Well we’re back from Machu Picchu and Cusco….what a trip! We spent 2 nights at the Monasterio Hotel (really was an old Monastery years ago) in Cusco and did a long day trip up and back to Machu Picchu on the Orient Express “Hiram Bingham” train. The whole trip was such fun. Machu Picchu is so amazing and something I’d recommend EVERYONE should do once in a life time. The very high elevation in Cusco really got to many within the group of 50 passengers. Luckily, I did fine but poor Tom didn’t fair quite so well. He was very light headed and had a headache. The Monasterio Hotel had oxygen tanks to help but even that was only temporary help. Some rooms are capable of having oxygen pumped in through the vents but not ours. He didn’t have trouble in M.P, only in Cusco. We were traveling with about 10 good friends and the women all seemed to do better with the elevation than the men. The Hiram Bingham train was very first class and such fun. We took over one car and other than eating we spent most of the time to and from in the bar car with live music. The scenery was so magnificent….that alone was worth the trip! I thought I had seen tall mountains in the USA and Canada but NOTHING can compare to the spectacular Andes Mountains. All of Peru is so awesome and the people are so friendly . Once in Machu Picchu people could do as much or as little walking with the guide as they wanted.

In Cusco we did a city tour which included going into the countryside and visiting a Llama/Alpaca farm….right up my alley! Yesterday our flight out of Cusco was delayed due to fog so we were late leaving and arriving in Lima. We had a 4 hour stop over in Lima which included a city tour of Lima and a very nice lunch. The plane was late leaving Lima (the domino effect of all the flights in and out of Lima all day) so we didn’t arrive back to the ship until around 9:00. We were originally schedule to arrive at 5:45pm for a 7:00 sail away. We were greeted by Capt Philippe and several other officers upon our return and we eventually sailed away around 9:30 or 10. We went directly to Compass Rose for dinner looking like a group of tattered refuges. We had a lot of laughs at dinner reliving the past few days. It really was a fantastic trip but it was great coming back to our home on the Mariner….our HOME at SEA LEVEL!!! Funny enough, most of us ended up getting our second wind, I think we were all slap-happy. I stayed up talking to friends and hitting the casino for a short time. None of us made it to the show to see Kenny Smiles who is now onboard. I came up to bed around 12:30. I had no idea where Tom was… he ended up in Stars Lounge until around 1:00. Today is a much needed sea day after a grueling 3 days. We’ll be in Manta, Ecuador tomorrow.

I’ll post just a few pictures of Machu Picchu since Ngaire had posted such great ones of her trip there. Also have some taken on the train and at the llama/alpaca farm. I know I promised a photo of me as a brunette….and I always keep my promise! BTW, that went over just great. I had so much fun being a brunette for the evening. Tom was very surprised. I can’t even count how many friends onboard walked right past me and had no idea who I was!! Lots of fun!

Our group of around 30 is having an Asian dinner night soon with a Chinese gift exchange (the kind where you draw numbers and you can steal gifts from those who have selected gifts before you). They’re going to give us the private half of LaVeranda again. It will be another night with lots of laughs I’m sure!

BTW, we ran into Lynn and Doug Burns at the Monasterio Hotel. Since they disembarked in Lima they were on a different tour than ours. They were going to M.P. on the Hiram Bingham train one day after our group. We were happy to get to see them again and I’m sure Doug will be posting again soon when they arrive home. I also forgot to mention meeting a great couple: Ralph and Carol who were on segment 3 (djw521 is the screen name on LCT). Ralph joined in our Texas Hold’em games on sea days. They too will be missed on this final segment.

Well…here are a few photos (best to view as a slideshow):
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Thanks for another wonderful installment and pictures. You look great as a brunette!

Nancy

Great photos, Marcie! I love the rainbow one. I agree with Nancy, you look fantastic as a brunette!

Great mail and photos Marcie! You do look great as a brunette!

I'd wondered about the altitude sickness; what was your elevation? I'm sure I couldn't handle it; the Eiger in Switzerland about did me in and that was 13 years ago!

Super photos. Machu Picchu looks beautiful. The rainbow photo is fantastic!

Thanks for your "Travels With Marcie" report!

What a trip - pixs are great as always - J

Your "excursion" sounds wonderful, Marcie. Since I missed most of the reports on your SA cruise while on the Voyager, I have some catch-up reading to do, if I ever catch up at home, that is.

Kenny and Lorraine were on our flight from Hong Kong to LA. We both joked about being in steerage together. Once in LA they had to rush for a plane to Lima. That's a lot of flying. Ask him to model his plunger cap for you!

GREAT pictures Marcie, you hit a wonderful day just like we did - it makes such a difference. So how many pisco sours did you drink??

Cusco is MUCH higher than Machu Picchu. Actually the best thing to do is arrive and go straight to the Sacred Valley. About an hour away. Lovely area. This is not as high so it gives you time to adjust. Then go to Machu Picchu - then spend time in Cusco and you wont have the same problems as you adjust to the altitude. This way you hit the highest area LAST instead of FIRST. Just a word of advise for those planning on going here.

So glad you loved MP! Ngaire is right - get out of Cusco early if the altitude bothers you.

Editing to add fog delays on flights to & from Cusco are fairly common. Book the earliest flights out to minimize delays.

Also heard yesterday Peru is suing Yale to recover many of the artifacts it has from Hiram Bingham & colleagues trips to Peru in the early 20th century. If you are tempted to see MP, go!

Cheers, Anne

Wow, Marcie. Your reports are so amazing and your photos are terrific. Thank you as always for sharing with us stay at homes!

Marcie,
Readiing your trip travelogs have been wonderful. I am reliving our Mariner - Lima to Buenos Aries a year ago through your postiings. Thank you for sharing them with us. I sure wished you had been on our trip, it definitely would have much more livelier. But you would make even a bad day the best day. We, like you, look for the fun, adventure, and enjoyment in our travels.

We were fortunate in doing Machu Picchu before the trip and did just what Ngaire suggested. I totally agree. Getting off the plane in Cusco is a 'whomp' to your lungs and breathing. Our guide and driver took us directly - with stops at the llama village and Pisac for their market - to the Sacred Valley. The first night there we experienced slight headaches and weird dreams but then everything was fine after that. We loved the Valley -beautiful and serene and could have stayed there for a week. We stayed at the Sol y Luna. Because we got acclimated, we thorougly enjoyed our two nights at M.P. and then the two nights in Cusco with ease to the body. I could climb the ruins outside Cusco with no problem which I could not have done if I had landed in Cusco and then went straight to this excursion. Boarding the Mariner after the enjoyable land trip was the frosting on the cake.

Thank you again for being such a positive integral part of this board.

Deanna

Sol y Luna -- We had gorgeous weather the grounds were full of flowers and we went and looked at the horses. I really thought it was a quaint place to stay. Not a big upscale five star hotel of course you are in Peru in the Sacred Valley - but I thought it was delightful.

I had trouble with altitude when we were in Wyoming this November - have no idea how I'd do on Marcie's excursion - it was sort of scary not being able to get enough oxygen - :(

Wow, I just read this link, first of all thank you, such great information, Secondly, do you look great as a brunette or what????? Thanks so much for the info...

If given the choice, by all means go to Machu Picchu FIRST before Cusco. Unfortunately, the way our 2 night excursion was set up we didn't have the choice. I think the Sanctuary hotel is too small to have held our groups. At least we got to go to MP and I'm so happy we did!!