October 19th, 2022

To Dallas

First things first before we can leave. A Vet appointment for Chewie, hair cut for me and pick up med from CVS.... we finally got on the road by 11.
Not much to say except the drive to Dallas is the same as it always is, kinda boring. We have made this trip so many times, that we can just put ourselves on auto-pilot and go. The dogs were well behaved... when they were sleeping.  Even Rascal settled down after a couple hours.... that's about it. Arrived at John's..... about 8:15pm.
Great to see him.
Peru is getting closer.

October 26th, 2022

Today we got to sleep late, well at least till 7am. Bus leaves at 9.
Got up got dressed, went to breakfast, meet group for 9 in lobby and off to see Saqsaywaman, (pronounced, sexy woman.) A beautifully preserved example of an Incan temple. I didn't go up into the rocks but just standing in front of them makes anyone wonder how it was done. The aliens were not involved, so they say.  It was a combination of the stones being moved by the ice age to the location, the Inca knowledge of how to use materials available to cut the stones to fit together and most importantly a culture that ascribed to taxes being paid in the form of providing labor to the community to build these temples. No slave labor was used.
From there we went to the q'enqo. It was the location of the beginning of the burial process which was mummification. After the body was processed it was taken to its final resting place. The people of Nobility were taken down to the palace to be buried. The commoners were buried in an upper cemetery.
From there it was back to the hotel and nap time. Shower time, dinner at Calle del Medio in town.
Dinner was an optional tour. Food was delicious and so was the music.
Back to the hotel around 8:30.
Then to bed but not to sleep. Guess either the carpet or the chemicals they use for cleaning triggered an asthma attack ...a very bad asthma attack.... probably the worst I have ever had. My degree of anxiety combined with the inability to catch my breath made for a very bad situation. I took all the meds I had and finally I was able to relax enough to get the anxiety under control which then allowed my breathing and be more productive. I hope I never had to go through that again.....Paul was just about ready to take me to an ER, if there was one.

So finally around 4am I was able to fall asleep to get up at 7...oh well the end of that day.

 

