FINDING LOST CIVILIZATIONS This

As we walked back to Manuel’s house he pointed out arise off in the distance toward the ocean and said there was apyramid on the top of that hill, which he called San Ignacio.As I gazed at the hill the crest was indeed pyramid-shapedand we both agreed that we would explore it someday.Manuel later invited me into his backyard, where hepointed out many artifacts that were laid out on a concreteplatform. Everything had been found in the hills and pasturewe had just walked through. There was an ancient stonehead to a battle-ax (shown below), a stone ax, various corngrindingplatforms and stone grinders, several small clayheads from ancient figures, and many other implementswhose use I could not identify.After I returned home to Los Ayala I swam in the oceanand watched the sunset from the water. I then floated on myback and saw the half-moon appear behind a red and bluehorizon. Closing my eyes, I floated into the inner reachesof my mind, suspended in time, space, and water—truly awonderful day of discovery.145