally, just a vertical ascent. 447 00:22:16,935 --> 00:22:18,547 Whoa, Natalia, are you okay? 448 00:22:18,571 --> 00:22:20,549 [Natalia] Be careful with this. 449 00:22:20,573 --> 00:22:23,185 Stick to the roots, not the branches. 450 00:22:23,209 --> 00:22:26,155 [Josh] As we climb higher, the dense jungle completely obscures 451 00:22:26,179 --> 00:22:28,145 the trail ahead. 452 00:22:32,617 --> 00:22:37,021 Whatever path we had just feels like it's just about gone. 453 00:22:39,024 --> 00:22:41,970 -[Natalia] I have a hunch. Yeah. -You have a hunch? Good. 454 00:22:41,994 --> 00:22:45,374 - Josh, look at this. - Look at that, a cave! 455 00:22:45,398 --> 00:22:48,966 [Natalia] Ooh, this is huge. Josh, this is it. 456 00:22:49,334 --> 00:22:50,946 [Josh] This is awesome. 457 00:22:50,970 --> 00:22:54,083 Very few have ever seen these sacred chambers 458 00:22:54,107 --> 00:22:56,340 where the golden raft was discovered. 459 00:22:57,109 --> 00:22:58,987 Unbelievable. 460 00:22:59,011 --> 00:23:02,513 This is so cool. Let's see what's in here. 461 00:23:03,148 --> 00:23:04,582 Nice and slow. 462 00:23:07,352 --> 00:23:08,731 Oh, this is insane. 463 00:23:08,755 --> 00:23:10,554 [Natalia] This is great. 464 00:23:14,159 --> 00:23:18,362 - Do you see anything, Josh? - No, nothing in here. 465 00:23:21,433 --> 00:23:24,402 - Anything over there? - Nothing yet. 466 00:23:27,272 --> 00:23:28,606 [Josh] What is this? 467 00:23:30,842 --> 00:23:32,443 This looks manmade. 468 00:23:42,087 --> 00:23:45,055 - Anything over there? - Nothing yet. 469 00:23:45,390 --> 00:23:47,358 What is this? 470 00:23:48,960 --> 00:23:50,494 This looks manmade. 471 00:23:52,764 --> 00:23:56,378 It has that razor sharp edge that looks like it was worked, like it was made. 472 00:23:56,402 --> 00:23:57,746 - It looks like a tool. - It does. 473 00:23:57,770 --> 00:24:00,682 - Could have been a scraper. - Totally, essential tool in our hands. 474 00:24:00,706 --> 00:24:02,684 You're holding in your hands a tool. A Muisca tool. 475 00:24:02,708 --> 00:24:06,021 That's incredible. The idea that we could be holding something here 476 00:24:06,045 --> 00:24:08,991 that was worked by human hands 1500 years ago. 477 00:24:09,015 --> 00:24:10,793 - At least. - How crazy is that? 478 00:24:10,817 --> 00:24:12,594 That's exciting. 479 00:24:12,618 --> 00:24:14,530 That's why we do what we do. 480 00:24:14,554 --> 00:24:16,999 [Josh] Perhaps used for food preparation. 481 00:24:17,023 --> 00:24:20,068 This stone scraper could have been left here by the very artisans 482 00:24:20,092 --> 00:24:21,870 who made the golden raft. 483 00:24:21,894 --> 00:24:23,627 Let's see what else is in here. 484 00:24:26,898 --> 00:24:30,846 - So many little nooks and crannies in here. - Yeah. 485 00:24:30,870 --> 00:24:33,382 I don't see anything, but a lot more spiders. 486 00:24:33,406 --> 00:24:35,139 [Natalia chuckles] 487 00:24:39,544 --> 00:24:44,315 - So how did this raft get found here? - So it's 1969. 488 00:24:45,884 --> 00:24:49,286 And there are a couple of farmers that came up to the mountain. 489 00:24:50,822 --> 00:24:53,569 They found a ceramic vessel and inside of the vessel, 490 00:24:53,593 --> 00:24:55,493 that was the Muisca raft. 491 00:24:57,262 --> 00:25:00,709 And they take the whole thing back to their home 492 00:25:00,733 --> 00:25:03,779 and tell the priests of the town that they have just found this. 493 00:25:03,803 --> 00:25:06,882 Right, do these farmers have any idea the significance 494 00:25:06,906 --> 00:25:08,917 - of what they found. - Of course they knew it was important 495 00:25:08,941 --> 00:25:11,019 and that's why they told the priests, right? 496 00:25:11,043 --> 00:25:14,389 They could have kept it and, so we owe them 497 00:25:14,413 --> 00:25:17,092 to have the Muisca raft right now. 498 00:25:17,116 --> 00:25:22,664 Another part of this story is that so many Muisca items were never turned in, right? 499 00:25:22,688 --> 00:25:24,867 There's been a ton of looting. 500 00:25:24,891 --> 00:25:27,803 It's been a major problem, and most of the items in the gold museum 501 00:25:27,827 --> 00:25:29,071 come from looting. 502 00:25:29,095 --> 00:25:32,808 [Josh] But the biggest looters of all were the conquistadors. 503 00:25:32,832 --> 00:25:36,078 [Natalia] There's probably lots that were lost when the Spaniards came 504 00:25:36,102 --> 00:25:40,883 because they just took the gold, melted it, and brought it back to Spain. 505 00:25:40,907 --> 00:25:44,119 Did the Spanish also seem to have overlooked 506 00:25:44,143 --> 00:25:48,156 the artistry of it, there was no appreciation for a lot of the mastery 507 00:25:48,180 --> 00:25:50,259 that went into what the Muisca were able to make. 508 00:25:50,283 --> 00:25:53,061 To the Spanish, gold has monetary value. 