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December 2016
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South America
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Bob & Franziska
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South America - Dec 16, 2016 to Jan 22, 2017
Saturday Dec 16th
Left Vancouver for Buenos Aires, at 700am
American Airlines 737-300, Business Class
Seat not very comfortable and did not properly decline.
Flight was 4 hours. We had a layover of 7 hours in Dallas.
Flight from Dallas to Buenos Aires was 1st Class on the 777 with properly reclining seats. Very comfortable.
Time difference between YVR and B/A is 5 hours.
Very friendly crew all the way.
Left Dallas at 730pm and arrived in Buenos Aires on time at 900am on Dec 17th.
Checked in to the hotel Bell Air. Very centrally located.
Argentina is the largest country in South America, with about 43 million people.
In the 18th and 19th centuries, Spaniards, Italians, Asians and Europeans immigrated to this country. Spanish conquistadors killed off most native tribes in the 17th century.
Sunday Dec 18th
We booked a city tour. In the evening, we went to a Tango show at the Café Angelitos. Very lovely, for a price of $130, including dinner.
The airport pickup was a little confusing and did not go well. Driver did not know where out hotel was and the hotel did not charge us for an early check in.
Hotel Bell Air was OK for a 3-star hotel, booked by our agent at $120 per night.
Monday Dec 19th
We checked in to the Marina Ship and all went well (Oceania Line). A very nice ship, only about 6 years old, so it is still in excellent condition. They took our passports for safe-keeping, presumably so we don’t jump ship in Uruguay or British Falkland Islands.
Tuesday Dec 20th
Relaxed and went back to Buenos Aires for a walk in the city. Temp 30.
In the evening, cruised to Montevideo.
Wednesday Dec 21st
Took a city highlights tour of Montevideo for 6 hours. It was too long. The tour guide was not very good, especially the narrative and broken flow of her speech. Daytime temp very hot, 32-35.
All went well. The airport pickup was a little confusing and did not go so well.
The hotel did not charge us for it, nor for the early check-in.
Hotel Bell Air was OK for a 3-star hotel, booked by our agent for $120 per night.
Thursday Dec 22nd
Punta del Este
Took a 6-hour Art & Culture Tour, which turned into a 7.5-hour tour, much too long. It was very hot, 34 degrees, and we did not stay long enough in the museums. Saw the famous Museo Ralli which houses sculptures by Dali, Botero, Volti, Robinson, Juarez, Amaya and Cardenas. Very, very interesting, could have stayed for more hours. The artists are from the 15th to the 18th C South America. These museums are located in 5 major cities in South America.
Punta del Este is a very sophisticated seaside resort, with beautiful homes, apartment buildings and lovely beaches. It’s very expensive and mostly Brazilians and Argentinians own houses and have their vacations there.
Friday Dec 23rd
At sea. Left for Port Madryn
Saturday Dec 24th
At sea. Arrived at Port Madryn. It took 2 nights and a 1 full day, from Punta del Este to Port Madryn.
In Port Madryn, we just went for a walk in the little town. Nothing special, very hot again.
In the evening, the ship put on a fabulous show with all the staff participating.
In the evening, the ocean was very rough. Waves were strong, so I had to put on my arm band against sea sickness. We sailed overnight.
Sunday Dec 26th
Arrived at the Falkland Islands, a British Territory with under 3,000 people, thousands of Magellanic Penguins and 500,000 sheep. It is very expensive for the locals to have to import all the veggies and fruit.
Until recently, Falkland people needed to fly to Chile in order to get out of the country or use a military flight to the UK for about 1,500 Pounds, with only 2 flights a week.
The Falklands are very bare, rocky and cold islands. Now, in the summer, the warmest it ever gets is 14 degrees and it rains a lot!!
England fought the war for the islanders in 1982 for about 4 months. Argentinian propaganda calls it illegal occupation.
Monday Dec 27th
Cruise all day toward Tierra del Fuego, via Ushuaia and the Beagle Strait.
The Beagle channel is 120 km long. One side is Chile and the other Argentina. Ushuaia is right in the middle. It’s a very exciting town of 70 to 80,000.
