If you are planning at trip to Machu Picchu or just have interest in the site and the history of its rediscovery, Turn Right at Machu Picchu may be a good read for you.  It is a light-hearted, humorous story of a travel writer’s (from Outside magazine) re-creation of Hiram Bingham‘s orginal expedition to Machu Picchu. A lot of the non-fiction on the site are a bit dry, including Hiram Bingham’s book which outlines his expedition.  This read is very much like something from Bill Bryson (of A Walk in the Woods fame). It is light and fast and provides a lot of great facts on Machu Picchu, Hiram Bingham, as well as the ongoing disputes between Yale University and the government of Peru over artifacts that were removed from the country and are currently in Connecticut.

While the book describes the author’s multiple expeditions to Machu Piccu, surrounding ruins, and the Inca trail, it also provides a lot of information and strong arguments that discredits Hiram Bingham as the discover of Machu Picchu (think Columbus and the Americas).

It wasn’t my favorite book but it is a fast and entertaining way to get more information on Machu Picchu and the history of its rediscovery. It is definitely worth a read if you are at all interested in the topic.

If you are interested in our short expedition on the Inca Trail, check out our blog post here.