[The late Andreas Faber Kaiser was an indefatigable traveler and explorer, an author of renown and editor of the prestigious Mundo Desconocido magazine in the 1970s and 1980s. His most important book is "Jesús Vivió y Murió en Cachemira" (Jesus Lived and Died in Kashmir) in which he interviews the alleged descendants of Christ.]
THE TUNNELS OF THE AMERICAS
By Andreas Faber-Kaiser
An unknown civilization constructed a habitable system of subterranean passages beneath the American landmass.
The Hopi Indians—settled in the U.S. state of Arizona, and who claim to originate from a lost continent once located in what is now the Pacific Ocean—recall that their ancestors were instructed and aided by beings who traveled in "flying shields," and who taught them the techniques for constructing tunnels and subterranean facilities. Many other indigenous legends and traditions throughout the American continent speak of the existence of communication networks and underground cities.
There exists a substantial body of literature—along with a sufficient number of researchers—supporting the hypothesis that intelligent beings, currently unknown to us, inhabit the regions beneath our planet's surface.
Various hypotheses exist regarding the possibility that intelligent entities originating from outside our planet maintain subterranean or underwater bases of operations here on Earth. I will not delve into an analysis of these possibilities here, as they constitute a separate subject of study deserving of its own dedicated examination. Consequently, I will not discuss organizations such as the Hollow Earth Society—which seeks to establish contact with the alleged inhabitants of the planet's interior—or SAMISDAT. The latter, for its part, fuels the speculation regarding the existence of an entire organization with Nazi ideology—naturally linked to the leadership figures of Nazi Germany—that supposedly survives beneath the Earth's crust, with access points to its world located specifically at the North Pole and within the Brazilian Amazon. I will not speak of such organizations, nor of others similar to them; nor will I delve into the subject of Shambhala or Agartha—purported concepts regarding what are said to be subterranean control centers located in the remote reaches of Central Asia—nor into that of the alleged "King of the World." For this is not the moment to either deny or confirm the validity of all these suppositions. On the day I deem it appropriate to speak of them, I shall do so with the utmost clarity possible.
In this article, I intend to focus on those locations within the American continent that hold the greatest potential for connecting with this intelligent subterranean world—a world that surfaces in numerous narratives of the indigenous peoples of North, Central, and South America, collected from the era of the Conquest right up to the present day. To lend some structure to the presentation of these sites—and given that the chronological dating of these alleged tunnels remains shrouded in uncertainty—I shall traverse the Americas in the pages that follow, beginning in the North and concluding—following a southward trajectory across the map—in northern Chile.
Let it be noted, before we descend, that more than one researcher asserts that the North Pole harbors warm lands and serves as the gateway to an inner world.
Mount Shasta
The Hopi people claim that their ancestors originated in lands that sank—in the distant past—beneath what is now the Pacific Ocean. Furthermore, they assert that those who aided them in their exodus toward the American continent were beings of human appearance who had mastered the arts of flight, as well as the construction of tunnels and subterranean facilities. Today, the Hopi people are settled in the state of Arizona, situated near the Pacific coast. Between their settlements and the coast lies the state of California. And at the northernmost extremity of that state stands a snow-capped, pristine white volcano known as Mount Shasta. Local Native American legends explain that hidden within lies an immense city serving as a refuge for a race of white men endowed with superior powers—survivors of an ancient culture that vanished beneath what is now the Pacific Ocean. The only alleged witness to have gained access to the city—Dr. Doreal—claimed in 1931 that the architectural style of its buildings reminded him of Mayan or Aztec structures.
The name "Shasta" derives neither from English nor from any Native American language or dialect. Rather, it is a Sanskrit term meaning "sage," "venerable," and "judge." Despite having no knowledge of Sanskrit, Native American traditions speak of the mountain's inhabitants as venerable beings dwelling within the "White Mountain," for it serves as a gateway to an inner world of millennial antiquity.