509 00:25:53,085 --> 00:25:55,397 To the Muisca, it's in spiritual value. 510 00:25:55,421 --> 00:25:57,933 I mean that's the key right there, these two cultures 511 00:25:57,957 --> 00:26:02,170 that that are completely opposed in terms of how they think about this stuff. 512 00:26:02,194 --> 00:26:04,706 To the Spanish, this is valuable, this is money, 513 00:26:04,730 --> 00:26:07,409 they're hiding money from us. 514 00:26:07,433 --> 00:26:09,678 Pretty hard for the Muisca to be able to calculate 515 00:26:09,702 --> 00:26:11,813 - the level of greed from the Spanish Empire though. - True. 516 00:26:11,837 --> 00:26:15,851 And in the end, the Muisca culture was nearly wiped out. 517 00:26:15,875 --> 00:26:20,355 [Josh] But the raft survived, because it was hidden away up here. 518 00:26:20,379 --> 00:26:24,493 Help me understand why the Muisca would put something so beautiful 519 00:26:24,517 --> 00:26:26,695 in such a remote spot? 520 00:26:26,719 --> 00:26:31,066 Mountains, top of the mountains would be associated to sacred spots, 521 00:26:31,090 --> 00:26:34,670 - Right. - And the higher up, the more sacred they are. 522 00:26:34,694 --> 00:26:38,607 It has to do with the sacred land that belongs to the gods. 523 00:26:38,631 --> 00:26:42,010 When we think about El Dorado, is part of what drives 524 00:26:42,034 --> 00:26:45,614 the Spanish to keep searching deeper and deeper into the mountains 525 00:26:45,638 --> 00:26:50,118 this very fact that people are concealing offerings, 526 00:26:50,142 --> 00:26:54,022 and that some of these amazing glittering items are out of reach? 527 00:26:54,046 --> 00:26:56,291 Absolutely, and it might have looked like that, 528 00:26:56,315 --> 00:26:59,595 because of course, the offerings were being made in remote places 529 00:26:59,619 --> 00:27:00,963 - like this. - Right. 530 00:27:00,987 --> 00:27:02,864 It gives fuel to this obsession of theirs. 531 00:27:02,888 --> 00:27:04,266 Yes. 532 00:27:04,290 --> 00:27:06,568 As the Spanish went hunting for treasures in the mountains, 533 00:27:06,592 --> 00:27:09,004 but found only isolated offerings, 534 00:27:09,028 --> 00:27:14,576 they became more desperate, when de Quesada rode into a new village demanding gold, 535 00:27:14,600 --> 00:27:17,212 The Muisca would attempt to dissuade his men, 536 00:27:17,236 --> 00:27:20,749 telling them the mother lode was deeper in the interior. 537 00:27:20,773 --> 00:27:24,586 El Dorado was always just one conquest away. 538 00:27:24,610 --> 00:27:27,756 This belief led de Quesada away from Lake Guatavita 539 00:27:27,780 --> 00:27:30,926 and deeper into Muisca territory. 540 00:27:30,950 --> 00:27:35,631 I thank Natalia and follow Quesada's quest 140 miles northeast 541 00:27:35,655 --> 00:27:38,133 to a site called El Infiernito, 542 00:27:38,157 --> 00:27:41,236 where archaeologist Pedro Arguello may have unearthed 543 00:27:41,260 --> 00:27:43,160 a treasure of his own. 544 00:27:45,597 --> 00:27:47,876 Hello, hello. How are you? 545 00:27:47,900 --> 00:27:50,545 -How are you? Nice to meet you. -[speaks other language] 546 00:27:50,569 --> 00:27:53,003 Nice to meet you too. I feel like I'm at Stonehenge. 547 00:27:56,107 --> 00:27:59,287 Wow, okay so these stones would align to what? 548 00:27:59,311 --> 00:28:03,291 - To mark December 21. - So the winter solstice? 549 00:28:03,315 --> 00:28:04,548 [Pedro] The solstice, yeah. 550 00:28:08,687 --> 00:28:10,287 Right. 551 00:28:11,690 --> 00:28:15,170 [Josh] Carved out of pink sandstone and aligned in two symmetrical rows, 552 00:28:15,194 --> 00:28:17,939 the position of the sun and moon in relation 553 00:28:17,963 --> 00:28:22,010 to these stones acts as an astrological calendar. 554 00:28:22,034 --> 00:28:25,380 Now, this place though today is called El Infiernito? 555 00:28:25,404 --> 00:28:27,916 - Yeah. - So if I remember my high school Spanish, 556 00:28:27,940 --> 00:28:29,273 that's like "The hell." 557 00:28:30,075 --> 00:28:31,119 The little hell. 558 00:28:31,143 --> 00:28:33,043 So, why is it called that? 559 00:28:39,884 --> 00:28:42,898 So because this is a pagan place, it's not Christian. 560 00:28:42,922 --> 00:28:44,733 To them it was hell, it was evil. 561 00:28:44,757 --> 00:28:47,169 - Yeah. - This, this is like conquistador rebranding. 562 00:28:47,193 --> 00:28:48,403 - Rebranding, yes. - Right, 563 00:28:48,427 --> 00:28:51,328 this northern area was a big power center for the Muisca? 