MachuPicchu & the Galapagos 2019
Part A: Lima, Peru
Tracy, Mason, Rick. Melinda, Sherry & Ellen at the fish market, Miraflores (Lima, Peru); the "CHS" has significance because three of us (Melinda, Mason & I) graduated from Coronado HS 50 years ago; Ellen was the same year but attended CHS only in the summer; Tracy was two years behind; and Sherry is readily accepted as a honorary but solid member of the Coronado Six.
March 4, 2018: My cell phone pings as I lie in bed reading the Sunday papers; it's an email from my old high school BFF, Melinda, now in North Carolina, wondering if we're interested in going on an Overseas Adventure Travel (OAT) trip to MachuPicchu & the Galapagos in the summer of 2019: 17 days!
"I'm in," I reply. No brainer, I thought; the two being 1A & 1B on my bucket list.
Within 30 minutes, Tracy, who's next to me in bed, types back, "I'm in!" We laugh; and so it begins.
Within a few days, I recruit old Coronado friend and world traveler, Ellen, to join us; then an invite to Boston besties, Mason & Sherry, brought our contingent to six of the 14 who made up our OAT group.
It turned into an incredible adventure. While MachuPicchu & the Galapagos clearly were the focus of our travels, OAT took us to places we never would have seen if we'd done the trip on our own.
We spent several days in seaside Lima, Peru, then traveled by plane to Cusco (11,500'), then by bus and train through the Sacred Valley to MachuPicchu. Along the way we explored gorgeous Andean scenery and met numerous Peruvians who made us all feel welcomed. Then it was back to Cusco for several days, before we flew to Quito, Ecuador for three unforgettable days; then we flew to the Galapagos for three nights on a catamaran and one night on an island before making our way back to Quito and home.
I've broken this travel blog down to several parts. Reading all at once may tire you out, and OAT is all about "pacing." Enjoy our adventures!
On to the Sacred Valley of Peru, our route to MachuPicchu.
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One of our first group adventures was to the fish market in Miraflores, one of 43 districts of Lima (pop: 8.8 mil; 10.1 mil urban area). Here, the early bird gets the best and freshest fish. A fisherman mends his nets; a night heron overlooks the bay; a pod of brown pelicans waits to be fed the scraps! And our intrepid Peruvian leader, Manuel, rules the roost!
JFK is revered in Peru, not only for his Catholic faith, but for needed aid sent to the country during his administration; it was a park of cats! Do they recyle in Peru? A sculpture made of discarded plastic is but one indicator that people of Peru (and Ecuador) take their recyclling quite seriously.
Below, our group: Charles and daughter Rebecca (he of KY; she of Sacramento!); Doug, Tracy, Rick & Pat (she and Doug live near Boston); David & Yolanda (Albuquerque, NM); Sherry, Ellen, Melinda; Leeanne & her aunt Cindy (also Bostonians) and Mason.
One of the few times we felt rushed on the trip was our visit to a private museum in Lima: Museo Larco. It houses a vast array of Incan and pre-Incan artifacts. Our OAT guide, Vanessa, clearly knew her stuff as we toured the museum. We all were intrigued by the ingenious way of denoting which was the little boys' and girls' rooms. Ha!
Vanessa pointed out (below) how even the Incans clutched their iPhones to their chests!
The Incans loved their cats; Ellen, Sherry, Mason & Melinda relax before heading into the erotica section of the museum; good taste prevents me from showing any of the images; Leeanne & Aunt Cindy show off their smiles.
Then it was off to explore old town Lima, the San Francisco church and catacombs (creepy!) and government buildings.
Old Lima street scenes; below, the presidential palace where we witnessed the changing of the guard.
Right, our downtown OAT guide, Vanessa, points out one of the smaller churches downtown. The Spanish invaded the country, enslaved its people and looted its artifacts - then were kicked out centuries later. But they did leave their religion, so I guess they won. Left, Museo del Convento de San Francisco de Asis de Lima; right, Lima police guard against un-permitted demonstrators.
Our first look at Incan ruins was a short walk from our Miraflores hotel: Huaca Pucllana. Restoration efforts are on-going, and tour guides provided a close look at the ruins. Right and right below, you can see the difference between original and restored walls.
Eight of us took a stroll down to the seaside section of Lima: Barranco. We were surprised seeing the Pride Flag fly over so many of the buildings - until we were told the rainbow flag is THE flag of Cusco!
We found a nice patio bar overlooking the ocean, so that's where we rested (pacing ourselves!) for an hour or so. We soon learned that there IS no Diet Coke in Peru; only Coke Zero. Ugh!