A few other facts about Betsy: Give her a summer tomato and she is happy. She has no regrets about her twenties; in fact, she’s trying to live her forties with the same enthusiasm and optimism. Her favorite books from childhood were those in the Ant and Bee series. She describes the series as “classic British hijinks, miniature in size, with sweet and comical illustrations.” She remembers studying them for hours. Don’t dare play a game of charades with Betsy and her husband Ridley. They take pride in cooking up “menacing assignments” for their opponents, “the more esoteric the better!” The best advice she’s ever received is to Be Particular.
Today, after a recent journey to Machu Picchu, she reviews Mark Adams’ Turn Right at Machu Picchu: Rediscovering the Lost City One Step at a Time.
From Betsy: Unraveling the story behind Pre-Columbian America will keep archeologists, academics, and travelers busy for the next millennium. It’s pretty clear the New World had hundreds of millions of inhabitants who were members of evolved and sophisticated cultures. Sadly, the Spanish Conquistadors were able, by force and by accident, to destroy them in short order. The introduction of diseases was the mightiest albeit unintentional weapon; paired with religious zealotry and greed, native people didn’t stand a chance.
Fortunately, the engineering prowess of the Inca and their predecessors provides undeniable evidence of a brilliant and beautiful culture.
Turn Right at Machu Picchu, by Mark Adams, chronicles a modern-day writer’s journey along the Inca Trail. Central to the book is the story of
Last week, I gazed in awe at the majesty of the site, but was left with far more questions than answers. On my nightstand are both 1491 and 1493 by Charles C. Mann. Both are comprehensive studies of the Americas pre- and post-Columbus’ landing. If this subject interests you as well, be assured you are in the company of many other present day explorers who will be unearthing more wondrous discoveries in the coming decades.
[…] Guest Post by Betsy Wills: If You Like Mystery, Then Read This History. […]
I love to read this book. I love mystery stories. It makes me feel curious.