564 00:29:00,605 --> 00:29:03,385 And the Spanish, and de Quesada the conquistador, 565 00:29:03,409 --> 00:29:04,886 he comes up to the north as well, right? 566 00:29:04,910 --> 00:29:08,612 Yeah, the Spanish came here because they believe that it was full of gold. 567 00:29:10,949 --> 00:29:13,161 -Right, they didn't find this El Dorado in the south, -No. 568 00:29:13,185 --> 00:29:16,019 - So they believed come up here. - Yeah. 569 00:29:16,621 --> 00:29:19,034 [Josh] So the Spanish arrived here, what do they do? 570 00:29:19,058 --> 00:29:22,804 [Pedro] They do what they always do. First they kidnapped the leader. 571 00:29:22,828 --> 00:29:24,172 - [Josh] Right. - And asked for gold. 572 00:29:24,196 --> 00:29:26,842 Right, that's their big move, right? Kidnap the leader, 573 00:29:26,866 --> 00:29:29,111 and demand that all this hidden gold be brought to them. 574 00:29:29,135 --> 00:29:31,079 - Aha. - And so did they bring gold? 575 00:29:31,103 --> 00:29:32,948 [Pedro] Yeah, people bring some gold, 576 00:29:32,972 --> 00:29:37,241 but it was no enough, so they decide to kill the leader. 577 00:29:38,009 --> 00:29:42,758 - It's never enough. - It's never enough for the Spaniards. 578 00:29:42,782 --> 00:29:47,129 De Quesada and his army use every dirty trick in the conquistador playbook, 579 00:29:47,153 --> 00:29:50,599 ruthless betrayal, kidnapping, and murder to take down 580 00:29:50,623 --> 00:29:53,201 the Muisca chieftains in the north and south. 581 00:29:53,225 --> 00:29:57,327 In less than a year, the Muisca Confederation was crushed. 582 00:29:58,730 --> 00:30:01,576 And now in terms of the archaeology in this area today. 583 00:30:01,600 --> 00:30:03,167 - Hmm. - What are you finding? 584 00:30:09,040 --> 00:30:10,107 Uh-huh. 585 00:30:13,411 --> 00:30:14,511 Wow. 586 00:30:17,448 --> 00:30:19,049 I would love that. 587 00:30:22,120 --> 00:30:23,932 [Josh] We drive to Dr. Arguello's dig site 588 00:30:23,956 --> 00:30:26,134 and archaeologists El Dorado 589 00:30:26,158 --> 00:30:31,640 that may be the most important Muisca discovery since the golden raft. 590 00:30:31,664 --> 00:30:34,709 - I feel like we're going to university. - It is a university. 591 00:30:34,733 --> 00:30:38,146 - The excavation's in a university? Okay. - Yeah. 592 00:30:38,170 --> 00:30:40,470 - This makes no sense to me. - [laughs] 593 00:30:44,042 --> 00:30:47,155 - So, this is the dig. Yeah. - This is the dig? 594 00:30:47,179 --> 00:30:50,759 I mean, we're, like, in the middle of the campus here. 595 00:30:50,783 --> 00:30:53,550 - [Pedro] Yeah. - [Josh] This is crazy. 596 00:31:00,158 --> 00:31:02,571 We're like in the middle of the campus. 597 00:31:02,595 --> 00:31:05,941 - This is engineering building? - Yeah, it's engineering building. 598 00:31:05,965 --> 00:31:09,010 [Josh] My quest to untangle the El Dorado myth 599 00:31:09,034 --> 00:31:13,148 has led me to the remains of a Muisca burial site miraculously discovered 600 00:31:13,172 --> 00:31:16,273 in the heart of a Colombian University campus. 601 00:31:17,542 --> 00:31:20,088 - [Josh] Like, what was here? - [Pedro] A parking lot. 602 00:31:20,112 --> 00:31:22,591 - Literally, this was a parking lot? - Yeah, it was a parking lot. 603 00:31:22,615 --> 00:31:25,026 But underneath it a Muisca site? 604 00:31:25,050 --> 00:31:29,231 - And it a Muisca site. - So how did you figure out this was here? 605 00:31:29,255 --> 00:31:31,032 Before we build a new building, 606 00:31:31,056 --> 00:31:33,368 we have to make an archaeological discovery. 607 00:31:33,392 --> 00:31:37,873 - How many burials have you found here? - 120 burials. 608 00:31:37,897 --> 00:31:41,943 - A 120? - Yeah, actually it is one of the largest burial sites 609 00:31:41,967 --> 00:31:43,879 in the Northern Andes. 610 00:31:43,903 --> 00:31:46,982 [Josh] The Muisca elite were buried with pots of food 611 00:31:47,006 --> 00:31:51,019 and precious gold jewelry, indicators of their high social status 612 00:31:51,043 --> 00:31:53,277 to ensure a good afterlife. 613 00:31:55,680 --> 00:31:57,893 The Spanish were aware of this practice, 614 00:31:57,917 --> 00:32:01,930 and would rob Muisca graves, but they never found this site. 615 00:32:01,954 --> 00:32:04,099 Hundreds of vessels have been unearthed here 616 00:32:04,123 --> 00:32:09,326 and now, archaeologists are homing in on that most elusive prize, gold. 617 00:32:10,662 --> 00:32:12,140 - Hola. - Hola. 618 00:32:12,164 --> 00:32:15,644 Let me introduce Tatiana, she's archaeologist of this site. 619 00:32:15,668 --> 00:32:16,845 Nice to meet you. Nice to meet you. 620 00:32:16,869 --> 00:32:19,347 The sifting station, where all the action happens. 