After the New World was discovered by Christopher Columbus and his crew, tales of their journey quickly spread throughout Europe and other Old World regions, especially those about the legendary city of gold hidden somewhere in the Andes Mountains in South America. They were told that inconceivable treasures awaited those courageous and daring enough to seek this so called …show more content…
Throughout all of the destinations that their journeys took them on in the Americas, they heard captivating stories about this legendary city of gold told from the Indians. Little did they know that these were really exaggerated accounts of El Dorado handed down by the sun-worshipping Chibeha Indians. Some of the Indians spoke of a holy lake full of gold. Others told of meeting a golden chieftain in Omagua. As the tales spread, El Dorado became a city of gold, so much so that it was even shown on maps, though the location varied greatly. In the 1530's, the race was on between the Germans and the Spaniards who each sent several expeditions out into the Andes Mountains to seek the city of gold. The mountains proved to be nearly impossible to pass and many had to turn back when they ran out of