Map of Peru

In case you're interested, here are two maps of Peru - one in Spanish and with a bit more detail, and one with the English-ized version of things and a bit simpler to look at. We are staying in the southern parts of Peru, partially because two weeks is not a long time and we don't want to spend too much time travelling between cities, and partially because Megan has studied tropical diseases and wants to stay out of the Amazon basin for now. I think the Amazon is another type of trip entirely.

Here you go:






























If you click on the photos they will enlarge. Lima is on the coast about 3/4 of the way down. We then fly inland and up a bit to Arequipa, then way up in elevation to Lake Titicaca/Puno (I know Beth is laughing at the name already), then down in elevation (but up in latitude) a bit to Cusco, then we head to Machu Picchu, where the air will be quite thin!

More later. I just spent four hours putting together our itinerary and I am hungry...

And then there were three...

So Suzanne dropped out a while back, so it's Talia, me and Beth heading off to Peru this week. I'm very excited!

I'll be sending out an e-mail with our itinerary, but here it is just in case it doesn't go through:

January 3rd: Megan flies from SF, Beth and Talia fly from LA. We all change planes in San Salvador and get on the same flight into Lima. Arrive in Lima at 2:15PM local time. They are, I think, two hours ahead so the time change won't be too bad.

January 3rd: Stay at Hostel El Patio.

January 4th: Fly to Arequipa, departing at 1:15 and arriving at 2:40PM.

January 4 - 7: Stay at Hostal las Torres de Ugarte in Arequipa.

January 7th: Fly to Juliaca, bus it to Puno, departing at 7:50AM and arriving at 8:35AM.

January 7th: Pick up train tickets at soon as possible (see below)

January 7 - 9: Stay at Hotel Italia

January 9th: Train to Cuzco, departing at 8:00AM and arriving in Cuzco at 5:50PM - this is a first-class train through the Andes with a three-course lunch included.

January 9 - 13: Stay at Hostal El Balcon in Cuzco.

January 13th: Train to Aguas Calientes, departing at 7:00 AM and arriving at 10:54AM.

January 13 - 15: Stay at the Inti Inn in Aguas Calientes.

January 15th: Train to Cuzco, departing at 5:00 PM and arriving at 9:23PM.

January 15th: Stay at Hostal El Balcon in Cuzco.

January 16th: Fly to Lima, departing at 11:05AM and arriving at 12:25PM.

January 16th: Stay at friend's house in Lima (confirm with Talia).

January 17th: Fly to SF (Megan) or LA (Beth and Talia), departing at 3:00 PM and arriving (for Megan at least) at 11:20PM.

Here we go!

Here Wo Go!

My sister, Beth, mentioned casually in conversation one night recently that she and a friend were thinking about going to Peru. Because I harbor a long-standing bitterness that I never got to travel Central America with her when we were in college (maybe I was in grad school by then, I can't remember), and because I am selfish and want what I want when I want it (shall I retell the souffle story? Maybe another time...), I pouted and whined and said I wanted to go too.

Then we didn't talk about it for a while. Until I found $600 round-trip tickets out of San Francisco into Lima.

Really, what would you do? I called Beth and harrassed her for two days until we decided to just do it - turns out her (now our) good friend Talia wanted to go as well (and perhaps was one of the original Peru idea generators?). So I bought my ticket out of SFO, and the two other ladies bought tickets out of LAX since they are Los Angelinos.

Because I am high-anxiety and very Type A (I'm working on it), I was concerend about flying to a country alone where I didn't speak the language. Imagine my delight when I realized we all change planes in San Salvador and hop on the same flight into Lima!

¡Hurra!

(That's hooray in Spanish. Otherwise I can ask where the bathroom is and that's about it. Oh, and I can call you nasty names, but this isn't that kind of blog. Yet.)

Even better - Beth and Talia's friend Suzanne is coming for one of the two weeks (correct me if I'm wrong, Suzie-Q) - so now it's four 30-something ladies (are we all over 30 at this point) who still get into a bit of trouble here and there who will be traipsing around Incan ruins and Peruvian landscapes and cityscapes...

This is where we'll chronicle the follies of our group planning, and keep you updated from Peru itself.

Enjoy!