AUCKLAND, NZ - GETTING THERE IS HALF THE FUN? Auckland is fun, and beautiful! The people are friendly, the pubs are great, but getting here is a pain - let me explain why more so in my case. I was scheduled to leave Sarasota, Fl on February 12 to Atlanta and on to Los Angeles, Sydney and then Auckland. February 12 became a nightmare for travelers through Atlanta. I got a message that my flight to Atlanta was cancelled. What to do? I certainly was not the only person impacted by this severe storm, but, since I had no insurance, I wanted to make sure I got to Auckland to start my cruise. After several attempts to talk with a person, I got lucky and got a flight from Tampa ( 50 miles away and leaving ... read more

I previously published a narrative of my trip from Machu Picchu to Cusco. Because of the high elevation I didn't publish these pictures. If you read the narrative, these may be of some interest. This would go with day 7 and 8. ILYS... read more

I started day 9 in Cusco, leaving the beautiful Hotel Monasterio early to arrive at the train station in time to board the Andean Explorer train for a ten hour journey to Puno along the shores of Lake Titicaca. The train is built in the 1920's style and comfortably furnished with high-back chairs and large windows for viewing the impressive Andean scenery. There is an observation car in the back to truly reveal the tall mountains, rivers and farmland. The train made a short stop at remote Andean outpost at 14,173 feet elevation. We had a three course lunch on the train served at our tables by a very efficient crew. The train ride was for about 220 miles to get to Puno, a city of 100,000 at an elevation of 12,500 feet. It was dark ... read more

OLLANTAYTAMBO AND MORE - DAY 5 “The world is like a book. Those that do not travel read only one page.” - St. Augustine We spent the morning exploring the massive structure of Ollantaytambo, an imposing and well preserved Incan site. Historians writing of the Incas will tell many stories of the significance of this site, but what impressed me most was the height of the structures and the amazing technical and engineering features known so long ago. They built terraces for crops along the steep mountain side and, because temperatures changed as elevations increased, planted crops according to their individual characteristics. They also developed techniques and facilities for storage of crops for use when the growing season was over. These people were smart! Not so I as I walked up the high, uneven stone steps ... read more

I slept pretty well last night and enjoyed a very nice breakfast on the 11th floor rooftop where the swimming pool, spa and exercise room is. I had a travel mate take a couple of pictures of me overlooking the Pacific and the city. The hotel is in a very nice location. I love the shower - it reminds me of a tropical rain forest, not that I’ve ever been in a tropical rain forest but if a rain shower isn’t like my hotel shower, it should be. We took the bus to a private museum, as opposed to a government operated museum. The collection of antiquities was very impressive. The value of the collection must be immense! The material was from the Andes mountain areas and went back thousands of years before Christ and had ... read more