Travellers’ Tales goes in search of Eldorado, the City of Gold, and its legendary riches. But how to get there poses a problem for writer Charles Nicholl.
Although the quest for the dream city is an ancient one (Sir Walter Raleigh led the way in 1595), the history and mythology surrounding its existence are as tangled as the jungle itself. Following the Elizabethan’s trail, Nicholl sets sail into the myriad channels of the Orinoco delta. Traversing some of the world’s most spectacular terrain by boat, aeroplane and foot, he ventures deep into the Venezuelan jungle, encountering a number of nomadic eccentrics on the way. Finally, an Eldorado is found, but not quite the secret city of gold Nicholl had imagined.
