9/22/09 Peru anyone else

[DaddyBrady]

I bought the Eyewitness Peru guide a couple of weeks ago (the very colorful DK Publishing book), and Amazon infored me this morning that the brand new edition shipped today.

We're actually going on the Saturday before to Santiago de Chile as we couldn't get the flight on the day before using miles. We're coming from Los Angeles on LAN; going on American would take 24 hours to fly from Seattle to Dallas, then to Mexico City, and finally Lima. We'll come from Santiago on the 22nd. We're staying in Lima after the trip for a few days as well, returning home on Saturday.

 

[Scott H]

Good to hear plans are comming together.

 

[Lynn G]

Just posting to bump this thread, I guess it is too far away for most people to plan - not us - we love to plan things way in advance!

Have a great day!

 

[Scott H]

Just posting to bump this thread, I guess it is too far away for most people to plan - not us - we love to plan things way in advance!

Have a great day!

Bumping up to catch any one else going on this trip.

 

[Lynn G]

Happy New Year to all!

This trip is getting closer and closer!

 

[Scott H]

I found Pisco and have been making Pisco Sours, one is enough for sure.....

 

[Compte de Yoyo]

Glad to hear the positive feed back, any great tips to share???

We were on the trip in Oct 08 and it was fantastic!
As previously mentioned, the hotel staff and people are quite friendly. Our guides really took care of us and went out of their way to talk to everybody and make them feel welcome. (They also took us bar hopping, but that may be an adult trip thing) We found the trip to be casual, quite a bit of exercise (esp with the higher altitude) and there was a good variety of things to do. We got along fine bargaining and throughout the trip with very limited Spanish too, which was one of our concerns.

I don't think this has been mentioned yet but there's a double decker bus tour that just started (last Oct). From your hotel in Miraflores (the first day in Lima) you'll see a yellow clock tower which is about five minutes from the hotel which is Kennedy Square (plus a Starbucks, KFC and McDonalds). The MiraBus leaves from there and a little further in, there's a little stall (they'll speak English) to purchase tickets.

There's tons of food on this trip. Full meals, all the bottled water you'd want and little snacks in between too. You get two non alcoholic drinks per meal, we picked a bottled water and Inca Kola (tastes like pineapple bubblegum soda) or a coke most of the time. The first group meal at the weaving center was pretty yummy, very flavorful mashed potatoes We were also served alpaca (several times) and guinea pig and let loose for a couple of meals (armed with maps that our guides circled restaurants suggestions).

Photo ops galore. Watch for the giant hummingbirds on your morning walk to the breakfast buffet and smuggle out an apple and visit the horses at the Sol y Luna

Definitely bring layers, we were there for the rainy season (Disney provided ponchos, yay!) The first night was outdoors and there's a cooking demo later on that are outside and it gets a little chilly although they set a fire and there's heating lamps.

Watch the water intake. Bottled water good, tap water not good. Keep your mouth closed during rafting We had two people feel a little queasy the following day and probably swallowed some water. The hotel, guides and the Machu Picchu sanctuary had meds for any tummy issues as well as oxygen for altitude.

 

[Lynn G]

Thanks for the tips! We are really looking forward to this trip!

 

[Scott H]

Yes thanks for the tips and info, I was looking forward to trying the cuy so glad it is available.

We will be arriving a day early and are looking at the bicycle tour before we set off with ABD.


Thanks for the link to your pics. Edited to add, those are great, many thanks.....

WIll haev to get a couple of those bulls for sure to go with our gargoyles

 

[Scott H]

Just a Bump

 

[Lynn G]

Another bump to get us back to page 1 for a day or so - anyone else on this trip? It is getting closer!

 

[Lynn G]

I talked to ABD the other day,sounds like there are around 20 on this trip, we are waiting for the final packing instructions and the back pack.

 

[DaddyBrady]

We got our backpacks last week - a nice improvement over the bags last year. On our way soon!

 

[Lynn G]

We got home from our cruise and found the box with the back packs in our garage (friends had been checking on house while we were gone and rescued the box from the front porch), they are our first, but they do not look bad to me. I do like the luggage tags they sent.

On the cruise we did run into a server who lives in Lima who was very friendly, and was insisting that we look him up when we get there, he will be home while we are there. We did not get as much time as we planned to read up in our travel books, so that will now be my reading material until we leave!

Have a great day all!

 

[Scott H]

Ordered some Sols today from AAA

 

[Lynn G]

I just got my new camera for this trip, it is an updated model from the one I had so the learning curve should be short, but I need to play with it. Scott will get the old one. Olympus sp590UZ - has a 26 times optical zoom, 12 megapixels. I will definately need a monopod for this one! Have a great day all!

 

[sayhello]

I just got my new camera for this trip, it is an updated model from the one I had so the learning curve should be short, but I need to play with it. Scott will get the old one. Olympus sp590UZ - has a 26 times optical zoom, 12 megapixels. I will definately need a monopod for this one! Have a great day all!

Whoa! That's some serious camerage!

Sayhello

 

[Scott H]

Whoa! That's some serious camerage!

Sayhello

And they are pretty much a point and shoot. Now I have to learn the old camera which is new to me LOL....

Picked up the Sols from AAA today....

 

[Lynn G]

I have been spending my free reading time on my Peru travel books, getting excited for this. Have started the packing piles on the bed in the guest room!

 

[DaddyBrady]

Mario's parents are already in Colombia, where they'll be before travleing to Lima the day before the tour begins. I'm spending my Labor Day with the Eyewitness Guide and Fodor's getting prepped. We leave in 12 days as we're going to Santiago de Chile for a few days before. Finally! Since we booked this trip in August, the countdown has seemed eternal.

Now, where is my camera.....