621 00:32:19,371 --> 00:32:21,505 - Uh-huh. - What are we finding? 622 00:32:22,307 --> 00:32:23,573 Look at this. 623 00:32:25,276 --> 00:32:28,223 - Pottery. - Pottery, pottery. Incredible. 624 00:32:28,247 --> 00:32:30,926 Literally just buckets of dirt, 625 00:32:30,950 --> 00:32:33,895 and it is just filled with pottery. 626 00:32:33,919 --> 00:32:36,164 [Pedro] It means that people used to live here. 627 00:32:36,188 --> 00:32:38,566 Give me the range of dates on the pottery. 628 00:32:38,590 --> 00:32:40,635 [speaking in Spanish] 629 00:32:40,659 --> 00:32:43,772 Wow, so 1000, 1200 years ago. 630 00:32:43,796 --> 00:32:46,741 - So cool. - Okay, can we see some of the pits? 631 00:32:46,765 --> 00:32:49,499 - Of course. - Let's take a look. Okay. 632 00:32:51,602 --> 00:32:55,305 A nearby burial offers another window into the past. 633 00:32:56,140 --> 00:32:59,020 [both speak other language] 634 00:32:59,044 --> 00:33:00,989 - [speaks other language] - What do we got here? 635 00:33:01,013 --> 00:33:03,158 Oh, this is awesome. 636 00:33:03,182 --> 00:33:05,349 - It's vertebrae. - [Pedro] Yeah. 637 00:33:12,957 --> 00:33:14,992 Is that a long bone, yeah? 638 00:33:15,226 --> 00:33:17,906 - Tibia, maybe? - Yes, yeah. 639 00:33:17,930 --> 00:33:21,242 Wow. And then we have this ceramic vessel. 640 00:33:21,266 --> 00:33:24,646 So each of these pits is a single burial. 641 00:33:24,670 --> 00:33:25,847 - Si. - Si? 642 00:33:25,871 --> 00:33:28,383 They're not extensive, were they, were they buried, 643 00:33:28,407 --> 00:33:29,951 like, in a seated position? 644 00:33:29,975 --> 00:33:32,387 [speaking in Spanish] 645 00:33:32,411 --> 00:33:35,579 Aha, fetal position with ceremonial offerings? 646 00:33:37,015 --> 00:33:38,827 Uh-huh, sometimes. 647 00:33:38,851 --> 00:33:42,030 Okay, so let's see what else we've got. 648 00:33:42,054 --> 00:33:46,468 There is no clear pattern to determine which Muisca burials hold offerings. 649 00:33:46,492 --> 00:33:50,260 Modern archaeologists are never sure what they're going to find. 650 00:33:50,895 --> 00:33:52,562 Oh. 651 00:33:54,866 --> 00:33:58,780 This is amazing. So we've got what looks like a vessel. 652 00:33:58,804 --> 00:34:02,751 It's a vessel, and it has human bones inside. 653 00:34:02,775 --> 00:34:04,819 - In the vessel. - In the vessel. 654 00:34:04,843 --> 00:34:08,757 - And this is a child. - Wow, how many children's burials 655 00:34:08,781 --> 00:34:09,579 have you found here? 656 00:34:10,815 --> 00:34:11,826 - Fifty? - Yeah, 50. 657 00:34:11,850 --> 00:34:13,628 And why so many children? 658 00:34:13,652 --> 00:34:16,953 It's a good question and we are trying to figure out why. 659 00:34:18,256 --> 00:34:21,770 One intriguing possibility is that children were brought here for burial 660 00:34:21,794 --> 00:34:24,572 from neighboring villages. 661 00:34:24,596 --> 00:34:28,109 So maybe more evidence here, that this really is a significant site, 662 00:34:28,133 --> 00:34:33,815 a holy place, finding any burial is so personal, 663 00:34:33,839 --> 00:34:36,551 but when you find a child's burial, it's, it's kind of emotional, 664 00:34:36,575 --> 00:34:38,620 you know, I mean, such a short life, 665 00:34:38,644 --> 00:34:44,159 - Mm-hmm. - but in a way, you know, 1000 years or more later. 666 00:34:44,183 --> 00:34:47,328 Kind of living again in a sense and teaching us about the culture 667 00:34:47,352 --> 00:34:48,563 is, it's incredible. 668 00:34:48,587 --> 00:34:50,198 - It's incredible. - Yeah. 669 00:34:50,222 --> 00:34:51,800 And even though this is broken, 670 00:34:51,824 --> 00:34:54,569 the preservation here really is remarkable considering it was all 671 00:34:54,593 --> 00:34:55,937 - underneath a parking lot. - Yeah, 672 00:34:55,961 --> 00:34:59,507 it is because most of the burials have a slab. 673 00:34:59,531 --> 00:35:02,777 - Oh, so there was, like, a capstone... over the top. - Cap. Uh-huh. 674 00:35:02,801 --> 00:35:06,581 - So they would have had this protective cover. - Yes, actually, we have 675 00:35:06,605 --> 00:35:09,818 a burial that we haven't opened yet, 676 00:35:09,842 --> 00:35:12,120 - so we are waiting for you. - A stone you haven't removed? 677 00:35:12,144 --> 00:35:14,989 - Yes. Oh, can we film it? - Come on. 678 00:35:15,013 --> 00:35:17,959 Oh, yes, this is incredible. 679 00:35:17,983 --> 00:35:21,062 Whatever lies inside hasn't seen the light of day 680 00:35:21,086 --> 00:35:23,298 in more than 1000 years. 681 00:35:23,322 --> 00:35:25,122 [gasps] Here. 682 00:35:25,590 --> 00:35:27,023 This is awesome. 