The morning started at 5 with a shower and getting myself completely squared away. The hotel was supposed to have a ride to the airport ready for me at 5:50 but the driver wasn't able to get there and they paid for my taxi back, which was nice. The drive is about 10 minutes and there wasn't that much traffic that early on a Saturday.
The airport was fairly confusing and I tried to use the self-service check-in but it wouldn't work. I then waited through the baggage check where they fortunately gave me my boarding passes and I had to pay another airport fee before going through security (this is something to remember, you cannot get through a Peruvian airport without paying a fee). The wait to board the plane wasn't long and the flight was very quick and easy.
In Lima I again had to again pay another airport fee and rescreen security but had plenty of time to get rid of the majority of my soles on a tiny bit more shopping before boarding and being on my way. The flight from Lima to Miami was completely uneventful. I watched Ice Age 3 which I didn't care for that much, then No Country for Old Men, which I didn't see what the hubbub was about and finally didn't get to finish watching Flushed Away.
In Miami I had 3:45 to clear passport control and get my baggage and clear customs then cross the airport to gate D from gate J where I landed, so of course everything went completely smoothly (my bag was second on the carousel). I had what should only have been 3 hours or so to get dinner and hang out before I would have to board but they pushed my flight to Boston back from 8:50pm to 10:30pm which I was very unhappy about. I really didn't want to sit in Miami airport for over 5 hours at all. All the same I had to. Eventually we took off and the flight was uneventful back to Boston where I think I got to the car by about 1:30am (12:30 with the time change maybe) and got my ride home.
Some observations after all is said and done. Peruvians in the highlands don't seem to smoke at all. Perhaps it is because they chew coca, but I really only saw French and Germans smoking. They are also very short. I think the average Peruvian highlander is shorter than the average Japanese by a couple inches. It is the second area where a guy who is 5'7" could feel like a giant I have been to. Peruvian food is overal very enjoyable and if you like eating you can always find good food there.
The people both that live there and the tourists seemed very friendly and certainly on the hike there is a lot of comeraderie which is refreshing compared to my visits to Europe where people seem a bit more standoffish. I was a bit iffy about visiting a third world nation but the experience was certainly much more pleasant than I could have ever expected. The areas I visited were admittedly tourist based areas and seeing some of the more residential areas proved the poverty level however. The guide from the city tour said that 41% of all Peruvians are unemployed.
This trip has the odd occasion where most of what I bought for gifts was actually made in their own country and not China. The labor there is as cheap as Chinese labor I guess. I don't know what it means for the quality but we'll see...
Justino said to tell everyone that, "The Inka Trail is very easy!" This way everyone will come down through his tour company and try it yourselves. I will say one hundred percent the sense of accomplishment when you finish the trail is gigantic and beyond compare of anything I have tried. Cindy said it was the most difficult trail she has hiked which I believe really means something. I would advise anyone who has though of doing it to do so but be aware that carrying your own stuff will definitely make things a lot more difficult. I am glad I tried to do it that way even if it made Dead Woman's Pass very difficult.
That's it for the rundown. I will start to post the pictures fairly soon I hope.
1 comment:
Hologic's Hemingway has spoken.
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