Turn Right at Machu Picchu: Rediscovering the Lost City One Step at a Time

About twenty years ago and before Machu Picchu became such a popular tourist destination, a co-worker of mine did the Inca Trail hike and gave a slide show presentation that drew gasps and sighs from her audience of cubicle worker bees. Twenty years later and feeling thirty years older, I'm still fascinated with Machu Picchu and hope to see it in person before I am too feeble to move. When I heard a new book on the subject had been published, I snatched it up. The day after it arrived from Amazon, I had to go to the DMV so I brought the book to have something to read during the anticipated wait. While most people waiting at the DMV quietly pray for death to end their misery, I was completely engrossed by the book and was laughing out loud. Laughing out loud while at the DMV. That should give you an idea of how funny Mark Adams is. "Turn Right at Machu Picchu" is a pleasure to read. The humor, often self-deprecating, is sprinkled liberally throughout. Adams can build up slowly to a punchline or toss off a one-line zinger out of left field with equal ease. In the meantime, the book is also packed full of information presented in a clear, understandable and thorough way so you don't even realize how much you're learning. The end notes also include a good selection of reference materials and useful information about visiting Machu Picchu for readers with travel aspirations. I devoured this book in less than a week, then went back and reread my favorite parts the next day. I've given copies of this book to friends and family members who also hope to visit Machu Picchu, and they've all told me how the book exceeded their expectations. My boyfriend is reading it now and is also very impressed. He read "Guns, Germs and Steel" by Jared Diamond several years ago and was disappointed that Diamond didn't cover more of the back story about why the Inca empire didn't survive. This book provides that information. For people who want to learn about Machu Picchu or just want an amusing non-fiction read, I unreservedly recommend this book.

Author Mark Adams has produced an enjoyable book that is part travel log, part history, and part archeology. He visits Peru and ancient Inca archeological sites with a knowledgable cast of characters. He tries to recreate some of the experiences of the (re)discoverer of World Heritage Site Machu Picchu Hiram Bingham III. Bingham stumbled onto jungle-encrusted Machu Picchu on July 24, 1911. Although others knew of the existence of the ruins, Bingham brought them to world-wide attention and almost overnight prominence. Adams alternates among his present-day experience, Bingham's experience, and the thoughts on the Incas (the builders) in the 1400-1500 times frame to attempt to explain the original purpose of Machu Pichu. Its a good read, providing you are interested in the Incas or South American history. Its a quick read.

I bought the Kindle edition because I was going to Peru with my wife, liked the premise of the book, and wanted to read it while in the plane and anywhere. I read it to my wife in the plane and during the first part of our trip to Peru, when we were visiting Lima first and then Nueva Cajamarca in the north. I starting reading and was totally absorbed by the great adventure of the author in walking the original route that Hiram Bingham III took in 1911 to "discover" Machu Picchu. The stories of his travel companions (all extremely interesting characters), the great humor (I was laughing after reading several passages), and the sense that you are actually walking with him as he describes everything he saw, the feelings and the history of the whole region, of the Incas, and of Hiram Bingham III. The description of Machu Picchu is excellent. I would recommend anyone going there to read that chapter. The book includes great maps of the region and excellent historical photos at the end of the book and photos of the travel companions. In short, you will really enjoy this book. You will get to know where the model for Indiana Jones came from and during sunrise Machu Picchu during the winter solstice in June 21-24. You will feel you are living it. But you must go there. It's spectacular. Finally, visit also other towns in the Sacred Valley (Cusco, Ollantaytambo, Chinchero, Las Salineras, Maras, Pisaq, and obviously Cusco). And when you go to Chinchero, go the "El Carajo" restaurant. I have been told many times in my life to go to "el carajo", but I finally reached it. Great food and service!

The comparisons to Bryson's various travelogues are fair, but incomplete. Turn Right at Machu Picchu is quite akin to another of my favorites, "The Orchid Thief" in which our author provides substantial, well researched background and history within the framework of his own attempt to retrace the steps of the protagonist. The discovery of Machu Picchu is not likely to be something that most people spend any time considering, but that's what makes this work so compelling. It's something you likely know little about (a "discovery") a place you have seen photos of and might have nothing more than a mild interest in....but by the end, you've learned a considerable amount and can appreciate what our fearless guide went through to bring the story to you. This is non-fiction at its best....engaging, light, but well researched and informative. Note that the historical research is impeccable and judgmental when appropriate. There are a few seemingly throwaway lines that a reader may respond to with "wow, tell me more about THAT." Usually, Adams does, eventually, get around to fully informing the reader on even the most tedious elements of the historical story. The fun of the read, though, really comes from his personal journey. A fun and interesting read.

Turn Right is entertaining but the laughs don’t come nearly as often as with Bill Bryson’s ‘A Walk in the Woods,” another “Hiker with a crazy partner” trail book. But as the Appalachian Trail is nothing like the Inca Trail, and Bryson wasn’t trying to explain a thousand+ years of history, enough said about that. I’m just objecting to the word “hilarious” which was in one of the blurbs. “Hilarious” is overkill, but I’m still glad I read the book. Mark Adams’ detailed info about Macchu Picchu’s origins, coupled with his quest story about Macchu Picchu’s “discoverer” (and the author explains why “discoverer” isn’t the best word) is a good read, but for me, the last 100 pages were clogged with info that seemed there only to make a 250-page book into 300 pages. For that I fault the book’s editor, who might have taken a sharper pencil to some of the author’s extensive research. The best parts focused on the brilliant Yale explorer Hiram Bingham III (about whom I would have liked to know more); on his twenty-first century Aussie counterpart, John Leivers; and of course on the author himself, who comes across as likeable, sturdy, and gifted.

Fun and informative - we read this while traveling through Peru on our way to Machu Picchu - but not really the best written. Adams's narrative jumps all over the place, between Bingham's story and his own, and the effect is not successful. It feels disjointed and confusing, especially with the varied paths, climbs, and topography of the area around Machu Picchu and Cusco. It would have been more engaging and accessible if he'd spent more time with one narrative in a chapter and then switching to the other one in the next. The historical elements in general are informative, I'm currently reading Kim McQuarrie's The Last Days of the Incas, and Adams's book did cover all of the main details and events of what happened. Plus, Adams adds some cute details that are very entertaining to read if you've been to Peru - for example, Lima is indeed very grey and constantly overcast. It was fun to read that this was not just bad luck on our part but a very real phenomenon with an actual name. Overall, it's worth a read, but I would get it used or, if you are traveling in Peru, pick it up at a book exchange. Definitely don't pay full price.

I picked this book up originally through audible on a bit of a lark and thoroughly enjoyed it. A few years later, I picked up the hard copy for my dad whom enjoyed the read as much as I did. If interested in exploration of South America's cloud forest, I would suggest also picking up Hiram Bimgham's "Lost City of the Incas" and/or Col. PH Fawcett's "Exploration Fawcett" to read prior to "Turn Right at Machu Piccho." Whilst certainly not a requirement, both books are referenced and will give you a bit broader perspective. I truly hope you enjoy the book as much as I did. - Happy reading/listening/exploring.

We read this book before our trip to Peru. It helped me understand the history and culture of the Incan people, to select the towns we visited, and practice the pronunciation of names like Ollantaytambo. Mark Adams reveals historic sites in three layers: the author's hilarious retracing of the 1911 discovery tour of Yale Professor Hiram Bingham who teased out possible significance of Incan ruins. After our trip I reread the book with my 4th layer of experience. There I discovered the local solution to stop the itch of the bug bites which continued for over 10 days. A must-read .