The Journey Begins

AlanS

Sitting here at RDU awaiting our flight to Atlanta where we catch a flight to Lima. Anyone wanting the latest info about this tour, post your questions here. We hope the floods and mudslides do not have any impact on our itinerary. From the now-famous YouTube video of girl being rescued from the muddy torrent in a debris clogged arroyo, it still looks to be bone dry elsewhere.

joycesw

Safe travels, Alan! Hope you will post your Lima parasail adventure if you get to do it!!

mazalea

Alan~ WOW! On your way! Want to hear all when you're back - good luck!

British

Yes Alan, awaiting your report, have a great time!

AlanS

Despite what you see on the news, neither Peru nor Lima are being washed away or swept away in mudslides. You wouldn't even know it by riding around Lima, especially the Miraflores area. Looking back in weather history, this stuff happens almost every year, and is worse when El Niño and La Niña are especially strong. Some areas have been badly affected however- the arroyos can't handle the amount of water being dumped on the foothills of the Andes. Someone said there was a heavy rain shower in the Galapagos today, however.

Today we walked the promenade that follows along the top of cliffs above the beach to Larco Mar the cliff-side shopping mall, then walked about 12 blocks inland to the Inca market where we all dropped a few Soles. We then walked back to the cliff-side promenade to the Parapuerto (parasailing launch point.). Since the winds were not yet strong enough, we stopped for a quick lunch at the mall before walking back to the hotel to cool-off and rest (the pool was closed ). Our rooms in the hotel Belmont Miraflores Park Hotel look north along the Pacific Ocean cliffs. A little past 4:00 we looked out the window to see the paragliders were making flights, so we hopped a cab there. Three ladies and I, all of us in our 60's had wonderful flights and have videos to prove it!!! After our flights we made our way down the cliffs to the beach and had dinner at La Rosa Nautica while watching the sun sink into the Pacific. We will wait for another opportunity to try Picso Sours. Today's Fitbit count- 8.01 miles!!

joycesw

Sounds like you are off to a great start, Alan! So glad you got to try Rosa Nautical!

crackers54

Sounds magical. I am doing trip in October, can't wait.

AlanS

Met our TD, Dale, and fellow travelers yesterday. Hotel, Belmont Miraflores Park is excellent- great location right on cliff side promenade within a short walking distance from Larco Mar mall. First up was short tour of Larco Herra Museum- full spectrum of early, Inca, and colonial antiquities- a lot of stuf predates the Incas whose civilization peaked between 1200-1500. Like all of Lima and much of Peru the place was festooned w/ gorgeous flowers.

Next up, trip to a Paso horse ranch- show, had chance sit on one for a guided trip around, and a wonderful lunch!

Bus tour of Lima- some of the worst traffic in the world!

Welcome dinner at Casa Aliaga- historic home (built by F. Pissarro for his friend- Google it!)

Oh, you MUST get a copy and read Mark Adams' "Turn Right at Machu Picchu" before you go- it's entertaining and informative.

Today 6 AM get up for flight to Cusco. LATAM flight (Airbus A320-200) was almost an hour late- not unusual. We rode two smaller buses over the mountains (12,500'!) to the Sacred Valley which is much lower (9000') A few folks experienced mild altitude sickness- most started taking medication yesterday. We stopped for a restroom break (much needed after following the recommendation to drink plenty of water and the altitude medication (which is also a diuretic) and a fabulous lunch at Hacienda Casa Orihuala outside Huayllabamba and are now just outside Urubamba at the Sol y Luna Lodge where we spend the night Late arrival meant we didn't have the optional opportunity to visit Ollantaytambo ruins- maybe tomorrow morning before we catch the train to Aguas Calientes and ride the shuttle to Machu Picchu.

No pics because I don't have editing software on my iPad so can't reduce the image size so they don't mess up other posts.

