Peru

COQUIMBO

NEVER HEARD OF IT

MY GUESS IS THAT I DID NOT GET OFF THE BOAT HERE. HIGHLY UNUSUAL FOR ME. I WONDER WHY!

A FEW PICTURES FROM THE SHIP BEFORE MOVING ON TO LIMA..

LIMA

OR WHAT YOU CAN SEE OF IT...

THE SCHEDULE HAD ME GETTING OFF EARLY HERE & FLYING TO CUZCO FOR THE TOUR TO MACHU PICHU.
BUT AS YOU CAN SEE, IT WAS FOGGY.
VERY FOGGY.

SO FOGGY THAT THEY AUTHORITIES WOULD NOT LET US DOCK.

THERE WERE QUITE A LOT OF PEOPLE WAITING IN THE LOUNGE WHO WERE GOING ON THIS TOUR.

MACHU PICHU - A ONCE IN A LIFETIME CHANCE TO SEE A WONDER OF THE WORLD & WHERE ARE WE - STUCK ON BOARD.

IT WAS GOING TO BE A THREE NIGHT TRIP. A FLIGHT TO CUZCO, A BUS TO AGUAS CALIENTES, TRAIN TO MACHU PICHU. BUS TO CUZCO,

(THE SHIP MEANWHILE HAS MOVED FROM PERU TO ECUADOR)

A FLIGHT TO ECUADOR AND A BUS TO THE SHIP.

A LOT TO DO OVER FOUR DAYS.

AND DID I MENTION WE WERE STUCK ON BOARD SHIP IN LIMA & THE SCHEDULED FLIGHT HAD DEPARTED.

I SAY SCHEDULED BUT THERE WAS CONFUSION IN THE LOUNGE AS TO WETHER IT WAS SCHEDULED OR CHARTER. IF CHARTER, MAY BE IT WAS WAITING FOR US, OTHERWISE - NOT.

TEMPERS IN THE LOUNGE WERE RISING, AND RISING, AND RISING SOME MORE WITH EACH NEW RUMOUR ABOUT WHAT WAS HAPPENING.

I THINK WE EVENTUALLY GOT OFF THE BOAT AT ABOUT TWO IN THE AFTERNOON & YES. THE PLANE WAS LONG GONE.

WE NOW HAD A ORGANISATIONAL NIGHTMARE. I SAY WE, BUT OF COURSE I MEAN PRINCESS. WE ARE JUST GOING WITH THE FLOW..

AN OPTION WAS TO CANCEL THE TOUR, BUT THE DECISION WAS THAT PRINCESS & THE SHORE EXCURSION PEOPLE WERE GOING TO BY HOOK OR BY CROOK - GET US TO MACHU PICHU.

AND THEY DID.

WE COULD NOT STAY ON BOARD SHIP AS IT WAS LEAVING SO WE ARE GOING TO STAY IN A HOTEL IN LIMA FOR A NIGHT & SOMEHOW COMPRESS THE REST OF THE TOUR INTO THE TIME AVAILABLE.

THIS ALL GAVE US A CHANCE TO SEE A BIT OF LIMA...

AND FLY OUT THE NEXT DAY TO CUZCO..

AFTER ALL THAT MESSING ABOUT IT WAS A RELIEF TO SET OFF FROM LIMA TO

CUZCO

A SHOPPING BREAK - ONE I ENJOYED FOR A CHANGE..

POTATOES?

MAYBE.

WE CROSS A LITTLE RIVER TO OUR HOTEL...

WE ARE JUST HERE FOR A WASH & BRUSH UP & IT'S OFF AGAIN...

THAT WAS SOME PEOPLE WALKING THE INCA TRAIL TO MACHU PICHU. THAT'S A LONG WAY FROM HERE ON FOOT..

WE HAVE NOW SWITCHED TO A TRAIN, OR WE MIGHT HAVE DONE THAT A COUPLE OF PICTURES AGO.

IT FOLLOWS ALONGSIDE A RUSHING RIVER

FINALY - WE ARE HERE

M A C H U

P I C H U

IT HAS BEEN A LONG RIDE & NOW WE WILL SEE IF IT WAS WORTH IT

You tell me .

WE HAD ARRIVED HERE LATER THAN ANTICIPATED BUT THAT PROVED TO BE NOT A BAD THING.

IT WAS LESS CROWDED & EARLIER THE CLOUDS WERE TOO THICK TO SEE ANYTHING.

THE GUIDE WAS TAKING WAY TOO LONG AT EACH OF HIS STOPS. STANDING IN A LIGHT RAIN LISTENING TO SOMEONE TALK AT LENGTH IS NOT MY IDEA OF FUN. I LEFT THE GROUP AND WENT OFF ON MY OWN. KEEPING AN EYE ON WHERE THAY WERE GOING.

I NEVER DID MAKE IT RIGHT TO THE TOP. IT WAS VERY STEEP & FAR TOO SLIPPY FOR ME. MY GLASSES MAKE IT IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE THE GROUND AND WALKING DOWN STEPS WITHOUT A HAND-HOLD IS NOT THE BEST THING TO DO.

NOW WE ARE HERE, WE HAVE TO GO FIND THE SHIP...