Pammy, thanks for the information. I just went to the Linblad site, and I think that their combination Galapagos/Machu Picchu expedition involves more days in the Galapagos than Ngaire and Linda thought was optimal.

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Eugene

Question Has anyone had breathing problems on their Machu Picchu trip? The reason I'm asking is that many years ago(in my 20's) when we were visiting Leadville CO (10,000') I experienced heavy tiredness walking around ,as well also had nosebleeds(never before or since). More recently,after flying into Quito (9,200'),I thought I would pass out. Could only walk a few steps then had to rest,God,I would have sold my soul for a whiff of O2.Upon resting awhile was half ok. Upon reaching sea level ,was fine.

Some one told me that there was oxygen in the bedrooms and buses.Is this true?

Have a gut feeling that this will be a miss for us (right up there with white water rafting, bungee jumping and parachuting)

So if anyone has had problems and over came them I would love to hear. Thanks,

The best thing to do is go look at my web on the Galapagos and Machu Picchu. Most of the pictures are Ken's by the way. There is information on the Galapagos and also on Machu Picchu. Climate everything you should want to know. It is a very "simple" website with just the basic things you need to know. There are details on the hotels as well.

http://www.bkgalapagos.com/

This link gives a day by day schedule for Machu Picchu
http://www.bkgalapagos.com/Peru_Getting_to_Machu_Picchu.htm

My suggestion would be to to do the Machu Picchu trip first then the Galapagos second. People could do either part or both. You can do it the other way. I just think the ship is more relaxing and therefore to do the land first while everyone is pumped up makes more sense.

Pat YES some people really do experience a great deal of difficulty. I have never had any problems before but did feel a little ill when I was climbing up hill in Cusco. Slight but there.

To help with that the sensibile way to go it to arrive in Cusco and go straight to the Sacred Valley. Spend a night there, it is much lower and helps you adjust. Then you catch the Hiram Bingham from there and go onto Machu Picchu. The second highest spot. When you come back to Cusco and spend a night before departure your body has adjusted a little. Why they dont do the tours this way is beyond me. That is how I would set up the tour.

Anne, Gary, Leslie and Brad have all done this they can offer suggestions as well.

We'd love to do the Iceland to Dover Cruise. The timing is perfect as it coincides with our 10 year anniversary on May 22nd!

Yes Ray & Pat. We were there in 2006 and most everyone had some degree of breathing difficulty in Cusco. Luckily I didn't have much of a problem and was fine in Machu Picchu. The elevation affects everyone differently. We took the luxury Hiram Bingham train to Cusco and it had oxygen available as did our hotel room in Cusco. It was a fabulous site and I wouldn't let the oxygen thing scare you away.

Ngaire, I just went back to the Web sites you mentioned above. I looked at the sample 16-day itinerary that is found at

http://www.bkgalapagos.com/I_Sample_MPGAL.htm

Do I remember correctly that both you and Linda told me that you thought this was too many days for the Galapagos? Is this itinerary a good starting point to plan a combined trip? I also thought you might have preferred other hotels for the Machu Picchu portion.

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Eugene

Eugene - I did this web site a long time ago and just used this as a sample. Every itinerary we do for Machu Picchu is customized. I would not personally spend a week on a ship in the Galapagos but many want to do that.

Clyde and I booked the FLL to Dover cruise when onboard the Navigator this month!! The scenery is so beautiful off Iceland and Greenland. Hope that becomes an LCT tour.

So what do you suggest is the best way to proceed? Should I ask someone at B&K to put together an intinerary for us based on your experiences and post it on LCT to see if others are interested in joining to form a group? I think we know of one other couple (not LCT) who are very interested.

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Eugene

Ngaire,
Tom and I are VERY interested in this: (is this the one you will likely escort?)