683 00:35:28,226 --> 00:35:31,206 Wow, okay, so do we lift, do we flip? 684 00:35:31,230 --> 00:35:33,341 - We flip. - We flip. Okay. 685 00:35:33,365 --> 00:35:36,077 - Are you ready? - One, two, three. 686 00:35:36,101 --> 00:35:38,068 [grunts] 687 00:35:42,373 --> 00:35:44,586 - Definitely a burial. - [Pedro] Yes. 688 00:35:44,610 --> 00:35:46,510 Perfectly round hole here. 689 00:35:47,044 --> 00:35:48,790 So now what's inside? 690 00:35:48,814 --> 00:35:50,391 - Let's work. - With pleasure, 691 00:35:50,415 --> 00:35:51,493 - It's time to work. - Here we go. 692 00:35:51,517 --> 00:35:52,649 Okay. 693 00:35:57,989 --> 00:36:00,935 - Here. Be careful. - Oh, oh, right here, right here. 694 00:36:00,959 --> 00:36:03,938 Look, here, look. 695 00:36:03,962 --> 00:36:06,307 - Yeah, it's a hole and... - Is it ceramic? 696 00:36:06,331 --> 00:36:08,598 No, it is a skull. 697 00:36:09,800 --> 00:36:11,980 [Josh] It's a skull, look at that. 698 00:36:12,004 --> 00:36:13,281 - That is a skull. - Yeah. 699 00:36:13,305 --> 00:36:15,272 Can I have a brush? 700 00:36:17,108 --> 00:36:19,821 The skull is perfectly preserved, 701 00:36:19,845 --> 00:36:22,757 having been protected by its capstone. 702 00:36:22,781 --> 00:36:25,382 And until recently, a parking lot. 703 00:36:26,083 --> 00:36:28,496 - Look at this. - Muisca... Oh... 704 00:36:28,520 --> 00:36:30,832 - That's a vessel. - It's a vessel. 705 00:36:30,856 --> 00:36:32,622 It is, that's ceramic, look at that. 706 00:36:36,494 --> 00:36:39,162 - Is that intact? - Maybe. 707 00:36:40,998 --> 00:36:43,400 Absolutely incredible. 708 00:36:44,569 --> 00:36:48,016 - It's a lip, yeah. - There's the lip of the vessel right there. 709 00:36:48,040 --> 00:36:49,817 [speaking in Spanish] 710 00:36:49,841 --> 00:36:53,321 [Josh] As we brush away more dirt, something unmistakable 711 00:36:53,345 --> 00:36:55,145 catches the light. 712 00:36:55,880 --> 00:36:59,115 - Wait. - What is that? 713 00:36:59,684 --> 00:37:01,551 [exclaims] 714 00:37:05,957 --> 00:37:09,237 Out on the streets of Bogota, I find a Rockstar rendition 715 00:37:09,261 --> 00:37:11,873 of a popular Colombian dessert. 716 00:37:11,897 --> 00:37:14,943 - Now, Mick Jagger owns this stand? - Si. 717 00:37:14,967 --> 00:37:17,178 He does. Wow, that guy has diversified. 718 00:37:17,202 --> 00:37:21,082 [speaking in Spanish] 719 00:37:21,106 --> 00:37:23,284 Whatever Mr. Jagger recommends. 720 00:37:23,308 --> 00:37:24,886 Gracias. 721 00:37:24,910 --> 00:37:26,821 This is my first Obleas. 722 00:37:26,845 --> 00:37:30,825 Wafer cookies, dulce de leche, jam and chocolate. 723 00:37:30,849 --> 00:37:33,183 Sir Mick has another hit on his hands. 724 00:37:34,218 --> 00:37:37,031 Incredible. Wow. 725 00:37:37,055 --> 00:37:39,167 It turns out you can get some satisfaction. 726 00:37:39,191 --> 00:37:42,003 - Si. Si. - That's a Rolling Stones joke. 727 00:37:42,027 --> 00:37:45,095 I'm going to be dancing in the street, I have a few of these. 728 00:37:46,163 --> 00:37:47,998 A Rolling Sto-- doesn't matter. 729 00:37:48,099 --> 00:37:49,299 It's really good. 730 00:37:55,239 --> 00:37:57,919 - What is that? - [speaks other language] 731 00:37:57,943 --> 00:38:00,255 -It's gold. -It's gold? It's gold? [laughs] 732 00:38:00,279 --> 00:38:02,590 - Yeah. It's a piece of gold. - [exclaims] 733 00:38:02,614 --> 00:38:05,315 Unbelievable. Look at this. 734 00:38:07,051 --> 00:38:08,396 This is incredible. 735 00:38:08,420 --> 00:38:10,265 It's gold and copper, yeah? 736 00:38:10,289 --> 00:38:11,454 [man speaking] 737 00:38:12,723 --> 00:38:14,969 [Josh] That is unbelievable. 738 00:38:14,993 --> 00:38:16,871 Tumbaga is a copper and gold alloy 739 00:38:16,895 --> 00:38:18,373 made by the Muisca. 740 00:38:18,397 --> 00:38:22,343 Its lower melting point made it easier to work with than pure gold, 741 00:38:22,367 --> 00:38:26,948 and the presence of copper explains the green patina. 742 00:38:26,972 --> 00:38:29,250 - Have you found this in other pits? - No. 743 00:38:29,274 --> 00:38:31,085 - No? [laughs] - No. 744 00:38:31,109 --> 00:38:33,021 [Josh] Oh, this is awesome. 745 00:38:33,045 --> 00:38:37,158 We carefully remove more soil from around the skull. 746 00:38:37,182 --> 00:38:40,216 Oh, this is incredible! There's more, two more. 747 00:38:43,654 --> 00:38:44,988 - Another here? - [man] Yeah. 748 00:38:46,157 --> 00:38:49,103 So one, two, three, four, five. What do you think? 749 00:38:49,127 --> 00:38:51,005 I think it's our necklace. 750 00:38:51,029 --> 00:38:53,174 [Josh] I mean, look at the positioning of it right under the skull. 751 00:38:53,198 --> 00:38:57,111 - [man] Yeah. - That is absolutely incredible. 752 00:38:57,135 --> 00:38:59,080 This must have been someone significant, right? 