More recent reports from the inhabitants of the nearby logging community of Weed recount sporadic sightings of beings clad in white robes entering and exiting the mountain, only to vanish once again amidst a sudden bluish flash.
Accounts gathered from the Sioux and Apache tribes corroborate the beliefs held by the Hopi and other indigenous peoples of the region of Mount Shasta—the belief that dwelling beneath the American continent is a race of white-skinned beings,
survivors of a land that sank beneath the ocean. But much further north—in Alaska and in even more northerly regions—Eskimos and Native Americans speak time and again of a race of white men inhabiting the subterranean depths of their territories.
A City Beneath the Pyramid
Journeying southward, in the spring of 1977 in Mexico, I encountered the belief that beneath the Pyramid of the Sun in Teotihuacán (the "City of the Gods"), hidden on the opposite side of the Earth's crust—that is to say, deep within the subsoil—lies a city where the "White God" is said to reside.
400 Pristine Buildings
If we now transport ourselves to the Yucatán Peninsula, we find at its northernmost tip—hidden within the dense jungle foliage—a city discovered in 1941. Spanning an area of 48 square kilometers, it preserves—in the silence of oblivion—more than 400 buildings that, in some remote era, knew great splendor. It was discovered by a group of boys who, while playing near a lagoon where they often went swimming, stumbled upon a wall of dressed stone hidden by the vegetation. As the Mexicans lacked sufficient resources to undertake the exploration of the site, they requested American assistance; consequently, two archaeologists specializing in Mayan culture—affiliated with the Middle American Research Institute at the University of New Orleans—arrived to assist. They, too, determined that the project of clearing and studying this enormous city exceeded their capabilities, necessitating the formation of a partnership with other institutions. However, the outbreak of war caused the project to be temporarily shelved. It was not until 1956 that the University of New Orleans—this time in association with the National Geographic Society and Mexico’s National Institute of Anthropology—resumed investigations at the site. Andrews, the archaeologist leading the expedition, dedicated himself—while the team of workers began clearing the buildings—to gathering information from the indigenous people of the region. A shaman informed him that the city was named Dzibilchaltún—a word previously unknown in the local Mayan dialect—and that the lagoon was called Xlacah, a name that translates as "Old City."
The Swallowed City
Wishing to discover the origin of this name, the American archaeologist was told a legend that had been passed down among the indigenous people from generation to generation—a tale asserting that, at the bottom of the lagoon, there lay a portion of the city that also rose above the surface, within the jungle. According to the old shaman’s account, many centuries earlier, there stood within the city of Dzibilchaltún a magnificent palace that served as the residence of the *cacique*, or chieftain. One afternoon, an elderly stranger arrived at the site and requested lodging from the ruler. Although he displayed evident reluctance, the chieftain nevertheless ordered his slaves to prepare a chamber for the traveler. Meanwhile, the old man opened his travel pouch and drew from it an enormous green gemstone, which he presented to the sovereign as a token of gratitude for the hospitality. Astonished by this unexpected gift, the chieftain questioned his guest regarding the stone's place of origin. When the old man refused to answer, his host asked him if he carried any other gemstones in his pouch. And given that the interrogated man continued to maintain his silence, the sovereign flew into a rage and ordered his servants to execute the foreigner immediately. After the crime—which violated the sacred norms of hospitality—the chieftain himself searched his victim's pouch, assuming he would find more valuable objects inside. But, to his dismay, he found only some old clothes and a nondescript black stone. Filled with fury, the sovereign hurled the stone out of the palace. The moment it struck the ground, a formidable explosion erupted, and the earth immediately opened up, swallowing the building; the structure vanished beneath the waters of a well that had sprung forth at the exact spot where the stone had landed. The chieftain, his servants, and his family sank to the bottom of the lagoon and were never seen again. So ends the legend.