The government does not know for sure. They call it the “End of the World.”
Ushuaia had a prison with 320 inmates, which was built by the prisoners themselves, including the railway. We went for a ride to experience it to the real end of the world.
Local animals are llamas, foxes, condors (which have an 11-foot wing spread), woodpeckers, thousands of cormorants, Skyes sort of a bird, sea lions and penguins. It is also the end of Highway 5, the Alaska highway.
Temp in the summer is between 4-11 degrees and extremely windy. The town looks almost like an Alaskan village.
Yamana people lived here and did not wear any clothing when Spaniards arrived.
Note- so far we already left 2 passengers behind due to illness. We were delayed for 2 hours, therefore our arrival in Punta Arenas was also late. We sailed through the beautiful Magellan Strait. It looked like BC going to Alaska, with snow-capped mountains. We took a hike on the local ski hill.
Darwin was hired as a young man to sail with Captain Fitzroy in the 18th C, the very 1st explorer of the south Argentinian coastline.
Thursday, Friday, Saturday Dec 29th, 30th, 31st
Arriving in Chile, Punta Arenas.
We arrived at 1100am, bright sunshine, however quite cold. Cruising through the Magellan Strait, we saw ice fields, fjords and beautiful mountains.
Captain Magellan discovered Chile, the 1st explorer to South America. Fitzroy and Darwin were on the 2nd ship.
Sunday Jan 1st
Cruised, 2 days and 2 nights to get to Puerto Chacabuco.
Nothing really there, only nature and very beautiful countryside.
Celebrated New Year’s Eve with our lovely Veuve Cliquot champagne.
A historic fact:
Captain Robert Fitzroy who came 1st to Argentina with the ship called Beagle in 1865 took the young Darwin with him to join the crew on his trip to South America.
We cancelled the hiking tour as it was raining and cold. We just went for a little walking tour through the very little village, few tiny little homes, very primitive area. A tourist shop was set up for us in few simple tents. Mostly sheep wool products were sold there. I bought 2 sheep-wool necklaces, very pretty. The countryside looks like the inside passage with high, snow capped mountains.
Monday, Jan 2nd
Arrived in Puerto Montt, also a very tiny town.
Walked around the town and again a very poor area. Only small ships can come to this area.
Tuesday Jan 3rd
We cruised at sea to Valparaiso, 2 nights and 1 day. Rough seas, very stormy with big waves. Was challenging for me.
Need to mention that we had 2 lecturers who gave several sessions throughout the trip, absolutely the best I have ever heard.
Terry Bishop, Captain Fitzroy, Darwin and the Beagle Channel
Note to myself: should get the World Atlas and Encyclopedia, by Random House, it includes full colour topographical maps and profiles for all 193 countries.
Wednesday Jan 4th
We took a private city tour in Valparaiso and Vina del Mar. Wonderful spot Vina del Mar. Beautfiul beaches, houses – a real holiday spot. Valaparaiso is built completely on the hill, so is Vina del Mar. Saw some really old shaggy homes, but very colourful. Visited the Naval Museum of the National Navy of Chile. Experienced the “lifts” which bring you up to the home on the top of a mountain. Had lunch with our tour guide and a nice local restaurant driver. So so!! Stayed over on the ship.
Chile has a co-sharing agreement between Sky Air and Latham Air, which we flew, very good airline.
Thursday Jan 5th
Peru
We flew Santiago to Lima, a 4-hour rtrip wit ha 2-hour time change, which gave us 2 hours to sleep in.
Transfer to the Hotel Casa Andina. It was good, however the first impression of the city was shocking. We went through a very dilapidated area and the pollution was high. In a city of 11 million people, what could one expect?
Temperature was only 24, however it felt higher due to humidity.
Friday Jan 6th
Lima, Peru
At 900am we had a city tour with Sophie of the Lima City Center. It had incredible, large and beautiful buildings. Sophie explained that only the higher connected Incas and the ruling society (big shots) were considered the real Incas. Also to my surprise, Incas killed a lot of their own.
