Eight Feet in the Andes

The author describes her journey through the Andes with her nine-year-old daughter and a mule called Juana. Together they clambered the length of Peru, from Cajamarca on the border with Ecuador, to Cuzco, the ancient Inca capital, over 1300 miles to the south. With only the most basic necessities to sustain them, their journey was marked by extreme discomfort, occasional danger and even the temporary loss of Juana over a precipice. Yet throughout it all, mother and daughter retained an unflagging sympathy for the perilous beauty and impoverished people of the Andes. Dervla Murphy's other travel books include "Muddling Through In Madagascar" and "Cameroon With Egbert".