- 6 hours ago
Josh Gates travels through Peru in search for the legendary Incan lost city of Paititi. His journey takes him from the historic Cusco, to the heights of Machu Picchu, and finally into the Amazon's dark and mysterious jungles.
Category
📚
LearningTranscript
00:00Look up on the wall. Right there. See it?
00:10This is something.
00:22Greg, look. Come here.
00:24Hey, Greg, come here.
00:26Whoa. Incredible.
00:29The promise of golden riches has motivated explorers throughout history.
00:41And no treasure has proved more irresistible or more deadly than the legendary Lost City of Gold.
00:48In Peru, it is known as Paititi, and it continues to attract modern explorers.
00:55And with good reason.
00:57New evidence from the vaults of the Vatican in Rome, and from high in the mountains in Peru, suggest the city might actually be real.
01:06The year is 1532.
01:09The Spanish conquistadors, led by Francisco Pizarro, begin the wholesale destruction of the entire Incan Empire.
01:18Meanwhile, the Spanish are plundering vast quantities of gold and silver.
01:26News of Pizarro reaches the Incan capital of Cusco, high in the Andes.
01:31According to legend, the Incans retreat to a mountain city so secret, so remote, that the Spanish are never able to discover it.
01:39To many, Paititi is nothing more than a myth, a golden illusion fueled by the fantasy of unimaginable wealth.
01:48But well-known explorer Greg Diarmengian has spent 30 years trying to find the lost Incan city of gold.
01:55And he's been the first to document many impressive Incan ruins along the way.
02:00And now, he's mounting a new expedition to find it. And I'm going with him.
02:10My name is Josh Gates.
02:13With a degree in archaeology and a passion for exploration, I have a tendency to end up in some very strange situations.
02:22There has got to be a better way to make a living.
02:25My travels have taken me to the ends of the Earth as I investigate the greatest legends in history.
02:31We're good to fly. Let's go.
02:33This is Expedition Unknown.
02:40Welcome to the City of the Kings.
02:46The name was coined by the Spanish in 1535, but never stuck.
02:50Today, we know it as Lima, Peru.
02:53Lima has grown from a colonial outpost to a sprawling urban jungle that's bursting at the seams.
03:00Earthquakes have rattled much of the original architecture to the ground, leaving behind a city that perpetually looks half-finished.
03:07This is Lima. It's home to nine million people.
03:10This is the fifth largest city in the Americas.
03:12It is gritty, chaotic, noisy, polluted.
03:15This is where the expedition begins.
03:18I'm here to meet with an expert on Paititi, the lost Incan city of gold.
03:22But after a long day of travel, I'm starving.
03:25Fortunately, Lima has culinary options ranging from the fresh, to the shockingly fresh, to the oddly adorable.
03:33Hello. Can I have some?
03:37This is a delicacy here in Peru.
03:39It's like a guinea pig.
03:48It's very good.
03:51I really can't look at it, but it's very good.
03:53Wow.
03:54You know, in the fifth grade, I had to take care of a hamster for a week for my class.
04:00I'm sorry, Mr. Bubbles.
04:06Microbuses like this are Lima's go-to mode of public transportation, and can be slightly crowded.
04:12Oh, pansy.
04:14Ma'am?
04:15That is inappropriate.
04:20Okay, here you go.
04:25I don't need to change.
04:26It's fine.
04:27Hold on to that.
04:29Hi.
04:30Sorry.
04:32I think this may be my stop.
04:34The trick is getting off.
04:36Sorry.
04:37Sorry.
04:38Anybody here know where Paititi is?
04:39After a whirlwind tour of downtown Lima...
04:42Wow!
04:43That's a crowded bus.
04:44...I'm happy to be back on foot.
04:51Lima was once the gateway to the Incan Empire, treasures from which are on display here at the Museo Larco.
05:01The Inca emerged from Peru's highlands in the 13th century.
05:04They worshipped Inti, the sun god, and offered up huge quantities of gold and silver.
05:10In time, these riches caught the attention of Spanish explorers.
05:15To learn more, I'm here to meet with Professor Carlos Sumatra.
05:19What was Pizarro interested in when he got here?
05:21Pizarro had such a big creed for gold and silver.
05:24Yeah.
05:25Precious metals.
05:26Meet Francisco Pizarro, world-class egomaniac, one of history's most destructive explorers, and the Inca's worst nightmare.
