KayGuidance
Earning My Ears
- Joined
- Aug 5, 2002
- Messages
- 44
I/We love to travel and have thoroughly enjoyed the three trips that we have ventured on with Disney (Ireland, Viva Italia and Peru), but unfortunately this is our last trip with Disney since they do not respect return guests. There was at least one other family on our recent trio to Peru (8/16) that received a free cruise for booking. When I had called about this in January, I was told that this freebie is only for new bookings. Okay, I know now how important I am to this Disney "family". NOT 
That said and done, I would like to give a quick review of the Peru trip. First of all it is a little more strenuous that I expected. However, this could be because I was really affected by the altitude. Our guides were Ernesto and Armando, both of whom are excellent. BTW, we stayed two nights in Lima so that we could avoid any flight difficulties and, therefore, had a chance to use the excellent pool at Casa Andina.
We started the tour with a one hour flight to Cusco and were whisked through customs and shortly on our bus to go to the weaving demonstration and to a Peruvian lunch. The main speaker of the weavers is certainly adamant about the influx of plastic bottles, but she made her point. The weaving and demonstration were excellent and both my daughter and I bought a sweater while my husband bought an interesting hat so that he could "walk the dog" in the winter. (We don't have a dog!--but I guess we are getting one!
)
We then went to Urubamba and checked into our hotel where we will be staying for the next 4 nights; the grounds are beautiful and the design of the units are most unusual. The hotel's name is Sol and Luna, which Walt investigated and found that the Sol and Luna are the names of Inca deity. As mentioned the grounds are absolutely breathtaking, but slippers would have been appreciated since the tile floor is COLD.
The next day (morning) was spent river rafting, which was great fun. However, I don't know if I got sick the next day because of the water (which is not the clearest water I have ever seen) or because of something else--but I am getting ahead of myself. It was fun to be on the river and floating down through the high peaks was just amazing. It is hard to describe the scenery, but let me just say that it is beautiful. We were instructed to make sure that our foot is under straps in the raft and our other foot was in a special holder, I was last on my row and our youngest daughter was facing me. All of a sudden I felt my backside slipping toward the water and I yelled, both Karina and Raoul grabbed me and I was stopped from slipping into the river. Thank you both! Believe me I made sure that my foot and sandal was firmly secured under that strap.
That afternoon we went to Ollantaytambo, which is a 13th century Incan city and discovered the mastery of the Incan masonry. Thank God, for Armando who helped me get down this area. It is hard when the air is different from what you are used to!!!
We had an excellent lunch in Ollantaytambo which was catered by Sol and Luna.
Dinner that night was at Sol and Luna; Walt, Karina and I had the pasta while Jeannette tried the Guinea Pig. I could not even try the Pig because I saw the cute live ones at lunch time. The pasta was excellent, but I had a hard time processing it. Walt read that in high altitudes, heavy pasta dishes should be avoided. (now he tells me)
The next day I was sick and spent the entire day in bed. Karina was also not feeling well and she spent the morning with me. Walt and Jeannette went to the archaeological site of Moray. I probably would have had a hard time walking this site since the paths were extremely narrow.
We had booked horseback riding for all of us, however, Jeannette was the only one who felt well-enough to go. The rest of the tour went to a pottery demonstration. That night, Walt and the girls went to the Peruvian cooking demonstration. I now have some great recipes and perhaps will learn to cook quinoa better.
The doctor came for me at night. $227.70, but he gave me some medicine that made me feel better. It is hard to be away from home and not feeling well. He stated that he would come by at 6 am to make sure that I was okay and he gave me a tentative okay that I could go to Machu Picchu tomorrow. (believe me I am going!)
We took the train ride from Ollantaytambo to village below Machu Picchu an then took a bus to the higher elevation. Machu Picchu was misty and beautiful; just can't describe the majesty of this area. How could this have been built when it is so isolated? Archeologists are still discovering additional parts of this site and it was initially discovered 100 years ago. I walked the area during the morning and then waited with Nadine (from San Diego for the rest of our families to return from their adventures). We had lunch at the sanctuary and the food appeared to be good, but I really couldn't eat much. Walt and I stayed in the lodge during the afternoon and listened to the Peruvian music while Jeannette and Karina and most of the tour went all the way to South Gate. Armando said that this was the first time that he made it all the way to South Gate. Good going, guys!
In the morning we went to the Pisac market where I bargained for some items we wanted to take home. This was fun and I enjoyed it. We had lunch at Sara; the food was good, but in actuality, I wasn't crazy about it and neither was Karina. There are many different types of potatoes in Peru (hundreds) and they are all good. We just expect our potatoes to be warm or hot when we get them. It is just a cultural difference that we would have to get used to.