The conquistadors (Spaniards), who only came for the resources of silver, gold and copper, also did a lot of killing and harming of the natives.
We saw the Franciscan Monastery, a massive structure. Catacombs with thousands of bones and skulls from the 17th and 18th centuries. Next, we saw the Lima Cathedral Crypts, a museum of religious art. Sophie was a very good tour guide.
Peru has experienced a lot of hard times in the 18th and 19th centuries. 30-40% unemployment in the 20th century. It is still 24% at this time.
In the evening, we had dinner at a Swiss restaurant, excellent food, very close to the hotel (La Tiendecita Blanca).
The Hotel Casa Andina was more a 3-sat hotel and not 4 as mentioned to us.
At all hotels, except the newest 5-stars, the guests are asked NOT to put the toilet paper down the toilet, so that may be a challenge for some of us.
Saturday Jan 7th
At 600am, we are transferring to the airport to fly to Cusco, 3400 meters high. Arrived quite tired from the trip, but then you feel the altitude. We are already drinking the Coca tea and had a rest in the afternoon, suggested by the guide, so we did and we needed it.
The primary cultures called Marcavalle (1000 BC) started to develop, followed by others, like the Chanapata (800BC), Otacalli (600 AD) and Kilke (750 AD – 1100 AD). These were the first cultures of what would become the powerful Inca State which, in addition, inherited the millenary Andean culture. Therefore, by the end of the 13th century, Cusco had already converted itself into the most important city of that time. At the beginning of the 15th century, the development of the greatest and most powerful state on the American continent began with unmistakable features. The Incas were the Royalty and the rest of the people were taxpayers, which meant they had to work 3 months out of the year for free for the Royalty. Much better than our first 5 or 6 months going to the taxman.
Sunday Jan 8th
City tour of Cusco. The morning was sunny, but cool, and the afternoon had heavy rain and cold. Very nice city, with many nice stores and restaurants, nice romantic streets and shops.
Monday Jan 9th
Sacred Valley Tour. It was impressive and, instead of the 6-hour tour, it was 8 hours due to the distances and traffic issues. It was wonderful, however very tiring.
The tour guide said we should have been over-nighting in Ollantaytambo, as we were halfway to Machu Picchu. Instead of going back to Cusco, we wasted 4-5 hours. The Sacred Valley and Cusco were the main areas where the “Royalty” lived, however the Spaniards destroyed most of it.
Tuesday Jan 10th
We had to get up at 400am to transfer to Ollantaytambo. 2 hours to get to the train and another 2 hours on the train. After that, a 30 minute ride with the bus up to Machu Picchu.
One guide met us at the train and another guide on the top of the mountain, both very good.
After a very long day, we arrived back at the hotel at 830pm.
The hotel was nice, but the entire heating system didn’t switch on until after 530pm, so some other means of heating up was sought.
Machupicchu (correct spelling by the Peruvians) was officially discovered by Hiram Bingham, a Professor from Yale University in Conneticut, USA on July 24th, 1911. He was a North American Explorer. Spaniards did not find Machupicchu, therefore, it did not get destroyed.
You can see, high up the mountain, the Incas food stores and hundreds of man made caves dug into the mountains where mummies were kept for hundreds of years. The people mummified were mostly important persons. All of them were curled up, as they thought they would go up and be reborn.
Keep also in mind that the Incas were killers and offered children to the Gods.
Wednesday Jan 11th
Flight to Quito via Lima.
We had to get up before 400am for our transfer and flight via Avianca Air.
Thursday Jan 12th
Quito, Ecuador
Checked in to the Hotel Plaza Sucre in Quito. The room was a dive, dark with nor window. Again, toilet paper usage “restricted,” the same as in Lima. Plaza Sucre is definitely only a 3-star hotel, although it says 4-star on the wall. We decided not to stay in Quito, as it is dirty and has a lot of traffic. Also, the altitude is still an issue. We booked another 4-night Galapagos package on the same ship for $1550 per person, plus flight change of $100 each.
