Today, it’s off to Lima. Total flying time is a measly nine hours, from msp to Atlanta and then on to Lima.
It should be noted that i vacation in the fall for many reasons: it’s cheaper, cooler, and generally the shoulder season for many destinations.
The air is also cooler, and more stable. There are generally less storms to avoid, which means a smoother flight and I feel less like I am about to die.
After the last trip to Costa Rica, my fear of flying seems to have returned. Excellent.
On the way to atlanta, we flew around a large storm. I am unsure of how the plane to Atlanta stayed in the air, but we survived and are awaiting our flight to Lima. I didn’t barf and somehow justin put up with my extreme nervous fidgets.
The pilot on this plane says that we are about to land in the most beautiful city in South America: Lima!
The itinerary for our fourteen day trip:
Arrive late in Lima, and then fly to Puno the next day. We’ll spend a few days in Puno on the shores of Lake Titicaca. The plan:
- Acclimate our flatland lungs to 12,000 feet above sea level by exploring Puno for a day
- Tour the floating reed isles of Lake Titicaca
From Puno, we’ll take the PeruRail Andean Explorer train to Cusco. While it may be 10x more expensive than the bus, it is not a bus, and therefore 100x better.
Once we are in Cusco, we’ll be exploring Cusco and the sacred valley of the incas for nearly a week:
- Aguas Caliente + Macchu Pichu (alas, I could not find a little Pichu to take with me….)
- Ollantaytambo
- Many more Inca Ruins!
From Cusco, we will fly back to Lima and then take a bus down to Caracas.
- Wildlife reserves – perhaps we will see penguins.
- Sand dune deserts
After a few days in Paracas, we’ll head back up to Lima to spend a few days exploring the city and sampling its cuisine.
Will we eat guinea pig? Will we succumb to altitude sickness on the shores of lake titicaca? Only time will tell!