On Saturday afternoon, we went to visit a Llamas at the Awana Kancha Camelids Center where we were exposed to the differences in llamas, alpacas and vicuna. They are so cute. Their fur is soft and thick; just amazing fur. The llama weights ~300 pounds, but can only carry up to 80-100 pounds.
We were checked into the Casa Andina in Cusco, which was also quite nice. We went to 6 pm mass at one of the 34 Catholic churches in Cusco. This church, Jesuit, had the most gold I have ever seen in any church including Rome! It was a gorgeous church.
Afterwards, Jeannette had convinced us to attend a local play. It was terrific and we laughed and laughed. You didn't have to worry about speaking or understanding Spanish since there wasn't any speaking parts. Suggestion, bring your student/teacher ID since there is a significant reduction in price for educators. Only Jeannette had hers, but we saved 54 Soles.
Afterwards we stopped at a local pizzeria. Peruvian pizza is not up to our NY standards. Other foods were great, but their pizza is not. (Just being honest here)
On Sunday, our last day in Cusco, we visited Sacsayhuaman, which is right out of Cusco and shows the Incan superior construction techniques. Excellent, but once again I had a little trouble breathing. Ernesto came to my rescue, but I was smart and decided to go down the steps on my backside. Only Karina and I opted to return to the hotel by bus, everyone else trekked down into the city.
We had lunch at the Inca Wall with the Daleo's of San Diego. It was great food and great company. Afterwards, we found out way to the local grocery store where I purchased some cocoa. Their hot chocolate is delicious and I would recommend it whenever you get a chance to get some.
That night was our last night in Cusco and we all spent the evening with dinner and other festivities at the Casa Andina (Cusco). The dinner was great and there was a fun game that was played. I won't mention it here so I don't spoil your fun.
The next day we flew back to Lima and eventually went to Casa Aliaga. This colonial home, located in the heart of Lima, was breathtaking. This afternoon was just the cherry on a great trip. I won't spoil the surprise, but it is worth it, take my word for it.
Many of our fellow travelers were leaving that night and it was time to say good-bye. Others, like us, were leaving the next day and few were staying even longer. Walt and I opted to walk a little in Lima the next day; both Jeannette and Karina weren't feeling well so they stayed in their room. WAlt and I had a great time walking and found a supermarket and were able to purchase some vanilla; hopefully it is vanilla extract.
Although this was a hard trip for me, getting sick and then not able to breath in certain areas, it was still a great trip. Walt and I were not only with our family, we also found some great people.
In closing, I just hope that ABD changes their feelings about return guests and welcomes us back, the way we should be.
That said and done, I would like to give a quick review of the Peru trip. First of all it is a little more strenuous that I expected. However, this could be because I was really affected by the altitude. Our guides were Ernesto and Armando, both of whom are excellent. BTW, we stayed two nights in Lima so that we could avoid any flight difficulties and, therefore, had a chance to use the excellent pool at Casa Andina.
We started the tour with a one hour flight to Cusco and were whisked through customs and shortly on our bus to go to the weaving demonstration and to a Peruvian lunch. The main speaker of the weavers is certainly adamant about the influx of plastic bottles, but she made her point. The weaving and demonstration were excellent and both my daughter and I bought a sweater while my husband bought an interesting hat so that he could "walk the dog" in the winter. (We don't have a dog!--but I guess we are getting one!
)We then went to Urubamba and checked into our hotel where we will be staying for the next 4 nights; the grounds are beautiful and the design of the units are most unusual. The hotel's name is Sol and Luna, which Walt investigated and found that the Sol and Luna are the names of Inca deity. As mentioned the grounds are absolutely breathtaking, but slippers would have been appreciated since the tile floor is COLD.
The next day (morning) was spent river rafting, which was great fun. However, I don't know if I got sick the next day because of the water (which is not the clearest water I have ever seen) or because of something else--but I am getting ahead of myself. It was fun to be on the river and floating down through the high peaks was just amazing. It is hard to describe the scenery, but let me just say that it is beautiful. We were instructed to make sure that our foot is under straps in the raft and our other foot was in a special holder, I was last on my row and our youngest daughter was facing me. All of a sudden I felt my backside slipping toward the water and I yelled, both Karina and Raoul grabbed me and I was stopped from slipping into the river. Thank you both! Believe me I made sure that my foot and sandal was firmly secured under that strap.
That afternoon we went to Ollantaytambo, which is a 13th century Incan city and discovered the mastery of the Incan masonry. Thank God, for Armando who helped me get down this area. It is hard when the air is different from what you are used to!!!
