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Matthew Parris
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Inca Kola : A Traveller's Tale of Peru Paperback – January 1, 1993

by Matthew Parris (Author)
4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 37 ratings
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Inca-Kola is the funny, absorbing account of Matthew Parris’s fourth trip to Peru, on a bizarre holiday which takes him among bandits, prostitutes, peasants and riots. He and his three companions seem to head into trouble, not away from it, and he describes the troubles, curiosities and wonders they meet with the spell-binding fascination of a traveller relating adventures over the campfire.

‘A backpacker’s classic: atmospheric, touching, instructive and compulsively readable’ The Times

Previous page
  1. Print length
    248 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Orion Paperbacks
  4. Publication date
    January 1, 1993
  5. Dimensions
    7.83 x 0.79 x 6.06 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    1857990765
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1857990768
  8. See all details
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Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Orion Paperbacks; New Ed edition (January 1, 1993)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 248 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1857990765
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1857990768
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.83 x 0.79 x 6.06 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 37 ratings

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Matthew Parris

Matthew Parris

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Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
4.2 out of 5
37 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Robert.
5.0 out of 5 stars Great Travelogue
Reviewed in the United States on August 6, 2022
Verified Purchase
Great mountaineer story into the Andes. If you are planning a trip to Peru, or just interested in Peru and armchair traveling this is definitely worth a read.
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KC42
2.0 out of 5 stars Sexist
Reviewed in the United States on January 25, 2019
Verified Purchase
I love travelogues and so I was excited to start in on this one. The writing quality is perfectly fine. Yet after a few pages, I started to notice that the females in the book were often described in derogatory terms (sometimes drastically derogatory) and eventually I got turned off by that and did not finish the book. Unfortunate.
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D. Kildare
5.0 out of 5 stars Delightfully entertaining
Reviewed in the United States on December 2, 2019
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I found this book delightfully entertaining. I loved the descriptions and quality of the writing.
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Sally Benner
5.0 out of 5 stars EASY TO READ
Reviewed in the United States on December 23, 2015
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WELL WRITTRN , EASY TO READ , WITTY, LOTS OF PRACTICAL, USEFULL INFORMATION IF YOU ARE GOING....
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Sirin
3.0 out of 5 stars Tory Boy Backpacker
Reviewed in the United States on October 30, 2004
Inca Kola is considered by many to be one of the quintessential backpacker reads about this part of the world. It tells the story, narrated by Matthew Parris- former Conservative MP and current parliamentary sketchwriter for the Times - of a group of friends as they embark on an adventurous trip around Peru encompassing gruelling hikes in the northern mountains, hair raising bus rides and encounters with interesting local characters along the way.

The group does not cover large areas of Peru, but the areas they visit Parris describes with a vibrant and witty style. He is at his funniest when wryly describing everyday scenes- such as the traffic in Lima and the dialogue between his friends and Peruvians- such as when they wind up one of the group by telling a guide that he is impotent. There is much in the way of amusing incident along the way, although sometimes there is a sense that Parris tries too hard to eke an amusing anecdote out of an uneventful set of circumstances.

What sets this book back is Parris's frequently condescending style towards those he meets, as is often the case when a British Conservative MP travels into unfamiliar territory in order to make sense of the socioeconomic make up of the place. He belittles street hawkers, describing them as having 'no enthusiasm in commerce', as if he expects near starving beggars to go about their daily business with as much enthusiasm as Donald Trump. This trait is repeated throughout the book as he describes 'filthy Andean peasants' and paints a mocking picture of a little girl startled whilst urinating by a train emerging suddenly from a tunnel.

There are many unfortunate people in Peru, as with all Third World countries, and no doubt Parris was attempting to convey an accurate picture of the scenes he saw. But the superior, snobbish tone that comes through in many of the passages left me thinking that there must be observers with a different voice that could bring alive the facets of this fascinating country in a more sensitive, multi appreciative way.
19 people found this helpful
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fjuma@yahoo.com
5.0 out of 5 stars Bag it..
Reviewed in the United States on June 22, 1998
It's insightful and witty, but above all very funny. Definitely one of the better travel books i've read in a long time. Do not let that funky title deter you; Its part of the book's inner charm
5 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

A.R.Mahendra
2.0 out of 5 stars Two Stars
Reviewed in India on March 3, 2017
Verified Purchase
GOOD BOOK. but IT DID NOT COME UP TO MY EXPECTATIONS. It reads more like a horror story.
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Movetotheleft
5.0 out of 5 stars Charming book
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 8, 2013
Verified Purchase
Backpackers tales about exotic and faraway places are ten-a-penny. Some completely miss the nuances of the cultures of the places that they visit but this hits the nail on the head in so many ways.

I had been to Peru before and was planning a trip with my wife and looked to find a decent book that might give her some idea as to what Peru was like, the joys, the frustrations, the alien culture and general observations. Although it was written twenty years before our trip it was still relevant - despite the huge changes that the country has gone through. Whilst there are (sadly) many Western-style bars and restaurants, vastly improved transport links, comfortable accommodation with hot water in remote areas, better communications, ATMs and internet cafes in even the smallest towns, the warmth of the people of Peru shines-though this book like it has on my visits. LIkewise, there is still the shocking poverty, frustrating bureaucracy to completed even for many simple things like buying a mobile phone sim card or buying a bus ticket.

We loved Peru and when reading it again after coming back found that Matthew Parris' book really captures many aspects of this fantastic country.
5 people found this helpful
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Amazon Customer
4.0 out of 5 stars Peru
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 26, 2019
Verified Purchase
Funny and interesting book but as it is more than twenty years old, not to be recommended as a guid to Peru now.
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Elizabeth S
5.0 out of 5 stars An experience of a lifetime
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 10, 2014
Verified Purchase
Reading this book makes you feel as if you are actually there. The language is so vivid. You can see the hard sunlight of the Andes in the turquoise sky, breathe the thin air, and see the vertical slopes around you with the profusion of mountain flowers. You experience all the discomforts of travelling without leaving your armchair. I was so sad when I got to the end of the book so I'll read it a second time.
One person found this helpful
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Debbie
5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating account by the perfect travelling companion
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 5, 2016
Verified Purchase
A terrific read by a charming, compassionate and sensitive traveller with a childlike sense of wonder and adventure and a Boy's Own fearlessness about travelling in less than comfortable style. A real traveller, never a tourist, who is the perfect companion for the armchair traveller. A much more detailed review will be appearing on my book blog shortly.
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