Friday Jan 13th
Transferred to airport to fly to the Galapagos. Pick up was at 400am, as the flight was at 650am.
We arrived in Baltra Airport, visited the town, then our program was to go to Charles Darwin Station/Research Center on Santa Cruz Island, where we saw some giant Tortoises, huge monsters. Here we could not take very good pictures as they were too far away.
Saturday Jan 14th
Sullivan Bay, Santiago Island. Swimming and snorkeling.
Afternoon sailed to Bartolome.
Sunday Jan 15th
Morning, Seymore Island
Afternoon, Mosquera Island. We were sailing a lot during the night and evenings. Definitely needed earplugs.
Monday Jan 16th
Morning, sailed to South Plaza
Tuesday Jan 17th
Spent some time in San Cristobal, Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, and waited until the new group arrived. Mauricio was the new guide.
We only were 8 people the previous week. With the new group we had 16 people on board.
Wednesday Jan 18th
Night, traveled for 6 hours. Arrived in Española Islands.
Evening, Cerro Bruno (San Cristobal). We stayed on for a 2nd package of 4 days.
New tour guide came on board, Mauricio.
Animals we saw:
Birds: Yellow Warbler, Cactus Finch, Brown Pelican, gulls, swallows, flamingos, a variety of boobies, Bleu Boobies, Nasca Boobies, ALL magnificent.
Frigate birds have up to 1.5 meter wingspan, the males have a red “balloon” display in the front of the neck.
Animals:
Giant tortoise, Sea lions, Penguins, Bananaguit, Iguanas, Marine Iguanas
While snokelling:
Parrot Fish, blue chin, bicolor, azure, gold rimmed surgeons fish, Moorish idol, reef cornet fish, trumpet fish, flying off the boat.
Reef sharks, whitetips, white sale a, sardines, anchovies, sea lions, sting rays, turtles.
Arrived Española Island, walked 2.5 hours. It was very hard and I also snorkeled with the instructor about 200 meters. That night I was exhausted, saw stingrays.
Thursday Jan 19th
Sailed overnight 4.5 hours, Arrived at Floreana Island.
Morning, walked, snorkeled off the beach. Bob saw some sea turtles, did some boar walking.
I stayed home. Bahia Post office, you could pick up a card and deliver it to the person whoever lived in our area. Looked at a cave. It was raining all day.
Friday Jan 20th
Walked a lot, the group wanted to do a walk of 9 km in a heat of over 30 degrees with a lot of humidity. Bob and I did not participate.
Saturday Jan 21st
Had to get up for breakfast at 600am. Left the ship at 700am and visited a farm with wild tortoises. We saw large ones, 300 kg, and 1.5 meters long.
Went towards the airport and had a little ferry ride. Left the Galapagos at 1130am.
Flew over Guaiaquil, Cuena is the retirement city Corae and I talked about. Apparently a lovely city. Also, another retirement city is just 2 hours north of Quito, however the temperature is the same as Quito: cold with high altitude of 2,800 meters. It rains every afternoon in the summer (our winter). It is not a place we want to go during our winter.
We flew to Quito, arrived at 300pm and had a 9 hour wait for our flight to Dallas at 1215am. Thus we managed a lovely birthday dinner for Bob at the Wyndham Airport Hotel. We booked AA flight and to our disappointment the aircraft 737 had no reclining seats, not even much of a footrest space. The reclining seat was only about 10-15%, very, very uncomfortable. We will not fly with AA ever. Food was no good either.
After a flight of 7 hours, we arrived in Dallas, waited some more (4 hours) and the same lousy business class seats to Vancouver. Unfortunately, AA does not have any VIP lounges at those airports and are not associated with any other VIP lounges. We are told AA does not care to “pay the fees” to have a business lounge at those airports.
Arrived in Vancouver mid-day to a nice batch of liquid sunshine, but by the time we arrived we were happy to be home in our little cottage by 500pm.
It was an incredible journey!!!
Saturday Dec 16th
Left Vancouver for Buenos Aires, at 700am
American Airlines 737-300, Business Class
Seat not very comfortable and did not properly decline.
