The Mysterious Cities of Gold
In the year 1532, Mendoza, a Spanish Navigator; Estaban, a young orphan; Zia, a young Incan girl; and a band of Spanish sailors set sail from Barcelona in search of El Dorado, the Mysterious City of Gold. Each is on a personal quest of discovery, heritage, and wealth.
Genre: Action and Adventure, Animation, Children
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Episode 39
The End of the City of Gold
aired: Tue, Jul 14, 2009
Menator and Kalmec return to their base and place the great treasure from the City of Gold inside a solar reactor. The High Priest of the City of Gold is most anxious. He knows that the slightest error in controlling the great treasure will set off a succession of terrible events. Only Tao’s jar can prevent such disaster, he tells our friends, for it is really the key to the control mechanism of the great treasure. So when the Olmecs, sure enough, make a mistake with the operation of the great treasure, and what remains of their base starts to melt, the Mayans make a stretcher for the wounded High Priest, and take him to the Mountain of the Burning Shield. Already the ill-effects of the great treasure can be seen, with toxic gases killing plants and animals. On approaching the mountain the Priest orders the rest of the party to turn back, and he continues alone. Mendoza learns from the Indians at of the City of Gold that the High Priest is none other than Esteban’s father – but chooses to keep this information to himself, knowing that the news would be too much for Esteban to bear. The weak High Priest ventures deep into the foundations of the destroyed Olmec base to find the great treasure burning its way into the earth. He manages to place Tao’s jar in centre of the great treasure, but seems to be killed when the machine shuts down. The next morning, the City of Gold has completely disappeared. Pedro and Sancho are heartbroken to have none of the gold but Mendoza has a surprise for them - he had time to pick up a few nuggets, enough for them to be able to achieve great wealth and success at home. Esteban, Tao and Zia decide to continue alone on their adventures and find the other Cities of Gold around the world, while Mendoza, Pedro and Sancho vow to return home to Spain. They agree to go their separate ways but to meet once more at the little tavern in Barcelona where Mendoza and Esteban first met.
Episode 38
The Great Legacy
aired: Tue, Jul 14, 2009
Menator orders the Olmec flying machine to break up into smaller craft, and one segment destroys the outer gate of the City of Gold. Mendoza, Pedro and Sancho use this as their opportunity to enter the City. Inside, Kalmec looks for the great treasure. Fighting beaks out between the Olmecs and the children, but Mendoza comes to the rescue just in time to restrain Kalmec. In a terrible act of treachery, Kalmec brutally stabs the High Priest and seizes the great treasure. In doing so, he sets off a security system that protects the City and proceeds to the destroy the Olmec flying machine. Menator is wounded, but he and Kalmec manage to escape in what remains of their flying machine. The friends regroup and are overjoyed to be met by Wynacocha and Myeena, who has brought Tao’s jar, and Kokapetl.
Episode 37
The City of Gold
aired: Tue, Jul 14, 2009
Mendoza is reunited with Pedro and Sancho. He explains how he spotted an island in middle of the lake at the exact spot indicated by Papacamayo as the site of the City of Gold. But Menator has also spotted the island… Esteban and Zia wake up on the same island, having been rescued by the Indians there. A mysterious masked High Priest explains how they were expected, and leads them to the gates of the City of Gold. Gaspard and Gomez meanwhile, swim to the island. Mendoza, Sancho and Pedro have the same idea, and after leaving Wynacocha to find reinforcements from his village, begin to also swim out. As the High Priest shows Esteban and Zia the gates to the Cities of Gold that they alone can open with their medallions, the Olmec flying machine approaches the exterior gate. Menator demands access and threatens the life of his prisoner, Tao, by swinging him out of the flying machine on a rope. The High Priest explains that only Esteban and Zia, as holders of the keys, can make the decision to open the doors. They agree but insist Menator first frees Tao. The High Priest tells them the history of the Cities of Gold and the medallions, explaining the context of the destruction of the mighty civilisations that built them and the gravitas of the decision which now faces the two children. Irrespective of the danger they face, the protection of their friend Tao is paramount and Esteban and Zia don’t hesitate to open the doors to the Mysterious Cities of Gold. The episode ends as they marvel at the wonderful sight that finally lies before them.
Episode 36
Aerial Pursuit
aired: Tue, Jul 14, 2009
As the Olmec flying machine rises into the air from the depths of the Burning Shield, the Mayan soldiers flee, terrified. It begins to wreak havoc, killing retreating soldiers with a powerful rays of light. Esteban, Tao and Mendoza hurry back towards the golden condor, determined to free Zia - even though they still have no idea how. So begins an amazing, if unequal, combat in mid-air. The golden condor flies above the Olmec machine and Esteban and Tao drop down on top of it. They find an entrance and head towards the control room. Mendoza is left wrestling with the controls of the Condor and has to crash-land in a forest. Not knowing that Esteban and Tao are already disembarked, and somewhat closer to home than they realise, Menator commands the Olmec flying machine to land near to the condor and soldiers to find the children. In the control room, Esteban and Tao knock the Olmec pilots out and Tao takes to the controls. Unaccustomed to this new machine, his clumsy attempts to fly the craft soon attract Menator’s attention. He sends Kalmec to investigate, and a desperate fight with daggers drawn ensues before Esteban makes it into the room where Menator has Zia held captive. Esteban holds Menator at knifepoint, but the Olmecs start to break through the sealed door. Esteban and Zia escape by jumping from a smashed window - they plunge into the lake below, finally escaping from Menator’s clutches - but leaving Tao behind, a prisoner.