05:34He heard about a civilization in Peru that was dripping in riches, and in 1530, started sacking city after city.
05:41But the rumors that the Inca had retreated to a secret stronghold known as Paititi only fueled his efforts.
05:46All the gold that the Incas wanted to save from the Spaniards was taken to Paititi.
05:52What hard evidence exists that Paititi might be a real place?
05:56An important document was found in 2001 in the Vatican.
06:00Here in this document, a missionary, probably a Jesuit.
06:05He says that he has seen the place.
06:07And he mentions Paititi by name.
06:12By name.
06:14This document mentions some valleys, some mountains, some rivers.
06:19It's providing us with new clues.
06:22With these evidence, somebody will be able to find it.
06:26Why are you so convinced?
06:27How could there possibly be a city out in the jungle that hasn't been discovered?
06:31In the last 21 years, I have seen Inca ruins in the middle of nowhere.
06:35Every year, people is finding new Inca ruins.
06:39Now with this document, I believe that somebody will find Paititi.
06:48It's back to the bus for a cozy ride to the airport.
06:52I'm hopping an hour flight from Lima to the city of Cusco to begin my own search for the lost city.
06:5711,000 feet.
07:03Nestled amidst the Andes is the former capital of the Incan Empire.
07:07Cusco may as well be on another planet from Lima.
07:10Up here, the air is crisp and clear.
07:13And the city is absolutely humming with life.
07:16Cusco is also a layer cake of history.
07:27The frosting on the top is unmistakably Spanish.
07:32Ornate cathedrals and Baroque buildings in every direction.
07:35But underneath, just underneath, it is purely Incan.
07:40Perfectly cut stone foundations form the outline of an empire that was masterfully constructed.
07:46This right here, this square, this was the center of the Incan world.
07:51And it was split up into four quadrants representing the four corners of the Incan Empire.
07:54And from right here in the center, stone roads went out to the farthest reaches of their civilization.
08:00This is the heart of the Incan homeland.
08:04The Incan road network was incredibly advanced.
08:07It stretched as far north as Quito in modern Ecuador and as far south as Chile.
08:12In all, it's more than 10,000 miles of stone trails.
08:16This is Greg Diarmengian, a noted explorer from Boston, Massachusetts,
08:20who is credited with discovering and documenting numerous important Incan sites here in Peru.
08:26There is no question that there are still Incan ruins to be found in the jungles.
08:31Absolutely. When one gets out there, one sees that there are such vast areas that are difficult of access,
08:37that are torturous to travel within, so they've been forgotten, even now.
08:42So our goal is to follow this road of stone as far as it can be done.
08:46When we leave, we never know for sure exactly what it is we're going to find.
08:51It's that potential that keeps me going.
08:56This map gives an overview of the areas pertaining to the road of stone.
09:02This is like an official topographic map made by the government here, I assume?
09:06Yeah.
09:07Satellite photo and aerial photo generated but not checked on foot.
09:12And yet, I love that right in the middle of it is a huge blank area that just says insufficient data.
09:16Datos insufficientes.
09:18I mean, forget even exploring the jungles, there's not even a topographical overlay of parts of Peru.
09:23That's incredible.
09:25For his upcoming expedition, Greg aims to follow the legend,
09:29and hopefully document ruins and uncover the truth of Paititi.
09:32Something tells me it's not going to be a walk in the park.
09:36Will it be an easy trip?
09:38Just going a short distance requires so much effort.
09:41Every place you put your foot, every step you take,
09:44any kind of accident can have fatal repercussions.
09:49Coming up, look at this.
09:51This is amazing.
09:52The wall just goes on the whole way.
09:53I'm in Cusco, Peru about to join an expedition searching for Paititi, the lost Incan city of gold.
10:13But first, I'm checking out another legendary city lost for centuries that has now been found.
10:19There are no highways into this part of the Andes, and the hike would take a week.
10:27Luckily, there's a shortcut.
10:30I step up into the royal blue 1920s Pullman carriage, and in an instant, I'm aboard the most opulent locomotive in the Americas.
10:39So this is how the other half lives.
10:48There's live music.
10:50Two bars where one can enjoy a custom-brewed espresso or a fresh-baked pastry,
10:55or perhaps take in the view of the sacred valley from the glass-lined observation car.
10:59Hungry? Not to worry.