753 00:38:59,104 --> 00:39:02,050 [speaking other language] 754 00:39:02,074 --> 00:39:03,184 [Josh] Yeah. 755 00:39:03,208 --> 00:39:06,621 Finally, after hours of painstaking brushing... 756 00:39:06,645 --> 00:39:07,455 - More. - [man and woman] More. 757 00:39:07,479 --> 00:39:09,090 - [man] Yeah. - [Josh] Get outta here. 758 00:39:09,114 --> 00:39:14,762 ...a dozen pyramid-shaped beads are revealed in all their glory. 759 00:39:14,786 --> 00:39:17,565 - When this was buried, it would have shined like gold. - [man] Of course. 760 00:39:17,589 --> 00:39:21,069 - [Josh] But over time, the copper's oxidizing? - [man] Yeah. 761 00:39:21,093 --> 00:39:23,871 And is most of the Muisca gold like this? 762 00:39:23,895 --> 00:39:25,106 In most of the cases, yes. 763 00:39:25,130 --> 00:39:28,209 It's so fascinating because when we think of the myth 764 00:39:28,233 --> 00:39:30,111 of El Dorado and the Spanish obsession 765 00:39:30,135 --> 00:39:32,080 with the Muisca gold, 766 00:39:32,104 --> 00:39:34,982 we think of pure gold, but it really wasn't. 767 00:39:35,006 --> 00:39:36,351 And why is that? 768 00:39:36,375 --> 00:39:39,554 This is because Muisca people doesn't have mines. 769 00:39:39,578 --> 00:39:41,444 They weren't mining their own gold? 770 00:39:42,813 --> 00:39:45,226 But they were making a lot of things using gold. 771 00:39:45,250 --> 00:39:47,217 So the gold was coming from where? 772 00:39:49,620 --> 00:39:51,265 - They were trading for it? - Yeah. 773 00:39:51,289 --> 00:39:54,235 And what would the Muisca use to trade for gold? 774 00:39:54,259 --> 00:39:55,425 Salt. 775 00:39:56,327 --> 00:39:57,705 Salt? 776 00:39:57,729 --> 00:40:01,109 They used to trade gold with salt. 777 00:40:01,133 --> 00:40:03,010 - Salt was as valuable as gold. - [man] Yeah. 778 00:40:03,034 --> 00:40:05,079 In some cases, more. 779 00:40:05,103 --> 00:40:06,814 [Josh] This is a stunning revelation. 780 00:40:06,838 --> 00:40:09,183 The Muisca didn't build a golden city, 781 00:40:09,207 --> 00:40:11,119 or even a gold mine. 782 00:40:11,143 --> 00:40:13,988 In fact, they were known to other Colombian cultures 783 00:40:14,012 --> 00:40:15,757 as the salt people. 784 00:40:15,781 --> 00:40:17,825 They used their expansive trade network 785 00:40:17,849 --> 00:40:19,127 to barter for gold 786 00:40:19,151 --> 00:40:21,796 and developed sophisticated metallurgy 787 00:40:21,820 --> 00:40:24,165 to transform this rare and precious resource 788 00:40:24,189 --> 00:40:26,467 into gifts for their gods. 789 00:40:26,491 --> 00:40:29,570 You know, it's so funny because the Spanish 790 00:40:29,594 --> 00:40:33,841 think that the Muisca have endless gold. In reality, they have salt. 791 00:40:33,865 --> 00:40:37,345 We have this legend of El Dorado that is larger than life, 792 00:40:37,369 --> 00:40:39,847 you know, entire cities made of gold, 793 00:40:39,871 --> 00:40:43,139 but here's El Dorado, this is the reality. 794 00:40:43,874 --> 00:40:46,053 - Thank you so much. - You're welcome. 795 00:40:46,077 --> 00:40:47,054 Are there more of these around, 796 00:40:47,078 --> 00:40:48,923 are there mores stones we should be turning over? 797 00:40:48,947 --> 00:40:50,124 - [all laughing] - [man] Yeah. 798 00:40:50,148 --> 00:40:52,226 - I don't know if... - I have gold fever now. 799 00:40:52,250 --> 00:40:56,130 In fact, there are more stones to turn in the El Dorado legend. 800 00:40:56,154 --> 00:40:57,932 And mounting evidence 801 00:40:57,956 --> 00:40:59,534 suggesting that the conquistadors' belief 802 00:40:59,558 --> 00:41:04,360 in a great lost civilization may not have been so far-fetched. 803 00:41:05,763 --> 00:41:10,144 It's clear that the rituals and precious offerings of the Muisca people 804 00:41:10,168 --> 00:41:13,147 helped fuel the Spanish obsession with El Dorado. 805 00:41:13,171 --> 00:41:16,050 But this legend is about more than just gold, 806 00:41:16,074 --> 00:41:19,342 it's also about an entire lost city. 807 00:41:20,845 --> 00:41:23,991 When the Spanish arrived on Colombia's Caribbean coast, 808 00:41:24,015 --> 00:41:26,194 they encountered another indigenous group, 809 00:41:26,218 --> 00:41:27,628 the Tairona, 810 00:41:27,652 --> 00:41:31,098 a people richly adorned in gold jewelry. 811 00:41:31,122 --> 00:41:33,000 They attempted to raid a Tairona capital 812 00:41:33,024 --> 00:41:34,257 deep in the mountains, 813 00:41:34,592 --> 00:41:37,805 but were turned back before they could plunder its wealth. 814 00:41:37,829 --> 00:41:42,532 Outsiders wouldn't find the city for centuries. 