Last night we enjoyed a walking tour of Rome at night. I booked a Ghost Tour via VIATORS.com a world wise tour agency that offered local tours everywhere on everything you can imagine. Cathy and I took our tour bus and got off near the Vatican. We had a short walk to the meeting spot and sine it was 8:00 PM and the tour started at 9:15 we thought is a good idea to eat first. So we walked around a bit and came to a lovely small restaurant with tables in the street! We were offered a Prosecco and OJ on the house and we ordered 2 plates of Pasta with Olive Oil and a caprese salad. To this we added a basket of bread and we dined al fresco as the cars skirted our ... read more

A brief 7.5 hour flight from JFK and we will be in Rome! Cathy and I arrived from Detroit on time to JFK in the domestic terminal. Since we were lucky enough to have our bags checked through to Rome we did not have to go through baggage claim, but we did have to leave the sterile area in the domestic terminal and walk to terminal 1 and go back through security. The lines were indeed long but the TSA was efficient in moving people along. Cathy and I sped through, no problem and we headed out to Gate 9 for our 4:25 PM flight to Rome. We found the gate, and since we had 2 hours decided to get a bite to eat. We walked from one end of the terminal to the other, pushing ... read more

Once again the cock crowed at 4:30 Am for our 5:30 departure. Today we bid farewell to Puno and prepare to return to Lima. Our flight departed out of the infamous Juliaca Airport. The airport, like all of the rest of the city was a disaster just like the rest of the city. The 1940's era airport had exactly 2 gates for all of the 4 flights a day in and out. The airport is basically devoted to contraband flights so the passenger flights are actually in the way of the real money makers, counterfeit commerce. The airport was last updated a decade ago. I looked out the window at the runway and I swear I could see potholes dotting the tarmac. Unlike in the US, here in Peru you can fly with liquids, so we ... read more

Today was almost a vacation day. We were allowed to sleep in as the four of us decided to skip the morning optional tour and opted for our own privately booked tour this afternoon. For experienced travelers you should be aware that there are options to the expensive tours offered by your tour company.Gate 1 is an excellent tour company with well trained guides, knowledgeable day guides and a well organized team of professionals. But, as all things in life there are options. One option is to book a private tour. Sounds expensive right? Actually no. For example, Gate 1 offers a tour in Cuzco which covers the major attractions, Colonial Cathedral,Temple of the Sun,Sacsayhuarman,and then off to the market for an hour of shopping. Cost $75 dollars. We contacted a local tour company via the ... read more

Today began a little on the rainy side. We are relatively high in the mountains so it was clod, foggy and a constant but light drizzle. Glad I brought my Walmart rain suit! I enjoyed a light breakfast of some fresh fruits, breads, coffee and, of course, cocoa tea. I learned to chew the leaves after you make the tea. They are much easier to make a proper mush and they taste far better when boiled, rather than stuffed dry in your mouth. Today we began with an optional tour of a local salt production collective that had been operating since the days of the Inca rulers. We drove high into the mountains and entered the salt mine area. We learned this was a collective with 400 families participating in the process. The process was labor ... read more