Turn Right at Machu Picchu

Turn Right at Machu Picchu follows journalist Mark Adams as he retraces the 1911 expedition of explorer Hiram Bingham III through Peru. Adams, an adventure magazine editor who had never slept in a tent, undertakes this challenging trek with an Australian guide and a team of local porters. The narrative alternates between Adams' modern journey and Bingham's historical quest to locate the lost Incan cities. Both timelines explore the Peruvian landscape and investigate the archeological mysteries surrounding Machu Picchu and other Incan sites in the region. Through extensive research and first-hand experience, Adams examines the ongoing debates about Bingham's legacy and the true purpose of Machu Picchu. The book incorporates historical documents, archaeological findings, and conversations with local experts and descendants of early explorers. This dual-timeline structure creates a meditation on the nature of discovery itself - questioning what it means to "find" a place that was never truly lost to local populations. The parallel journeys highlight the evolution of archaeology, tourism, and cultural preservation over the past century.

Readers describe this as an engaging mix of modern travelogue and historical account of Hiram Bingham's expeditions. The interweaving of past and present storylines helps explain Machu Picchu's significance while making the history accessible. Readers appreciated: - Clear explanations of Incan history and architecture - Humor and self-deprecating tone - Balance between adventure narrative and scholarly content - Practical details about visiting Machu Picchu - Photos and maps that aid understanding Common criticisms: - Too much focus on Bingham vs Incan civilization - Some passages drag with excessive detail - Confusing timeline jumps between past/present - Limited coverage of modern Peruvian culture Ratings: Goodreads: 3.9/5 (14,000+ ratings) Amazon: 4.5/5 (1,200+ ratings) "Like Bill Bryson wandering the Andes" - common reader comparison "Made me want to book a trip immediately" - frequent comment "Could have used better editing to tighten the narrative" - noted in multiple reviews

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🌿 Author Mark Adams had never slept in a tent or gone camping before embarking on his ambitious journey to retrace Hiram Bingham III's steps through Peru. 🗺️ While researching for the book, Adams discovered that Machu Picchu wasn't actually a "lost city" - local farmers had been living near the site and knew of its existence long before Bingham's "discovery." ⛰️ The book reveals how Yale University held onto thousands of artifacts from Machu Picchu for nearly 100 years before finally returning them to Peru in 2011. 🌎 The journey covered in the book spans nearly 1,000 miles of Peruvian terrain, including some of the most challenging topography in South America. 🏺 Despite being one of the most famous archaeological sites in the world, only about 30% of Machu Picchu has been reconstructed - the rest remains buried underground.