I picked up The Lost City of Z: A Tale of Deadly Obsession by David Grann not long after returning from a trip to the Amazon river basin in Peru.
I was intrigued by a story of a lost city in the Amazon after seeing Machu Pichu (there could be something even greater?) and when reading the first few pages of Grann's book was hooked. It ended up being slow going at points, but I was pulled along by the wonder of El Dorado.
Grann is exhaustive in his research of Percy Fawcett who in the early part of the century disappeared in the Amazon in his quest to find El Dorado. Numerous Fawcett hunters followed suit and I feared the author would be the next victim.
After hearing about the conditions Fawcett and his party experienced during their trips in the Amazon - maggots in their skin, constantly biting mosquitoes, risk of malaria and other diseases, I was thankful for my insect repellant with lots of Deet and guides during my trip. Plus I was able to be a little more thankful for the experience and that I came out safely.
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