Explorers That Found Ancient Lost City of the Monkey God Almost Lose Their Faces to Flesh-Eating Parasite

Ancient Origins ^ | Updated 17 November, 2024 | Theodoros Karasavvas

[SunkenCiv]

La Ciudad Blanca is a legendary city that was said to be located in the virgin rainforest of Mosquitia in eastern Honduras. Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés reported hearing "trustworthy" information about the ancient ruins, but never located them. In 1927, pilot Charles Lindbergh reported seeing monuments constructed from white stone while flying over eastern Honduras.

By the 1930s, there were rumors of a place in Honduras called the "City of the Monkey God", which was equated with Ciudad Blanca, and in 1939 adventurer Theodore Morde claimed to have found it and brought thousands of artifacts back to the United States to prove it... He never revealed the precise location of his find as he feared the site would be looted, and he died before returning to the site for a proper excavation...

American author Douglas Preston and a group of explorers... consisted of American and Honduran explorers and archeologists, launched their adventure, combing the rainforests of Honduras and Nicaragua in search of the lost city. During the process, they had to deal with poisonous snakes and crawl through thick foliage to find it, but shortly discovering the ruins in 2015, they contracted an extremely dangerous, life-threatening disease: leishmaniasis...

Within the city's ruins, the group of the adventurous and brave explorers found a lot of artifacts – dating back to 1000 and 1500 AD – carved from stone and clay, including trays and a throne. Preston appears to be quite confident that there are more secrets hiding within the White City's ruins, but after almost losing his face and life, he's not in a hurry to go back and continue the excavation, "It's just too dangerous," he said after his doctors informed him that if untreated, parts of his face would "fall off," becoming an open sore...

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TOPICS: History; Science; Travel
KEYWORDS: ancientorigins; charleslindbergh; ciudadblanca; cuidadblanca; curseofthemonkeygod; flesheatingdisease; godsgravesglyphs; honduras; leishmaniasis; lindbergh; sandflies; theodoroskarasavvas; whitecity

[SunkenCiv]

The disease associated with the "Lost City of the Monkey God" is leishmaniasis, a flesh-eating parasitic infection caused by protozoan parasites of the Leishmania genus. During the 2015 expedition to La Ciudad Blanca in Honduras, many members of the exploration team contracted this severe disease, which can cause painful skin sores and, in some forms, progressive damage to the mucous membranes of the nose, mouth, and throat. Untreated, leishmaniasis can lead to severe disfigurement and is notoriously difficult to treat, requiring months of intense medical care.

• A Tropical Parasite, Passed Through the Bite of a Sand Fly, Is Causing Skin Infections in the US [10/22/2023]
• SWEDISH doctors report deadly parasitic disease has doubled since Merkel's 2015 Muslim invasion [05/03/2019]
• Atlantic's Goldberg: Fox News Triggers 'Bible-Readers' With Talk of Immigrant Leprosy [10/30/2018]
• Terrible Disease Traced Back To Syrian Refugees [06/03/2016]
• Graphic Pics: Migrants Fleeing Islamic State Risk Bringing Deadly Flesh Eating Disease To Europe [05/30/2016]
• Syrian refugees are a health hazard to US by bringing flesh-eating leishmaniasis disease [12/27/2015]
• Breaking: Muslim 'Refugees' Caught Carrying New Disease That is Worse Than AIDS [12/22/2015]
• Rare, non-fatal skin disease found in N. Texans[may have migrated north from the Mexican border] [09/14/2007]
• A Small Charity Takes the Reins in Fighting a Neglected Disease [07/31/2006]
• Parasites' genetic code 'cracked' [07/17/2005]
• Baghdad Boil to Return? [05/13/2004]
• Combating a little-known enemy (Iraqi sand fly) [05/10/2004]
• Fighting Deadly Desert Bugs [03/08/2004]
• Some soldiers can't donate (leishmaniasis threatens military's blood supply) [02/12/2004]
• US soldiers in Iraq infected with skin disease [12/06/2003]
• Hundreds of U.S. Troops Infected by Parasite Borne by Sand Flies, Army Says [12/06/2003]
• 'Baghdad Boil' disease afflicts 148 GIs in Iraq [12/05/2003]
• Skin lesions afflict troops in Iraq [12/05/2003]
• Skin disease infects U.S. soldiers in Iraq [10/27/2003]

[SunkenCiv]

• Honduras to make archeological dig for mysterious 'White City' [01/09/2016]
• Ancient 'lost city' home to a vanished civilisation found deep in jungles of Honduras [03/03/2015]
• Found With Lasers: Ciudad Blanca, Mysterious 'White City' of Honduras [05/18/2013]
• LiDAR survey 'finds' lost Honduran 'city of gold' [05/15/2013]

[Salamander]

Okay.

So today is one of those days where I’m glad I didn’t grow up to be an archeologist.

😑

[SunkenCiv]

Sounds like the flesh-eating parasite has a form of Doordash to carry it to every open borders country in the world.

[Disambiguator]

Since I have a twisted sense of humor, the mention of flesh eating and monkeys made me think of this.

[BenLurkin]

At least it wasn’t snakes. I hate snakes.

[mass55th]

I’m a fan of Preston and Child’s Pendergast series. Have also read some of their trilogy series and many of their stand-alone books. “The Lost City of the Monkey God” was one of them. Quite a while ago, Amazon had a special on it in Kindle format so I took the plunge. Besides skin eating parasites, they had to be extremely careful of the Fer de Lance snake, a highly venomous pit viper species.

[mass55th]

"At least it wasn’t snakes. I hate snakes."

LOL!! Check out my comment below yours.

[BradyLS]

By the 1930s, there were rumors of a place in Honduras called the "City of the Monkey God", which was equated with Ciudad Blanca, and in 1939 adventurer Theodore Morde claimed to have found it and brought thousands of artifacts back to the United States to prove it... He never revealed the precise location of his find as he feared the site would be looted, and he died before returning to the site for a proper excavation...

”I…I didn’t loot anything. I brought all this stuff back for science.”

[Salamander]

😆😆😆😆😆😆

TV used to be so great.

[Salamander]

/makes note to NEVER Door dash ANYTHING

[Salamander]

If you like bizarre movies, try to find “Scotland, PA”

Filmed low budget and not that far from me and the most wonky Macbeth version, ever.

[BenLurkin]

It’s an obscure Indiana Jones reference.

[Salamander]

Sorry.

Should have been “ set not that far from me”.

[Salamander]

Obscure = iconic?

[mass55th]

"It’s an obscure Indiana Jones reference."

Yeah, I knew that.

[BenLurkin]

Something like that.

[doorgunner69]

A few short treks through the triple canopy rain forest in Panama was enough to never want to be near that stuff again.

Do not touch anything or your skin will let you know.
Flies that lay eggs under your skin.

Instant sweat soaked cloths.

[ponygirl]

Not particularly obscure.

[waterhill]

Mr. Preston saving face.