Episode 35
The Olmec Machine
aired: Tue, Jul 14, 2009
Esteban, Zia and Tao are waiting outside the base when Gaspard and Gomez take them by surprise and again demand to be taken to the Cities of Gold. Wynacocha arrives to announce their victory to Mendoza, who becomes very anxious when he cannot find the children. They have entered the base with Gaspard and Gomez who believe it is the entrance to the Cities of Gold. Menator lures them all deeper and deeper into the base until they reach the suspended animaton room… At last, Mendoza, Pedro and Sancho come to the rescue, but they are not in time to prevent Zia being borne off by Menator as his captive. A terrible earthquake suddenly reduces the Olmec base and the mountain of the Burning Shield to little more than rubble. The friends escape, but without Zia. Suddenly, a huge and terrible war machine emerges from the ruins, flying into the air…
Episode 34
Revolt of the Mayas
aired: Tue, Jul 14, 2009
At dawn, the Mayas attack the Olmecs. And in the village, Tao and Esteban prepare the golden condor to join the battle. Things are going badly for the Mayas at the Olmec base until Mendoza, Pedro and Sancho arrive with two hastily-constructed wooden combat towers. Having never seen anything like it, the Mayas find a new energy, join the three Spaniards in the towers, and the battle continues.Meanwhile, Gaspard and Gomez arrive at the village and spot the golden condor. They try to force the children to fly them to the City of Gold but are outwitted by the children and the village women. Esteban, Tao and Zia take off for the Olmec base, with the two Spaniards clinging on, underneath and unseen. At the Burning Shield, one of Mendoza’s battle towers is set on fire – but when the Olmecs see the golden condor appear, they begin to lose their nerve. Tao and Esteban release the arsenal of stones they are carrying and the Olmecs retreat terrified into their base. Inside, Menator does not despair, and he promises his commander Kalmec the revelation of a hitherto hidden power. The golden condor lands outside, and Gaspard and Gomez fall to the ground. The episode ends as the children wait for news of Wynacocha and those who have entered the base.
Episode 33
The Reunion
aired: Tue, Jul 14, 2009
The golden condor lands in the village. A crowd has gathered around the injured Papacamayo and Mendoza tells the children what has happened. Recognising her father, Zia falls into his arms and the two are reunited. He tells his daughter that he will now reveal the secret of the Cities of Gold, and tells how it all began when Pizarro first discovered the golden quipu. Whilst looking for him, Pizarro had the village attacked and many of the people massacred. Zia was captured and taken back to Spain, and Papacamayo vowed to find the Cities of Gold before Pizarro. He reveals to them that the entrance to the City can be found between the Mountain of the Burning Shield and the three ruined cities. He then warns them that inside the city is a priceless treasure that must never fall into the hands of the Olmecs. His secret told, Papacamayo then passes away, much to everyone’s distress. Meanwhile in the Olmec base there is panic – energy is running low. They must urgently find the great treasure hidden in the Cities of Gold in order to continue their work. Back in the village of the New Sun, Papacamayo’s funeral rites are observed. Then Wynacocha, Esteban and Tao set off to try to persuade the other Mayan chiefs to join their fight against the tyranny of the Olmecs. But all is in vain: Wynacocha and his men will have to fight alone. The children, however, pledge their allegiance and Mendoza too is willing to help, if only to prove how a Spaniard too can do battle. Finally, all the Mayan tribes change their minds and come together to fight after all.
Episode 32
Attack of the Olmecs
aired: Tue, Jul 14, 2009
The Olmecs head for Wynacocha’s village to attack it. The children become separated from Mendoza, Pedro and Sancho in their flight, and in the jungle they come across Gaspard and Gomez, whom they believed were dead. They have now left Pizarro’s army and are searching for the Cities of Gold themselves. The children lie that Mendoza, Pedro and Sancho have been killed by the Olmecs and they engage their help to avenge their deaths by assisting the recovery of the golden condor. Meanwhile, Mendoza, Pedro and Sancho have returned to Wynacocha’s village. When they learn that Zia is Papacamayo’s daugther, they go to look for her. But then the Olmecs attack – and Mendoza offers to help the villagers by building a barrier across the passage which leads to the village. The Doctor and Marinché have led the Olmecs to the golden condor. They are frightened away, however, by Gaspard and Gomez and the cannon that they stole from Pizarro’s army. While Gaspard fights the Olmecs, the others climb aboard the golden condor. They wait for the sun to rise and then take off. The Olmecs are terrified to see it fly and flee for their lives. Gaspard and Gomez - clinging to the condor as it rises - are thrown clear and land in a tree! The situation at Wynacocha’s village is desperate. Papacamayo rises from his bed to help fight but is severely wounded. But then the golden condor appears in the sky above the village and the attacking Olmecs flee, terrified.
Episode 31
The Village of the New Sun
aired: Tue, Jul 14, 2009
Fleeing, the friends are soon surrounded again - but a shower of arrows attacks the Olmecs, who scatter. The group’s saviours are Wynacocha, Myeena’s fiancée, and his men. Wynacocha’s tribe, Myeena explains, is the only one to have sworn to oppose the Olmecs by any means. While Wynacocha is suspicious of the three Spaniards, but Myeena vouches for them. At the village, Myeena explains that her father chose the site to be safe from the Olmecs. She adds that really he is her adoptive father, who arrived in their village five years ago and took her on because she had no parents. She claims that he is as knowledgeable as a Spaniard and has travelled a great deal… Mendoza reasons that his man might know something about the Cities of Gold but Wynacocha explains that no stranger may go near him. Wynacocha goes to see the old chief, who is ill in bed. He explains to him how he wishes to attack the Olmecs in order to rouse the other tribes into action but the old man begs him to wait until he has recovered. At the Olmec base, The Doctor and Marinché have been taken prisoner! They tell Menator that they come in friendship, to offer the gift of a giant golden statue they have found. It is, of course, the golden condor they have found – and they need help to move it. Esteban and Zia help Myeena to pick medicinal herbs for her father and sadly think about their own respective fathers. That night, Pedro and Sancho decide to go and see the old chief in order to learn something of the Cities of Gold. With their usual clumsiness, they fall through the Old Chief’s roof and Wynacocha is furious. He has them all imprisoned. Mendoza learns that they are to be executed, and that the golden condor is now in the hands of the Olmecs, so decides to flee whatever the cost. He orders Sancho and Pedro to set their cabin on fire to distract the guards and everyone runs away - just as the Old Chief learns of Zia’s presence from Myeena, and reveals that Zia is his daughter!
