Turn Right at Machu Picchu

a fun little non-fiction read in the vein of bryson's “a walk in the woods.”

mark adams, a magazine editor with a pretty decent CV, decides after years of working for Outdoor magazine that, as he is 41 years old and therefore could die at any minute, an adventure is in order. the adventure he chooses is following in the footsteps of Hiram Bingham III on his 1911 expedition that brought the great Incan ruin of Machu Picchu to the front pages of the US press.

adams is a clever writer with a knack for appropriately weighting his narrative against historical data about Bingham and the original journey. he is also wise enough not to stray too much into his own musings and relay his trip, and the people he met on it, in a very authentic way.

this is a solid good read no regardless of it's particular subject matter, but if you have an interest in Peru or the Inca or in anthropology in general, you are likely to enjoy this one. if you like travel books, this is also good for you.