Jungleland
A Mysterious Lost City, a WWII Spy, and a True Story of Deadly Adventure
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Average rating3
The author chronicles his present-day journey to find Ciudad Blanca, the legendary White City rumored to exist in the rain forests of Nicaragua's and Honduras' Mosquito Coast, following in the footsteps of the explorer and World War II spy Theodore Morde, who set out on the same journey on April 6, 1940. Legends, like the jungle, are dense and captivating. Many have sought their fortune or fame down the Rio Patuca -- from Christopher Columbus to present-day college professors -- and many have died or disappeared. What begins as a passing interest slowly turns into an obsession as Stewart pieces together the whirlwind life and mysterious death of Theodore Morde, a man who had sailed around the world five times before he was thirty and claimed to have discovered what he called the Lost City of the Monkey God. Armed with Morde's personal notebooks and the enigmatic coordinates etched on his well-worn walking stick, Stewart sets out to test the jungle himself -- and to test himself in the jungle. As we follow the parallel journeys of Morde and Stewart, the ultimate destination morphs with their every twist and turn. - Jacket flap.
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Modern-day adventurer looks for the fabled White City in Honduras while paralleling his quest with an explorer/spy of WWII. OK of its kind.
Honduras and the fabled city of Ciudad Blanca: the White City. Supposedly discovered by American explored Theodore Morde in 1939, the author decides to make an effort to rediscover it. Published 2013.
The book runs the dual storylines of Morde and the author who follow similar routes through the jungle of La Mosquitia in Honduras seeking the lost city. All the background or Morde before his jungle exploration and his work as a spy and subsequent death before he was able to return to excavate his discovery is covered, as well as the ups and downs of the authors own travel.For Stewart's part, it appears as much about his struggle to settle down in family life than exactly where he is heading.
One conjures up explorers of the Indiana Jones ilk, but the reality is far less glamorous. Hunger, mud, blisters, insects, snakes, long term lack of sleep... Not the same level of glamour. Stewart is in reality not an explorer, not even an outdoorsman. However he pushes himself beyond the reasonable in his jungle efforts, but must remain eternally grateful for the accompaniment of Chris Begley, an archeologist with a lot of actual experience! But really, who doesn't enjoy a jungle exploration book looking for lost cities? The author could have done with toning back the whining a bit - as others have said if he bothered breaking in his boots he would have avoided a lot of the issues.
Comparisons with David Grann's Lost City of Z (which I have read) and Douglas Preston's Lost City of the Monkey God (which I have not read) are both relevant - especially Preston's as this is also based on Morde's discovery.
It was a fairly quick read - short chapters alternating between Morde and the author, no element was dwelled on for too long. Stewart has picked up on a list of interesting characters in his own journey to break up the inevitable repetition of walking, insects and mud - from the many native guides to expat survivalists and recluses, gold hunters and logging pirates. The La Mosquitia jungle appears to be a good place to hide out!
Ultimately there are discoveries, and possible resolutions to some of Morde's mysteries he left, but individual readers would have to assess whether they were satisfied with the outcomes. I would probably need to read Preston's book before making a final judgement.
Like Grann's book, I place this at 3.5 stars, rounding down.
