In
1887, two British sailors landed on the coast of Ecuador
and set off across the Andes on a secret mission. Their
task? To locate an immense hoard of Inca gold which had
been lost for hundreds of years in a remote and
inaccessible mountain range above the Amazon. A botanist
who had recently returned from Ecuador had provided them
with documents proving it still existed and gave them the
route to find it. And find it they did - but both perished
before they could make their way back to the cave a second
time.
Valverde's
Gold is
one man's attempt to unravel a riddle that has inspired
frustrating and fatal treasure hunts for centuries. Delving
into the botanist's life, the author discovers an ancient
Spanish treasure guide and is drawn into the mystery.
Undeterred by the cursed history of the gold, he embarks on
an epic, life-changing journey into the last uncharted
range in the Andes: the Llanganati Mountains of eastern
Ecuador.
This is the true story of how the lure of gold intoxicates
even the most level-headed of historians, and how both men,
and women, are seized with the desire to claim treasure
from one of the most inhospitable landscapes in the world.
Honigsbaum battles through mountains, jungles, and
conflicting stories, and, as he draws closer to the hidden
cache, illuminates the allure of lost gold and its hold on
our imaginations. Rich in description, atmosphere and
adventure,
Valverde's Gold is an
unforgettabletale of greed, obsession and grit, and a must
for anyone fascinated with the sources of myths and
legends.
US Edition: 320
pages
*Farrar
Strauss and Giroux, 2004
*
ISBN: 0-374-19170-0