Play Book Tag discussion

Turn Right at Machu Picchu: Rediscovering the Lost City One Step at a Time
By Mark Adams
3 stars

This is a mix of history (both Inca and Hiram Bingham), adventure hiking (past and present) and tourist tips for a site I’d like to visit (Machu Picchu). I should have loved it but I’m somewhat indifferent. Upon reflection I think I needed a map. There are a few modern and historical photos that helped illustrate the size and scale of the area, but the trips (5 in total!) needed a simple map to help me keep things straight.
The premise is a magazine writer/editor hiking strenuous Peruvian trails matching those of Hiram Bingham, the re-discoverer/publicist of Machu Picchu and other Incan sites. The story includes the Adam’s research into Bingham as well as Bingham’s research into the lost Inca cities. Both histories have some conflicting elements, which Adam’s attempts to clearly disentangle including footnotes and a glossary. A short biography of Bingham is incorporated, before and after his Peruvian trips. There are biographical dips into Adams and his guide and porters as well, which I could have done without but are typical of this type of story and kept short. The low-action hiking scenes are interspersed. As a hiker myself there is simply a lot of walking while trying to maintain temperature and keep dry. It’s not particularly exciting to read, but I trust this author’s adventures more than some others.

I am constantly surprised by the number of travelogues that do not include maps! A map is so necessary.