... there might be books!
Today's What'cha Readin' Wednesday takes us on an adventure into rugged and challenging territory, as we trek through the mountains of Peru with Mark Adams, who is following in the footsteps of Hiram Bingham III's 1911 expedition.
Bingham set out to discover "The Lost City of the Incas" -- and ended up at the ruins of Machu PIcchu. For many years, he was credited with discovering the city but as the 100th anniversary of his achievement approached, controversy began to emerge.
Had Bingham lied about discovering Machu Picchu or was he following a map from 40 years earlier? Had he smuggled artifacts out of Peru illegally? And was he really the inspiration for Indiana Jones?
Adams originally wanted to investigate the controversies, but found himself becoming more and more fascinated with the story of how Bingham had gotten to Machu Picchu in the first place. Like Bingham, he became more and more obsessed with, "why such a spectacular granite city had been built in such a spellbinding location: high on a secluded mountain ridge." He decided, "the clues were still out there to be examined by anyone with strong legs and a large block of vacation time."
So off he went...
and wrote "Turn Right at Machu Picchu" to tell us all about it.
Weaving his own adventures in with that of the original expedition, Adams takes us along as he hikes and climbs his way from Cusco up into the mountains of Peru (along with his guide, mule driver, cook, factotum, and a half-dozen sturdy mules.)
"Between my microfiber bwana costume and the bags of candy that [the cook] kept foisting on me, I could have been trick-or-treating as Hemingway.”
I'm still fairly near the beginning of the book, (we're just a couple of days down the trail) but I'm already thoroughly enjoying the mix of history, culture, and humor in this book.
Anyone wanna come trekking with me?
12 comments:
It will be more like following in your footsteps since it takes my library forever to send books. But I've reserved it.
S-
don't worry -- I don't walk fast
;-p
this looks fabulous.
Yanno, a few years ago I worked my way through a massive tome about Charles Darwin and his journey on the SS Beagle. It was a fictitious tale but full of real facts...it was 600? 800? pages long and I found it fascinating. And I'm the only person I know who read it. So frustrating to have a discussion with people who don't give a fuck about Darwin, yanno? So be sure I'll read this one. :) I've also read two different books about through-hikes on the Appalachian Trail and one abouta guy who walked across America from east to west. This looks to be right up my alley. :)
nilla
n-
cool. I liked Walk Across America, too.
I don't always have to travel on foot, tho'!
"Ghost Rider" spans two continents on a motorcycle.
Theroux's rail journey books can be really interesting...
(but you probably know that...)
I'm intrigued by this book. I might join you.
And have you read Josephine Tey's The Daughter of Time, another mystery which focuses on sources. Amazing book.
Nilla, was it the Bill Bryson one about walking the Appalachian trail?
-sin
Jz, does it have lots of maps, etc.? Should I buy it as a paper book or will the ebook do?
-sin
s-
yes, Daughter of Time is another one I go back and re-read periodically. Very cool book. :-)
ebook will be fine. There are a few b/w photos but other than that, fairly straight text.
okay...that's weird. I wrote a response to this and ... cyberspace ATE it. dang it!!
sin, it was Bill Bryson...my dad gave it to me, said it was the funniest thing he'd read. That got me hooked on reading about AT through hikers. I've read one? two? about other hikers, never remember the names of the books, but they were interesting. Not as humorous as BB was but he's a unique one anyway. :)
Jz...I have this on request at the library now...can't hardly wait for it to come in !
nilla
n-
look forward to hearing what you think!
Jz, I got it from the library today. I'll let you know what I think.
Nilla, have you read Wild, by Cheryl Strayed, about a woman hiking in California?
-sin
s-
ooooh, excellent! :-)
no! I'll add that to my list!
nilla
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