Episode 30
Season 1 Episode 30
aired: Thu, Dec 11, 2008
Back in the Olmec base, the friends learn that their crystal tower combines natural heat and light and produces energy. They are told that by increasing the power supply to the heart of the crystal, the Olmecs can cause the volcano to erupt and change the weather! Tao has heard of a similar device, from the manuscripts of his people. He warns the others to beware. The friends are led before Menator, the chief of the Olmecs, who orders them to tell all they know about the Cities of Gold. Myeena, a young Indian girl, appears with Kokapetl, carrying Tao’s jar and his encyclopaedia. Menator wants to know the secret of the jar but Tao doesn’t know anything about it. Menator therefore orders his commander, Kalmec, to take away the adults and return the children to the nurses. Mendoza, Pedro and Sancho are sent to clean out a giant sewage tank and the children are led off by the nurses. They protest, Tao tries to get his jar back and then Esteban makes an attempt to escape - but is suddenly zapped unconscious by a ray emerging from the Crystal Tower. Menator orders that the children be placed in a state of suspended animation, for they seem eager to escape and may hurt themselves in the process, and that would hold up the experiments they wish to conduct. Whilst emptying out the sewage tank, Mendoza, Pedro and Sancho realise that the drain is a possible exit. They knock out their Olmec guard out and flee, meeting Myeena on the way. She tells them where the children are and also tells them how she is really a Maya, kidnapped from her village and now a slave to the Olmecs. She begs the three men to take her with them. Mendoza sets off to save the children. When the nurses try to start the suspended animation process, it does not work. Mendoza has sabotaged everything - by altering levers he causes several Olmec electrocutions. In the confusion, he rescues the children and everyone flees.
Episode 29
The Burning Shield
aired: Tue, Jul 14, 2009
Heading through the jungle, Esteban and his friends spot the mountain they are looking for and suddenly Tao’s jar begins to glow. Esteban wants to approach the mountain to investigate further, and Mendoza agrees because he knows that the jar is closely linked to the Cities of Gold. The group comes to a dead end when suddenly a torrent of water comes flooding in their direction. Kokapetl warns of the danger and they leave, following a secret passage. It brings them into quite a strange place – the base of the Olmecs. Tao’s jar begins to glow again. As they are look for an exit, they see a strange machine, which Tao surmises exists perhaps to transfer geothermic energy into a motor force. Pressing on, Esteban and his friends arrive at a temple where they see a huge statue, and a sudden voice calls to them: “Stay where you are! Do not go away! You are most welcome. I am the god of the Olmecs, the soul of the olmecs. You are standing in the one and only center of the Olmecs. The place is called Apuchee.” Tao has never heard this name in the manuscripts and suggests they flee - but suddenly they are thrown to the ground. After a long while they come round, stretched out on benches with Olmec nurses examining them. The three frightened children notice inanimate bodies alongside them, in glass cases. The chief of the Olmecs, Menator, explains to them that these men are not dead but have been sleeping for a long time and will now wake up thanks to his new idea of transplanting cells taken from their bodies. He orders them to be taken away and well guarded. Mendoza, Pedro and Sancho find the children, attack the guards and the group flees the Olmec base together. They emerge in a lush landscape, with Mendoza recognizing the place where the golden condor crashed.
Episode 28
The Forest of Statues
aired: Tue, Jul 14, 2009
On their way to the forest of stone statues, they spot the Doctor and Marinché in the company of Tetiola, who is now free. Mendoza suggests they leave them alone, as they are ignorant of the discovery of the latest manuscript. Kokapetl finds a huge river and Mendoza suggests that they build a raft and follow the river, since it seems to be flowing in the direction they want to take. This they do, and float peacefully downstream until they come to rapids, which break up the raft and then to a massive waterfall, which some of them tumble down. The friends reconvene at the bottom of the waterfall. They discover the forest of statues that they are looking for. Pedro and Sancho discover some golden dust. Mendoza and the children investigate, and they find a passage which they decide to follow. They discover a temple where they find a statue of a plumed serpent lying shattered on the ground. Tao thinks that only a great heat could have brought such a statue down. On a large door they then notice engravings representing the winged serpent. Tao suggests that Esteban use his medallion to aim the sun’s rays at the engravings. This he does and sure enough, they eyes of the serpent begin to gleam, and the door collapses, taking with it the sections of the wall on either side. A golden statue is revealed, holding a further manuscript between its hands. Kokapetl fetches it and gives it to Tao who interprets it. Tao is furious - he does not understand the message. Suddenly Esteban notices that some letters of the manuscript have faded. Tao decides that they may not all been written in the same ink, and so soaks the manuscripts in water. A new message appears – “to the west of the land of the Mayas, look for the mountain of the Burning Shield”. Our friends set out once more, growing ever closer to the Cities of Gold.
Episode 27
The Doors of Night
aired: Tue, Jul 14, 2009
The friends are venturing through a windy gap in some enormous cliffs, when a large rock falls from on high, narrowly missing Mendoza. It is followed by many smaller ones. They manage to escape from this avalanche when Zia notices a passage. Led by Esteban, they proceed along the passage until they emerge at a ruined city, where they find another statue. “This is certainly the city built by the winged serpent”, says Tao. Then without warning, a huge stone falls from the top of the temple, just missing the friends. Soon they hear Zia shouting for help - she has been captured by the Doctor and Marinché. To save Zia, Mendoza has to surrender his weapons. The Doctor then takes the three children off to another temple, where he forces Tao to read the Mayan inscriptions on a statue of a jaguar. To save his friends, Tao has to comply. Satisfied, the Doctor and Marinché announce that the children will remain their prisoners until such time as Tao can decipher the translation further. Esteban takes off his medallion and directs rays of sunlight onto the face of the jaguar statue. Its eyes begin to blink and the statue slowly moves, bringing into view a staircase, which the group descends. During this time, Mendoza, Pedro and Sancho are prisoners outside, under the watchful eye of Tetiola. They effect an escape, tie up Tetiola and set off to find the children. The children, meanwhile, have found an earthenware statue with a manuscript in its hand. The Doctor goes to grab it but the ground beneath him starts to sink. Tao shoves Marinché and she too falls into the descending pit. It is Kokapetl who flies over and retrieves the manuscript! Leaving the temple, the children are reunited with Mendoza, Pedro and Sancho. Tao reeds the manuscript: “the keys to the City of Gold are hidden in the three manuscripts to be found in the three different cities”.