But let us continue with these ruins in northern Yucatán. The expedition eventually succeeded in clearing a pyramid that housed idols distinct from the customary representations of Mayan deities. Another nearby building would prove to be of far greater significance. It was a structure that differed completely from traditional Mayan styles, exhibiting architectural features never before seen in any of the known Mayan cities. Inside the temple—the entirety of which was adorned with representations of marine animals—Andrews discovered a secret sanctuary, walled off from the outside, within which stood an altar bearing seven idols depicting deformed beings—hybrids of fish and men. These beings were, therefore, similar to those who, in remote times, revealed inconceivable astronomical knowledge to the Dogon people of Central Africa, and to those described in Assyrian traditions when speaking of their deity, Oannes.
In 1961, Andrews returned to Dzibilchaltún, accompanied on this occasion by two experienced divers. Their mission was to complete—using superior equipment—the diving attempt undertaken in 1956 by David Conkle and W. Robbinet, who had reached a depth of 45 meters before abandoning their efforts due to the total absence of light. For this second attempt, the diving team consisted of the experienced archaeologist Marden—famous for having discovered the wreck of the *H.M.S. Bounty* (the ship of the great mutiny) in 1956—and B. Littlehales. After their initial soundings, it became clear to them that the lagoon was shaped roughly like a boot, extending underground to a point that the underwater archaeologists were unable to determine. Upon reaching the bottom of the vertical shaft, they noticed a rather steep incline leading toward the subterranean section of the well. And there, they encountered various fragments of carved columns as well as the remains of other structures. This appeared to confirm that the legend of the submerged palace was, in fact, grounded in a real historical event.
This site in the Yucatán bears striking similarities to the ruins of Nan Madol—the "dead city" of the Pacific Ocean—from which, it is claimed, the indigenous peoples of the Americas originally migrated. Preserved there, too, is an enigmatic city—abandoned and devoured by the jungle—at whose foot, in the depths of the sea, divers have likewise discovered columns and structures swallowed by the water.
**The Emperor of the Universe**
We now travel to the other coast of Mexico, slightly further south. In Jalisco—some 120 kilometers inland from Cape Corrientes—indigenous people tell of a hidden subterranean temple where, in times past, the "Emperor of the Universe" was venerated. They claim that, when the current evolutionary cycle concludes, the ancient, displaced people will return to govern the Earth once more in splendor. This assertion bears a direct relationship to the legacy enshrined within the passageways of Tayu Wari, deep within the Ecuadorian jungle.
**The Gold Plates of the Lacandones**
From here, we head south to the Mexican state of Chiapas, right along the border with Guatemala. Dwelling there are a distinct group of indigenous people—fair-skinned and unique—whose subterranean secrets had already piqued the interest of President Roosevelt himself back in March 1942. For the Lacandones recount—drawing upon the lore of their ancestors—that somewhere within the extensive network of underground tunnels crisscrossing their territory lies a secret cache of gold plates. Upon these plates, someone long ago inscribed the history of the world's ancient peoples, in addition to providing a precise description of what would eventually become the Second World War—a conflict that would embroil all the most powerful nations on Earth. This tale reached Roosevelt’s ears just a few months after the United States suffered the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. These gold plates, too, bear a close connection to those—which we shall encounter later—hidden within the aforementioned tunnels of Tayu Wari, in eastern Ecuador. 50 km of Tunnel
Let us proceed southward. The next step taken from Chiapas lands on Guatemalan soil. In the year 1689, the missionary Francisco Antonio Fuentes y Guzmán did not hesitate to provide a written description of the "marvelous structure of the tunnels of the town of Puchuta," which traverses the interior of the earth all the way to the town of Tecpán, in Guatemala—situated some 50 km from the starting point of the subterranean structure.