11:01The chefs on board are whipping up Peruvian delicacies that you can enjoy in the 42-seat dining carriage.
11:06Confession. This train makes me slightly uncomfortable.
11:10It's fancy, and I feel like the real world is on the other side of a very thick pane of glass.
11:17This is a very strange experience, but also very delicious.
11:20This train is named after explorer Hiram Bingham, an American professor who came to Peru in 1911 searching for the ruins of Vitcos, the last capital of the Incas.
11:34But what he discovered far surpassed any legend.
11:36Once we arrive at the end of the line, I make the track up to the ruins.
11:43And I do mean up.
11:48Somebody put an escalator in here.
11:54The climb is worth every step because at the top is one of the new seven wonders of the world.
12:05The magnificent panoramic remains of Machu Picchu.
12:08The ruins are nearly as mysterious today as they were a century ago.
12:18Most archaeologists agree that this was a royal retreat and a place of intense spiritual significance to the Incan kings.
12:26But it's still an enigma.
12:27It's hard to believe, but this stunning city was never discovered by the Spanish conquistadors in the 1500s or anyone else for the next 350 years.
12:36It's a reminder that lost Incan cities aren't so easy to find.
12:42And despite being visited by more than 3 million tourists a year, archaeologists found a hidden section of the Inca Trail here only two years ago.
12:50This breakthrough breathes new life into the possibility of discovering Paititi, since there are undoubtedly other sections of Incan roads deeper in the jungle.
13:00Stone paths that lead somewhere, perhaps to the lost city.
13:09After another luxurious train ride, I'm back in Cusco to rejoin explorer Greg Diarmengian.
13:14And before facing a treacherous journey into the unknown, we need to go shopping.
13:20I'll take the bottom half of the list, you take the top. How's that sound?
13:22Okay, good.
13:23Let's do it.
13:24All right.
13:30Since we'll be in the backcountry for a week, we have a lot of supplies to stock up on.
13:35Fresh chicken.
13:39Boy, that little piggy really did go to market, didn't he?
13:41As Greg continues to stay on point, I continue to sample the market's more unusual offerings.
13:50Ah, bull's penis.
13:51Delicious.
13:52Can I try the sopa?
13:54This soup has frogs, crabs, fish, octopus, calamari, and bull's penis.
14:00Just like mom used to make.
14:01I mean, you know, it's not the worst bull penis soup I've ever had.
14:17There's no way we can do this alone, which is why Greg has built a team to round out the expedition.
14:22Hey, Paulino.
14:23Paulino's my foremost expedition partner since 1984.
14:32Terrific.
14:33And this young man?
14:35My grandfather wrote the book.
14:37Literally, right?
14:38He wrote the book.
14:39Dr. Carlos?
14:40Dr. Carlos is a nice finder, yes.
14:42Fernando is the grandson of Greg's late mentor, a famous Andean explorer.
14:46All right, let's do it.
14:47Okay.
14:49The team is starting to feel like something out of a Michael Crichton novel.
14:52But before we finish shopping, the youngest member of our group runs into a bit of trouble.
14:57It's easy to forget that Cusco is perched nearly two miles above sea level.
15:03Okay.
15:05The lack of oxygen here is punishing and will only be climbing higher.
15:09Luckily, the ancient Inca had a secret weapon to battle altitude sickness.
15:16Coca leaves.
15:17Coca leaves.
15:18Very important for the expedition.
15:20Coca leaves are the raw ingredient in cocaine.
15:22But in their natural form, they only act as a mild stimulant.
15:26So good for energy, right?
15:27Yes, because we are going to be walking and walking and walking.
15:29Right.
15:30The Incas used to use them.
15:31The Spanish were always marveled about how the Incas could just walk and walk and walk.
15:34Yeah, they were high as a kite on cocaine.
15:35It tastes good too.
15:38Yeah.
15:40Okay, I got it.
15:41We're good.
15:42Got mine.
15:53It's early morning in Cusco and we're gearing up for the search for Paititi.
15:57Sleeping bags?
15:58Check.
15:59Extremely heavy backpacks and fresh water?
16:01Check and check.
16:03Pressurized and explosive propane tank?
16:06Sure, why not?
16:07How are you feeling this morning, Fernando?
16:08Feeling great.
16:09Yeah?
16:10Yep.
16:11Our expedition team continues to grow.
16:13We've picked up several new members and, of course, the master Peruvian explorer, Paulino Mamani.