Octoer 23rd, 2022

The humidity from the Pacific Ocean, pollution and population, Lima has -million people, makes the sky always overcast. Today it was up early, bags out, down to breakfast, down to lobby. We meet Maura, Karen, Matt, Lisa, and finally met our tour director, Enreque. A very nice guy but not happy about the usual arrival meeting not being held. He was putting luggage tags on the bags for or flight to Cusco, Paul just happened to see if our bags were with everyone else’s getting ready to go to the airport.... nope..no bag..... Contacted desk clerk....she sent someone up to the hall to get our bags that have now been hanging out since 5:30.... Now almost 8:30. Bags secured.... Enreque finally gives us directions on the bus for boarding and airport transfer...we board our bus and off we go through the traffic of Lima. It is bumper to bumper once you get to the center of the city. Horns honking, cars going past the bus in narrow lanes... quite an adventure. We past the ocean with what looked like small specks dotting the water .... maybe kale or some other aquatic life not common in the US.... WRONG. .. surfers..... evidently Lima is a great place to surf. The beach in many places has surfers and outdoor enthusiast out playing ball type games , beach workouts of different levels but very few swimmers... We were told the water was too cold to swim. Back to the trip. We made it to the airport with mucho time to spare ... Enreque got us through the check in at the door to the terminal then through baggage drop off then to the gate. B6. Then, no Enreque... There was a little excitement.. for one of the passengers on our trip. She had forgotten she had a battery pack in her checked bag. Security came and got her. They took her to the back... through the bowels of the airport to discuss her battery pack which she had forgotten about....and that didn't work. There were six of them to escort her like she was an international terrorist . Eventually she returned to the group. But the icing on the cake is when they came and found her again to verify her passport and boarding pass. She has a story she will never forget.... Back to the trip.... All of us over 60 are allowed to get on the bus first... Great... I get a seat....to ride over to the plane. It looks like domestic planes don't have jet ways.....There were some jet ways but not enough for all the planes flying out of Lima.  Short ride to the plane and before long in our seats.... and our real vacation begins.... Off to Cusco...the first stop on our trip outside of Lima. Today is altitude adjustment day. We are at 11k ft in Cusco coming from sea level.. here goes.... The flight was uneventful... we still have to get off the plane, claim the carry on that was checked at the gate... Get our two checked bags and find Enreque who seems to be misplaced most of the time. Tomorrow is Machu Picchu but today is a short tour and lunch. Lunch was at a small plantation house that was converted into an event center. There were several tour groups there at the same time. Buffet style with fried sweet potato, chicken soup, broccoli and cauliflower, a beef dish, potato, tuna with quinoa, plantains and for dessert a mousse with passion fruit and chocolate garnish. Everything was delicious. We were full ..full..full. It was now time for a tour on the way to the hotel. We should get there between 5 or 5:30. Drive to the hotel....The La Casona Ycay. A beautiful hotel in the country. It was originally a Spanish plantation dating back to the early eighteen hundreds. We checked in and indulged in a cup of coca tea. We were at an altitude of about 11,000 ft. Air is thin and breathing is difficult even for those without breathing issues and knee issues. Knee not a problem but breathing was a problem. Inhaler time.....good thing I brought enough. I think 4 will do it. It was time for bed. Exhausted from the lack of sleep the night before, it was going to be a shower then bed. Paul decided to go enjoy a drink with the others... whomever was going to be at the bar....It turns out he met up with the group of nurses. Like he always says, “ he can’t swing a dead cat without hitting a Nurse”.  He had the popular national drink, a Pesco Sour. We forgot one thing, passports. We had to surrender them at check in...Peruvian rule.... until they could make a copy/verify it. So put clothes on to go get passport when Paul got back and we went down to get our passports. Back to our room #141.... which was on the 2nd floor....and I was sleeping as soon as the bags were packed for the next day. Early to bed early to rise... asleep by 8 to be up by 5am Till tomorrow and a very very long day.... I do want to mention....the hotel was beautiful. The gardens were full of flowers with a very relaxing Ambiance. Our room could sleep at least 6. We took the king-size bed downstairs. The loft had 2 more double beds. The ceiling was open with the original beams exposed. A really nice place to stay. 

October 25th, 2022

It was a very long day just as Enreque had said.  I woke up at 4:48am... Alarm was set for 5. I was having trouble breathing. Used my inhaler, it helped but then the shakes started. We had decided last night not to eat dinner as we were still full from lunch... I suspect my blood sugar was low or the Albuterol was making giving me the shakes. It didn't matter.. I had the shakes.  
Dressed, bags out, key turned in, time for breakfast.
Still not hungry but had to eat to get rid of the shakes. A cup of coca tea and breakfast did the trick. Time to start a very long day.
The one thing I have been worried about this entire time was altitude sickness combined with my asthma and my decreased stamina, my bad knee for the last year and my back.
Enreque did suggest that I take the lower tour instead of the upper tour....I agreed. As it turned out it was the best decision I could have made. I will come back to that later. Back to our trip.
When we were told this was going to be a long day he was not kidding but most of it was on a bus or a train.

1. On bus for 6:30
2. On train for 7:15
3. On shuttle for 9:30
4. Entrance time to Machu Picchu 10.
5. Tour ended at 1.
6. Back on shuttle 1:30.
7. Back on train 4:30.
8. Back on bus 6.
9. Back in Cusco for 9.

My times may be a few minutes off but the beginning and end are accurate.