We had an excellent lunch in Ollantaytambo which was catered by Sol and Luna. Dinner that night was at Sol and Luna; Walt, Karina and I had the pasta while Jeannette tried the Guinea Pig. I could not even try the Pig because I saw the cute live ones at lunch time. The pasta was excellent, but I had a hard time processing it. Walt read that in high altitudes, heavy pasta dishes should be avoided. (now he tells me)
The next day I was sick and spent the entire day in bed. Karina was also not feeling well and she spent the morning with me. Walt and Jeannette went to the archaeological site of Moray. I probably would have had a hard time walking this site since the paths were extremely narrow.
We had booked horseback riding for all of us, however, Jeannette was the only one who felt well-enough to go. The rest of the tour went to a pottery demonstration. That night, Walt and the girls went to the Peruvian cooking demonstration. I now have some great recipes and perhaps will learn to cook quinoa better.
The doctor came for me at night. $227.70, but he gave me some medicine that made me feel better. It is hard to be away from home and not feeling well. He stated that he would come by at 6 am to make sure that I was okay and he gave me a tentative okay that I could go to Machu Picchu tomorrow. (believe me I am going!)
We took the train ride from Ollantaytambo to village below Machu Picchu an then took a bus to the higher elevation. Machu Picchu was misty and beautiful; just can't describe the majesty of this area. How could this have been built when it is so isolated? Archeologists are still discovering additional parts of this site and it was initially discovered 100 years ago. I walked the area during the morning and then waited with Nadine (from San Diego for the rest of our families to return from their adventures). We had lunch at the sanctuary and the food appeared to be good, but I really couldn't eat much. Walt and I stayed in the lodge during the afternoon and listened to the Peruvian music while Jeannette and Karina and most of the tour went all the way to South Gate. Armando said that this was the first time that he made it all the way to South Gate. Good going, guys!
In the morning we went to the Pisac market where I bargained for some items we wanted to take home. This was fun and I enjoyed it. We had lunch at Sara; the food was good, but in actuality, I wasn't crazy about it and neither was Karina. There are many different types of potatoes in Peru (hundreds) and they are all good. We just expect our potatoes to be warm or hot when we get them. It is just a cultural difference that we would have to get used to.
On Saturday afternoon, we went to visit a Llamas at the Awana Kancha Camelids Center where we were exposed to the differences in llamas, alpacas and vicuna. They are so cute. Their fur is soft and thick; just amazing fur. The llama weights ~300 pounds, but can only carry up to 80-100 pounds.
We were checked into the Casa Andina in Cusco, which was also quite nice. We went to 6 pm mass at one of the 34 Catholic churches in Cusco. This church, Jesuit, had the most gold I have ever seen in any church including Rome! It was a gorgeous church.
Afterwards, Jeannette had convinced us to attend a local play. It was terrific and we laughed and laughed. You didn't have to worry about speaking or understanding Spanish since there wasn't any speaking parts. Suggestion, bring your student/teacher ID since there is a significant reduction in price for educators. Only Jeannette had hers, but we saved 54 Soles.
Afterwards we stopped at a local pizzeria. Peruvian pizza is not up to our NY standards. Other foods were great, but their pizza is not. (Just being honest here)
On Sunday, our last day in Cusco, we visited Sacsayhuaman, which is right out of Cusco and shows the Incan superior construction techniques. Excellent, but once again I had a little trouble breathing. Ernesto came to my rescue, but I was smart and decided to go down the steps on my backside. Only Karina and I opted to return to the hotel by bus, everyone else trekked down into the city.
We had lunch at the Inca Wall with the Daleo's of San Diego. It was great food and great company. Afterwards, we found out way to the local grocery store where I purchased some cocoa. Their hot chocolate is delicious and I would recommend it whenever you get a chance to get some.
That night was our last night in Cusco and we all spent the evening with dinner and other festivities at the Casa Andina (Cusco). The dinner was great and there was a fun game that was played. I won't mention it here so I don't spoil your fun.
The next day we flew back to Lima and eventually went to Casa Aliaga. This colonial home, located in the heart of Lima, was breathtaking. This afternoon was just the cherry on a great trip. I won't spoil the surprise, but it is worth it, take my word for it.
Many of our fellow travelers were leaving that night and it was time to say good-bye. Others, like us, were leaving the next day and few were staying even longer. Walt and I opted to walk a little in Lima the next day; both Jeannette and Karina weren't feeling well so they stayed in their room. WAlt and I had a great time walking and found a supermarket and were able to purchase some vanilla; hopefully it is vanilla extract.
Although this was a hard trip for me, getting sick and then not able to breath in certain areas, it was still a great trip. Walt and I were not only with our family, we also found some great people.
In closing, I just hope that ABD changes their feelings about return guests and welcomes us back, the way we should be.
. They might have been inca deities dedicated to the celestial bodies, but they would be named something else 