16:18Hola.
16:19Good to see you.
16:20Okay, we ready?
16:21Yeah.
16:22Okay, let's do it.
16:23Come on.
16:24One of our journey into the Andes.
16:25Our plan is to head north from Cusco and retrace the steps of the legend to see if they could
16:30be true and to see if they lead to Paititi.
16:36In 1532, Pizarro captured Atahualpa, the last great king of the Inca.
16:41Pizarro promised that if Atahualpa could fill a room with gold and silver, he would release him.
16:47The Incan king complied, but Pizarro executed him anyway.
16:51Fearing the same fate, the Inca are rumored to have packed their llamas with gold and silver
16:56and headed for the safe haven of Paititi.
17:03From Cusco, we're heading north through winding mountain roads to Lake Pumacocha,
17:07where the Incas are rumored to have stopped on the way to the City of Gold.
17:11So, there goes the paved road. Now we are on dirt roads from here, it looks like.
17:16We're thousands of feet above sea level with loose rock all around us.
17:20It wouldn't take much to kick off a rock slide that would stop the search for Paititi
17:24and start the search for Josh Gates.
17:26If you own a guard rail company, there may be some money for you in Peru.
17:30Yeah.
17:31We're not just driving blind though.
17:33Alongside the Cliffs of Death, there are subtle clues that are helping to guide us toward the legend.
17:39This is the Incan Trail. You can see it's actually kind of paved.
17:42A lot of it's grown over now, but they've basically built the modern road
17:46right along the ancient Incan road of stone here.
17:50These are the same roads that the Inca traveled on hundreds of years ago.
17:54According to legend, they used this stone-lined route to reach the Lost City of Gold.
17:59So, we're certainly on the right track. We're literally following the trail.
18:04Amazing that this is still here.
18:06Well, I wanna be free, yes, I wanna be free. I wanna be free when your love comes to me, cause I wanna be free.
18:13The Inca used llamas to traverse the road of stone. We're using 4x4s.
18:18As our expedition heads higher into the Andes along a winding gravel road, we're treated to breathtaking scenery and slightly unnerving drop-offs.
18:30Well, I wanna be brave, yes, I wanna be brave. I wanna be brave when I get you coming in, cause I wanna be brave when I see your righteous arm.
18:43Minor, minor roadblock here.
18:47It doesn't matter where you go in the world, there's always road construction.
18:51These guys are digging a trench right in the middle of the road, but Paulino is trying to negotiate with the foreman, see if they can, I don't know, fill part of it in, maybe to let us pass.
19:01I have no idea what Paulino told them or why people are clapping, but I'm learning that Greg's sidekick isn't just a wilderness expert, he's a regular politician.
19:17Everyone ships in and in what seems like no time at all, we've got a makeshift bridge to get us over the trench.
19:24And we're back on track toward the lost city.
19:29The mountain passes give way to jaw-dropping vistas, but the roads aren't improving.
19:44Looks like it is getting stormy, clouds are rolling in, which is not a great sign.
19:51Driving the winding mountain roads is treacherous in good weather.
19:55Add slick roads and dense fog, and you're one wrong move away from a thousand foot drop.
20:00Looks like it is getting stormy. Clouds are rolling in, which is not a great sign.
20:16Needless to say, we turn around.
20:26We stop at the first village we come to. Believe it or not, there aren't many hotels to choose from when you're at 13,000 feet.
20:32So we're in Amparais.
20:37Okay, so it looks like we may be stuck in Amparais.
20:41Yeah.
20:42Maybe stuck here for the night.
20:43Yeah.
20:44So what do we got? Marriott Holiday Inn? Four Seasons? What are we looking at here?
20:53My Spanish isn't great, but I get the gist. The weather isn't getting any better, and we've been offered two rooms for the night.
20:59While we unpack, I check out our accommodations for the evening.
21:09Good Lord.
21:10It's a church.
21:11There's a little bit of irony here, seeking a lost Incan city and being given refuge for the night by the Catholics.
21:21Funny world. I guess we're sleeping in the back.
21:23In the back is a series of rough rooms with hay on the floor, but it beats the rain.
21:28I half expect to find a baby in a manger, but instead, find an old foosball table.
21:34The place is run by a kindly woman and her granddaughter.
21:37Both are Quechua, descendants of the Inca.
21:40And like 98% of Peruvians, they're also Catholic, part of the legacy of Pizarro's conquest.
