Dear Forrest,

Is there a location you would have loved to visit and explored? Maybe a place you recently just learned about? Like what about the Lost City of the Monkey God with Douglas Preston? Would you have enjoyed exploring there? ~M

Sure, M.  I would have gone with Doug in a second.  A Santa Fe friend of mine, Gregg Bemis, owns the Lusitania, and dives on it. I would love to do that with him also. f

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116 Comments

    2. Do you really think ff would spend 15 years on the poem, then hand you a cheat sheet with the ansswer? You are dreaming. It’s not going to be that easy. You’re going to gave to work for it. You’re going to have to earn it. Better stick to the poem! My opinion.

      Iceman

      1. Hello, Madesquare and Nmc.

        That’s the punniest thing I’ve read all day.

        This is an interesting question and answer. I also would have loved to join Douglas Preston on his adventure. If he ever goes again…I’ll bring the shake-n-bake for the fire-roasted snake. 🙂

        If I had a dollar for every rattlesnake I ate that way…I’d have one dollar.

        Diving? I have yet to go on any dives…but dives are some of my favorite places to eat…as long as they don’t serve crow… :/

        …it’s hard to digest.

        http://americandigest.org/sidelines/aa_aqeatcrow.jpg

        Thank You, Forrest and Jenny…and M.

        JC1117

        1. Hold up there- the fact that I made a play on words was lost on me until nmc mentioned it. I was just boggled by the idea that somebody owned the “Lucy,” though Bemis has been thwarted by the Irish govt at every turn, which is a shame.

          Madesquare

          1. Yeah, there was a sunken car in the quarry where I took my test. We were motioned through to make sure we grabbed our air hose.

            It also had a bicycle that was propped up, and a sunken air dome big enough for 3 comfortably.
            It was fun.
            Great place that also had a beach with pontoons covered in carpet, that resembled the beach from “To Catch A Thief”.
            But government regulations and insurance costs forced it’s closure years ago.
            The things we lose.

            Buckeye Bob

  12. I find Bemis line of inquiry more interesting because it is not just a lost city or a lost ship, it has a history of war and manipulations of war involvement. While a lost city of gold provides information about how a culture lived, a lost ship in a war provides information about how a culture fought or was yellow. I agree with Bemis 100%. If given the chance to accompany only one of ff’s friends adventures, I would select Bemis — but I would do so above the water 🙂 I approve of Bemis’ decisions for the future; he is a wise man. But can he find ff’s bronze box full of artifacts? Probably not, but maybe Preston can. IMO

    Pen Ghost

  13. I think message is to be careful what you wish for. Lost City is of searcher who finds treasure and commits suicide, thus preserving the chase. Subsequent finders also come down with lethal disease. Wealth and glory are not all upside…

    TS

      1. Don’t get me wrong, I’m just saying as a expert in eating crow, that the ship builders jumped the gun on the unsinkable boasting. Confident in the their work, waiting till Titanic retired, and then marvel about her buoyancy.

        NearIndianaJones

  16. “Is there a location you would have loved to visit or explored?” I thought Forrest was going to say Italy for some reason. But I suppose he’s been there before. If I went there I’d need a map that’s for sure. I’ll bet Florence is beautiful, Venice too. The Lost City of the Monkey God would be very exciting, but Italy would get a close second.

    Sparrow

  17. Thanks Mr. Fenn, Jenny, & M. I can’t wait to get out west treasure hunting again. Why did the monkey eat the banana? . . . because it had appeal. Don’t forget to tip your waiters ladies and germs, I’ll be here all night.

    Bailey

  18. I bet there’s many unexplored places. Nowadays, if you can’t find it on Google, people don’t even bother. There’s lots of places I would like to explore, and I’m ready and willing, and due for a trip!
    Btw, how do you dive ON a sunken vessel?

    Jdiggins

  19. It is high water season. Before anyone gets their mask and snorkel out, Forrest said, “The treasure chest is not under water, nor is it near the Rio Grande River. It is not necessary to move large rocks or climb up or down a steep precipice, and it is not under a man-made object.” I am saying. You do not have to cross on foot or by boat a challenging river. Remember he said hid it when he was 79 or 80 years old. Be safe out there. g

    ace 340

  20. Inside, outside, under, and above he moves through the gaffa, like a babe in a basket rocking back and forth, to and from the ninth wave, to live a life in the light and too dive the halls of Atlantis.