815 00:41:43,167 --> 00:41:44,979 That is until the 1970s 816 00:41:45,003 --> 00:41:47,215 when looters deep in the jungle 817 00:41:47,239 --> 00:41:51,352 discovered an ancient ruin lost for 400 years, 818 00:41:51,376 --> 00:41:54,055 a place they called Ciudad Perdida, 819 00:41:54,079 --> 00:41:56,346 or the "Lost City". 820 00:41:57,147 --> 00:41:59,760 Soon after, glittering Tairona artefacts 821 00:41:59,784 --> 00:42:01,596 began flooding the black market. 822 00:42:01,620 --> 00:42:06,167 So much of it, that the global price of gold actually dropped. 823 00:42:06,191 --> 00:42:09,570 And now, archaeologists working at the Lost City 824 00:42:09,594 --> 00:42:12,540 have deployed cutting-edge scanning technology 825 00:42:12,564 --> 00:42:15,543 that has revealed something extraordinary. 826 00:42:15,567 --> 00:42:18,646 There may be even more undiscovered cities 827 00:42:18,670 --> 00:42:21,582 and lost treasure deeper in the jungle. 828 00:42:21,606 --> 00:42:24,952 My mission, reach the team at Ciudad Perdida 829 00:42:24,976 --> 00:42:26,654 and join a dangerous mission 830 00:42:26,678 --> 00:42:30,213 to find a real-life El Dorado. 831 00:42:33,918 --> 00:42:37,832 From Tunja, I fly more than 500 miles north to Santa Marta, 832 00:42:37,856 --> 00:42:41,491 the gateway to the Lost City. 833 00:42:45,896 --> 00:42:48,910 In 1499, the first Spanish conquistadors 834 00:42:48,934 --> 00:42:51,345 arrived on Colombia's Caribbean coast 835 00:42:51,369 --> 00:42:55,516 in search of gold, God, and glory, in that order. 836 00:42:55,540 --> 00:42:57,118 They found it, Santa Marta, 837 00:42:57,142 --> 00:43:01,556 the oldest surviving colonial city in all of South America. 838 00:43:01,580 --> 00:43:05,293 The Spanish tried to reach Ciudad Perdida from Santa Marta, 839 00:43:05,317 --> 00:43:08,863 but they never conquered the city or understood its true extent. 840 00:43:08,887 --> 00:43:10,698 Hopefully, we fare better. 841 00:43:10,722 --> 00:43:12,033 My team and I hitch a ride 842 00:43:12,057 --> 00:43:14,335 to the aptly-named village of Machete 843 00:43:14,359 --> 00:43:17,627 to meet our local expedition team. 844 00:43:18,028 --> 00:43:20,808 Okay, gracias. 845 00:43:20,832 --> 00:43:22,843 All right, the adventure begins, 846 00:43:22,867 --> 00:43:25,379 and this place is called the Lost City for a reason. 847 00:43:25,403 --> 00:43:27,048 It's not easy to reach. 848 00:43:27,072 --> 00:43:28,716 We're gonna have to hike in at least 849 00:43:28,740 --> 00:43:30,251 a weeks' worth of provisions, 850 00:43:30,275 --> 00:43:32,186 not to mention, all of the equipment we need 851 00:43:32,210 --> 00:43:33,988 to document the journey. 852 00:43:34,012 --> 00:43:36,157 And so, to do that, we're gonna need some help. 853 00:43:36,181 --> 00:43:39,248 Okay, vamanos, gracias. 854 00:43:41,118 --> 00:43:44,131 Turns out it takes a village to find a lost city. 855 00:43:44,155 --> 00:43:47,490 Guide Sergio Guerrero will lead the charge. 856 00:43:49,059 --> 00:43:50,972 -Sergio, hey. Nice to meet you, man. -Welcome. 857 00:43:50,996 --> 00:43:52,807 - Welcome, man. - Thank you. Okay, 858 00:43:52,831 --> 00:43:55,076 - Lost City. - Lost City is our destination. 859 00:43:55,100 --> 00:43:56,210 - Somewhere up there? - Yeah. 860 00:43:56,234 --> 00:43:57,878 It's right behind the clouds. 861 00:43:57,902 --> 00:43:59,013 - Behind the clouds? - Yes. 862 00:43:59,037 --> 00:44:00,047 About 20 miles. 863 00:44:00,071 --> 00:44:03,751 - It's going to take us two days. - Perfect. 864 00:44:03,775 --> 00:44:07,788 The average rainfall here is more than 157 inches a year, 865 00:44:07,812 --> 00:44:11,592 making for a slow, muddy and miserable climb. 866 00:44:11,616 --> 00:44:14,929 And lurking in the jungle are jaguars, spiders, 867 00:44:14,953 --> 00:44:19,033 and some of the most venomous snakes on Earth. 868 00:44:19,057 --> 00:44:21,068 And what are the hotels like along the way, good? 869 00:44:21,092 --> 00:44:23,137 - The hotels, yeah. Yeah, yeah. - Five star? 870 00:44:23,161 --> 00:44:25,006 It's 1,000 stars, I would say. 871 00:44:25,030 --> 00:44:26,941 - Oh, a thousand stars, I see. - Yeah. 872 00:44:26,965 --> 00:44:28,909 - That's 'cause there's no roof? Perfect. - Yeah. 873 00:44:28,933 --> 00:44:30,600 All right, let's get into it, come on. 874 00:44:31,201 --> 00:44:34,815 With so much gear, we are lightening our load with a little mule power... 875 00:44:34,839 --> 00:44:37,318 That's, like, over 100 pounds. 876 00:44:37,342 --> 00:44:41,222 This poor mule deserves every piece of food that you can give it. 877 00:44:41,246 --> 00:44:42,990 ...and a little horsepower. 