Episode 26
The Swamps
aired: Tue, Jul 14, 2009
Under a burning sun, Esteban and his friends cross the plain of the land of the Mayas. They are looking for the Swamp of the Rain God, as mentioned in the manuscript. The Doctor and Marinché have followed and try to overtake them by following a mountainside path – but they are attacked by an eagle and fall into a ravine. Esteban and his friends are then attacked by the same eagle which the Doctor shoots and kills with his pistol. In return for saving them he asks for their help him in escaping the ravine where they are trapped. Reluctantly Mendoza throws them a rope, having first taken the precaution of disarming the Doctor. As Marinché knows the region well, Mendoza suggests she guide them to the prairie that the manuscript speaks of, threatening her all the time with his weapon. Once there, the friends abandon the Doctor and Marinché, who watch as they press on. Marinché knows that the famous prairie that Mendoza and his friends are looking for is nothing more than a treacherous swamp - full of alligators… Soon the friends are under attack. Mendoza shoots and kills an alligator, but they are surrounded by a whole group. They try to find them off until in desperation Zia suggests that they cross the swamp on one of the giant leaves that are strewn everywhere. While some of them row as hard as they can, the others continue the fight against the alligators. Soon they can see trees on the horizon and at last they find dry land. They spot a huge statue and Zia wonders if the statue represents the Rain God. Tao thinks she is right.
Episode 25
The Lake of Gold
aired: Tue, Jul 14, 2009
Esteban, Zia and Tao find a lake with what appears to be a gold lining at the bottom. They investigate but are captured by a group of Indians, led by the Doctor and Marinché. It seems that they have desecrated a holy lake and will now be sacrificed in a ceremony of purification! Whilst imprisoned, a woman secretly brings them food and Zia learns from her that her father, Papacamayo, once came through the village. He asked the chief to show him their manuscript and then continued on his travels, in search of the Cities of Gold. Tao realises that there is something in common between this manuscript and the one they found, which Marinché now has. Mendoza, Pedro and Sancho, guided by Kokapetl, arrive at the edge of the lake to witness the ceremony of purification. They watch as the Indians throw their precious gems and treasures into the water. Realising that they are on an artificial wall which holds back the waters of the lake, they decide to breach it, so that during the night the lake will empty and flood the village, allowing them to collect the gems and treasures without anyone being able to follow them. The next day the children, as prisoners awaiting sacrifice, hear a great noise and find themselves suddenly surrounded by water. They see Mendoza, Pedro and Sancho and realise that they have deliberately broken the dam. They escape through a crack in a wall as their prison begins to crumble and they join the three men, guided by Kokapetl who has also recovered the manuscript from Marinché.
Episode 24
The Manuscript
aired: Tue, Jul 14, 2009
Tao returns to the underground chamber to investigate the jade mask. Looking into the eyes of the mask, he sees inscriptions that he can read. He presses on the stones indicated by the inscriptions and suddenly the ground rises up, revealing a large stone sarcophagus. After debating whether to open it, the children inside find a manuscript. Emerging from of the ruins, the children are then taken prisoner by an odd couple, Dr Fernando Leguerra and Marinché, who are also searching for the Cities of Gold. Seeing the manuscript, Marinché seizes it and begins to read. She also takes his precious golden jar. Tao gets Kokapetl to undo the ropes holding him prisoner, and once free sets about releasing his friends. The three children make for the temple where the Doctor and Marinché are interpreting the manuscript. Despite their best efforts, the children are again captured – but fortunately Mendoza arrives in the nick of time to and threatens to strangle the Doctor unless the children are not released. The three children flee and leave Mendoza, Pedro and Sancho to escape in their own way.
Episode 23
The Jade Mask
aired: Tue, Jul 14, 2009
The golden condor flies over the sea towards the land of the Mayas. Suddenly losing height, the bird flies down to the ground and into an immense cavern. The nose of the bird goes down to pierce an opening in the rocks, revealing a staircase that the friends proceed to climb. They emerge to find a ruined city and set off to explore. Kokapetl signals that he has found something – a statue of a winged serpent, bearing an inscription which resembles the writings of the Hiva people. Tao shows that the winged serpent must have been a god of the former inhabitants of the city. Carefully studying the inscriptions, Tao tells his friends, “a long time ago, in the land of the Mayas, lived a very intelligent man who knew the sky and the earth. They called him the Winged Serpent and apparently,” says Tao, “he made a sort of giant oven”. Suddenly Pedro and Sancho cry out. While trying to tear a jade mask from the wall where it is mounted, they have triggered some kind of security mechanism. The walls begin to crumble, the inscriptions disappear, and exits are closed. Fortunately Kokapetl finds a way out for them, and the friends find themselves back where they started. From what Tao could understand, the inhabitants of the city had all departed for the Cities of Gold. But why, and where are they?
Episode 22
The Mirror of the Moon
aired: Tue, Jul 14, 2009
In the Queen’s palace, the friends are well looked after. However, the Priestess Omoro remains very hostile and tries to persuade the Queen that having failed to sacrifice Esteban and his friends, they must now sacrifice Morca, one of her own servants. Morca begs Esteban him to save her. She tells him how Omoro has sought to overthrow the Queen for many years and how she is untouchable because only she has the power to speak to the Rain God and cause it to rain. Tao is sceptical and indeed, in the temple where Omoro speaks to the god, he finds that she actually uses a barometer-like device which calculates atmospheric pressure and thus predicts rainfall. Meanwhile, Pedro, Sancho and Mendoza find a way to escape. Everyone climbs aboard a raft and they make for the golden condor. Suddenly the giant anaconda, the Amazon’s sacred snake, rears out of the water and attacks. Paola, one of the Queen’s soldiers kills the anaconda. Omoro is furious and demands Paola’s life as a sacrifice for having killed the sacred anaconda, which protected the Amazons against attacks from the tribes downstream. Omoro decrees that without this sacrifice, the city will be overcome by a violent storm. Mendoza dismisses Omoro’s dire warnings, claiming that Esteban's powers will prevail. A deal is struck - if the storm comes that night, the Queen must leave; if not, Omoro will leave. Omoro returns to her temple, only to discover that her device has given a false prediction, thanks to Tao’s efforts. Realising that there will be no storm, she flees during the night, telling the hostile tribes downstream that the sacred anaconda is dead and they can attack without fear. By dawn, there has been no storm and the tribes are already making their way up the river… The women use the Queen's giant mirror to reflect sunlight onto the golden condor, powering it to take off and so force the attacking tribes into retreat. In the air once more, the party flies north.