To Mexico in One Hour
In the late 1940s, a book appeared titled *Incidents of Travel in Central America, Chiapas, and Yucatán*, written by the American lawyer John Lloyd Stephens, who had visited Guatemala on a diplomatic mission in the company of his friend, the artist Frederick Catherwood. There, in Santa Cruz del Quiché, an elderly Spanish priest recounted to him a visit he had made years earlier to an area situated on the other side of the mountain range—a four-day journey toward the Mexican border—which was inhabited by a tribe of indigenous people who still remained in the original state in which they had existed prior to the Conquest. In a press conference held in New York some time after the book's publication, Stephens added that, while gathering further information in the region, he had learned that these indigenous people had managed to survive in their original state thanks to the fact that—whenever foreign troops appeared—they would hide underground, in a subterranean world endowed with light, the secret of which had been bequeathed to them in ancient times by the gods who dwell beneath the earth. And he offered his own testimony of having begun to retrace a tunnel beneath one of the buildings in Santa Cruz del Quiché—a tunnel through which, in the opinion of the indigenous people, one could travel all the way to Mexico in just one hour in days of old.
The Temple of the Moon
In October 1985, I had the opportunity to gain access—together with Juan José Benítez, the Vílchez brothers, and my good friend Gretchen Andersen (who, incidentally, was born at the foot of Mount Shasta, where I began this article)—to a tunnel excavated beneath the grounds of a property situated in the mountains of Costa Rica. We ventured into a large cavity that opened onto an artificial tunnel, which descended almost vertically into the depths of the terrain. The locals—who had spent years clearing the tunnel of the earth and stones that had clogged it—recounted its history to us, asserting that at its far end lay the "Temple of the Moon": a sacred edifice, and one of several structures expressly built underground millennia ago by an unknown race—a race that, according to their records, had constructed an entire subterranean city comprising more than 500 buildings. The Secret Library
And much further south, in 1986, I ventured alone into the intricate jungle of the Ecuadorian Amazonian East—a journey that would lead me to the entrance of the tunnel system known as *Los Tayos* (or *Tayu Wari* in the language of the Jívaro people who guard it). It was there that the Hungarian ethnologist, explorer, adventurer, and miner Janos Moricz had—years earlier, and after searching the entire South American subcontinent—discovered a genuine library of metal plates. Engraved upon these plates, using signs and ideographic script, was a chronological account of the history of humanity, the origins of mankind on Earth, and the scientific knowledge of a vanished civilization.
The Underground Cities of the Gods
According to the testimonies I gathered, two main subterranean paths branched out from that point: one headed east toward the Amazon Basin in Brazilian territory, while the other headed south, running beneath the Peruvian soil all the way to Cusco, Lake Titicaca (on the border with Bolivia), and finally reaching the area adjacent to Arica, at the northernmost tip of Chile.
Furthermore—and in accordance with detailed information gathered in Brazil by the German journalist Karl Brugger (whose murder in the 1980s resulted in the disappearance of his research documents)—various cities were said to lie hidden within the dense foliage of the upper Amazon Basin. These cities were reportedly built by beings from outer space in remote epochs, and were said to connect to a system of thirteen other hidden cities located deep within the interior of the Andes mountain range.
The Shelters of the Incas
Drawing upon this body of knowledge, we have known since the era of the Conquest that the natives concealed their immense riches underground to prevent them from being plundered by Spanish troops. Everything seems to indicate that, to this end, they utilized subterranean systems that had existed long before—constructed by a civilization far predating the Incas—and to which some of them had access thanks to the legacy of their ancestors. Quite possibly, the Atacama Desert in Chile marks the terminus of this route, situated at its southern extremity.
Thus, regarding the end of this journey, we are speaking of the very region that the traditions of the Hopi Indians—mentioned at the beginning of this article (far to the north, in Arizona)—identify as the arrival point of their ancestors. This was the destination reached when—aided by beings who had mastered the secrets of both flight and the construction of tunnels and subterranean complexes—they were compelled to hastily abandon the lands they inhabited in what is now the Pacific Ocean.
However, the identification of the specific markers—which do exist—the proper deciphering of their corresponding keys—which are indeed present—as well as the decision to take the momentous step into the interior, remains—as is always the case for any sincere seeker—a task as demanding as it is deeply personal.
(Cr: Andreas Faber-Kaiser, "Los Túneles de las Américas")
