Pilgrimage Through the Americas: Expedition to Honduras to Discover a Lost City

The Plan

(October 2013) I ran and boarded the last chicken bus of the night on the border between Guatemala and Honduras -- a remote and dangerous place, with thieves, poisonous snakes, and insects carrying disease and malaria. The Honduran customs agent called me: “Mr. Manuel Grijalva, I need you to get off the bus and follow me.” I grabbed my backpack and got off the bus. It left without me. “Mr. Grijalva, I failed to give you your copy of the tourist card, something you’ll need to present when you leave Honduras. Thank you.” He closed and locked the door to the customs shack, turned off the light and disappeared.


Honduran chicken bus

Mountains & jungles of Honduras

It is very dark in the jungle at night - black as coal. I heard a monkey yelling to its offspring to be careful, and the mosquitoes and other insects started to attack me. I felt a pinch on my cheek. It started to swell up and hurt. There are no more buses or taxis tonight. It’s 10 miles to the nearest town. It’s dangerous to stay in the jungle at night. It’s dangerous to walk on the narrow road at night. What should I do?


River valley of Honduras

Much of Honduras is cover in forest

(March 2016) Hot, humid dark green jungle, clouds of mosquitoes feasting on your sweet blood, and dank brown mud seeping into your boots . . . . excited (?) . . . . Let’s go on an expedition in search of a lost city in the isolated, steamy rain forest valleys of Olancho, Honduras. We’re not hunting for the mythical “Ciudad Blanca Perdida” (the lost white city) or the legendary city of the monkey god. These are cities of indigenous legends and myths. Spaniards, other Europeans, and American adventurers embellished these stories with their own dreams of finding wealth and fame. We’re not pursing these fables.

But, we are chasing ghosts!


17th century map of Honduras; Olancho valley depicted above the R in Honduras

Mayan ruins of Copan in Honduras

Copan: We're not looking for indigenous ruins like this one


One of the kings of Copan

Copan is known for its stylized carvings

We are on a quest to rediscover Villa Hermosa, a Spanish colonial town plundered and razed by indigenous warriors in 1527. It’s been lost to history. My ancestor, explorer Juan de Grijalva, died violently in the battle with natives. Because of ongoing hostilities, Grijalva never received a proper burial. His remains were left in the open and ravaged by animals and time. His tormented spirit haunts the emerald mountains and valleys. If we find the site, we’ll perform a ritual to help his soul rest in peace. I seek to make a connection with his spirit, to discover what happened, what were his final thoughts, and what does he want to pass on to his descendants. I desire to find the location of the battle in order to survey the site. I want to feel any lingering images, smells, sounds, and views at the ruins. If inspired by my “tío” (uncle), I’ll write a historical narrative to give light on this lost history.


Highland colonial city in Honduras

16th century portrait of explorer Juan de Grijalva

The jungle quickly conceals structures; hidden under the tree are Mayan ruins

Honduran valley, similar to Olancho valley where Grijalva's spirit wanders adrift

Olancho valley is dissected by rivers that we'll have to cross

We’ll start our investigation in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. We’ll meet with an expert on colonial history at the National University. In addition, we’ll seek information in museums, archives, and at the National and University libraries. We’ll travel overland to the Olancho Valley where we’ll contract a guide, secure supplies, possibly horses and head into the little visited jungle. We’re traveling light and fast . . . bring lots of insect repellent!