Cucumber Sandwiches in the Andes

An amusing, albeit short book about an Englishman and three Chilean companions who, along with a couple of guides and some muleteers, travel by horse across the highest passes of the Andes from Chile to the Argentine. It is the early 1970s, and the author is in Chile to take up his posting in the British Embassy, has some time to fill and some historic footprints to follow.

The most important of previous expeditions was in 1817, and resulted in the ousting of the Spanish from Chile - Jose San Martin, with his two brigade leaders - lieutenant Bernardo O'Higgins (who later became the first President of Chile) and General Soler, and Argentinian.

Other travellers who inspired the author, and provided him with guidance were John Miers, an English mining engineer in 1819, and Lady Cochrane in 1920. Others included Charles Darwin, George Byam, Peter Schmidtmeyer, Robert Ewles and Edward Whymper. The author manages to take a little from the story of each of these adventurers, and incorporate it into his own.

A good 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4 despite the silly title (which doesn't receive a mention in the book a far as I can tell).