    Descending through the dismal night–a night
    In which the bounds of heaven and earth were lost–
    Beheld, so high upon the dreary deeps
    It seemed in heaven, a ship, the shape thereof
    A dragon winged, and all from stern to stern
    Bright with a shining people on the decks,
    And gone as soon as seen. And then the two
    Dropt to the cove, and watched the great sea fall,
    Wave after wave, each mightier than the last,
    Till last, a ninth one, gathering half the deep
    And full of voices, slowly rose and plunged
    Roaring, and all the wave was in a flame:
    And down the wave and in the flame was borne
    A naked babe, and rode to Merlin’s feet,
    Who stoopt and caught the babe, and cried “The King!
    Here is an heir for Uther!” And the fringe
    Of that great breaker, sweeping up the strand,
    Lashed at the wizard as he spake the word,
    And all at once all round him rose in fire,
    So that the child and he were clothed in fire.

    – Idylls of the King: The coming of Arthur by Lord Alfred Tennyson (1809-1892)

    lifesablaze

    2. Hello, Lifesablaze.

      Your comment…”Inside, outside, under, and above”…made me think of this…

      “Beneath, Between And Behind”

      Ten score years ago, defeat the kingly foe
      A wondrous dream came into being
      Tame the trackless waste, no virgin land left chaste
      All shining eyes, but never seeing

      Beneath the noble bird
      Between the proudest words
      Behind the beauty, cracks appear
      Once with heads held high
      They sang out to the sky
      Why do their shadows bow in fear?

      Watch the cities rise
      Another ship arrives
      Earth’s melting pot and ever growing
      Fantastic dreams come true
      Inventing something new
      The greatest minds, and never knowing

      Beneath the noble bird
      Between the proudest words
      Behind the beauty, cracks appear
      Once with heads held high
      They sang out to the sky
      Why do their shadows bow in fear?

      The guns replace the plow, facades are tarnished now
      The principles have been betrayed
      The dreams’s gone stale, but still, let hope prevail
      History’s debt won’t be repaid

      Beneath the noble bird
      Between the proudest words
      Behind the beauty, cracks appear
      Once with heads held high
      They sang out to the sky
      Why do their shadows bow in fear?

      Of course…like an Ancient Greek Epic it’s much better when set to music…and this guy’s home-made video is quite impressive. So many sunken ships. Too many…

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tb3z46jMnSk

      JC1117

      1. JC1117 Thank you. A view repetively taken in by many. I’ve come to see it may depend on who the Answerer is. Each of us experience our own zero point leaving room for many responses. So it is important to explore the truth and not just accept things as they appear or are projected upon us. An active inner world is worth exploring and learning to navigate.

        https://whitmanarchive.org/published/LG/1891/poems/88

        Matt. 13:52 And he said to them, “Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house, who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old.”

        It could be the Sword of Manannan.

        The Questioner asks “Do you dream your own dreams?”

        lifesablaze

  22. Jenny you may have answered this before, but, how does Mr. Fenn decide which questions to answer? Does he send you a question and answer for a question someone had sent him directly or do you send him a list of questions he picks from or do you send him a specific, singular, question for him to answer? Also, does Mr. Fenn suggest the picture to go along with the question, in this case the picture of the cover of Mr. preston’s book, or do you unilaterally decide on the picture?

    Questions

  24. I looked at the bold words on the cover. Ican’t help but see “Lost City” as:

    Lost city => lost (urban dictionary) => Lost TV Series

    … the comical analogy between the Chase and the TV series Lost as searchers explore the Rocky Mountains … without a clue.

    Iceman

  26. Thanks Jenny, M and Mr. Fenn,
    Bone chilling stories and thrilling adventures from the past. Thank God we have departed from those depths. No matter how deep the dive you can always count on some for a second round.