21:48After dinner, what?
21:49Play soccer.
21:51Play soccer? Oh, play the foosball.
21:53Yeah.
21:54Yes, of course. I will challenge you to foosball.
21:56Oh, it's on.
21:58You ready?
21:59Yes.
22:00Yeah.
22:01Go!
22:02Yeah.
22:03Woo!
22:04That was the warm up.
22:07Get out of here!
22:09No, you're not.
22:10Go!
22:11Go!
22:12Go!
22:16Go!
22:17Go!
22:18Go!
22:19Go!
22:20Go!
22:21Go!
22:22Go!
22:23Go!
22:24Go!
22:25Go!
22:26Go!
22:28Go!
22:30after getting thoroughly humiliated by a 12-year-old it's time to get some sleep
22:36good match the accommodations are rough and it's about 38 degrees in here but the
22:43hospitality we've been shown is warm enough to get us through the night
22:47by morning the storm has passed and we're getting back on the trail of Paititi
23:00that's a first for me sleeping behind a church I haven't done that before
23:10according to the legend the Incas fled the Spanish by traveling past a small
23:15lake known as Pumacocha they then crossed the Urubamba River picked up the road
23:20of stone and if the story is true arrived at Paititi we continue on for several
23:27more hours although the roads if you can call them that are getting even narrower
23:31looks like the end of the road all right I think this is it then they just end I don't think we
23:40can go any further here yeah looks like this used to be a road but kind of not so good yeah it
23:52doesn't really go anywhere now now we move the hard way that's it let's do it water
23:59we're on foot from here and prep for a trek into some of the roughest terrain on earth
24:06so long vehicles yeah now we're on the road our mission find key landmarks that pertain to the
24:15legend and look for concrete evidence that Paititi really exists well that got jungly quick yeah at its
24:24highest point the peak of the Peruvian mountain top Alpamayo reaches 20,000 feet the Incas were
24:31famous for their ability to hike for hundreds of miles at these extreme altitudes and lucky for us
24:37they had a secret coca time so we take our coca leaves we mix them with a little this is called the
24:44yipta which is the alkalinizing agent to activate the coca leaf leave your tongue the thirst tiredness
24:50what is the yipta made from this particular yipta is made from the asses of a particular fire
24:57and traditionally some drops of the urine of a woman that's delicious ain't it I feel great
25:07these Incas didn't foresee the problems that coca leaves would create for 21st century law
25:12enforcement nonetheless with renewed energy I bust out my machete and get to work clearing a path
25:18coming to Peru have some laughs go on a trek it'll be fun we slowly make our way through the thorn
25:28infested brush and eventually it opens to reveal a valley full of llamas grass and something else the
25:38lake of Pumacocha another chapter in the Inca legend of Paititi this is Lake Pumacocha
25:44the lake of the pumas according to the myth the Inca slept here en route to Paititi during the night
25:51wild pumas attacked their convoy killing their llamas and forcing them to carry their supplies
25:56so to lighten the provision so they could make haste they threw the chunyo in the lake
26:02chunyo is like a potato chunyo is dehydrated potato and the Inca themselves are continued on towards what
26:08is said to be the legendary Paititi and uh you can still to this day find the chunyo preserved in these
26:14waters chunyo is a key no tell Paulino I'm calling BS on the ancient potatoes in the lake story he is
26:23possible he can show you it's very possible I'm in let's go find a potato come on okay this is the
26:30first time I've ever waded into a lake looking for an ancient potato oh damn it it's like ice water
26:38hey if there really are 500 year old spuds here it would help support the truth of the legend
26:44it's frio you've heard of hot potato right yeah in Peru we play cold potato yeah
26:51you got something
26:59I'm knee-deep in the freezing waters of Lake Pumacocha searching for 500 year old potatoes
27:13that according to legend the Incas tossed into the water on their way to the city of gold
27:18you got something ah that is an ancient potato the guy's right unbelievably Paulino finds what
27:35he's looking for the potatoes are so fragile that just touching them causes them to disintegrate
27:40this part of the legend it turns out might actually be true Paulino you win ask another I concede can we
27:48get out of this freezing cold water now once again the landscape has transformed before my eyes as
28:00we pick up the trail of the Inca pushing further northeast and it isn't getting any easier several
28:07hours into the hike we see something underneath the jungle brush rising up before us is another piece of
28:13of the legend is that a wall is that the ruins of Tambo Cancha look at this
28:22Tambo Cancha was believed to be a way station of sorts a safe place for the Incas to stop and rest and route
28:28to Paititi this is amazing it just goes on this wall just goes on the whole way though the ruins have been
28:34documented it's an almost entirely forgotten site that has been reclaimed by the jungle I mean it's hugely overgrown