878 00:44:43,014 --> 00:44:45,314 [engine revving] 879 00:44:46,817 --> 00:44:48,351 Let's go. 880 00:44:51,989 --> 00:44:55,391 [Josh] The ride starts out so smooth, I feel downright optimistic. 881 00:44:55,959 --> 00:44:57,304 All right! 882 00:44:57,328 --> 00:44:58,572 This is my kinda hiking! 883 00:44:58,596 --> 00:45:00,029 [laughs] 884 00:45:00,831 --> 00:45:03,844 - Sergio... - Yeah, Josh. 885 00:45:03,868 --> 00:45:05,980 ...are we taking the bikes the whole way to the Lost City? 886 00:45:06,004 --> 00:45:08,182 No, only three mile. 887 00:45:08,206 --> 00:45:09,517 - Three miles? - [Sergio] Yeah. 888 00:45:09,541 --> 00:45:12,820 Huh. I'll take it. 889 00:45:12,844 --> 00:45:17,391 In these three miles, we're going to gain about 1,500 feet in elevation 890 00:45:17,415 --> 00:45:20,461 and it's clear that this road was built for neither comfort 891 00:45:20,485 --> 00:45:21,662 nor speed. 892 00:45:21,686 --> 00:45:24,899 So this gets really challenging up in here. 893 00:45:24,923 --> 00:45:27,902 Not to complain, I certainly appreciate the free ride, 894 00:45:27,926 --> 00:45:30,204 but not exactly the newest tires 895 00:45:30,228 --> 00:45:33,396 and not exactly the best road. 896 00:45:35,933 --> 00:45:37,945 Not only are we riding on a steep incline 897 00:45:37,969 --> 00:45:39,814 of mud and loose rocks, 898 00:45:39,838 --> 00:45:42,183 but the deeper rocks turn these steel horses 899 00:45:42,207 --> 00:45:45,553 into bucking broncos. 900 00:45:45,577 --> 00:45:47,376 - [exclaims] - [Sergio] Enough. 901 00:45:48,278 --> 00:45:49,890 Pretty tough going in here. 902 00:45:49,914 --> 00:45:52,393 It's extremely slippy. 903 00:45:52,417 --> 00:45:54,428 It's enough to make you spout gibberish. 904 00:45:54,452 --> 00:45:56,486 Slippy dipples. 905 00:45:57,121 --> 00:45:59,422 Whoa-ho-ho-ho! 906 00:46:04,027 --> 00:46:06,462 Up, up, up, up. Come on. 907 00:46:07,731 --> 00:46:08,965 We've got this. 908 00:46:14,204 --> 00:46:16,339 Less like riding a motorcycle. 909 00:46:17,074 --> 00:46:19,375 More like ice skating. 910 00:46:20,911 --> 00:46:25,047 Come on. You've got this. You've got this. 911 00:46:27,918 --> 00:46:31,187 Eventually, though, every ride has to end. 912 00:46:32,823 --> 00:46:33,934 [brakes squeal] 913 00:46:33,958 --> 00:46:35,569 - What's up? - Start to walk. 914 00:46:35,593 --> 00:46:37,138 - What? - It's time to walk, Josh. 915 00:46:37,162 --> 00:46:38,939 - It's time to walk? - Yeah, let's do it. 916 00:46:38,963 --> 00:46:40,274 There's more road though, I can see it. 917 00:46:40,298 --> 00:46:41,709 [Sergio] We walk now. 918 00:46:41,733 --> 00:46:42,977 - No. - [Sergio] We have to walk, yeah. 919 00:46:43,001 --> 00:46:45,913 But I... But I like the bike. 920 00:46:45,937 --> 00:46:47,882 [Sergio] This is why you came for. Let's do it. 921 00:46:47,906 --> 00:46:50,751 [Josh] The path ahead will take me into the uncharted depths 922 00:46:50,775 --> 00:46:53,554 of the Sierra Nevada to Santa Marta Mountains, 923 00:46:53,578 --> 00:46:56,957 one of the most unforgiving environments on Earth. 924 00:46:56,981 --> 00:47:02,218 And somewhere in its depths lies the Lost City. 925 00:47:03,587 --> 00:47:06,200 Next time on Expedition Unknown... 926 00:47:06,224 --> 00:47:08,269 - Where's the bridge? - This is our bridge. 927 00:47:08,293 --> 00:47:10,571 [Josh] All right, let's get wet. 928 00:47:10,595 --> 00:47:12,406 [Josh grunting] 929 00:47:12,430 --> 00:47:15,176 The quest for El Dorado continues. 930 00:47:15,200 --> 00:47:16,777 Hold on! 931 00:47:16,801 --> 00:47:19,246 [man on radio] We are approaching our target coordinates. 932 00:47:19,270 --> 00:47:21,148 There's no place you can land out here 933 00:47:21,172 --> 00:47:24,218 and there's really no way to get down there. 934 00:47:24,242 --> 00:47:26,086 [Josh] We trek deep into the jungle... 935 00:47:26,110 --> 00:47:28,022 Ow! Whoa, whoa, whoa! Brian! 936 00:47:28,046 --> 00:47:30,658 ...to separate fact from fiction... 937 00:47:30,682 --> 00:47:32,259 It is just a sheer drop here. 938 00:47:32,283 --> 00:47:35,696 ...and discover the real El Dorado... 939 00:47:35,720 --> 00:47:38,566 [laughs] Is it a wall? Look at that! 940 00:47:38,590 --> 00:47:41,302 ...on an epic adventure that will push my team 941 00:47:41,326 --> 00:47:43,003 to the absolute limit. 942 00:47:43,027 --> 00:47:44,271 Holy [bleep]! 943 00:47:44,295 --> 00:47:47,541 I have never been in a jungle environment 944 00:47:47,565 --> 00:47:50,144 that was more challenging than this one, 945 00:47:50,168 --> 00:47:52,468 ever. This is madness. 946 00:47:53,570 --> 00:47:54,782 [screams] 947 00:47:54,806 --> 00:47:56,038 No! 948 00:47:58,175 --> 00:48:00,343 Grab him! Grab his arm!