    Strawshadow

  27. Lost and found.

    Lyrics
    Christopher Robin and I walked along
    Under branches lit up by the moon
    Posing our questions to Owl and Eeyore
    As our days disappeared all too soon
    But I’ve wandered much further today than I should
    And I can’t seem to find my way back to the wood
    So help me if you can, I’ve got to get
    Back to the house at Pooh corner by one
    You’d be surprised there’s so much to be done
    Count all the bees in the hive
    Chase all the clouds from the sky (chase the clouds from above)
    Back to the days of Christopher Robin and Pooh
    Winnie the Pooh doesn’t know what to do
    Got a honey jar stuck on his nose
    He came to me asking help and advice
    And from there no one knows where he goes
    So I sent him to ask of the owl if he’s there
    How to loosen a jar from the nose of a bear
    So help me if you can I’ve got to get
    Back to the house at Pooh corner by one
    You’d be surprised there’s so much to be done
    Count all the bees in the hive
    Chase all the clouds from the sky (chase the clouds from above)
    Back to the days of Christopher Robin and Pooh
    It’s hard to explain how a few precious things
    Seem to follow throughout all our lives
    After all’s said and done I was watching my son
    Sleeping there, with my bear by his side
    So I tucked him in, I kissed him and as I was going
    I swear that old bear whispered, “boy, welcome home”
    Believe me if you can, I’ve finally come
    Back to the house at Pooh corner by one
    What do you know, there’s so much to be done
    Count all the bees in the hive
    Chase all the clouds from the sky (chase the clouds from above)
    Back to the days of Christopher Robin (back to days)
    Back to the ways of Christopher Robin (back to the ways)
    Back to the days of Pooh
    Songwriters: Kenneth Clark Loggins

    You can go home again. Imagination is the key.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hundred_Acre_Wood

    ace 340

    1. Hello ace340. Thank you for taking the time to post this. The title reminds me about Mr. Fenn’s gut feeling about the treasure possibly being found this year (paraphrasing). Both stories Mr. Fenn stated in his answer above just might suggest “lost and found” as you’ve mentioned in your post. It’s funny, as I sit here and think about “lost and found,” I think of the one common thing most people lose and then find; keys.

      pdenver

      1. Thank you Forrest and Jenny for keeping us engaged! Summer seems a ways off still and I can’t help but feel many of us likely have ants in our pants while we continue to wait.

        In thinking about keys and being lost and found I can’t help but think of something different. The following clip made me laugh so I thought I might share.

        https://youtu.be/vZheEzYBirc

        Dampenedmyth

  28. You and Preston together in that Lost City place hints of a good scheme for his next book. My Dad would call that a “No Swallerin Place” due to the danger. Just can’t see it…and I thought bears were bad!!

    TTR

    1. Yes, explore. Exploration seeks answers and solutions and hopefully resolution. But like Bemis, answers and resolution may be beyond my time. Please explore. Explore does not have to lead to cities of gold or sunken wealth – what about peace, meaning where wars and harm halt even if for a brief time. Business entity of peace would probably not bring economic wealth, but smiles and health have to count for something. Forrest, is there an adventure that did not involve pre-known material wealth that you would explore? It is easy to say you would want to see a city of gold riches or the riches on a sunken ship. What about riches of another kind – the kind that would not fill the wallet?

      Pen Ghost

      1. You are wise PenGhost, treasure can be many things, it is also what you deem valuable.
        Any puzzle I work on, I do so because it fans the fires of my imagination, a personnel connection to the one who created the puzzle. As I explore the puzzle, I feel as if it was created just for me, like dear friends who challenge each other, and enjoy the joy of the thrill of the chase, created between friends. The monetary reward that may come from some puzzles, is not greed, got to keep the lights on, and the wife happy, can’t solve the other puzzles when your mind is in the dark. Money does buy happiness, but thruth be told, I have never had the opportunity to test that theory, but I can tell you all the other things that don’t either. IMO

        NearIndianaJones

  33. There seems to be an inordinate focus on the word “explore”. Why?

    explore => study => office

    … remember “in my office” from the books!

    explored => exploder => someone who openly rejects ideas

    I know it’s confusing. It’s a jungle out there!

    Iceman

  41. After finishing Lost City of the Monkey God, I’d have to say that I’d go with Doug too, except for the 50% chance of contracting Leish; but then Doug says climate change will bring it here if I just sit and wait-

    Madesquare

  45. Forrest, you have recently responded to a question on Thor with the following: “Nope, not any of my other books. f”…

    I feel like this question is a little redundant at this point. But for the Good of the Tribe, I ask; Are there any books, by other authors, that could help us find the treasure?

    White Feather K'wo

    1. Cinder ella

      Di.Ross
      dross

      Smelting

      Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,
      Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore—
      While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,
      As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.
      “’Tis some visitor,” I muttered, “tapping at my chamber door—
      Only this and nothing more.”

      HappyThoth

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