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A review by ruffdraftpub
Turn Right at Machu Picchu: Rediscovering the Lost City One Step at a Time by Mark Adams
3.0
This armchair adventure to Inca sites both famous and little-known was pretty fun to read, since it was peppered not only with the author's account of his own journey (which I liked because he was often self-deprecating and honest about his shortcomings) but also with historical context and synthesis of the life and journeys of Hiram Bingham, the man who inspired the author to travel to Perú.
I wasn’t thrilled that the author took so long to address the fact that Machu Picchu was not “discovered” by Bingham, as well as the fact that Bingham’s accounts of his so-called discovery were both flawed and likely embellished.
The Andean people are relegated to a background presence in the book, while Europeans, US citizens, and Australians hog the spotlight, and that didn’t sit well with me. As a travelogue and memoir, this makes sense because it reflects the author’s personal encounters during his journey. However, as a book *about* Machu Picchu, it isn’t okay. The author presents some of the pricklier issues without offering an opinion, and I wish he had presented Andean concerns in more detail and been more willing to condemn the shadier actions of Bingham and Yale University.
There are a few details that are no longer accurate, since the book was published a while ago. For example, he says visitors are never turned away even if the number of visitors exceeds the maximum daily threshold. This is no longer true; as a director of a school in Cusco, I had several groups of students who were denied entry for specifically that reason.
The publisher’s description refers to rural Perú as “still-undiscovered.” Taken literally, that makes me angry, but having read the book, I feel it’s meant facetiously and a bit tongue-in-cheek.
Despite these concerns, overall, as a travelogue, this book was entertaining and enjoyable.
I wasn’t thrilled that the author took so long to address the fact that Machu Picchu was not “discovered” by Bingham, as well as the fact that Bingham’s accounts of his so-called discovery were both flawed and likely embellished.
The Andean people are relegated to a background presence in the book, while Europeans, US citizens, and Australians hog the spotlight, and that didn’t sit well with me. As a travelogue and memoir, this makes sense because it reflects the author’s personal encounters during his journey. However, as a book *about* Machu Picchu, it isn’t okay. The author presents some of the pricklier issues without offering an opinion, and I wish he had presented Andean concerns in more detail and been more willing to condemn the shadier actions of Bingham and Yale University.
There are a few details that are no longer accurate, since the book was published a while ago. For example, he says visitors are never turned away even if the number of visitors exceeds the maximum daily threshold. This is no longer true; as a director of a school in Cusco, I had several groups of students who were denied entry for specifically that reason.
The publisher’s description refers to rural Perú as “still-undiscovered.” Taken literally, that makes me angry, but having read the book, I feel it’s meant facetiously and a bit tongue-in-cheek.
Despite these concerns, overall, as a travelogue, this book was entertaining and enjoyable.