Duncan Maclean

As a 12 year old schoolboy in London I was keenly interested in history and ancient civilizations. I became interested in the Aztecs, Mayans, and Incas of Central and South America. I wrote to the Peruvian Embassy in London requesting some information on their country. They sent me a package including a map. Like any adventurous lad, I dreamed of exploring in such exotic far away places. It was to take me over forty years to realise this boyhood dream! My wife Elizabeth and I, have been friends with the Savoy family in Reno, Nevada for several years. Gene Savoy Sr., his sons Gino and Sean and daughter Jamila are almost family to us. Gene Savoy has been exploring in South and Central America for about 45 years and has made some major finds in Peru including Villcabamba, the last refuge of the Incas; Gran Pajaten, a citadel city atop a jungle shrouded peak; and Gran Vilaya, a complex of more than 20,00 stone buildings in a damp fog bound region of the Andes on a ridge 6,000 ft. (1829 meters) above the Marinon River. It was one of the seven legendary cities strung like a necklace along the heights of the high jungle of northern Peru. In September 1999, Savoy found evidence of another of the lost cities, Conturmarca, in a valley along the Tepna River. Gene Savoy formed the Andean Explorers Foundation & Ocean Sailing Club (AEF&OSC), in Lima in 1957. Gino casually mentioned to me that his father was going on another Expedition in May of 2000. I commented that was a boyhood dream of mine. A week or so later he said If I really wanted to go his dad would love to have me along! Elizabeth said," It's the opportunity of a lifetime...GO!"