Iceland/British Isles
21-May-2009 Thu Reykjavik, Iceland -
22-May-2009 Fri Heimaey, Westmann Islands, Iceland
23-May-2009 Sat Torshaven, Faroe Islands, Denmark
24-May-2009 Sun Kirkwall, Orkney Islands, Scotland
25-May-2009 Mon Portree, Isle of Skye, Scotland
26-May-2009 Tue Greenock (Glasgow/Edinburgh), Scotland
27-May-2009 Wed Belfast, Northern Ireland
28-May-2009 Thu Dublin, Ireland
29-May-2009 Fri Cobh (Cork), Ireland
30-May-2009 Sat Portland, England
31-May-2009 Sun Dover (London), England

The one that jumps out at me is the Rio to FLL in December. Sigh, we were going to try to do Oceania SA in 2010, but gee, it's the right timing! We'll see what we do when we get on board--we may just park a booking on the cheaper, furthest in the future.

Ngaire - any chance there will be a Black Sea itinerary in 2009?

For the Machu Picchu and Galapagos folks:

The altitude is a factor, and you need a few days to acclimate. Our trip started in Cusco for three nights and then went into the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu. I think Ngaire's suggestion re: go to Sacred Valley first makes far more sense. Drink the mate tea, lots of water, walk slowly, take rest breaks as needed and avoid the alcohol until you've adapted. Some folks find their memory is affected as well. With a few days' time, everyone in our group had adapted. Until then, we had some funny conversations which no one could remember later.

Eight days is about right (2 nights Sacred Valley, 2 nights Machu Picchu, 2-3 nights Cusco depending on time you leave Lima for Ecuador). Personally, I loved the site and we did some decent side hikes as part of our stay. We needed the two overnights at Sanctuary Lodge to do all of that exploring. Others who are not interested in the hiking may find one overnight enough time to enjoy this spectacular site.

Cheers, Anne

Ngaire

When we did the trip that was how they did it for just the reasons you mentioned. There were some people in the group who still felt queasy but usually were ok after a good nights sleep. The hotel in The sacred valley would bring O2 to your room if you needed it.

Anne, if you look on the B&K site, you'll see the preliminary itineraries for 2009. For example, there's a Grand Black Sea again in September 2009 on the Navigator:


SEVEN SEAS NAVIGATOR - 2009
Grand Black Sea ARRIVAL DEPARTURE
18-Sep-2009 Fri Istanbul, Turkey B 6:00 PM
19-Sep-2009 Sat Nessebur, Bulgaria B 8:00 AM 6:00 PM
20-Sep-2009 Sun Constantza, Romania B 6:00 AM 7:00 PM
(Optional Full Day Tour to Bucharest is available)
21-Sep-2009 Mon Odessa, Ukraine B 8:00 AM 6:00 PM
22-Sep-2009 Tue Sevastopol, Crimea, Ukraine B 8:00 AM 11:00 PM
23-Sep-2009 Wed Yalta, Crimea, Ukraine B 8:00 AM 5:00 PM
24-Sep-2009 Thu Sochi, Russia B 8:30 AM 6:00 PM
25-Sep-2009 Fri Trabzon, Turkey B 8:00 AM 5:00 PM
26-Sep-2009 Sat Transit Bosphorus Strait T
Cruise Dardanelles C
27-Sep-2009 Sun Mytilene, Lesvos, Greece A 1:00 PM 6:00 PM
28-Sep-2009 Mon Piraeus (Athens), Greece B 8:00 AM

CRUISE NIGHTS 10

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Eugene

shoot they all look good. LOL

Eugene - Thanks! I missed it on the website.

Halleluia! Black Sea that is NOT in the summertime. The gods must be looking favorably on us. Sign us up for that one.

Cheers, Anne

2009 - FFL to Dover - here we come. And, we will also be celebrating an anniversary on May 22! (38ys)

Jan and Fred

Ngaire: Thanks a million for that comprehensive information you gave me. My printer at home isn't connected so thought I would print it out at work. I highlighted the bit I wanted but the whole thread printed out - whoops! I'll have fun reading it all once again tonight providing I can smuggle the ream of paper home! Lee

FFL to Dover here we come, also (if we're still around!) Celebrating a birthday in Reyjkavik.

Ngaire, Arlene and I discussed the Greek Isles - Baltics back-to-back and think it is a fantastic idea. We, too, really don't want to go to Europe for just seven days.

Any others interested in this creative B2B?

Great Marc love to have you with us again. This combo is squarely on my radar. Been so long since I did a classic Greek islands and after all Arlene and I both need to go egg shopping in front of the Spilled Blood Cathedral - right Arlene??