Flight was 4 hours. We had a layover of 7 hours in Dallas.
Flight from Dallas to Buenos Aires was 1st Class on the 777 with properly reclining seats. Very comfortable.
Time difference between YVR and B/A is 5 hours.
Very friendly crew all the way.
Left Dallas at 730pm and arrived in Buenos Aires on time at 900am on Dec 17th.
Checked in to the hotel Bell Air. Very centrally located.
Argentina is the largest country in South America, with about 43 million people.
In the 18th and 19th centuries, Spaniards, Italians, Asians and Europeans immigrated to this country. Spanish conquistadors killed off most native tribes in the 17th century.
Sunday Dec 18th
We booked a city tour. In the evening, we went to a Tango show at the Café Angelitos. Very lovely, for a price of $130, including dinner.
The airport pickup was a little confusing and did not go well. Driver did not know where out hotel was and the hotel did not charge us for an early check in.
Hotel Bell Air was OK for a 3-star hotel, booked by our agent at $120 per night.
Monday Dec 19th
We checked in to the Marina Ship and all went well (Oceania Line). A very nice ship, only about 6 years old, so it is still in excellent condition. They took our passports for safe-keeping, presumably so we don’t jump ship in Uruguay or British Falkland Islands.
Tuesday Dec 20th
Relaxed and went back to Buenos Aires for a walk in the city. Temp 30.
In the evening, cruised to Montevideo.
Wednesday Dec 21st
Took a city highlights tour of Montevideo for 6 hours. It was too long. The tour guide was not very good, especially the narrative and broken flow of her speech. Daytime temp very hot, 32-35.
All went well. The airport pickup was a little confusing and did not go so well.
The hotel did not charge us for it, nor for the early check-in.
Hotel Bell Air was OK for a 3-star hotel, booked by our agent for $120 per night.
Thursday Dec 22nd
Punta del Este
Took a 6-hour Art & Culture Tour, which turned into a 7.5-hour tour, much too long. It was very hot, 34 degrees, and we did not stay long enough in the museums. Saw the famous Museo Ralli which houses sculptures by Dali, Botero, Volti, Robinson, Juarez, Amaya and Cardenas. Very, very interesting, could have stayed for more hours. The artists are from the 15th to the 18th C South America. These museums are located in 5 major cities in South America.
Punta del Este is a very sophisticated seaside resort, with beautiful homes, apartment buildings and lovely beaches. It’s very expensive and mostly Brazilians and Argentinians own houses and have their vacations there.
Friday Dec 23rd
At sea. Left for Port Madryn
Saturday Dec 24th
At sea. Arrived at Port Madryn. It took 2 nights and a 1 full day, from Punta del Este to Port Madryn.
In Port Madryn, we just went for a walk in the little town. Nothing special, very hot again.
In the evening, the ship put on a fabulous show with all the staff participating.
In the evening, the ocean was very rough. Waves were strong, so I had to put on my arm band against sea sickness. We sailed overnight.
Sunday Dec 26th
Arrived at the Falkland Islands, a British Territory with under 3,000 people, thousands of Magellanic Penguins and 500,000 sheep. It is very expensive for the locals to have to import all the veggies and fruit.
Until recently, Falkland people needed to fly to Chile in order to get out of the country or use a military flight to the UK for about 1,500 Pounds, with only 2 flights a week.
The Falklands are very bare, rocky and cold islands. Now, in the summer, the warmest it ever gets is 14 degrees and it rains a lot!!
England fought the war for the islanders in 1982 for about 4 months. Argentinian propaganda calls it illegal occupation.
Monday Dec 27th
Cruise all day toward Tierra del Fuego, via Ushuaia and the Beagle Strait.
The Beagle channel is 120 km long. One side is Chile and the other Argentina. Ushuaia is right in the middle. It’s a very exciting town of 70 to 80,000.
The government does not know for sure. They call it the “End of the World.”
Ushuaia had a prison with 320 inmates, which was built by the prisoners themselves, including the railway. We went for a ride to experience it to the real end of the world.
