I have great admiration for Dervla Murphy; she has written many travel books in her life, some of which have made it to my reading lists; as a youngster on a bicycle to Afghanistan and as an distinguished lady of respectable age in Laos. Somewhere in between these books she wrote “Eight Feet in the Andes” (1983), where she tells of her travels in Peru, with daughter and donkey. And here again I admire her travel spirit, walking from Cajamarca in the north to Cusco in the south, in the process crossing many high passes, and equally many deep valleys. It is just that there is not much to tell, at least not in the first 100 pages, after which I put the book away. How many times can you describe the no doubt spectacular views, how many times can you elaborate on how difficult it was to find the path? The people she meets on the way, very few, are shy and evasive, and even if they meet up with Ms Murphy for a little longer, they remain strangers; I suspect this has to do with Ms Murphy’s limited Spanish language abilities, something she refers to herself several times. So, great trip, but not such a great travelogue. ( )

Written in the 80's a wonderful travelogue with a middle aged woman, a 9 year old girl and a mule. Walking for about 4 months in the wilds of peru. I love Dervla Murphy's spirit and wish my daughter of around the same age would be as stoic. ( )

Travels in Peru in the early 80s retracing the steps of the early conquistadors. Here you will get to know why South America runs at 100rpm, the mestizos vs the native indians.

Now waiting for my next set of books to arrive at SCCL.

Travels in Peru in the early 80s retracing the steps of the early conquistadors. Here you will get to know why South America runs at 100rpm, the mestizos vs the native indians.

Now waiting for my next set of books to arrive at SCCL.

Eight Feet in the Andes is exactly my idea of what a good travel book should be. As Dervla Murphy recounts her 1300-mile walk the length of the Andes with nine year-old daughter Rachel and mula bonita Juana, she not only describes the country and their travelling adventures, she also delves into the history of the place and shows us how the people live (and eat). Her writing is charming as is Rachel's, whom she quotes liberally. Her observation is keen and detailed. She reflects honestly on what she sees and experiences.
I don't generally respond to other reviewers' comments, but I have to say that I think Murphy is right in objecting to "progress" that is not appropriate to the culture. She does paint a depressing picture of the life of Andean Indians. I suspect that her perception is true. I was particularly struck by a passage following a day when neither she nor Rachel had eaten anything. Her first reaction was a sort of thankfulness that her daughter had experienced first-hand how the Third World lives. Further reflection elicited this comment: "We may seem (indeed we are) fairly spartan in camparison with your average modern tourist. Yet we need some £90 worth of special clothing to enable us to survive on the puna and we know nothing whatever about real privation. Our treks are just playing with hardship. When we go hungry for a few days, or endure extremes of heat or cold or exhaustion, these are no more than Interesting Experiences. The certainty of plenty and comfort lies before us and we cannot even begin to imagine what it feels like to go hungry and cold for a lifetime."
If I were going to quarrel with her, it would be on her willingness to risk the well-being of her nine year-old to three months of danger exacerbated by the fact that they set out without knowing where their next meal might come from or whether they could find their way through unmarked trails. Rachel is manifestly her mother's daughter - cheerful, uncomplaining, resourceful, observant, and courageous. Short cuts go wrong; slides from earthquakes block their path; Juana has some injuries; they keep going and enjoying. So did I! ( )