Maybe we should have waited! We wanted to visit both the Greek Isles and the Baltics but it's too soon for us to go back to the Baltics and we're booked for the Greek Isles in September 2008 - so far without company! What will we do in 2009? Lee

Ngaire,


You read my mind!!!

In regard to the question of anyone having problems with the elevation in the Andes Mountains. My cousin's husband died there last year after a day of hiking in Cusco. He felt ill in the afternoon as did several other people in their group. He went to bed at night without seeing a doctor. When my cousin heard him up in the middle of the night he told her he felt really bad and the next thing she knew he was dead. The autopsy showed heart attack. The people of Peru were wonderful to her but all the red tape took a week before she could return to the USA with his coffin.

Friends of ours went on a Regent cruise since that time and they were fine at Machu Picchu.

The B2B sounds good to us as well. We're already booked with B&K for Valparaiso to Sydney. We're still in Sydney a week after geting off the Mariner and can always spend more time here.
Jim & Pat

I love the cruise from the US to Iceland, and then on to Dover. I remember Voyager did something like this a few years ago and I have been waiting for it to show up again. We would want to board in New York, since we live here, and nothing beats just taking a taxi from home to the ship. I guess Regent would not mind as long as we pay for the entire cruise.

Merril

Well --- so much interest in the FLL to Reykjavik to Dover. You know --- where LCT wants to go I follow.

I have waitlists in for this itinerary already so I guess this is a front runner for my escorted list. I have done this before and really enjoyed the cruise. Reykjavik is really interesting.

I have a safari group in late April and cannot make the first part of this trip from FLL but might see if I can join her a little later, maybe Halifax and then stay onto Dover.

The Greek Islands/Baltics I want to do also.

Merril,
Like you...if we do this itinerary we'll get on in NY instead of FL to visit family in NY.

They will allow New York boarding but they will no longer prorate when you get on late or get off early. Sorry.

Ngaire,

Are you looking at any SilverSea cruises for 2009?

Carolyn

Not at this time. We will see how Camel goes first.

That Black Sea itinerary looks fantastic!
What is best about it is that on my birthday it is in Odessa - that is where my family came from. What a way to "celebrate" becoming eligible for social security - by being in the land of my ancestors.

Unfortunately, this cruise begins on the eve of Jewish New Year, and ends on Yom Kippur. :(

So many interesting choices. Bert and I haven't been to the Greek Isles in 18 years and we are very interested in the BTB primarily because we want to see the Baltics. Besides, 2 different ships-what a unique treat! The Iceland-British Isles also sounds great.

Ah Mitch... come on and book it, we would love to be able to travel with you and Bert again!

We are interested in the Greek Isles/Copenhagen combo. Would love to visit about it on ICE.

I'm interested in the Greek Isles/Baltic combo too - although I'm not about Jerel. He might decide to go for his doctorate to avoid it!!

The Greek Isles/ Baltic combo does sound fantastic but I really have my heart set on Vietnam. I guess Vietnam could be put off until 2010. Regent does it every year, but the other combo seems more unusual. Oh, decisions, decisions!

It is official. Just got approval today.

I will be on the FLL to Dover Voyager but cant get there on time for embarkation and will be joining in probably Halifax and then going through to Dover. Both segments get the BK Escorted Rewards

I will be doing the Greek Islands and Baltic combination. Of course you can do one or both. Both cruises get the BK Escorted Rewards. There will also be a combination credit for doing both cruises.

Vietnam I am pretty sure I will be doing too just not got the approval yet.

Wonderful, Ngaire. Do we have enough people for a "Name that Cruise" poll for FLL to Dover?

30 people on the waitlist for either FLL to Dover or Reykjavik to Dover. I think we name it ONE name for both trips.

Might as well do the other 2009 trips as well.

Valaparsio to Sydney - Mariner

Greek Islands - Navigator
Baltics - Voyager

We should do a word for the Greek Islands as a single then a word for the Baltics single. To make it really work the two single words can be put together and it makes sense. Now theres a challenge.

Maybe do them one at at time so we dont overload the brains.