Machu Picchu

Paul and I decided he would do the upper tour and I would do the lower tour. When I had looked at the trip I knew there were more than 1 tour but I couldn't find out what tour we were doing. I was very glad to do the lower tour. I saved myself a lot of steps as the upper tour takes you up a steeper trail, because everyone knows… what goes up must come down...
All I can say about Macho Picchu is....go...go..go. You have to go there to experience it.  As a UNESCO site they are attempting to preserve it. Right now as many as two million people visit a year. They are currently limiting the number of visitors to 4000/day that is a reduction of 1000/day. They suspect it may go lower over time. You can hike the Inca trail, where you go with a guide and they pack everything you need for the four day hike on llamas or alpacca’s. The train will stop and drop you off at the starting point. It will also stop at another spot where you can hike in yourself that is much closer to the ruins. Whichever one you take… Bring bug spray!! Mosquitoes are really bad all year long. Also bring sun screen as it is very sunny and hot. You may be in the mountains but it is not cold unless you are there in the winter.
When you get off the train you are in a market with many stalls. Then into the town and to the shuttle bus...it takes you to the entrance to Machu Picchu. There the fun begins. As I did the lower tour it started out pretty flat except for the lack of O2. Deep breathing helped as well as water as it was hot. Up stairs...down stairs... through passage ways...then the 50+ steps up that we as a group all decided to do. And we all made it. Early in the tour Ann and Peter decided to drop out. She was having heat exhaustion/altitude issues and needed to return. Eddie, our guide, returned her to the beginning. He then came back and our tour continued. There were the residence of the Inka nobility that had a bathroom, homes of the average person, water system, amphitheater, a drainage system over techtonic plates, how they practiced astronomy and much much more.
Just be aware...I took medication from my physician, I drank coca tea and I always have a bottle of water with me. Paul did the same and he also was able to get some cocoa leaves to chew on from his guide. He said it did  help with stamina but will make your mouth numb and really doesn’t taste all that good. But when in Peru, do as the Peruvians.
As it turned we saw just as much on the lower section as the upper. There were plenty of stairs to climb both up and down. The only place that was a real problem was when the group decided to climb a group of steps, about 50 in all. We all were winded by the time we were finished. But we did it. Eddie took it slow. We eventually met up with the other two groups, took some group pictures. It was a great time. But not the trip back.
There wouldn't be much to write about if there wasn't  something to trip over or have a problem with..... today a walking stick.
Paul wanted a cigar to bring back with him. He always get at least one of which ever country we are visiting. On the way to the train station there are vendors in booths all along the exit route. He stopped at one to get a cigar. Then we had to find our way out. We made it. Enreque was waiting for everyone as we exited to give us train tickets. We got ours then Paul realized he had forgotten the walking stick at the cigar shop. He decided to see if he could find it..... Well after he was gone a while I began to worry. The is a person who on our second date lost his car. His ability to get lost going around the corner is actually quite funny, not for him but to me. Here he is wondering around all these stalls trying to find where he brought his cigar but worse attempting to get back out. Most everyone is back except Paul. He eventually returned, without the walking stick. Apparently, someone had walked off with it.  I wasn't worried about it. I had purchased them years ago. They were not expensive and could be replaced.....
And our trip continues....
Into the train station, on to the train, on to the bus for a two hour bus ride, to our hotel finally....
Like Enreque said a very very long day. Took a shower, took my meds, and I was asleep.
Tomorrow is another day.

 

October 29th, 2022

Up at 3:30...down to the bus with luggage....on the bus for 4:15....Even at 4:30 in the morning the traffic in Lima was bad.  Arrived at the airport for 5:15. The hotel prepared a boxed lunch but the water they included could not be taken through security. We asked about it going through security and that it would not be allowed so we left it with Hamana, our tour director.
So through the door, airline check in, up to security, through the airport to international check in and passport check, TSA pre check, on the duty free shopping for a few last minute items, down the concourse, down to the first floor to gate 33, finally. Then, wait...By now, it was 6am.... Boarding time was 7:15.....
Not too bad, but again, we would have to take a bus to the plane.
Another security check of our bags, again, then on the bus to the plane and of course, our seat were on row 36 of 37. Luckily they loaded the plane from both ends so it was only a short walk to the seats.  It was an uneventful flight, the kind we like.
Back to Dallas. Glad to be back. Nick picked us up and took us to John’s.... early to bed to get some rest for the
Drive back to Nola tomorrow.

