Charity Challange - Peru, South America

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Each year Charity Challenge run an event for Tesco staff to support Tesco’s charity of the year. This year the charity was CLIC Sargent and this year’s challenge was a trek to Machu Picchu high in the Andes Ranges in Peru, South America. Both myself and Hannah signed up 9 months before the challenge started and we were committed to raising £3000 each. When April eventually came and thanks to friends, family, work colleagues and Tesco we had both reached our target. We had all the necessary hiking gear and our bags were packed, we were ready for Charity Challenge: Machu Picchu.

15/04/2011 – Hannah and I, along with two colleagues, Debbie and Sophie drive to Heathrow mid-afternoon to meet the group and catch our first flight with Iberia at 18:50 to Madrid. Since Charity Challenge wanted to fly us the cheapest way possible to Peru it meant we first had to fly to Madrid for a 2 1/2 hour stopover before then catching a LAN flight across the Atlantic to Lima, then finally after a 5 hour stopover, boarding a short flight to the city of Cusco. When we arrived at Heathrow we were met by a member of Heathrow staff handing out T-shirts and our flight details and also Rachael, who worked for CLIC Sargent and was joining us on the trek. Hannah and I checked our luggage in, though frustratingly the Iberia staff would only give us boarding passes for our first flight and as others checked in there were rumours that our flight had been delayed. We all headed upstairs and through security when we saw on the departure boards that rumours were true, our flight was delayed by 1 hour. Not too worried, a few of us got some lunch before eventually making our way to the gate and boarding our flight.

– Annoyingly we spend another 45 minutes in the plane before finally taking-off towards Madrid. Our flight was full of kids on a school trip who for the entire flight were standing in the aisle making a load of noise, but after a 2 1/2 hour flight we arrived in Madrid and were all in a rush to make our connecting LAN flight as now we were cutting it very close. However as we were getting off the plane staff had obviously told passengers that our flight to Lima was gone as arguing broke out while we were still on the plane. We were finally allowed off and rushed towards the Iberia helpdesk as the realisation was sinking in, we had missed our connecting flight thanks to Iberia’s many delays. The group was furious, there were 30 of our group who had missed the flight as well as other passengers who were also trying to connect. Frantically the Iberia staff worked on ways to get us to Lima anyway possible as we forced them to get us food vouchers and hotel rooms for everyone, our trip was in jeopardy. It was hours and hours of waiting while we constantly pushed the incompetent Iberia staff to get us to Lima. We waited all night when finally it was looking as if we had worked out a way to get us there.

– It was now almost 6AM, but we had a plan. Most of the group would fly to Atlanta, USA with Delta airlines which left at 10AM, then catch another Delta airlines flight to Lima after 4 hours stopover in Atlanta. However many of the group would have to apply for and purchase America ESTA visa’s beforehand to take this trip. The rest of the group would take the next Iberia flight to Lima which left around midday. However after much confusion from Iberia a few people got on neither of these flights which just increased our anger further. They would have to fly to Miami for a short stopover before then catching a connecting flight to Lima which would arrive only very shortly before their separate flight to Cusco. Confusing, right?! We had now already missed a day of our short trek and were incredibly frustrated and angry at the incompetent operation of Iberia airlines and the way this whole situation was handled. Those of the group who were catching a Delta flight to Atlanta had to collect their luggage, while the rest of the group headed to the hotel for a few hours rest. So we said our goodbyes and good luck to the group and headed to the baggage claim to get our bags before heading to another Terminal to catch our next flight. We were told a minimum 30 minute wait for our bags so we all collapsed, tired and hungry on the floor and waited. Slowly our bags emerged, one by one, but Hannah was waiting and waiting for hers which after 2 hours had still not shown. I was so angry I ordered the staff to get her bag now, wherever it was, but it wasn’t here, Iberia had lost it. Angry does not describe what we were feeling, it was way beyond anger now. Iberia had given Hannah and I the same luggage tag when we checked in at Heathrow, so my bags turned up, Hannah’s were in the system but no-one had any idea where it was, we opened a claim and were told to follow it up once we were in Lima. Unbelievably we had waited so long we were now rushing to check-in for our next flight in a Terminal a 10 minute bus ride from where we were. We made it just in time, checked my bag in and shortly after boarded the flight to Atlanta, USA.

