TAO’S THEME (TRACK 3) 2m 39s

In the last episode of Mysterious Cities of Gold, the golden condor flew over a jungle following a broad river. When storm clouds gathered, our friends were forced to land next to the river. After entering a tunnel to avoid being pursued by a snake, the group are attacked by a group of Amazon women. Taken to the women’s city, they are confronted by a masked priestess named Omoro who plans to sacrifice them to appease their rain god. When the Queen sees Esteban calling out the sun however, her attitude changes and they are welcome as guests.

Omoro however still wants to sacrifice them, and Tao is suspicious of the claim that she can talk to the rain god. He uncovers the priestess’s secret - that she uses a Hiva barometer to predict the rain, and cleverly exposes her by rigging the barometer which controls a mask on a totem pole. She flees to the tribes down river who later attack the village. But, using a giant mirror to get it air born again, the party use the condor to fight them off.

Then they fly north.

FLIGHT OF THE CONDOR (TRACK 6) 1m 23s

The condor continues on its flight north. When the party see a rainbow ahead, lots of coloured lights spring into life in the cockpit. The condor goes into autopilot, dives through the rainbow, and lands at the bottom of a very deep hole in the ground, and refuses to take off.

MYSTERIOUS CITIES INSTRUMENTAL (TRACK 18) 1m 23s

It's nose moves, gouging a hole in the rock wall. the gang follow the stairway it opens up, which ends at a solid stone ceiling. On careful examination Mendoza manages to move a large slab, letting them all out into a ruined city.

The party explore the city. Sancho and Pedro are disappointed by the lack of gold. Kukapetl leads Tao to a statue of a winged serpent, with Hiva-like inscriptions on it. It tells that the statue represents an ancient god. Tao goes off exploring. Kukapetl leads the others after him, down a stairway leading to an underground chamber with another winged serpent statue. A secret passage behind this statue leads to another room where Tao is examining hieroglyphics on the wall.

He interprets them thus: "A long time ago in the land of the Mayas, there lived a man who was very intelligent, and he understood the heaven and the earth. He was called the winged serpent". This man built a gigantic furnace. "Everything can be found in the city of gold".

THE JADE MASK (TRACK 25) 28s

Meanwhile, Sancho and Pedro try to remove a valuable jade mask which is mounted on the wall. Their efforts activate hidden machinery which thrusts stone beams out of the walls, sealing the entrance and opening an exit in the floor. The party follow it back to the city.

PRINCIPAL THEME (TRACK 21 1m 27s)

The following morning, before the sailors awake, the children decide to go back down to the underground chamber again. On waking, the sailors look around for them. Meanwhile, three mysterious figures creep towards the city. In the underground chamber, the children discover that the entrance has reopened and the machinery stopped dead. Looking carefully at the jade mask, Tao finds tiny symbols on its eyes. When they press the wall tiles matching the symbols, the stone beams retract back into the walls, and another hole opens in the floor, leading to a brightly lit room containing a stone sarcophagus.

DR FERNANDO AND MARICHE (TRACK 26) 1M

The children open it, finding a statue and half a manuscript. When they emerge, they discover that the three strangers have captured Mendoza, Pedro and Sancho. The strangers are: Doctor Fernando la Guerra, a friend of the conquistador Cortez; Marinche, a native woman of evil intent; and the muscle-bound native Teteola. They too are searching for the Cities of Gold.

They have the other half of the manuscript, and also take Tao's jar, leaving the party tied up in an old building. Kukapetl flies in and unties Tao's ropes. Tao unties the others and Mendoza knocks out the guard. The children go to get Tao's jar back but are caught in the attempt. While the Doctor shows off his whip, Mendoza overcomes him, allowing the children to escape. The children run off into the jungle, with the three sailors somewhere behind.

ESTEBAN’S THEME (TRACK 4) 2m 34s

The children climb onward, finding a lake with a spring. Esteban sees something shining at the bottom of the lake, which Tao suggests could be gold. Esteban dives in and finds golden sand.

A group of Indians - allied with the Doctor - capture them, angry that their sacred fountain has been defiled. The children are locked away. A kindly woman sneaks them some food and tells them that a ceremony is to be held to purify the lake. Zia asks after her father, the Papa Camaillo, and is told that he passed through some years ago on his quest for the Cities of Gold. Tao sends his bird Kukapetl to find Mendoza, who is walking through the jungle with Sancho and Pedro. They see the Doctor's footprints, hear drums, and go to investigate.

They come to a sheer rock face, but Kukapetl lowers a rope ladder for them to climb up. The three children are taken to the lakeside by the priest. The three sailors watch from their hiding place. A man is ceremonially covered in oil and gold dust, and steps into the lake. The people cheer and throw valuables into the water. Marinche quietly suggests to the Doctor that they poison the villagers so they can grab the valuables in safety. The children are taken to the temple to await their sacrifice the following day.

They spend the night scraping away mortar in the hope of opening a hole in the wall. Marinche reads the manuscripts in her possession: they tell of three ruined cities. Mendoza sees that the lake is artificial, held back by a dam, and plans on breaking the dam to keep the villagers busy and drain the lake. While the sailors work on destroying the dam, Marinche approaches with the poison, quietly plotting to kill the Doctor and keep the gold for herself. She sees the sailors at work and raises the alarm. Mendoza breaches the dam and runs. Floodwater fills the village, but carries the gold away with it. The temple walls are broken by the force of the water, and the children float out on a conveniently placed altar boat. Kukapetl brings them the manuscript.

END THEME TRACK 36 1M 50

In our next episode, The party trek eastward through the mountains, tired and hungry and still with the Doctor, , Marinche and Teteola following their trail. Will they find food and water soon and escape their latest pursuers? Find out in our next episode of The Mysterious Cities of Gold.