Episode 21
The Amazons
aired: Tue, Jul 14, 2009
The golden condor flies over the Amazon forest. Esteban flies low so that they can all admire the river - but suddenly the sky is covered with cloud that hides the sun. The condor, no longer finding any energy to power its flight, falls lower and lower, despite Esteban’s valiant efforts at the controls. Finally, it crashes in the jungle. Mendoza speculates what wild beasts might lie in threat in the forest, when suddenly a giant anaconda emerges from the river and throws itself at the Condor with such force that the friends are thrown clear. They have hardly picked themselves up when they meet a jaguar. To escape this second threat, the group hurries down a dark passageway formed by the roots of a gigantic tree. Amazingly they emerge into an enchanted land. While the children admire the view, a drum beat rings out and two warlike women appear before them: Amazons. The women ask them to follow, threatening them all the while with their weapons. The six friends are greeted by an old priestess, Omoro, who announces that they are sacrificed to appease the wrath of the Rain God. Confronted with this, Mendoza tells her that Esteban has the power to make the sun appear. Omoro does not believe, but the Queen interrupts and requests that Esteban be given a chance. Omoro reluctantly agrees, and Esteban begs the sun to appear. It does, the storm calms and the Queen, now conviced that Esteban is indeed the child of the sun, decides to recognise his power. She receives them all with the warmest hospitality.
Episode 20
The Spaniards’ Cannon
aired: Tue, Jul 14, 2009
Esteban and his friends fly towards the High Peak – Machu Picchu - where they hope to tell Kraka everything that has happened to them. Mendoza, for his part, hopes that Kraka will show them the way to the land of the Mayas. From the air, they see that Gomez and his soldiers have built a bridge over the valley and are now preparing to attack the Fort of the Black Eagle. The children fly low in the condor, so destroying the bridge and causing the Spaniards to lose the cannon with which they were going to attack. In the meantime, Kraka and the villagers have built a wall to prevent the Spanish soldiers from entering the village. Gomez and his men discover where Kraka and the villagers are hiding and they prepare to blast through the wall with gunpowder. The explosion however, opens a fault line in the mountain and water bursts out, flooding everything. Reunited with Kraka, Esteban first questions him about the land of the Mayas, and then Mayuka. But Mayuka can only tell them that “the only man who knows that country is Papacamayo of Puna.” At this, Zia reveals that Papacamayo of Puna is none other than her father!
Episode 19
The Nazca Plateau
aired: Tue, Jul 14, 2009
Esteban and his friends are airborne in the golden condor. While they have no idea how to pilot it, they eventually realise that it is following the course of the sun. At last, the giant bird lands on a deserted plain where Esteban sees gigantic animals etched into the ground. While the three children and Mendoza set off to examine the strange designs, Pedro and Sancho try to remove the emblem of the sun from the control cabin. In doing so, they set off a mechanism which causes a lever to appear. After pushing and pulling it, they realise that his is the main control for flying the golden condor! Pizarro’s men, who have spotted the golden condor, surprise Esteban and his friends while they sleep. The Governor wants Esteban to show him how to fly the Condor, and threatens cut off the heads of Zia and Tao should he flee. Esteban demonstrates and then, thanks to Mendoza’s cunning, the entire group escapes again when Pizarro and his men are blinded by rays of the rising sun, reflected by the golden condor!
Episode 18
Maiden Flight of the Great Condor
aired: Tue, Jul 14, 2009
Having fallen asleep beside the golden condor, Esteban and his friends are awoken by an earthquake. While Mendoza, Pedro and Sancho head below the temple to try to discover what is happening, Esteban and Tao climb up the condor to look a quipu that Kokapetl has discovered in the giant bird’s beak. Suddenly overcome by dizziness, Esteban falls – landing in the control cabin of the Condor. Zia deciphers the message of the quipu, which tells them that a danger is closing in, all the inhabitants have already left for the land of the Mayas, and that in the event of danger, the golden condor will come to their aid. Meanwhile, Pedro and Sancho discover a secret passage which leads them deep underground where they discover boiling lava. They realise it is a crater that is about to erupt and so run back up to the temple as the earth trembles under their feet. Before long, the ceiling of the temple gives way and sunlight floods in, shining on the emblem of the wall, which begins to turn and reflects the light back onto the golden condor. The head of the bird begins to move up and down as the walls of the temple crumble around them. As the friends take refuge in the condor’s control cabin, a last massive eruption completely destroys the temple and fires the condor high into the sky. Hardly knowing what to do, our friends have the idea of placing their medallions in the controls of the condor. This seems to set off a mechanism and the golden bird begins to fly!
Episode 17
The Great Condor
aired: Tue, Jul 14, 2009
Heading for the mountains of Pacha Mama, Esteban and his friends again come across Karuga who has now been wounded. He has been abandoned by his people because he failed in his attack on Lana’s village. Taking pity on him, the children give him their water. To thank them, Karuga tells them that the Urubus are preparing to capture Zia, to offer her up as sacrifice to Pacha Mama. He advises them to escape through the Valley of the Dead, where the Urubus never dare venture. The little group crosses the valley with some difficulty but nevertheless does manage to escape. As night falls on the Andes, Esteban suddenly notices a bright light in the sky. He is sure that it must be a star mentioned by Mayuka at the High Peak. He told them to place their medallions there, decreeing that “the moment the two medallions leave the Moon Goddess and are placed on the chest of the Goddess of the Earth, the gate of the City of Gold will open”. Finding a statue of the goddess Pacha Mama, exactly where they expected it to be, Zia and Esteban place their medallions into it. As they do so the wall opens and behind, the friends see a temple where they notice an emblem of the sun identical to the one on their medallions. Esteban removes the central section of the emblem and a beam of bright light shines from it, then a giant golden condor rises up in the middle of the temple, much to the amazement of all.
