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3.77 AVERAGE
3.77 AVERAGE
“People used to be travelers, now they’re tourists. People want hotels, cafes, the Internet. They won’t even camp!”
Guilty.
I chose this book because I couldn’t see myself enduring Hiram Bingham’s book chronicling the discovery. I figured that this would have more personality given that the author was not an explorer or adventurer prior to embarking on his quest. The ‘layperson’s’ point of view was appealing to me. This book was engaging and an easy read. Plus, today ... I turned right at Machu Picchu!!!!
Travel writer, Mark Adams, follows in the footsteps of Hiram Bingham, the man credited with discovering Machu Picchu. I actually enjoyed the journey and would have loved the book told from John Leivers, the guide’s, POV, too. I loved the adventure as much as I loved learning along the way. Adams has a perfect balance of history and travelogue; I enjoyed learning about the muleteers, cooks and the people Adams and Leivers met along the trail. I smiled at the Quechua kids who admitted they didn’t know about New York or USA, but wondered if it was really true that Michael Jackson was dead!
I was in awe of this royal city that was built to withstand Andean rainstorms and the power of 2 fault lines under its foundations.
Imagine that the expedition that made Bingham famous was nearly canceled at the last minute! Add to that, the fact that he squeezed in 3 expeditions between 1911 and 1915 all while raising 7 young sons and holding down a teaching job at Yale.
My takeaway? Wear two pairs of socks when I hike the Inca Trail AND remember to splay my toes when going downhill.
Now that I enjoy audiobooks, I believe this would be best listened to. I attempted to read this on our land excursion (trains, planes, and automobiles) to Machu Picchu and would have had plenty of time to listen to it.
Guilty.
I chose this book because I couldn’t see myself enduring Hiram Bingham’s book chronicling the discovery. I figured that this would have more personality given that the author was not an explorer or adventurer prior to embarking on his quest. The ‘layperson’s’ point of view was appealing to me. This book was engaging and an easy read. Plus, today ... I turned right at Machu Picchu!!!!
Travel writer, Mark Adams, follows in the footsteps of Hiram Bingham, the man credited with discovering Machu Picchu. I actually enjoyed the journey and would have loved the book told from John Leivers, the guide’s, POV, too. I loved the adventure as much as I loved learning along the way. Adams has a perfect balance of history and travelogue; I enjoyed learning about the muleteers, cooks and the people Adams and Leivers met along the trail. I smiled at the Quechua kids who admitted they didn’t know about New York or USA, but wondered if it was really true that Michael Jackson was dead!
I was in awe of this royal city that was built to withstand Andean rainstorms and the power of 2 fault lines under its foundations.
Imagine that the expedition that made Bingham famous was nearly canceled at the last minute! Add to that, the fact that he squeezed in 3 expeditions between 1911 and 1915 all while raising 7 young sons and holding down a teaching job at Yale.
My takeaway? Wear two pairs of socks when I hike the Inca Trail AND remember to splay my toes when going downhill.
Now that I enjoy audiobooks, I believe this would be best listened to. I attempted to read this on our land excursion (trains, planes, and automobiles) to Machu Picchu and would have had plenty of time to listen to it.
I listened to this in preparation for a trip to Machu Picchu. I had a difficult time picturing the structures and archeological sites the author described. I also wish that there was more information about the current Andean culture. With that said, it was overall interesting and enjoyable.
adventurous
informative
lighthearted
slow-paced
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
adventurous
informative
slow-paced
December book for read around the world challenge (South America):
This is my second Mark Adams book. The subject is interesting. But there are a lot of people and a lot of facts and it gets overwhelming. Some days I only read twenty pages. But I liked it - I learned some things and I laughed a few times.
This is my second Mark Adams book. The subject is interesting. But there are a lot of people and a lot of facts and it gets overwhelming. Some days I only read twenty pages. But I liked it - I learned some things and I laughed a few times.
This book re-awakened my wanderlust and desire for experiences off the beaten path. Damn you, Bills and Professional Aspirations!
adventurous
funny
informative
reflective
fast-paced
I would give this nonfiction travelogue a 3.5. I really enjoyed how the author traced Peruvian history from the reign of the Incas to modern day. Like most places the Peruvian people are grappling with wanting to share their culture, but do not want it stolen from them. They are actively trying to recover artifacts that were taken during expeditions to the region in the early 1900s. One of those expeditions, the Hiram Bingham expedition, is the main focus of this book. Bingham was credited with “discovering” Machu Picchu. As the 100 year anniversary of the expedition approaches the author of this book decides to retrace the expedition’s route.
The reason why I didn’t rate this book higher is it seemed to really drag at points. I also didn’t like how the author was kind of a travel snob. He felt like the only way to travel to Machu Picchu was his way, and all other ways were wrong. He spent a lot of time criticizing other travelers. I found this ironic considering this was his first major travel adventure, even though he writes for a travel magazine. Oh well, I did enjoy the history.
The reason why I didn’t rate this book higher is it seemed to really drag at points. I also didn’t like how the author was kind of a travel snob. He felt like the only way to travel to Machu Picchu was his way, and all other ways were wrong. He spent a lot of time criticizing other travelers. I found this ironic considering this was his first major travel adventure, even though he writes for a travel magazine. Oh well, I did enjoy the history.
I liked it. It was interesting. It similar to Bill Bryson's travel books in that Adams gives you some history to chew on.
Very interesting. I liked that the author told the history of how Machu Picchu was "discovered" yet he also went into the field and followed in the footsteps of the discoverer. By doing that, he learned even more and was able to get the people of Peru opinion on the "discovery."