Local animals are llamas, foxes, condors (which have an 11-foot wing spread), woodpeckers, thousands of cormorants, Skyes sort of a bird, sea lions and penguins. It is also the end of Highway 5, the Alaska highway.
Temp in the summer is between 4-11 degrees and extremely windy. The town looks almost like an Alaskan village.
Yamana people lived here and did not wear any clothing when Spaniards arrived.
Note- so far we already left 2 passengers behind due to illness. We were delayed for 2 hours, therefore our arrival in Punta Arenas was also late. We sailed through the beautiful Magellan Strait. It looked like BC going to Alaska, with snow-capped mountains. We took a hike on the local ski hill.
Darwin was hired as a young man to sail with Captain Fitzroy in the 18th C, the very 1st explorer of the south Argentinian coastline.
Thursday, Friday, Saturday Dec 29th, 30th, 31st
Arriving in Chile, Punta Arenas.
We arrived at 1100am, bright sunshine, however quite cold. Cruising through the Magellan Strait, we saw ice fields, fjords and beautiful mountains.
Captain Magellan discovered Chile, the 1st explorer to South America. Fitzroy and Darwin were on the 2nd ship.
Sunday Jan 1st
Cruised, 2 days and 2 nights to get to Puerto Chacabuco.
Nothing really there, only nature and very beautiful countryside.
Celebrated New Year’s Eve with our lovely Veuve Cliquot champagne.
A historic fact:
Captain Robert Fitzroy who came 1st to Argentina with the ship called Beagle in 1865 took the young Darwin with him to join the crew on his trip to South America.
We cancelled the hiking tour as it was raining and cold. We just went for a little walking tour through the very little village, few tiny little homes, very primitive area. A tourist shop was set up for us in few simple tents. Mostly sheep wool products were sold there. I bought 2 sheep-wool necklaces, very pretty. The countryside looks like the inside passage with high, snow capped mountains.
Monday, Jan 2nd
Arrived in Puerto Montt, also a very tiny town.
Walked around the town and again a very poor area. Only small ships can come to this area.
Tuesday Jan 3rd
We cruised at sea to Valparaiso, 2 nights and 1 day. Rough seas, very stormy with big waves. Was challenging for me.
Need to mention that we had 2 lecturers who gave several sessions throughout the trip, absolutely the best I have ever heard.
- Dr. John Freedman, the Story of Chile, an exciting ride through this geographically unique country’s colourful history into its dynamic present.
- The story of Argentina
- The Big Bang to iPhone 8, a review of the last several billion years!
- “Big History, Atoms to Apes” was a wide-angle multidisciplinary view of our place in the Cosmos (even better than #3)
Terry Bishop, Captain Fitzroy, Darwin and the Beagle Channel
Note to myself: should get the World Atlas and Encyclopedia, by Random House, it includes full colour topographical maps and profiles for all 193 countries.
Wednesday Jan 4th
We took a private city tour in Valparaiso and Vina del Mar. Wonderful spot Vina del Mar. Beautfiul beaches, houses – a real holiday spot. Valaparaiso is built completely on the hill, so is Vina del Mar. Saw some really old shaggy homes, but very colourful. Visited the Naval Museum of the National Navy of Chile. Experienced the “lifts” which bring you up to the home on the top of a mountain. Had lunch with our tour guide and a nice local restaurant driver. So so!! Stayed over on the ship.
Chile has a co-sharing agreement between Sky Air and Latham Air, which we flew, very good airline.
Thursday Jan 5th
Peru
We flew Santiago to Lima, a 4-hour rtrip wit ha 2-hour time change, which gave us 2 hours to sleep in.
Transfer to the Hotel Casa Andina. It was good, however the first impression of the city was shocking. We went through a very dilapidated area and the pollution was high. In a city of 11 million people, what could one expect?
Temperature was only 24, however it felt higher due to humidity.