Episode 16
The Urubus
aired: Tue, Jul 14, 2009
Back at the High Peak – Machu Picchu - Esteban, Zia and Tao find Mendoza, Pedro and Sancho with Chief Kraka. Offering to guide them, the three Spaniards set off with the children to find the Cities of Gold. But Kraka is wary of Mendoza and also sends Weyna and several soldiers to escort them. On the way the group is attacked by the Urubu giants and their huge bronze arrows, but they escape with the help of Weyna and the soldiers. Pressing on, the children come across a fainted girl. This is Lana, who was been kidnapped by the Urubus as an offering to Pacha Mama, the Goddess of the Earth. Our friends return Lana to her home where they are given a warm welcome by her father. Mendoza questions him about the Cities of Gold but he has never heard of them. Before long, the Urubus attack the village, which is built on an island of floating reeds, and they bear Lana off again. In spite of Pedro and Sancho’s fear, the children refuse to abandon their new friends. And once again it is Tao’s idea that enables them to save the village and take Kuruga, the Urubu chief, prisoner. Kuruga begs Esteban for his life and tells them that “the Oracle revealed to us that the Goddess Pacha Mama must have her sacrifice or she will pour the fire of her anger down on the Urubus”. Hearing this, Tao suddenly remembers the words of Kraka, the chief of the High Peak, who told them that it was the goddess Pacha Mama who protected the gates of the Cities of Gold. Kuruga shows them the way and the friends set off again, convinced that they have at last found the mountain bearing the Cities of Gold.
Episode 15
The Subterranean Secret
aired: Tue, Jul 14, 2009
Esteban and his friends are trapped along with Mendoza, Pedro and Sancho in the Fort of the Black Eagle, which is now surrounded by Gomez’s men. Our friends attack the Spanish twice. First they draw up the stolen cannon, but the ammunition runs out very quickly. They then begin to use vases filled with gun powder as cannonballs. These unexpected attacks take Gomez’s men by surprise and they draw back but, determined to take the Fort, they attack again. Mendoza and Yupani advise the three children to flee to the High Peak. Gaspard almost catches them and a long chase begins, through a dark place inhabited only by bats. Tao discovers a secret passage which leads them up towards daylight, and the children recognise the path leading to the High Peak when they emerge. They seem to be safe this time. But what adventures await them now that they have both medallions, which will allow them to open the gates of the Cities of Gold?
Episode 14
Esteban’s Medallion
aired: Tue, Jul 14, 2009
With Tao’s conclusions and calculations, the friends now know where the City of Gold is, but first they have to get the other half of Esteban’s medallion from Mendoza. So the three children set off back to the Fort of the Black Eagle, accompanied by Weyna and Ketcha. For their part, Mendoza, Pedro and Sancho want to get to the High Peak - but without Gomez. They seize an opportunity to steal Gomez’s cannon and pursued by Spanish soldiers, run into Weyna and Ketcha, who lead them to Yupani in the Fort of the Black Eagle. Mendoza tries to tell Yupani that he stole the cannon for him, but Weyna and Ketcha overheard him telling Gomez that the men in the Fort of the Black Eagle were preparing an ambush. Menoza’s hoax revealed, Yupani prepares to have him executed. But Esteban appears and saves Mendoza’s life. In exchange, Mendoza realises that he must hand over his half of the Esteban’s medallion.
Episode 13
Mystery of the Parents
aired: Tue, Jul 14, 2009
No one in Machu Picchu knows where the City of Gold is, except perhaps Mayuka, a wise old man whom the children set off to find. Esteban hopes that Mayuka will also be able to tell him something about his father. And indeed, Mayuka tells them that twelve or thirteen years ago, a man who came by boat over the great ocean to the west, and was said to have had a child by a young Inca girl, who was one of the servants of the Sun God. The sun, in anger, threatened to plunge the land into darkness, and terrified, the Incas offered the young girl as a sacrifice. They then built a boat and set the man and his child adrift on the great ocean to the west.” The old Inca adds that he does not know if the story is true or just a legend. Zia decides that she prefers it is a legend as this would mean that there is still hope of finding Esteban’s father alive.
Episode 12
Secret of the Medallions
aired: Mon, Jul 20, 2009
The children soon reach the fort of the Black Eagle where they are warmly greeted. No Spaniard has ever ventured into this region before, and so Chief Yupani, who guards the High Peak has never seen or even heard of rifles.
Episode 11
Messengers of the Gods
aired: Tue, Jul 14, 2009
Esteban, Zia and Tao walk through the mountains, in the direction of Zia’s village. But they are being followed by two men, both of whom are strangely dressed… They manage to shake the two men off their trail, and eventually arrive at at Zia’s village, only to find it deserted. No-one comes to greet them except for Zia’s pet condor, who flies off abruptly when he feels the presence of soldiers. Sure enough, Gomez and Gaspard have also been following Zia on Pizarro’s orders, having guessed that the girl would try to return to her village. This time, they cannot escape and Gomez threatens to burn down the village unless Zia reads the quipu for him. Still she does not agree. So instead he threatens to throw Tao and Esteban into a giant nest of ants and faced with this, Zia relents and gives them the following interpretation: “Go to the High Peak, to the North of the village of Puna”. Gomez decides to leave the next morning to check this reading and in the meantime, locks the three children up in a temple. At this moment, the two strangely-dressed men who had been following them up the mountain appear and tell them “Don’t be afraid of us. We are here to save you. We are sent by Kraka, the Great Chief of the High Peak”. The children escape from the Spanish guards and, escorted by Weyna and Ketcha, head along a secret path toward the High Peak.
Episode 10
Secret of the Temple
aired: Tue, Jul 14, 2009
Tao is overcome by the loss of the Solaris. The friends decide to head to Zia’s village. But in order to get there, they will have to go back to the fortress, where Pizarro and his soldiers are stationed. Imprisoned there is an ancient priest, Pasha, who knows the way to Zia’s village. Pizarro learns from Gaspard that the children are fleeing through the fortress’s underground drains, and recalls the Inca temple under the fort where he is holding the old priest prisoner. This man, at least 100 years old, knew of the Cities of Gold but refused to tell the Spaniards his secrets. The Governor sets his men off in pursuit of Esteban and his friends. The young adventurers duly find Pasha who, on seeing the pendants of the Sun, does not hesitate to help them escape on the way to Zia’s village. He then calls upon his ancestral learning to summon up the power of the sun, which melts an enormous pillar of ice inside the temple. Pasha orders the group to flee and leave him to die in the temple which will collapse as the ice pillar gives way. He shows them a secret exit which they use to escape both the destruction of the temple and Pizarro’s approaching soldiers. Having done so, they set off for Zia’s village.