28:40it's a little like anybody's been in here in a long time let's see if we can cut some of it away
28:51guy knows how to use a machete
28:55oh man it just keeps going the ruins are sprawling and contain overgrown towers tight passages and a
29:03stunning view of the snaking urubamba river in the valley below after several hours of exploration we've
29:09revealed many of the forgotten structures
29:13storm's coming guys let's get out of here
29:20as much as I'd like to keep exploring here
29:22we have to find shelter or risk being caught in a lightning storm
29:28that storm is here ready guys let's go
29:41a lot of air so i'm gonna puff it and get up here try to stay ahead of the uh downpour
29:49the effects of the coca leaves are no match for these heights and we have no choice but to hike
29:53until we find a place that's suitable for base camp
29:58getting dark i've been hiking for two and a half hours should be making camp soon
30:06one foot in front of the other i just try to keep moving
30:09and then salvation okay this flat patch of green grass might as well be a five-star hotel
30:23okay let's get those tents down and get it going we quickly set to work pitching the tents and
30:27securing the gear before the storm catches up we even manage to stoke a fire
30:32here we go it's good good looks like the rain did not hold off rain is coming down nothing that
30:44uh some branches and some plastic can't solve though so we have a little shelter here the tents are
30:50have the rain flies on so we should be okay nice and cozy yeah nice and cozy we're gonna try to make
30:54some dinner and uh make the best of it as morning banishes the rain we wake to another day on the
31:08hunt for the city of gold and another welcome meal so kind of leftover soup for breakfast
31:15which is good takes off the cold skies have parted rain is gone so pretty soon
31:21we'll pack up camp and press on into the jungle all right greg what do you think rain today or no
31:27in the evening you can count on it so much for the dry season right
31:33greg's crew is largely peruvian and they still have immense respect for incan traditions during
31:39each expedition it's necessary to pay homage to the abus the lords of the mountains and to pachamama
31:48the earth mother
31:51paulino leads the prayers and together we make an offering of coca leaves
32:10after i take a moment to chat with fernando the youngest member of our team this book is by your
32:15grandfather yes your grandfather was really a great explorer here in peru yes the local community
32:21already knew about the sites but he was the first one to actually document them and share them with
32:27the archaeological community when i was just a little boy he wrote to my grandson so that he may
32:32continue to explore the region of paititi with much love carlos when my grandfather was close to
32:40passing i said to him i will continue to search for el paititi it's my duty as a man of my work to
32:46continue to actually fulfill that promise that i made to him oh we're happy you're here i appreciate
32:50it thanks thank you very much now we just need to find paititi no no pressure no pressure no pressure
32:58with the blessing of the mountain spirits and the inspiration of fernando's story we continue our
33:03trek following the same path the incas took almost 500 years ago we know they crossed the urubamba river
33:10so we descend down into the valley you guys i can hear the water i think we're getting down to it
33:21gnarly normally a peruvian beetle the size of my fist would be enough to send me home
33:26but something bigger catches my eye much bigger greg greg look up on the wall on the wall right there
33:33see it the llamas incredible there are ancient incan symbols painted onto the rock face
33:42unbelievable it is unbelievable so it looks like a whole group of llamas and then these concentric
33:48circles in red above them typically rock art has something to do with travel and movement in that
33:54direction so it probably is indicating this is the way we went this is the way to go that's sort of a
34:00gateway to the paititi lands to the east and to the north so it's like a marker for us to follow
34:07and an indication that there's something big there the llama paintings point to the other side of the
34:12river which means the incas likely crossed here and so will we as i can see the river halfway down
34:24the frigid water rushes over the ancient riverbed
34:27it's a beautiful sight that conceals the danger of the crossing
34:41i'm on an expedition through the peruvian jungle in search of paititi the lost incan city of gold
34:47guys i can see the river
34:48our trek has taken us to the urubamba river but i should always remember to keep my eyes on what's
34:57directly in front of me especially if it's a hornet's nest
35:02the water guys in front of the group stepped on a like a hornet's nest or a wasp's nest we all just got
35:24stung up fernando and i took the brunt of the attack and spend a few painful minutes pulling