Friday Jan 6th
Lima, Peru
At 900am we had a city tour with Sophie of the Lima City Center. It had incredible, large and beautiful buildings. Sophie explained that only the higher connected Incas and the ruling society (big shots) were considered the real Incas. Also to my surprise, Incas killed a lot of their own.
The conquistadors (Spaniards), who only came for the resources of silver, gold and copper, also did a lot of killing and harming of the natives.
We saw the Franciscan Monastery, a massive structure. Catacombs with thousands of bones and skulls from the 17th and 18th centuries. Next, we saw the Lima Cathedral Crypts, a museum of religious art. Sophie was a very good tour guide.
Peru has experienced a lot of hard times in the 18th and 19th centuries. 30-40% unemployment in the 20th century. It is still 24% at this time.
In the evening, we had dinner at a Swiss restaurant, excellent food, very close to the hotel (La Tiendecita Blanca).
The Hotel Casa Andina was more a 3-sat hotel and not 4 as mentioned to us.
At all hotels, except the newest 5-stars, the guests are asked NOT to put the toilet paper down the toilet, so that may be a challenge for some of us.
Saturday Jan 7th
At 600am, we are transferring to the airport to fly to Cusco, 3400 meters high. Arrived quite tired from the trip, but then you feel the altitude. We are already drinking the Coca tea and had a rest in the afternoon, suggested by the guide, so we did and we needed it.
The primary cultures called Marcavalle (1000 BC) started to develop, followed by others, like the Chanapata (800BC), Otacalli (600 AD) and Kilke (750 AD – 1100 AD). These were the first cultures of what would become the powerful Inca State which, in addition, inherited the millenary Andean culture. Therefore, by the end of the 13th century, Cusco had already converted itself into the most important city of that time. At the beginning of the 15th century, the development of the greatest and most powerful state on the American continent began with unmistakable features. The Incas were the Royalty and the rest of the people were taxpayers, which meant they had to work 3 months out of the year for free for the Royalty. Much better than our first 5 or 6 months going to the taxman.
Sunday Jan 8th
City tour of Cusco. The morning was sunny, but cool, and the afternoon had heavy rain and cold. Very nice city, with many nice stores and restaurants, nice romantic streets and shops.
Monday Jan 9th
Sacred Valley Tour. It was impressive and, instead of the 6-hour tour, it was 8 hours due to the distances and traffic issues. It was wonderful, however very tiring.
The tour guide said we should have been over-nighting in Ollantaytambo, as we were halfway to Machu Picchu. Instead of going back to Cusco, we wasted 4-5 hours. The Sacred Valley and Cusco were the main areas where the “Royalty” lived, however the Spaniards destroyed most of it.
Tuesday Jan 10th
We had to get up at 400am to transfer to Ollantaytambo. 2 hours to get to the train and another 2 hours on the train. After that, a 30 minute ride with the bus up to Machu Picchu.
One guide met us at the train and another guide on the top of the mountain, both very good.
After a very long day, we arrived back at the hotel at 830pm.
The hotel was nice, but the entire heating system didn’t switch on until after 530pm, so some other means of heating up was sought.
Machupicchu (correct spelling by the Peruvians) was officially discovered by Hiram Bingham, a Professor from Yale University in Conneticut, USA on July 24th, 1911. He was a North American Explorer. Spaniards did not find Machupicchu, therefore, it did not get destroyed.
You can see, high up the mountain, the Incas food stores and hundreds of man made caves dug into the mountains where mummies were kept for hundreds of years. The people mummified were mostly important persons. All of them were curled up, as they thought they would go up and be reborn.
Keep also in mind that the Incas were killers and offered children to the Gods.
Wednesday Jan 11th
Flight to Quito via Lima.
We had to get up before 400am for our transfer and flight via Avianca Air.
Thursday Jan 12th
Quito, Ecuador
Checked in to the Hotel Plaza Sucre in Quito. The room was a dive, dark with nor window. Again, toilet paper usage “restricted,” the same as in Lima. Plaza Sucre is definitely only a 3-star hotel, although it says 4-star on the wall. We decided not to stay in Quito, as it is dirty and has a lot of traffic. Also, the altitude is still an issue. We booked another 4-night Galapagos package on the same ship for $1550 per person, plus flight change of $100 each.