MCD

Alan, I'm doing the Empires of the Incas tour starting May 3, and will have an extra day in Lima at the beginning of the tour. How did you book the parasailing in Lima? (By the way, I did read "Turn Right at Machu Picchu" and am well into "The Last Days of the Incas." What we didn't learn in school!) Also, did you buy solis before leaving the US or get them from an ATM?

jar742

I traveled to Antarctica and Iceland with Dale. She is absolutely terrific! Am hoping she'll still be in Peru for the May 2 trip.

AlanS

MCD wrote:

Alan, I'm doing the Empires of the Incas tour starting May 3, and will have an extra day in Lima at the beginning of the tour. How did you book the parasailing in Lima? (By the way, I did read "Turn Right at Machu Picchu" and am well into "The Last Days of the Incas." What we didn't learn in school!) Also, did you buy solis before leaving the US or get them from an ATM?

Just show up at the parapuerto mid-afternoon. They usually won't fly unless the winds are 10-12 mph. You can check online for seasonal winds. We flew at 4:30, they stop at 6:00. You can always just keep looking north along the coast and when you see them airborne hustle there on foot or take a taxi. It is regulated by the city. You sign up and fill out a waiver at a kiosk. The guy there assigns you to a pilot, you pay the pilot who is an independent contractor. $80 US or 260 Soles cash, no credit cards, for 10 min flight- it ain't cheap. All have GoPros and give you the memory card after the flight. You can not take you own camera (I had a helmet mount and my own GoPro but could've use it. Max age is 68.

Tried to get soles at the airport- ATM, at baggage claim, but had problems so got it at an ATM in town. You can also get money at the hotel.

AlanS

jar742 wrote:

I traveled to Antarctica and Iceland with Dale. She is absolutely terrific! Am hoping she'll still be in Peru for the May 2 trip.

Armin Geiger (met him on Alps & Dolomites in 2013) takes over for the next (? #) P&G tours. Not sure when Dale returns, but I'll ask.

jar742

Thanks. All the Tauck TD's are good, but would be special if Dale was on my trip.

AlanS

jar742 wrote:

Thanks. All the Tauck TD's are good, but would be special if Dale was on my trip.

I spoke with Dale earlier today and she said she will be doing a few more this season, but will be taking a few weeks off and not leading the 2 May P&G.

Dale was curious, so could you post your name (first name, last initial?)

We are off to Guayaquil early tomorrow morning. Peru was fantastic!

AlanS

Quick update- after a VERY EARLYget-up for a flight from Cusco back to Lima and on to Guayaquil, we are still in Lima chillin' at an airport Wyndham. The first flight was cancelled due to clouds/fog, but luckily our TD, local Peru team, and a Tauck action team in the US got us on a later flight. Unfortunately, we have to fly in two groups to Quito, Ecuador instead of Guayaquil. One group leaves at 9:00, the next after midnight! Luckily, even with a later morning flight (via Guayaquil) the next morninge, will arrive in the Galapagos only a few hours later than originally scheduled, but with significantly less sleep. Except for Lima, internet has been abysmal in Peru.

Update:

We arrived in Quito at 1130 PM and were met by a rep from Metropolitan Touring (owners/operators of the Isabella II) and driven to the nearby Wyndham hotel which was much better than having to go into Quito proper which is 45 min to an hour away. The second group doesn't depart until 1230 so they will be pretty strung out by the time they arrive here. We depart at 0900 tomorrow for a short flight to Guayaquil and remain on the plane before taking off again for the Galapagos.

jar742

Alan S: I'm Jane Roeder from NYC. Traveled by myself to Antarctica and Iceland. Dale is to be forgiven if she doesn't remember me --- all those guests!! We were kind of "grounded" one day in Iceland, and she basically convinced me to take the Peru/Galapagos trip during the travel forum the TD's set up during the "grounding" (weather too windy to land safely -- tho we eventually did). All my best to Dale -- sorry I'll miss her in May. PS: Any thoughts about whether we need to bring hiking boots or similar to Peru/Galapagos? Tauck says shoes with ankle support -- but haven't been able to figure out when boots would be worn. Thanks. Now go enjoy your day.

