Turn Right at Machu Picchu
Rediscovering the Lost City One Step at a Time
Mark Adams - Author
ISBN 9780452297982 | 352 pages | 24 Apr 2012 | Plume | 8.26 x 5.23in | 18 - AND UP
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What happens when an unadventurous adventure writer tries to re- create the original expedition to Machu Picchu? In 1911, Hiram Bingham III climbed into the Andes Mountains of Peru and "discovered" Machu Picchu. While history has recast Bingham as a villain who stole both priceless artifacts and credit for finding the great archaeological site, Mark Adams set out to retrace the explorer's perilous path in search of the truth-except he'd written about adventure far more than he'd actually lived it. In fact, he'd never even slept in a tent. Turn Right at Machu Picchu is Adams's fascinating and funny account of his journey through some of the world's most majestic, historic, and remote landscapes guided only by a hard-as-nails Australian survivalist and one nagging question: Just what was Machu Picchu? John's “martini explorer” comment had unnerved me a little—compared to Bingham, I was a white-wine spritzer explorer—so before committing to anything, I thought I should mention that it had been a while since I had slept outdoors. What came out of my mouth instead was “I might not be completely up-to-date on the latest tent-erecting methods.” “That's all right,” John said. “We'll need mules for a trip like this and the arrieros—the muleteers—can set up the tents. How do you feel about food?” “Sorry?” “You like cooked food?” John asked. I admitted that I did, in fact, have a weakness for victuals prepared over heat. "[An] entirely delightful book." -Jonathan Yardley, Washington Post "Quite funny and unpretentiously well informed . . . The perfect way to acknowledge the lost city's 100th birthday." -Christian Science Monitor (Editor's Choice) |
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