Episode 9
The End of the Solaris
aired: Tue, Jul 14, 2009
Esteban and his friends have hardly left the bay when they meet the Saint Miguel, a Spanish warship under the command of Gomez and Gaspard, which begins to fire at them. All seems lost, until Esteban pulls a lever next to the wheel - by mistake - and suddenly the Saint Miguel bursts into flames. Tao finds the explanation in his book: “Behind the solar sail is a reflective panel which has accumulated a fantastic energy. Once this panel is aimed, it is as if all the power of the sun were contained in a cannon”. Then, Esteban and Zia notice smoke rising from a nearby village. It is Tohaka’s village, a young Inca who escaped with them from the fortress. It seems that the Spanish are attacking. The friends decide to help the villagers with their reflective panel, and the Spanish soldiers flee. But the ravaged Saint Miguel then manages to reach shore, and Gomez threatens to fire cannons at the village unless Zia is handed over. She pretends to give herself up but manages to escape at the last minute, and get to the Solaris which is alongside. She joins Tao,who is already there, having covertly swum out. Gomez is furious at Zia’s escape and gives orders to raze the village. At the same time Zia and Tao pull the red lever on the Solaris. The accumulated heat from the reflective panel is suddenly dispersed in one burst, as if from a bomb, and the Solaris explodes in a blinding flash. The Saint Miguel is also sunk by the explosion. So while Esteban and the village are saved, the Solaris is destroyed and it sinks to the bottom of the sea.
Episode 8
The New Continent
aired: Tue, Jul 14, 2009
The Solaris and its crew shelter in a bay for the night, but at dawn they are captured by Spanish soldiers and taken to a fortress. Governor General Pizarro threatens Zia with torture if she does not decipher a golden quipu for him. She reads the quipu, which indicates that one of the Cities of Gold is near her home village, and refuses to assist. Mendoza intervenes, and promises the Governor that he will make her talk. In the meantime Zia is locked up in a tower and Esteban, Tao, Pedro and Sancho are imprisoned underground with an assortment of Incas from surrounding villages. In the cell, an old Inca man notices Esteban’s medallion and asks him of its origin. Esteban explains what he knows and the old man tells him, “Our people passed the insignia that you are wearing down from generation to generation. It represents the coming of the divine saviour of the Incas. Legend has it that we will recognise him by this medallion.” Esteban does not see how this can be right, but the Inca carries on: “Forever my people have been waiting for the white-skinned god. That is why when Pizarro came, we greeted him as a god”. He goes on to reveal that far from being divine, Pizarro’s emergence led only to their slaughter and suppression. At that moment, Mendoza arrives and details his plan to set them free. He is to set a gunpowder store on fire, the intention being that they can use the ensuing panic as a diversion. Aided by the Inca prisoners, the little group makes good their escape to the Solaris where they find Zia, whom Mendoza has already rescued, and, of course, Tao’s parrot Kokapetl.
Episode 7
Secret of the Solaris
aired: Tue, Jul 14, 2009
As the Solaris sails away from the Galapagos, Tao bids farewell to the island that he will never see again. Everyone inspects the ship from tip to bottom, while Tao carefully studies a book, written in the language of his ancestors, that he hopes will reveal how to operate the ship. Suddenly Sancho rushes up - a Spanish galleon is bearing down on them – and it has Gomez and Gaspard on board! They have spotted Zia and are determined to recapture her for Governor General Pizarro. It seems that the Solaris can go no faster - her sail is too small. In desperation, the friends try to break into a strange golden cube deep inside the ship. Esteban decides to press a curious switch on the outside of the cube. As he does, part of the cube opens, revealing a second handle. Esteban pulls this and now the ceiling opens, and sunlight floods in. A huge sail appears and on either side of the ship, ranks of oars push out and begin to row! The Solaris surges ahead of the galleon at an incredible speed, much to the astonishment of Gaspard and Gomez. A mysterious line in Tao’s book - “the sun will come to your aid when you most need it" – now seems clear. The Solaris sails under the power of the sun.
Episode 6
The Ship Solaris
aired: Tue, Jul 14, 2009
Tao, now very hospitable to his new friends, shows them his giant treehouse. He tells them that he is the descendant of the people of Hiva, a race of high civilisation whose empire was destroyed by a terrible disaster. He explains that the Emperor of Hiva had foreseen the disaster. He had seven hidden cities of gold built, to preserve their technology so that one day the descendants could again live happily in a new world. The Emperor also predicted that a young dark-eyed girl would come to the island and lead the descendants of Hiva to the lands of the east. So when Tao saw Zia and her companions come ashore on the very day predicted by the Emperor, he carried her off. Meanwhile, Mendoza, Pedro and Sancho land on Tao’s island, looking for Esteban and Zia. In a temple, Tao asks Zia to decipher a quipu, which she does. It says “Solaris, the vessel of the Empire of Hiva, slumbers in the side of the mountain. When thunder rumbles in the depths of the earth, the seals will be broken and the Solaris will sail again.” Tao and Zia are trying to understand this message when Esteban, Mendoza, Pedro and Sancho arrive. Tao forbids them to approach and threatens to call the monster of the temple to his aid. The group continues to move forward, and Tao carries out his threat. He pulls on a chain, a stone door opens and a giant lizard emerges. Mendoza fires his pistol at the beast, but the shot rings out and the sound amplifies like thunder. The walls crumble and a huge magnificent ship rises up out of the dust. “The ship of my ancestors,” cries Tao. “I knew it would be here”. None of them can quite work out how to operate the extraordinary boat, but they decide to board all the same and sail off in search of the Cities of Gold.