Friday Jan 13th
Transferred to airport to fly to the Galapagos. Pick up was at 400am, as the flight was at 650am.
We arrived in Baltra Airport, visited the town, then our program was to go to Charles Darwin Station/Research Center on Santa Cruz Island, where we saw some giant Tortoises, huge monsters. Here we could not take very good pictures as they were too far away.
Saturday Jan 14th
Sullivan Bay, Santiago Island. Swimming and snorkeling.
Afternoon sailed to Bartolome.
Sunday Jan 15th
Morning, Seymore Island
Afternoon, Mosquera Island. We were sailing a lot during the night and evenings. Definitely needed earplugs.
Monday Jan 16th
Morning, sailed to South Plaza
Tuesday Jan 17th
Spent some time in San Cristobal, Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, and waited until the new group arrived. Mauricio was the new guide.
We only were 8 people the previous week. With the new group we had 16 people on board.
Wednesday Jan 18th
Night, traveled for 6 hours. Arrived in Española Islands.
Evening, Cerro Bruno (San Cristobal). We stayed on for a 2nd package of 4 days.
New tour guide came on board, Mauricio.
Animals we saw:
Birds: Yellow Warbler, Cactus Finch, Brown Pelican, gulls, swallows, flamingos, a variety of boobies, Bleu Boobies, Nasca Boobies, ALL magnificent.
Frigate birds have up to 1.5 meter wingspan, the males have a red “balloon” display in the front of the neck.
Animals:
Giant tortoise, Sea lions, Penguins, Bananaguit, Iguanas, Marine Iguanas
While snokelling:
Parrot Fish, blue chin, bicolor, azure, gold rimmed surgeons fish, Moorish idol, reef cornet fish, trumpet fish, flying off the boat.
Reef sharks, whitetips, white sale a, sardines, anchovies, sea lions, sting rays, turtles.
Arrived Española Island, walked 2.5 hours. It was very hard and I also snorkeled with the instructor about 200 meters. That night I was exhausted, saw stingrays.
Thursday Jan 19th
Sailed overnight 4.5 hours, Arrived at Floreana Island.
Morning, walked, snorkeled off the beach. Bob saw some sea turtles, did some boar walking.
I stayed home. Bahia Post office, you could pick up a card and deliver it to the person whoever lived in our area. Looked at a cave. It was raining all day.
Friday Jan 20th
Walked a lot, the group wanted to do a walk of 9 km in a heat of over 30 degrees with a lot of humidity. Bob and I did not participate.
Saturday Jan 21st
Had to get up for breakfast at 600am. Left the ship at 700am and visited a farm with wild tortoises. We saw large ones, 300 kg, and 1.5 meters long.
Went towards the airport and had a little ferry ride. Left the Galapagos at 1130am.
Flew over Guaiaquil, Cuena is the retirement city Corae and I talked about. Apparently a lovely city. Also, another retirement city is just 2 hours north of Quito, however the temperature is the same as Quito: cold with high altitude of 2,800 meters. It rains every afternoon in the summer (our winter). It is not a place we want to go during our winter.
We flew to Quito, arrived at 300pm and had a 9 hour wait for our flight to Dallas at 1215am. Thus we managed a lovely birthday dinner for Bob at the Wyndham Airport Hotel. We booked AA flight and to our disappointment the aircraft 737 had no reclining seats, not even much of a footrest space. The reclining seat was only about 10-15%, very, very uncomfortable. We will not fly with AA ever. Food was no good either.
After a flight of 7 hours, we arrived in Dallas, waited some more (4 hours) and the same lousy business class seats to Vancouver. Unfortunately, AA does not have any VIP lounges at those airports and are not associated with any other VIP lounges. We are told AA does not care to “pay the fees” to have a business lounge at those airports.
Arrived in Vancouver mid-day to a nice batch of liquid sunshine, but by the time we arrived we were happy to be home in our little cottage by 500pm.
It was an incredible journey!!!