Well, yesterday was a bit of a trial. Our flight from Juliaca to Quito (via Arequipa) was supposed to be at 3:25 pm. We got to the airport really early (so early that the LAN reps weren't even at the counters yet), after stopping at an Indian village and the ruins at Suillistani on our way from Puno. Well, after waiting for a long time to check in, we went through the security gates. And then it started to rain. And then it started to thunder. By around 3:00 we knew we were in trouble. Eventually, we were told that they had closed the airport and that we might (not definitely) make the 8 pm flight. Well, kudos to our tour guide, he managed to get us all on that flight (some people had flights out ... read more

Greetings from the shore of Lake Titicaca. Up this morning at 7 am with a massive headache. My sinuses are completely blocked and my head was pounding. Had a quick breakfast and then we went right across the street to the monastery of Santo Domingo. It was actually kind of interesting, its built on top of an Incan temple complex, and there are a few nice stones and arches. After that we walked along the backstreets to the Plaza de Armas (main square) looking at some more Inca stonework. After that, I went back to the hotel and a bunch of us hung out in the lobby until we left for the airport at noon. I found out later that they had to bump passengers off the flight due to wind conditions and the need for ... read more

This is just going to be a short note, since I only have 1/2 hour before we leave for dinner and I haven´t been to my room yet. Actually, I have no clue where my room is, this hotel is really confusing! Train ride back up from Machu Picchu was nice, we actually got a fashion show by the train crew. Tonight we go to a restaurant where we can watch some folk dancing. I´ll have some free time tomorrow, so hopefully I´ll be able to do more then.... read more

First half of the day was getting to Cusco (also spelled Cuzco). Up at 5:30, on the bus for trip to the airport at 7:00. Check in went pretty smoothly, Mauricio was able to print out most of our boarding passes and security was fine. One thing about this trip that I've forgotten to mention that is a bit annoying is that we have to hand our passports in at every hotel. So, Mauricio has had my passport almost as much as I have. Flight to Cusco was good, only 53 minutes. But I 've got to tell you, coming over a mountain to land in the valley was a weird experience. Mauricio collected our bags and off we went to our buses. Because the streets of Cusco are so narrow, they can't use big buses, ... read more

Happy Sunday. One thing I always find hard to remember when traveling is what day of the week it is. But today is Sunday, and that was probably why there was not that much traffic on the Pan-American Highway. Dinner last night was a set menu, appetizer was called la causa, which if you know Spanish means the cause. It is called that because it was an easy dish to serve to the soldiers during the Peru/Chile war. It´s a layer of chicken between two layers of mashed potato. It was pretty good. The main course was similar to teriyaki. It was beef or chicken with onions and peppers in a soy based sauce with rice and oddly (to me) french fries. It´s strange to me to have both carbohydrates at a meal, but apparently, while ... read more