British

Tauck's 'What to Pack' list is extremely generic. I have never seen anyone wearing hiking boots or ankle supporting boots or shoes on any of my more adventurous Tauck tours. I have taken the Galapagos tour but not Peru. You do need shoes that have a good thick and strong sole for some of the islands, the one I remember had a very sharp and jagged black volcanic surface, so it's good to wear long pants to protect your knees if you fall, no one had any accidents on land when we were on tour. I love the Galapagos and we go again in December. I am guessing the wifi is not good on Isabella II or we would have had some updates from Alan by now. It was pre-iPad when we last took the tour, there were just a couple of computers in the library. We take the Iceland tour in July 2018, that tour has been completely overhauled, we are not sure we prefer having to chose options on about three of the days.

jar742

AlanS wrote:

Despite what you see on the news, neither Peru nor Lima are being washed away or swept away in mudslides. You wouldn't even know it by riding around Lima, especially the Miraflores area. Looking back in weather history, this stuff happens almost every year, and is worse when El Niño and La Niña are especially strong. Some areas have been badly affected however- the arroyos can't handle the amount of water being dumped on the foothills of the Andes. Someone said there was a heavy rain shower in the Galapagos today, however.

Today we walked the promenade that follows along the top of cliffs above the beach to Larco Mar the cliff-side shopping mall, then walked about 12 blocks inland to the Inca market where we all dropped a few Soles. We then walked back to the cliff-side promenade to the Parapuerto (parasailing launch point.). Since the winds were not yet strong enough, we stopped for a quick lunch at the mall before walking back to the hotel to cool-off and rest (the pool was closed ). Our rooms in the hotel Belmont Miraflores Park Hotel look north along the Pacific Ocean cliffs. A little past 4:00 we looked out the window to see the paragliders were making flights, so we hopped a cab there. Three ladies and I, all of us in our 60's had wonderful flights and have videos to prove it!!! After our flights we made our way down the cliffs to the beach and had dinner at La Rosa Nautica while watching the sun sink into the Pacific. We will wait for another opportunity to try Picso Sours. Today's Fitbit count- 8.01 miles!!

Let me ask about paragliding...I'm dying to do it, but careful of my back. Was the landing fairly soft? Any reason my difficult lower back shouldn't go paragliding? Missed it in Switzerland so hoping to make up for lost time in Lima. Thanks

AlanS

jar742 wrote:

Let me ask about paragliding...I'm dying to do it, but careful of my back. Was the landing fairly soft? Any reason my difficult lower back shouldn't go paragliding? Missed it in Switzerland so hoping to make up for lost time in Lima. Thanks

In Panama at daughter's house for a few days, not home, but back in the land of high speed internet. Despite having a Logitech keyboard cover, I'm not a fast typer on my iPad.

Shoes- never saw a need for hiking shoes or even shoes with "good ankle support." More important for both Machu Picchu and the Galapagos are shoes with soles that grip rocks. I took a generic pair of New Balance sneakers which were just fine. I climbed all over Machu Picchu and even trekked up to the sun gate(!!!) and took every hike on the Galapagos. I did not use a walking stick- one more thing to carry and juggle when taking photos. Many others did, however. You definitely need water shoes or water socks with sandals or a backpack suitable to carry a towel, dry socks and previously mentioned walking shoes. There were a number of wet landings followed by a 1 - 2 mile walk. The sand at the shorelines was loose but coarse and you would sink in it up to your ankles- sand easily filled and was difficult to remove from water shoes. There were a lot of rough small rocks at the shoreline also, making going barefoot difficult.

Paragliding take-offs and landings were easy and extremely gentle- check them out on YouTube- "Paragliding at Miraflores, Lima." Check w/Dr too.