– It was a fantastic Delta airlines flight in Atlanta, we were truly pampered and it took the strain and stress off what was happening and we also managed to get some sleep. We had a 4 hour stopover here which was mostly spent in a Mexican restaurant and doing a little shopping. We all decided on our visit here that we would buy Atlanta T-shirts as a souvenir for our brief time here. As frustrating as our situation was we were definitely all keeping in high spirits. Soon enough it was time to board our 3rd flight from Atlanta to Lima.

– After another fantastic Delta airlines flight we finally arrived in Lima South America. It took us 36 hours in airports and airplanes but we were at last in the right country, things were looking up. The group picked up our luggage before checking it in for our next flight with LAN to Cusco. It was a 5 hour stopover and we did all have hotel rooms, however decided to stay at the airport. Hannah had time to try sort out her luggage however the Iberia luggage desk was closed and the only contact number she had on their claim form didn’t work. She was getting quite upset now as the long hours travelling and lack of sleep and showers was beginning to take its toll. Now we would have to wait until we arrived at Cusco and could speak to a Charity Challenge staff, since no-one from Charity Challenge had bothered to contact us so far, very irritating. We grabbed some food in the food court then Hannah and I set off through security towards our gate and snuck in a few hours sleep before the rest of the group arrived, getting ready to board our flight to Cusco.

– The time for boarding our flight had come and gone, we were being told of a short delay due to heavy fog in Cusco. In the meantime we met with we rest of the group who had been waiting at the hotel during their 12 hour stopover in Lima and exchanged stories on our trips around the world. We waited for almost an hour before LAN airlines gave us an update of this flight You knew it was more bad news after announcing in Spanish the situation and half the gate erupting in anger, our flight was delayed…. by 6 hours. How could this happen? How are we having so much bad luck on this trip? This further delay has now put serious concern over whether it was even safe for us to do this trip now. Some of the group charged to the desk unhappy over the delay and the locals were yelling and arguing with LAN staff over the delay. What made us all so, so much angrier, besides the fact that we’d been travelling for almost 2 days, was that our flight was the only flight to Cusco which was delayed. Every single other flight, before and after left to Cusco, the excuse for ours being delayed was because the pilot was not certified to fly this particular plane in fog, what an absolute joke. We were exhausted, hungry, angry and fed-up of travelling and never wanted to see another airport ever again. We were given more food vouchers and also allowed back through security to use them. It was a tense delay and made worse when while taking photos of the carnage my camera’s memory card broke and I lost all my photos taken so far on this crazy trip, (hence the lack of photos in this entry). While we waited at least 8-10 flights left Lima to Cusco while we continued to sit at the airport thanks to LAN, we were even asked by some locals to sign a letter petition which was intended to take the airline to court for the unnecessary and intensely frustrating delay. The guys who were travelling via Miami were meant to actually leave Lima after us, however due to our delay they managed to catch their flight and had been resting at the hotel in Cusco waiting for us, though they had to get a taxi there after none-one from Charity Challenge was in Cusco to meet them. But finally we boarded for our 4th and final flight after an eventful trip here. We had waited 12 hours in Lima because of this delay, something we tried to avoid by flying to Atlanta first. But after only an hour long flight, finally, finally we had made it to Cusco, almost 2 days later than scheduled.

What did we learn?!? - Never fly IBERIA or LAN.

TOTAL TIME TRAVELLED: 49 HOURS FROM LONDON - CUSCO

Accommodation:
Airports/Airplanes

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Photos

Charity Challange
Tesco Peru Machu Picchu 2011 - CLIC Sargent