We met Susan and her roommate Nicky at breakfast, at the Grand Pyramids hotel. They are both very nice and I can tell this group is going to be fun-loving. We feel pretty lucky to have chosen to go on this tour. On our first full day with the Peregrine tour, we are going to Memphis and Sakkara. For me, Memphis was unimpressive. It's like an outdoor museum, but none of the items are in-situ. The city is completely gone. So it is more like the idea of Memphis, and various artifacts from it are on display, roped off, with signs. And plenty of police presence to protect them. Everyone here wanted their picture taken, and then you had to tip them with a US dollar or more. Egyptian pounds were not sufficient. I know that ... read more

Not my usual multi-entry travelogue, but here's what we did in Barcelona....This was a spur-of-the-moment trip that was easy to plan thanks to Travelocity. We flew Iberia, which is newly flying out of Boston, and stayed in the Hotel Inglaterra, a very friendly modern hotel near the Plaza Catalunya - very well-located. Thursday Arrived, checked into our hotel and after a nap, wandered down Las Ramblas and through the Barri Gotic (Gothic Quarter). Saw ancient Roman aqueducts that had been incorporated into the cathedral. Wandered around aimlessly, having lunch at El Gran Cafe. Took naps again, and then ventured out at night to wander around aimlessly and jet-laggedly. We weren't hungry yet because we had been on a plane all night and slept so much during the day, so we just went back and slept. I ... read more

Well, last night I rearranged my whole trip. I went to the Lan offices here in the square and changed my flight from Chiclayo to Lima on Friday, to be from Trujillo to Lima this afternoon. Alli and I agreed that she would recover better in Lima, and there were many restaurants, nightlife, shopping, museums and other things to do there. We managed to get back into a smaller room at Second Home in Barranco. So last night, I want to say I did go for a walk around Trujillo and the center is very pretty. And furthermore, it seems prosperous and carefree, happy to be itself. I felt like an outsider, walking alone and seeing no other gringos, but I also felt invisible, free to observe. The main shopping street is Jr. Francisco Pizzaro and ... read more

Our hotel in Lima was fantastic, a little b&b called Second Home. I have written extensively about the hotel elsewhere, so I wont' repeat myself too much. Just a little - it was a tudor home located on the cliff-front in Barranco. The artist Victor Delfin still lives and produces art there, and his gorgeous, colorful and erotically charged art is all over the house. Barranco is a cool suburb of Lima, very artistic and beautiful with tree-lined streets and old mansions, some decaying, others in good shape. It's right on the cliffs and the sound of the ocean is very relaxing. The weather in Lima was cloudy but comfortable. Alli was very sick with a fever and in bed. We had doctors come and check her out, and we got some pills for her at ... read more

(Post-Dated - this was written originally on my Palmpilot) When we arrived in Puerto Maldonado, Inkaterra picked us up in an open truck. This was the beginning of a very different phase in the trip. For example, there would only be English from here on out. Even if you spoke Spanish to some of the staff, they would reply in English. All tours were given in English, no matter how much of a strain it was for the tour-giver and how much easier it would be for all of us if we just all spoke Spanish. Also, instead of me being in charge and driving the day’s activities as well as coordinating everything (as the person who spoke the best Spanish as well as coordinated the trip details), the responsibility would come to rest wholly on ... read more