October 22nd, 2022

The day is finally here....we get to jump on a plane to Lima. We hope. We ate...we showered...we tell the dogs good bye...we tell Nick good bye...John drives us to the airport 3 hours early (2:30) to be sure there is enough time to solve any problem there may be.... Go to ticket counter, she verifies our passports and vax card and we are free to go to the plane. Really... that was it....NO PROBLEM!  We are TSA pre checked but the only pre check is at the other end of the terminal but worth the walk when you look at the lines at the other check points. We pass 2 before we get to the TSA pre check point. We walk right in. There was only 1 person in front of us. Go through.... now what...food.... nothing else to do. We eat...we people watch....we move to a place where we can charge phones....we wait. We move to our gate. They ask if anyone needs extra boarding time to come get in line...so we did. We were in row 36. Second to last row in the plane... Glad we boarded early. Made it a lot easier on me. No seat belts yet. The window seat was still open....who, oh who will sit there .. maybe no one...No not that lucky....Paul gets stuck in the middle seat, again. But we really were lucky. A wonderful lady named Karen sat there. As it turns out she and her husband, Matt, will be on our Globus trip. Not much else about the flight. I read my book for my CEU s. Paul slept. They gave us a sandwich and a drink. Finished all but maybe an hour of my CEUs. Flight was uneventful.... They had a wheelchair for me when I arrived. They almost insisted as it was a long walk to get through immigration and baggage etc.... When we finally got out Karen and Matt and the driver Patricia were waiting outside of the door. We were off to the hotel. Checked in and to bed. The room was beautiful, number 1218. Time to sleep.... Our Machu Picchu adventure starts tomorrow.....

October 27th, 2022

Up at 7 am.....dressed, ate breakfast, and off for our walking tour of Cusco. We walked up hill to the the Koricancha... Temple of the Sun, Santo Domingo Monastery built on top of the Inca ruins continuing up st Sol to the cathedral. It was a beautiful baroque style with three separate churches...each very different. As we walked between the two different sites, Enreque showed us many other examples of Inca structures that survived the 1650 earthquake and how the Spanish influence was incorporated into the many different structures that remained as the Spanish found them to be more stable than anything they had built. After finishing our tour around 1....time for lunch. Paddy's Irish Bar was our destination. One of the guys that worked for Paul, was from Cusco and told him about this restaurant. So with Karen and Matt with us, we went.  I enjoyed shepherd pie.... about the only Irish food on the menu. Now what will we do the rest of the day with a free afternoon. Fortunately the walk is downhill but still quite a few blocks. We did have some things we wanted to do before reaching the hotel. Paul wanted to buy some coffee, we both needed more Soles and we wanted some things to bring back home. First stop was to get money exchanged, then we found a store to buy coffee. He bought his coffee and I found some chocolate. Chocolate always makes a great Christmas gift.  I ended up spending 155 Soles or about $40.00. Then walked a little further we found a shopping mall. Pick up the last few things for the kids.....then hotel. We have a date with Bruce, the wonderful man who helped me through Machu Picchu. I owed him a beer. It was 3pm... so time for nap and a shower before meeting my helper. Enjoyed a drink and conversation with Bruce and his wife Karen before going to the restaurant for farewell dinner with Enreque. A very nice buffet was available with entertainment provided by some dancers and music. After dinner time for bed.... And another asthma attack... this time I had all my meds out and didn't have as much of a problem....was able to sleep....till tomorrow.... return to Lima....