Episode 5
The Abduction of Zia
aired: Tue, Jul 14, 2009
To their great relief, Esteban, Zia, Mendoza, Pedro and Sancho have landed on an island in the Galapagos. It seems uninhabited – they find only find giant animals, one of which they manage to catch. But Pedro and Sancho refuse to eat such food. They set off to find fare more worthy of their appetites, only to pass out when they come across a monstrous creature! Zia, after hearing the description of what they saw, concludes that it is a divine saviour, Viracocha, a winged serpent. She explains that he is one of her people’s oldest gods. One thing is certain, they are not alone on the island. The next night, a sleeping Zia is carried off by the same creature, who also who also takes Mendoza’s sea chart and pistol before spiriting Zia away in a canoe. Esteban swims furiously after them and arrives, exhausted, on the shore of another island. He finds Zia, but discovers creature to be just a boy of his own age. He hides and listens to their conversation. “My name is Tao. Don’t be afraid. There is no reason to fear me. I knew that you were going to come. I’ve known for years”. But then Tao spots Esteban - and is immediately threatened by his presence. In a tense scene, Zia begs Tao not to shoot Esteban with a crossbow. Happily, the episode concludes with a friendship of sorts being established.
Episode 4
Adrift on the Endless Sea
aired: Tue, Jul 14, 2009
The Esperanza is in the grip of a tornado. As the crew tie themselves down and Captain Perez himself takes the wheel, Mendoza goes below deck to retrieve Esteban and Zia, who are still prisoners in a cage in the hold. At the same time, Gomez orders Gaspard to fetch Zia - but fearing they will go down with the ship, they flee in a lifeboat. After a mammoth effort, Mendoza successfully frees the children. They swim through the flooded hold and climb back on deck – but all the lifeboats have gone and the ship is starting to break apart. In desperation Esteban begs for the sun’s help and sure enough the storm abates. Zia is impressed and reassured by Esteban’s ability. While the others sleep she confides to him that she is the daughter of the High Priest of Chimon, a country in the the New Continent. Esteban promises to keep her secret. Despite the now calm sea, Mendoza fears that what remains of the ship will not stay afloat much longer and suggests that they build a raft. This they do – and it forms their means of escape when what remains of the Esperanza finally disintegrates in a strong current. Floating on an open sea, Esteban, Zia, Mendoza, Pedro and Sancho are attacked by sharks and in the frenzy lose both their sail and their remaining provisions. Discouraged by their misfortune, they deliberate upon their fate when suddenly Esteban spies a seagull flying above, an indication that land is nearby. And sure enough, the episode ends with a clear sighting of a distant island on the horizon.
Episode 3
Heroes Again
aired: Tue, Jul 14, 2009
As the Esperanza draws closer to the Straits of Magellan, Mendoza is calm and confident. He spends four days and nights at the wheel without sleep and successfully guides the ship through without event. As they sail on towards Lima, food and water supplies on board start to run low. Zia falls ill and, Esteban tries to get clean water for her from the Officers’ private supply. But, in the dark depths of the hold, Esteban is attacked – by rats. His cries of horror attract the attention of Gaspard who accuses the children of stealing and as a result locks them in a cage in the hold. Then Captain Perez and Commander Gomez start to realise their underhand plan to remove Mendoza from the ship. As they explain themselves, a wave of flying fish crashes into the ship! Mendoza points out this is a sign of an imminent storm, and sure enough the winds pick up and soon a tornado is bearing down on the ship. Captain Perez begs Mendoza to take the wheel again, but the ageing ship starts to break open on every side, the sail is destroyed and the mast snaps.
Episode 2
Crossing the Atlantic
aired: Tue, Jul 14, 2009
The Esperanza sets sail on its long voyage to the New World amid much celebration. Esteban and Zia make friends, discovering that they wear identical medallions. She warns Esteban that Mendoza is a wicked man who kidnapped her so that she would show him the way to the Cities of Gold. As the voyage gets under way, seasickness consumes Esteban, and he ventures on deck with Zia to get some fresh air. Gaspard, Pizarro’s Captain of the Guard, finds the children and orders them to be thrown overboard. Mendoza intervenes, and reveals that both the ship’s Captain Perez, and his associate Commander Gomez knew of Zia’s presence on board. He explains that it was on their direct orders that he kidnapped the girl. He goes on to point out that the presence of Esteban, a child who can command the sun, will reassure the ship’s crew - especially given the poor condition of the ship… Mendoza also points out that only he, as navigator, is able to guide the ship through the fearsome Straits of Magellan, at the southern tip of the new continent. His importance is asserted, and the children are saved. Later, Esteban overhears Gomez and Perez plotting Mendoza’s eventual removal from the Esperanza, once they get closer to Lima. But will their ageing Spanish galleon make it through the dreaded Straits?
Episode 1
Season 1 Episode 1
aired: Thu, Dec 11, 2008
The year is 1532. In Barcelona lives 12-year old Esteban, an orphan boy who has been raised by Father Rodriguez, the Dean of the Cathedral. No-one really knows where Esteban comes from, but he has a strange and wonderful power. He is known throughout the city as “The Child of the Sun”, for he can call upon the sun to appear and stop the rain. One day, Esteban is urgently called to Father Rodriguez’s bedside. The fast fading old man tells the boy all he knows of his history. 12 years ago, as Magellan returned from a voyage to the New World, his ship was caught in a terrible storm in the Pacific Ocean. Suddenly his crew spotted another ship, adrift and sinking in the storm. There was a man on deck, a small baby in his arms, calling desperately for help. One of Magellan’s crew swam out and managed to rescue the infant, before the man disappeared beneath the waves. “That baby was you!” says Father Rodriguez. He continues “After you were saved, the great Magellan himself took you in his arms – and a miracle happened. The storm subsided and the sun came out, as if in answer to your smile”. He goes on to tell Esteban that he must use his special gift to help others, in the New World. And then, to Esteban’s great distress, he dies. Consumed with grief, Esteban climbs a high tower to gather his thoughts. As he grieves, a mysterious man called Mendoza introduces himself . He claims to be the sailor who rescued him from that sinking ship all those years ago – and as proof, he shows Esteban part of a golden medallion he has kept ever since. He demonstrates how the disc he has fits perfectly into the crescent medallion that Esteban wears around his neck. Together, the two metal parts form the image of the sun. Mendoza tells Esteban of his research over the years, and of his conviction that the medallion originated in the Mysterious Cities of Gold. He also says that he thinks it possible that Esteban’s real father could have survived the shipwreck…
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