Why a Booktrail?
1980s onwards -The White Rock awaits. Come on an adventure to the lost cities of the Incas and pre -Colombian civilsations….
The White Rock
What you need to know before your trail
They are called the lost cities of South America – the ruins of the Incas and other pre-Colombian civilisations, scattered over thousands of miles of still largely uncharted territory, particularly in the Eastern Andes. They are still very much a part of the popular imagination and bring many an intrepid explorer to this part of the world
Twenty-five years ago, Hugh Thomson set off on foot, leaving everything behind, to find a ruin that had been found and then lost again. Recounting his experiences as he ventures into the most remote Inca cities, he weaves Peruvian history into his story of a fascinating and forgotten land.
Travel Guide
The Eastern Andes and the hidden and largely unexplored land. Famous explorers such as Hiram Bingham and Gene Savoy who have gone before, have inspired many an intrepid explorer.
The book opens as he explains having returned to from the Andes in 1982, the film Raiders of the Lost Ark was playing. This sets the scene for many of the anecdotes and themes later on.
Wanting to write his own version of events and really get into the Inca heartland, he sets off, wanting to challenge the only accounts which comes from the Spanish conquistadors.
Macchu Pichu
The Inca heartland is one of wonder and amazement – bursting with colour, religion and history, not to mention mythology –
when each Inca died, his estate continued to maintain his household as if he were still alive – he remained ‘ resident’ in his old palace in mummified form…
White Rock
And the White rock of the title is the Chuquipalta, deep in the Vilcabamba is the symbol of that world –
“If Vitcos was the political centre of the surviving Inca state in exile, then Chuquipalta was the spiritual epicentre.”
This is a trail for pilgrims and intrepid travellers everywhere – mindful of the high altitudes however and the raw and rugged landscape.
From Choquequirao, Macchu Picchu, Vilacabamba, Collasuyo and of course The White Rock, this is a discovery and veritable exploration of the history, culture, politics and social heartland of the Inca region and its explorers
Booktrail Boarding Pass Information:
Destination: The White Rock, Peru Departure Time: 2000s
Climbing mountains is hard work but the views are amazing!
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