October 28th, 2022

To the airport....We liked Cusco a lot. It’s a beautiful city of around 5-million people but more spread out so it didn’t feel congested, too much.  The downside was the altitude combined with the carpet/chemical odors in our hotel made for two nights of asthma attacks. Today we returned to Lima. It was a very busy day. After landing back in Lima we had a walking tour of the historic area. It included the square surrounded by the palace, a cathedral and many historic buildings.... The most exciting part of the walk was through the San Francisco catacombs. It was quite interesting to see the bones that had been there for hundreds of years and walk through the numerous narrow passageways and rooms. After that tour ended, it was time to part with part of our group. Some had an early flights and others decided not attend the evening excursion to Museo Larco and dinner. The Museo Larco is a private museum with a collection of Incan Art. Room upon room of pottery, utensils, artwork and other items used by the Incans.  It was something I would not have done if it had not been offered through Globus. Dinner was at an onsite restaurant and was delicious. But now it was time to return to the hotel and get to bed. 3:30 am is going to come early.... for an 8am flight back to Dallas.

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October 21st, 2022

Tomorrow we leave for Peru. My suitcase is on the floor at John's house with stuff in it, out of it and scattered all around it...but not sure it has everything...yet. Does it weigh too much....where is my passport..... where is my medicine...do I have all my meds...will the altitude bother me..... Only time will tell. After 3pm tomorrow it will be too late to worry about it. We will be on our way to the airport.... till then.....Wait… Not quite. Online check in did not go as planned. We didn't know about VeriFly app that is required for international travel.  We finally figured out how to complete the First 2 parts of the VeriFly check in process, but as of Oct 20th  Peru had changed the rules. They no longer required the 3rd part of the check in process and had deactivated the website but VeriFly had not updated their software therefore trying to complete the on line check in was impossible....a call to American Airlines was now in order. The young lady was very helpful but couldn't solve the problem and suggested we be at the airport 3 hours before our flight. This process had started earlier on our way to Maysel’s as we were  meeting she and Nick for dinner and drinks at her house.  We started our check in at 5:30...the phone call to American Airlines was probably around 11pm. The stress of not knowing what we needed to do was building but once we knew the airline was aware of the problem, we were able to sleep in peace....it will be ok in the morning, we hope....Till then.

October 30th, 2022

Reflections from this trip:

1. Every Globus trip I have been on there has always been a group meeting the first night of every trip. We did not officially meet our tour director and the other people on our trip till lunch the next day.

2. The arrival on day 1 and flying out the next morning to an altitude of 11,000 ft was difficult. One night in the Sacred Valley then Machu Picchu the next day was physical difficult for many of us.

3. Things to be aware of:
Mosquitoes are bad at Machu Picchu. Bug spray is essential but long sleeve shirts, long pants and socks are a better defense. Sun hat is also a necessity.

4. Rx pills helped but Coca tea or coca candy helped with the altitude symptoms. You can buy coca leaves to make your own tea. If you buy the candy see if you can buy from a store rather than a street vendor as it will be fresher.

5. Drink plenty of water. Bring powered Gatorade to keep electrolytes in check.

6. Bring walking stick or cane to help with climbing.

7. Upper tour or lower tour of Machu Picchu...it didn't matter. Both groups ended in the same place.

8. The dollar is accepted almost everywhere but not always with a great exchange rate. Having Soles is a great idea as long as you can get small denominations which are coins.

9. Some merchants will barter...some will not. Just realize what the value you are bartering with.

10. Food is cheap.

11. Understand your schedule. We planned to buy our souvenirs when we returned to Lima except we found out we were not going to be back to the hotel early enough to do that. Fortunately we realized it earlier enough to buy our souvenirs as we went along.

12. Bring preprinted business cards if you want to share your contact info. Globus will no longer allow a roster to be past out

13. Good walking shoes. Tennis shoes are fine.

14. Have fun

15. Physical fitness is important. The more fit you are the easiest the trip will be.

16. Globus needs to fix their app. GoGlobus doesn't work.

Glad to be home.....
Uneventful trip from Dallas to Nola. Dogs were glad to see us as much as we were glad to see them.  Till our next adventure. We bid you ado.