35:39stingers out of our arms then it's back on mission to follow the legend and cross the river in the
35:46footsteps of the inca so paulino is going to seek passage across okay so first the wasps now we got
35:54to get across the water paulino plans to tie a rope to the other side so the expedition team can safely
36:04cross we're miles from civilization and the nearest hospital much like the explorers hundreds of years
36:11ago one slip and it's game over
36:22the force of the river is tremendous i can feel the current rushing past my legs
36:26i reached the other side a bit wet very cold but in one piece
36:52with the river behind us we find ourselves in uncharted territory
36:57from here the incas followed primitive trails deep into the peruvian amazon
37:01and we follow in their path we hike and hike and hike and then a break
37:17some sort of habitation or construction it looks like but it's super overgrown
37:22the structure is definitely man-made but is it inca whatever it is the only way to find out is to
37:30climb inside okay that really goes down there doesn't it okay look at this it's a whole house down
37:39here it's a whole structure if the incas built this buried complex it could hold clues to the lost city
37:50the lost city
37:54paulino have you seen this before no has anybody ever seen this maybe not this is new he's going to come
38:02around here except us nuts but look at how fine it is it's a perfect condition yeah and perfect angles
38:09it's kind of like chills is to be able to hack through something drop down into here and yeah see
38:14something that's been neglected for 500 years and now it sees the light of day
38:22oh my god it just keeps going did the incas leave anything behind to tell us where they went from
38:27here more ruins more ruins more ruins everywhere you look it just goes on and on
38:34this is the unknown right here this is a mystery
38:45there's an overgrown trail that leads away from the structure and i'm all too eager to follow it
38:50i don't know if this was an isolated fortress or perhaps it's part of the lost city itself galvanized by
38:56the find we pushed deeper into the unknown whoa whoa big wall look at that this is something oh my god
39:05look at this this is fabulous everywhere i look stacks of ink and stone huge absolutely huge
39:15this is incredible as i hack and slash i'm desperate to find any clues that might connect
39:21this new discovery to the city of gold hey greg come here
39:34i'm climbing high in the andes mountains on an expedition to find the lost incan city of gold
39:39after days of hiking we've stumbled on a colossal set of ruins whoa whoa big wall look at that this is
39:47something now this is something good it doesn't appear to be a gold covered temple but this is
39:52what i came here for the thrill of discovery hey greg come here greg look come here come here look
40:02whoa this is one fine piece look at this so what do we got it's a ceramic piece that would be of high
40:09imperial lincoln style and yet rustic so probably locally made at the time in the markings
40:17it's all representative of as it looks a face face most likely it's hard to believe that the
40:24artifact i'm holding was crafted by ink and hands hundreds of years ago to me you can't put a price
40:30on that so what is this place this site is very unique and you won't find this place documented anywhere
40:38and this is why when i hear people saying all the world has been mapped that's silly yeah because
40:42there's this place is covered this is just so unbelievable greg believes this is part of a site
40:50known as un kayak a massive and largely undocumented incan city until more resources can be devoted to
40:57its excavation it will remain buried in the jungle so better to leave it as it is until it can be
41:02properly managed it's the lesser of two evils i believe than to have a half baked effort that might
41:07attract people to come in and look for artifacts further destroying it and what about paititi is
41:12paititi out there that series of roads that all connect with each other combined with all so many
41:19legends it may not be with a capital p it may not have the treasure of the incas effect it probably
41:23doesn't but there is some site that it all leads to as for us our supplies are running low
41:31it's so tempting to push further and that's exactly why we can't the lost city is a siren and the road
41:39of stone is like her gentle hand pulling explorers deeper into the jungle only to swallow them alive
41:46why do we still want to find paititi is it to celebrate the inca or like pizarro is it for our own
41:53glory for me if i'm being honest it's maybe a bit of both but i'm humbled by the spirit of the inca
42:01which is alive and well in the highlands of peru and we have seen clues that seem to validate the
42:07truth behind the legend as well as seldom seen remote ruins in the end there's one inescapable fact
42:14the incan road system is not fully mapped and like all roads it leads somewhere greg is currently
42:21mounting a new expedition for next year and all i can think of is i just hope he saves me a spot on the team
Comments