One day to go!!

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After some unfortunate rescheduling (aka motorcycle accident and shattered wrist), we're ready to go!! Well, not really. A year in the planning and I still procrastinated a little and have a few loose ends to tie up. I still have to register w/ the US Dept of State, purchase travel insurance, and call my bank and credit cards to let them know that any mysterious South American purchases will probably be mine. Hopefully mine and not some sticky fingered Peruvian teenager.

Susan and I leave tomorrow May 1 at 1:20PM and will probably be taking public transportation to the airport. We fly into Lima, Peru (8.5 hour flight arrriving at midnight) where our hotel will have a driver waiting for us. We plan on touring Lima a bit May 2 and then the next morning fly into Cusco, where we will be for the next 9 days exploring El Valle Sagrado y Machu Picchu (the Sacred Valley and, well Machu Picchu).

We have planned most of this trip ourselves (guidebooks and the internet are all you need these days) with the exception being our Inca trail hiking trip to Machu Picchu. The Peruvian government only alows 500 people per day on the Inca trail w/ half of those being workers. That means you have to schedule w/ a permitted guide months in advance for your opportunity to hike this historic and magnificantly scenic trail which ends in the Machu Picchu park. Due to time constraints, we elected for the 2 day Machu Picchu trip, including a full days hiking on the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu, a hotel, park entrance fees, train and bus tickets, and a professional English speaking guide. Vidal from Peru Adventure Tours (read a few blogs that raved about their services) has been very helpful in answering all of our questions and not even a little (or a lot) of rain can spoil this trip!!!!

After our hiking adventure, we will head back into Cusco for some chill (recuperation) time before Susan flies back on May 11. From then on I will be all alone. Well, there will be 47,000 other tourists and a few Peruvians and Bolivians, but none will match the amazing companionship of my beloved Susan.

I haven't really decided yet on how long I'm going to take to get to La Paz, Bolivia, but I need to be there by May 15 for my trip to Madidi National Park in the jungle. Travel in South America is different. Many of the roads are horrible and the much of the terrain is mountainous w/ hairpin turns. Even w/ a brand new road, it might still take all day to go a couple hundred miles. One option is to take a tourist bus to Puno, Peru which sits on Lake Titicaca, the worlds highest naviable lake at around 12K feet. Tour the lake the next day and the following take a bus to La Paz, Bolivia, which would get me there by May 14. My other option is to fly. Simple, quick, cheap. But I would miss Lake Titicaca. Last minute flights are not a problem, so I'm going to sit on this one for a few days.

Once I return from my jungle trip (staying at Chalalan Ecolodge in Parque Nacional Madidi) I am hoping to catch the train on May 21 to the southern end of Bolivia for a 4 day trip through the altiplano (high plains - think Mars w/ green and red lakes and a volcanic backdrop). The Salar de Uyuni is the highlight of this area. The worlds largest salt flat w/ an island in the middle full of cactus and a volcano on the horizon. It's extremely remote (not a McDonald's for miles) and the scenery is otherworldly. Many say this is the highlight of Bolivia.

From there I head to Sucre (a UNESCO heritage site w/ beautiful archetecture) for a day or two before returning by plane to La Paz on May 28. May 29 I have a flight La Paz back to Lima, Peru where I wait at the airport for a few hours for my returning red-eye flight back to Los Angeles. Lots of flights this trip. Not terribly expensive and very time saving. A bus ride Sucre to La Paz would be 10-12 hrs and $15. The flight is 50 minutes and $78. Save time or money?

Well, this blog entry is way too long. I haven't even left yet! I'll try to update as much as possible and keep you all updated on our adventures.


Hasta luego y salud!

edit: Travelblog doesn't have a spell check?!? WTH?

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Comments

[Terry and LInda]

Trip and B'day
Brian and Susan, We'll be thinking of you and following the blog. Have a great and SAFE trip. Is this your b'day present to yourself, Brian? :-) Happy Belated Birthday!!! Terry and Linda

[Jermaine]

Hasta
Have a safe trip

[Karen]

Soooooo Jealous!!!!
Hope you are having a great time... you two be safe...

[surtrek]

Travel to South America
The Miraflores area is my favorite district in Lima, It feels just right to run along the seaside, or to have a nice walk. The view is amazing: flowery cliffs overlooking the Pacific ocean...Larcomar is ok, I think it s a shame to put a mall in this natural site though...I appreciate the Parque del Amor, it really looks like the amazing Parque Güell en Barcelona, lots of couples kissing. It s a really good area to take pictures I must say!